Imperial Treasure
Chapter 316 - 226: A Ditch, Goat Head Freak!_2

Chapter 316: Chapter 226: A Ditch, Goat Head Freak!_2

Elder Lin and the others used to squeeze and disdain Elder Tang quite a bit, saying things like "With a shopkeeper like you, your pawnshop seems to exude the very essence of a sharp-tongued and malicious merchant. As soon as someone walks in, they probably turn around and leave! No wonder your business has never been hot.".

Unapologetic and almost like a slap in the face, that eerie old man simply lifted his grey-white eyes and chuckled, "Oh, there comes someone with a fiery temper... Alright, if you’re here to do business, come on in, but don’t block the Goat Head Freak’s way.".

The way he spoke was odd, and nobody lingered; they all went through the gate, whereupon the old man took a step out, hung the goat skull on a nail beside the door and shut it with a snap.

"Come in, I’ll show you the goods."

The host was more forthright than the guests.

Elder Tang and the others exchanged glances, said little, and followed him in.

The alley was shabby, and the inside was even worse, but the house itself wasn’t small, a standalone structure built with blue bricks and tiles, two stories high. In front of the yard, there were heaps of stones placed haphazardly, with dirty corners and benches scattered all over. Three men were squatting on the benches, wolfing down boxed meals, and despite the winter chill, they were shirtless and in vests.

Honestly, the surroundings were really not great, with dust and the scent of sweat lingering in the air, as well as an odd musty, sour smell...

Ajie frowned and kicked some trash out of the way for Sui Yi. Just as they were about to step through the front door, they heard an impatient, coquettish voice from inside: "Cousin, what kind of place is this, it stinks, I can’t stand it..."

Someone was already here?

A malicious voice instantly spat out, "If you can’t stand it, get lost!"

Clearly, that was not her cousin’s voice.

What a dump this place was.

Sui Yi and the others walked in...

Upon entering, they found that the space inside was quite large, but the ground was uneven. Aside from a few tables and chairs stained with grime, there were all sorts of stones on the floor, making it hard to even step without careful tiptoeing. And there, indeed, a few people with magnifying glasses, inspecting the goods...

A table had an abacus and other items on it, and there was a large weighing device beside it, perhaps the most modern object in the room, obviously expensive.

A man was sitting by the weighing device, very tall, even seated he was taller than Elder Tang and the others. With thick arms and legs and a squared face, his chin stubble was not fully shaved. At the moment, he was fiddling with the machine expressionlessly and spoke coldly, "Are you done looking? What’s with all the dawdling, do you think you can see whether there’s jade inside with a magnifying glass? It’s not a microscope..."

His words were provocative and somewhat amusing. Elder Tang actually laughed out loud, a laugh so obvious that everyone inside turned to look.

But now, Sui Yi and the others could see these people’s faces more clearly.

The ones inspecting the raw stones looked quite ordinary, no different from any common person, except for one who stood out a bit, a younger, more refined-looking youth bent over, holding a magnifying glass in his hand. Not far behind him was a girl in a pretty Western-style dress, very cute with decent features, although her expression was one of impatience, her gaze dismissive and rude, particularly when she saw Sui Yi. Her face visibly soured, not a pleasant sight.

This girl really wore her heart on her face, huh? If she were ever captured for interrogation, there’d be no need for torture; just read her face straight up.

"It’s such a tiny place, and yet so many people are coming in. Isn’t it crowded? We came first, shouldn’t we be the ones to look? Just have everyone else wait outside..." she muttered discontentedly. The youth’s face changed immediately, and he scolded her, "Ajie, what nonsense are you talking... If you keep this up, I won’t bring you next time..."

Although he was scolding her, his tone wasn’t harsh, the affection clear to see. He then apologized to Elder Tang and the others, "Sorry, my sister doesn’t know better, forgive us..." His words paused, his gaze lingering on Sui Yi, then he continued without moving on, "You must find it amusing...".

Elder Tang and the others couldn’t be bothered to argue with the youth and casually said it was no problem. The old man was already impatient, shouting at Elder Tang and the others, "Look, all the stones are here. Check them out for yourselves. The prices are all written on the board. No matter which piece you fancy, don’t even try to haggle with me, or get out of here immediately!"

Perhaps this was the most arrogant shopkeeper around, but he had the right to be, for it was said that this shop had the highest rate of finding jade in raw stones. And just seeing the goat skull, Elder Tang and the others began to remember the old man’s name.

Goat Head Freak.

That was what people in the circle called him, although nobody seemed to remember his real name, and it wasn’t anything conspicuous. Everyone simply referred to him as Old Goat Monster...

Old Goat Monster was formidable. Don’t be fooled by the squalor of his house; on any given day, the amount of money he dealt with easily reached into the tens of millions, and with events like the Public Trading Conference or during popular periods, it could go up to billions within a few days. This wasn’t an exaggeration; the business was immensely lucrative, though equally risky. Gambling on stones depended on money and luck, but those who sold raw stones often gambled with their lives—the sources of the stones were dangerous.

So, if he was a bit weird-tempered, the people here had no choice but to put up with it.

"What about the ones inside?" Yu Quan pointed to the inner door.

"That’s the darkroom, stones in there are pricier, but the quality is better. You’re welcome to take a look if you’re willing, but entering just once will cost you ten thousand yuan."

Is this a tourist attraction or what! Even viewing it costs an entrance fee!

And ten thousand a pop, that’s way too expensive! (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes, monthly votes, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)