Chapter 204
An An didn’t give Chenyang another chance to refuse. She pulled eighty thousand yuan in cash from behind the counter and stuffed it into his arms.
The sight of the eight thick stacks of bright red bills made Chenyang’s eyes burn with excitement.
But his face still showed a hint of guilt, as if he didn’t deserve it.
Seeing this, Liu Yun smiled. "Just take it. We’ll have plenty of chances to work together in the future. If you feel it’s too much, you can just help An An find a few more good stones down the line."
"Alright! Since you both put it that way, I won’t be modest."
Chenyang smiled and took the cash.
"Making this much on your first time stone gambling... you’re one lucky guy."
To Liu Yun, eighty thousand yuan was just a small sum.
But the ability to turn one hundred yuan into eighty thousand in just half an hour made even her a little envious.
Chenyang grinned. "Let’s find a restaurant. It’s on me."
"No need. I’ve already bought groceries. Next time." Liu Yun waved her hand and added, "An An, Chenyang and I have to go. We’ll come see you another day."
"Okay, Sister Liu."
An An replied with a smile, then quickly dialed a number. "Uncle Liu, send over some of every type of herb you have in your shop."
Her voice wasn’t loud, but Chenyang still heard her.
He grinned. "That girl doesn’t waste any time, does she?"
"When it comes to stones, An An is always decisive."
"Is An An her real name?"
"No, An An is her nickname. Her full name is Xi Xiaoyun. She was often sick as a child, so her mother nicknamed her An An for ’peace and safety.’ Her full name is a bit of a mouthful, so everyone has just called her An An all these years."
"Xi is a pretty rare surname. When I was studying at the Medical University, I heard about a legendary figure in the city’s stone-gambling scene. He supposedly went to the Western Regions by himself with five million in cash to prospect for jade, and by the time he came back, that five million had turned into two hundred million. That big shot’s surname was also Xi, I think. He was called Xi... what was it again?"
"Xizhong He!"
"Yes, yes, that’s him."
"He’s An An’s father. Back then, his family’s business suddenly hit its Waterloo. They were beset on all sides. He gritted his teeth, borrowed five million, and went to the Western Regions to make a last stand. Everyone thought he was guaranteed to lose. They all believed that after that gamble, the Xi Family would be wiped from the map in Yang City."
"But no one expected that three months later, not only did ’Uncle Xi,’ as we call him, bring back two hundred million, but he also returned with a batch of top-grade raw stones. That batch of stones not only resolved the Xi Family’s crisis but also launched them to the very top of Yang City’s jade industry."
"So, what you’re saying is, An An is a rich heiress?"
"That’s right. And one of the wealthiest ones at that."
Liu Yun smiled and said with a meaningful tone, "On the day of her coming-of-age ceremony, ’Uncle Xi’ publicly declared that when An An gets married, he would give her a piece of top-grade Nephrite Jade from his personal collection as her dowry."
"I was lucky enough to see that Nephrite Jade once. It’s a naturally formed, dragon-shaped piece. My grandfather, when he was still alive, told me that piece of jade is worth more than one hundred million!"
"Whoa!" Chenyang gasped. "A hundred-million-yuan dowry? That tycoon from the Xi Family is seriously lavish."
"It is lavish, but it’s also understandable. After all, An An is the future of the Xi Family. They’re all counting on her."
"An only child?"
"No, she has two older brothers and a younger sister. Her eldest brother has no interest in business and is dedicated to his art. The second brother is a total playboy who does nothing but indulge himself. Her younger sister is smart and sensible, but she had an accident years ago and is now paralyzed."
"So, it sounds like An An is set to be the next head of the Xi Family. And anyone who wants to marry her—and actually has a shot—would have to come from a family with comparable standing."
"Not necessarily. ’Uncle Xi’ never planned on using An An in a marriage alliance for greater profit. And An An herself has said that she’ll either never marry, or she’ll marry the person she loves most. It wouldn’t matter to her if the man she loved was a beggar."
"A woman of principle!"
"Very principled and very direct." Liu Yun smiled teasingly. "An An has a pretty good impression of you. Why don’t you try pursuing her? If you succeed, you’ll be an instant hundred-millionaire."
"A good impression of me? What makes you say that?"
"It’s obvious from the fact that she let you touch her leg."