Chapter 133: The Jade and Stone Exhibition

The richness of spiritual energy determines the quality of jade. This, of course, applies to high-grade goods; if the quality falls below that level, the internal structure is compromised, rendering it unable to retain spiritual energy and thus becoming worthless. This is precisely why the prices of jade vary so drastically.

"These pieces are of very high quality. Is there anything that catches your eye?" As An Qi turned her head toward Ling Tian, she found him staring intently at the jade inside the display case. She continued, "Would you like me to take them out for you to see?"

Ling Tian shook his head and replied, "Your security system is too complex. If you were to take them out, it would likely take a minute. If you don’t mind, I’ll do it myself."

An Qi thought she had misheard him. The look she gave him was full of confusion—what did he mean by that? This security system was a perfect fusion of electronic and mechanical engineering. However, there was one thing she understood: Ling Tian was right; it would take her at least a minute to operate the mechanical lock on the cabinet.

"Are you sure you want to open it yourself?" An Qi asked curiously, genuinely wanting to see just how capable he was.

Ling Tian smiled. "This security system of yours is indeed advanced, but that only applies to ordinary people."

"I should warn you first: this password lock is the most sophisticated mechanical lock currently available, not some useless electronic gadget. As for the alarm, I can disable it temporarily." An Qi pulled an exquisite remote control from her pocket and deactivated the alarm system.

The most critical part of the security system was the complex mechanical lock. Just entering the password required three distinct procedures, and any mistake meant starting over. If errors were made three times in a row, the lock would automatically seize, requiring a technician from the manufacturer to come on-site to open it. An Qi explained the process briefly to ensure Ling Tian wouldn't make a mistake.

After listening to her, Ling Tian placed his right hand on the mechanical lock. A formless flow of true energy surged into the mechanism. In less than three seconds, the three locking discs began to rotate in sequence. With a slight mechanical click, the bulletproof glass opened automatically five seconds later, revealing the jade, which was saturated with spiritual energy.

An Qi covered her mouth in astonishment, staring blankly at the opened lock. It had taken Ling Tian less than ten seconds, and strangely, she hadn't seen him enter any password. How on earth did he do it? How many more secrets was this man hiding?

In an instant, countless questions flashed through her mind.

Ling Tian’s goal in opening the lock was simply to test if he could manipulate such a complex mechanical device, which served as a gauge for his precision in using his divine sense and true energy. Clearly, his ability to open such a sophisticated lock in such a short time proved that his mastery of both had reached a state of perfection.

An Qi looked at Ling Tian as if he were an alien. After a long silence, she said, "If I didn't know you, I would have thought you were a technician from the lock manufacturer. No, even a technician couldn't have opened it that quickly."

Ling Tian smiled slightly. "These foreign-made mechanical locks are indeed precise, but the principles behind them are simple. Compared to the ancient mechanisms of our ancestors, they aren't even on the same level. When you have time, you should study the Luban Lock; that is true brilliance."

An Qi nodded, silently committing the words "Luban Lock" to memory, determined to study it thoroughly.

Ling Tian picked up a piece of jade, examined it carefully, and then set it back down. After searching for a long time, he still hadn't found a piece he was satisfied with.

"What's wrong? Do none of them catch your eye?" An Qi asked. "Or is it too expensive? We're such good friends; I can just give it to you."

Ling Tian shook his head. It wasn't that he didn't like them; the color and quality were indeed good, and they were rich in spiritual energy—a great choice for someone looking to absorb energy for cultivation, but a waste for his specific purpose. If he were to use them to create a spirit-gathering array, the quality was insufficient.

Jade holds pure spiritual energy because its internal natural crystals can absorb and contain the energy of heaven and earth. The higher the quality of the jade, the purer its internal crystals, making it twice as effective for creating arrays. Unable to find a suitable piece, Ling Tian circled the other counters and found a few pieces of white jade that were decent, but jadeite was the best choice for a spirit-gathering array. He returned to the jade counter and asked, "Do you have any higher-quality jade here?"

An Qi asked curiously, "These are the best we have. Is there really nothing you like?"

Ling Tian shook his head again. "The quality is fine, but it doesn't meet my requirements."

An Qi, who had genuinely wanted to help, said somewhat dejectedly, "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help. Our headquarters is in Pengcheng, and this is our first branch in Yunhai City. Due to certain reasons, we don't get much support from the family..." She stopped abruptly, covering her ruby-red lips with her hand, realizing she had said too much.

It seemed An Qi had a story of her own. Ling Tian mused that if she were in trouble, he would certainly help. By helping her expand her business and establishing a partnership, he could leverage her resources to hunt for treasures.

To avoid embarrassing her, Ling Tian pretended not to hear and changed the subject. "Since you chose to open a store in Yunhai City, you must have conducted market research. You must know quite a bit about the local jewelry industry."

Seeing that Ling Tian didn't react, An Qi tapped her chest in relief, glad she had stopped herself before spilling her family's troubles. Composing herself, she said, "I know it reasonably well."

"If you have time, could you take me around?" Ling Tian asked.

Suddenly, An Qi seemed to remember something. Her bright eyes sparkled as she said with a hint of excitement, "Yunhai City is currently hosting a jade exhibition. I went to check it out last week; the variety is very complete. If we're lucky, we might be able to find some high-quality pieces. If you're interested, let's go take a look now."

Ling Tian laughed. "Were you looking for inventory there?"

An Qi nodded obediently. "Yes, I sourced a batch of goods, and the quality wasn't bad. Actually, buying jade is a matter of fate. You could go every day and find nothing, yet on a whim, you might find a treasure. So, I suggest we go try our luck today."

Ling Tian thought about it; he had nothing else to do, so he might as well go with her. Just as they were about to head downstairs, An Qi grabbed his arm, looking hesitant, her expression a complex mix of embarrassment, shyness, and nervousness.

"What's wrong? Is something inconvenient?" Ling Tian asked with concern.

An Qi, usually elegant and poised, acted like a shy young girl, covering her flushed face and looking down, as if she had some unspeakable difficulty.

Seeing her so conflicted, Ling Tian was curious. What could be the matter? Could she be on her period? That was the only reason he could think of. But then he realized that was ridiculous—they weren't going to a hotel, so that wouldn't matter. *Damn it! Why am I thinking about that? We're talking about serious business!*

Just as Ling Tian was about to ask, An Qi bit her red lips, looked up, and said shyly, "Before we go, I have a small request. I hope you can pretend to be my boyfriend. There are some very annoying people at the jade exhibition who hover around me like flies."

To avoid further awkwardness, she said it all in one breath.

"No problem," Ling Tian agreed readily. "If any flies harass you, I'll slap them onto the wall so hard they won't even be able to be pried off."

*Pfft.*

An Qi was amused by his words and giggled. "You're quite funny. Let's go, darling." With that, she naturally took his arm, leaned her head slightly toward him, and wore a sweet smile. She had already stepped into her role.

When they headed downstairs in that manner, the gossiping staff exchanged knowing glances. Once the two had left, they huddled together to whisper.

Zhang Ding, who had just finished sending three scammers to the police station, happened to return. Just as he parked the car, he saw Ling Tian walking out with a beautiful, elegant woman on his arm. Zhang Ding thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but when he looked again, they were already walking toward him.

*Isn't the boss's woman Miss Mu? Why is he flirting with someone else now? Forget it, these are matters for big shots; we little people shouldn't get involved.* After greeting Ling Tian, Zhang Ding returned to the driver's seat, buckled his seatbelt, and started the car.

"Zhang Ding, do you know where the jade exhibition is?" Ling Tian asked.

"I do," Zhang Ding replied.

Seeing Zhang Ding's strange expression, Ling Tian explained, "Zhang Ding, this is Miss An Qi, a friend of mine..."

Before Ling Tian could finish, Zhang Ding turned his head with a knowing grin. "Boss, we're all men; I understand. Don't worry, my lips are sealed. By the way, should I call Miss An Qi 'Madam' now?"

*The kid misunderstood.* Ling Tian felt a headache coming on, but before he could explain further, Zhang Ding had already greeted An Qi. "Madam, you are truly beautiful. I'm Zhang Ding. Nice to meet you."

Hearing herself called "Madam," An Qi felt a surge of sweetness. "Thank you for the compliment."

Since the title was already out there, Ling Tian shrugged helplessly and decided to go along with it; after all, he had promised to play the part.