Chapter Four: Sudden Realization

Sister Hong gave a faint smile, comforting herself.
"Xiao Huzi, do you know why Liu Liang looks down on you?" she suddenly asked.
"Because he thinks I'm poor and can't afford his materials," I replied.
"No."
Sister Hong shook her head.
"It's because you're too weak; he doesn't even consider you worthy of his attention."
I frowned slightly, feeling that her words carried a deeper meaning.
"Think about it—if you were a master at betting on jade, someone who could easily pick out imperial green, would he still treat you so poorly?"
Suddenly, I understood. That was the reason.
"And the opposite is true as well. If you were wealthy, generous, able to spend money without a second thought, he'd definitely try to curry favor with you."
I nodded, half understanding, feeling that her reasoning made perfect sense.
After our meal, Sister Hong took me to another jade shop.
The shop was sizable and lavishly decorated, clearly a high-end establishment.
"This is my shop. Not bad, right?" Sister Hong said with a smile when she saw how surprised I was.
Only then did I realize that Sister Hong not only managed the KTV but also had a jade business.
Yet she told me that although she dealt in jade, she never gambled on stones. Today, she had only intended to acquire some cut materials.
I knew that the stone factories were always crowded with jade merchants, waiting for good materials to be revealed. Once someone opened a valuable piece, buyers would flock immediately.
Even if Sister Hong hadn't been there, my piece would have sold without worry.
If someone didn't want to sell immediately and preferred to wait for a better price, they could leave it with the factory owner to sell on their behalf, though they'd have to pay a commission.
"Sister Hong, you love betting on jade so much—why not gamble yourself, instead of buying opened stones?" I asked curiously.
"Because I know the risks are too high. One misstep and you could lose everything," Sister Hong replied seriously.
Hearing this, I was moved. It meant Sister Hong was willing to gamble today entirely for my sake.
Although eighteen thousand was nothing to her, for me, it was a turning point in my fate.
Sister Hong then told the shop assistant to bring over the bank card.
"Xiao Huzi, give me your card number. I'll transfer the money to you."
I nodded and gave her the number. Soon after, I received the transaction notification.
The market price for this piece was around three hundred thousand. My share was forty percent—one hundred and twenty thousand.
"Thank you, Sister Hong!" I said gratefully.

"No need to thank me. It's what you deserve."
Sister Hong smiled and continued, "From now on, we can work together. Whenever you have materials, sell them to me. I'll make sure you get the best price."
"Alright!"
I was overjoyed and returned to the KTV, eager to share the news with a friend.
But since my mother passed away, I've been alone, with no real friends.
The only one I could call a friend was a hostess at the KTV, named Xiao Mi.
Xiao Mi was quite beautiful—tall, with a good figure, fair skin, and eyes that were particularly alluring.
Whenever she came to work, she wore heavy makeup and strong perfume.
I knew it was to mask the traces of her life.
I'd always liked her, but never dared to say so.
After all, I was only eighteen or nineteen, while she was twenty-three or twenty-four.
And my monthly salary was only a few thousand, while she could earn that in a single night.
Back then, I was painfully self-conscious.
But now things were different—I had one hundred and twenty thousand in my account! I wanted to share it with her; even if not a confession, at least to be closer to her.
I hurried back to the KTV, only to find her in a private room with guests.
This surprised me, since our KTV was usually busy only at night, with hardly any guests during the day.
At that moment, I overheard two waiters whispering:
"Did you hear? Xiao Mi got beaten up."
"What? Who hit her?"
"No idea. A group of street girls came in—looked like they were catching a cheater. Said Xiao Mi seduced their leader's boyfriend."
I was stunned. Xiao Mi, beaten?
I knew Xiao Mi well. Though she served drinks here, she never went out with customers. In a place like this, it was inevitable for guests to take liberties, misunderstandings were common.
I was about to check on her when our manager hurried over.
"Wang Hu, where are you going?"
I pointed to the private room. "I'm going to see Xiao Mi."
"Don't go!"
The manager grabbed me and frowned, "Xiao Mi's in big trouble. Those people aren't to be trifled with. We'd best stay out of it."
I grew anxious. "What then? We can't just let Xiao Mi be beaten to death, can we?"

The manager replied impatiently, "Go check the situation first. If it gets too bad, I'll call the police."
I nodded, picked up a fruit plate, and headed for the private room.
The manager was someone who always avoided trouble—never stood up for us when we needed help.
But I had no mind to care about him now; my only concern was Xiao Mi.
As I reached the doorway, I heard women shouting inside.
"You filthy bitch, how dare you seduce my boyfriend! I'll beat you to death!"
A sharp slap rang out, followed by Xiao Mi's cry of pain.
I couldn't hold back any longer. I pushed the door open and went in.
"Xiao Mi!"
The scene inside stunned me.
Xiao Mi knelt in disarray, her clothes rumpled, hair tangled, her face clearly marked by several slaps.
And sitting in the room was Su Li!
Su Li saw me and was momentarily surprised, then sneered, "Oh, isn't this my dear cousin?"
"So what, you're working as a gigolo here now?"
My face flushed as I said, "Su Li, how could you hit someone?"
"So what if I did? This slut deserves it!"
Xiao Mi saw me and hurriedly cried, "Wang Hu, go! This has nothing to do with you."
Upon hearing this, Su Li's eyes widened.
"Well, birds of a feather flock together. So you two sluts are in it together!"
"Fine, since that's the case, neither of you is leaving today!"
With that, Su Li grabbed a beer bottle and poured it over Xiao Mi's head.
Rage surged through me and I shouted, "Su Li, you’ve gone too far!"
"Hmph!"
Su Li looked at me coldly. "What, feeling sorry for her?"