Eye of Insight

One day, Ethan was online, playing games, when a sudden "beep" from his phone interrupted him. He opened Facebook and saw a friend request from the eldest son of the Alexander family. The message attached read: "Good bro, remember that spoiled 1982 Lafite?"

Ethan smirked and immediately accepted the request. A message came through instantly: "Looks like I need to send you a phone. Damn, these phones are such a pain..." Then, a "money-making" emoji followed. "Hey, bro, how about coming to China with me for a few days?"

Breeze: "My phone's off. where?"

Alexander Family Eldest Son: "Yunnan, China, Going to buy stones, of course. It's all your fault for picking out that icy red jade last time. My father and a few major shareholders think holding a jade gambling event at the Elysian Feast will give the guests a thrilling new experience. Guess who's stuck doing all the buying this time?"

In reality, Grant had taken the initiative to do this, seeing it as a chance to head to Yunnan and have a little fun while sourcing materials.

Breeze: "Why bring me along? Is Mike coming?"

Alexander Family Eldest Son: "You're my lucky charm, bro. I'll cover all the expenses. I was going to ask Fatty, but he's too busy being a lovesick pig. Even a whip can't get him moving."

Breeze: "How long are we going for? When do we leave?"

Ethan had already planned a trip to Yunnan for jade gambling, and this was the perfect opportunity. However, he'd need to come up with a way to get his sister's permission first.

Alexander Family Eldest Son: "9 AM tomorrow. I'll pick you up and take you to the airport. First, we'll hit Kunming for a little fun, then head to Tengchong to buy stones. Should be done in three days, but if you want to stay longer, that's fine too."

Breeze: "Got it. I'll pack two sets of clothes. What's this 'fun' in Kunming?"

Alexander Family Eldest Son: "(smirking emoji) Don't bring clothes. When we get to Kunming, I'll take you shopping. As for fun... you'll see when we get there."

Ethan paused, then realized what Grant meant. Any man would understand where that was going.

Breeze: "You're such a sly rich kid. If you want to 'have fun,' go do it yourself. I'd rather sleep."

Alexander Family Eldest Son: "Hahaha, it's a deal."

In the afternoon, Ethan made a special trip to the market, hoping to buy some fresh ingredients for a lavish dinner to bribe his sister into agreeing to his Yunnan trip. He'd keep the gambling part a secret for now—he'd surprise her with that when he returned loaded with stones.

Jillon Market wasn't big, but it had everything. Ethan walked through the seafood section, buying five plump crabs and two pounds of large prawns—his sister Ivy's favorites. Before coming, he'd searched online for cooking methods, so he could show off his culinary skills.

He then headed to the poultry section, intending to buy a black chicken for soup. But when he got closer, he noticed that all the chickens and ducks in the cages were listless, drooping their wings and barely moving. He checked a few more stalls, and it was the same everywhere.

Ethan had never shopped for chicken himself, so he found it odd. Why did all the poultry look so limp? Was it because they were caged up and couldn't move? He blinked, and then his eyes widened as he noticed something even stranger.

The birds' stomachs were stuffed with small stones, rough sand, and even rusted iron shavings. Some of them had liquids sloshing around in their bodies. These poor creatures weren't just filled with junk—they were waterlogged. No wonder they looked so weak.

Realizing what was going on, Ethan immediately gave up on the black chicken for soup and decided to buy two pounds of baby cuttlefish instead. Though it wasn't as nutritious, it made for a great soup and tasted much better than water-filled poultry.

He shook the bag of cuttlefish, muttering to himself, "At least these things come from the water. They'll taste better than those fake chickens."

The cuttlefish vendor, a middle-aged woman, noticed Ethan's muttering and her expression changed. She leaned in and quietly warned him, "Young man, some things are better kept to yourself. Be careful, or you might find trouble."

It was no secret in the market that poultry was being water-filled and padded with sand to increase weight. Anyone who had been working in the market for a while knew the deal. But the poultry business was dominated by a powerful group, so everyone turned a blind eye. Those who bought these water-filled birds were simply unlucky.

Ethan shrugged and laughed, "The money's in my pocket. I won't buy fake stuff. Auntie, could you also get me two pounds of clams?"

"Sure, these clams have already spit out the sand. When you get home, stir-fry them with some garlic, ginger, and scallions. They'll be incredibly fresh. You can also blanch them in salted water and dip them in sauce..." The woman quickly picked out the large clams and kept talking about how to cook them.

Ethan listened with interest, but suddenly, he heard a commotion behind him. He turned around and saw a familiar shrill voice. Surprised, he followed the sound and saw Oxie, Mike's girlfriend, in a heated argument with a burly vendor at the poultry stall.

Ethan recognized her immediately. Oxie's face was flushed with anger as she shouted back at the stall owner, holding her ground like a furious hen. She wasn't backing down at all.

At that moment, the aunt finished packing the clams, and Ethan paid her with a crumpled bill, placing his crabs and prawns on the counter. "Auntie, hold onto these for me. My friend's in a bit of trouble. I'll come back for them later," he said, then quickly walked toward the ruckus at the poultry stall.

The aunt shook her head, muttering to herself, "Young man, stay out of trouble. The Sun family isn't someone you want to mess with. You're asking for trouble..."