Lord of the Great Dream

Morning Routine

At 9 AM, Li Xuan quickly woke up.

He washed his face, brushed his teeth, got dressed, and, of course, used the bathroom. On his way downstairs, he grabbed a hot dry noodle breakfast.

"This body is far worse than my apocalyptic one," Li Xuan thought to himself, feeling out of breath after just a few steps. "Overeating has made me fat, and a lack of exercise leaves me gasping after a short walk!"

He remembered how much he used to enjoy sports, especially basketball. He had been quite good at it. In his first year of university, his skills had caught the attention of the school basketball team, and he was even invited to join.

Whenever he played, there were always girls watching him, and he often encountered older students offering him water and asking for his contact info. Once, a senior girl brought him water, and it just so happened that Feng Zixuan saw it.

Feng Zixuan was furious. Fearing a lack of security in their relationship, she forbade him from playing basketball anymore.

Li Xuan realized that constantly thinking about such things would affect their relationship, so he gave up his love for basketball and even avoided the gym to prevent Feng Zixuan from getting jealous.

But after abandoning those things, Li Xuan gradually lost his charm, becoming a lazy, overweight man. Perhaps it was the energetic, handsome, youthful version of him on the court that Feng Zixuan had once liked—the one full of vitality, unstoppable on the court. Yet, at the same time, she feared that his popularity with others would attract competition.

So, she had killed off his hobbies, and with them, the version of him she had once loved.

In the end, she started to despise him. She grew weary of the man who had lost his former vigor, his handsomeness, and his talents. He was no longer the person she had fallen for.

But what she failed to realize was that the changes in him were all a result of her own demands. She had been the one to destroy it all.

Ding Ding Ding!

A sudden phone call interrupted his thoughts. It was from his landlord, Zhao Dahai.

"Hello! Li, where are you?"

"Zhao Ge, I'm downstairs at the restaurant, having noodles," Li Xuan replied.

"I'm parked right next to the noodle shop, but I don't see you. Where are you?"

"Right here, Zhao Ge!"

Li Xuan waved from across the parking lot, spotting Zhao Dahai stepping out of a Porsche Cayenne.

Zhao Dahai, around 35 years old, was slightly overweight, with a round face and some stubble. He looked like he had a good nature and was an easygoing man. It was rumored that Zhao Dahai's family was in business and had a lot of money. He was also a relocation beneficiary, having received compensation for demolitions, which had reportedly allowed him to acquire over ten properties.

"Whoa!"

"Is that you... Li?" Zhao Dahai said, looking at Li Xuan, now overweight and unrecognizable from the fit and handsome young man he remembered.

"I thought you were the handsome guy who rented my place. How did you gain all this weight? Over 200 pounds, I'd guess?"

"It's me, Zhao Ge... I've put on a little weight," Li Xuan said with a wry smile.

"Li, you've definitely gained more than just a little weight. The last time I saw you, you were a pretty fit guy. What happened? And what about your girlfriend?"

"Zhao Ge, we broke up." Li Xuan shrugged helplessly.

"I see. It's normal for young people to break up," Zhao Dahai said nonchalantly. "But why let yourself go like this?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself! Get over it!"

"Anyway, let's get to the main issue. Have you thought about yesterday's matter?"

Li Xuan nodded. "Zhao Ge, I've got the money ready. We can go to the property office anytime."

"Good, let's go now. I've got the property deed right here." Zhao Dahai said, gesturing for Li Xuan to get in his car.

Zhao Dahai was a man of action. He didn't waste time. When something was decided, he went straight for it.

After getting into Zhao Dahai's Porsche Cayenne, Li Xuan noticed a jade ornament in the car. It looked real, and he couldn't help but ask, "Zhao Ge, you're into jade too?"

"Haha! That's my line of work. If it weren't for a run of bad luck lately—buying several high-priced stones only to have them ruined and my working capital drained—I wouldn't be selling property now," Zhao Dahai casually replied.

"Ah, I see," Li Xuan said. "I heard people who deal with jade are usually quite wealthy."

"Yep. By the way, I've got a jade bracelet here. Would you be interested in buying it back?"

"If it's one of those low-quality ones worth just two or three thousand, forget it. But if it's a decent piece with good quality, I might take a look," Zhao Dahai answered with mild interest as he was about to start the car.

But Li Xuan stopped him, saying, "Hold on, Zhao Ge. Let me show you the bracelet first."

Li Xuan carefully took out a jade bracelet from his pocket. At first, Zhao Dahai didn't think much of it. But as soon as he held the bracelet in his hands, he froze in place.

The cool, smooth texture and the fine quality immediately caught his attention. He quickly grabbed a magnifying glass and flashlight to inspect it more closely.

"No way…"

"This can't be fake!"

"The color, the texture, the quality—it's… Imperial Green jade!" Zhao Dahai gasped, his face filled with astonishment.

Frozen.

Stunned.

Shocked.

Excitement surged through him, as if he had just discovered a treasure. With his years of experience in the jade business, he was almost certain this was a top-tier, collectible-grade Imperial Green jade bracelet.

The Value of the Imperial Green Jade

Two years ago, at an auction, an Imperial Green jade bracelet of the same quality sold for an astonishing 120 million yuan.

Li Xuan couldn't help but think, If this thing accidentally breaks, that's a hundred million down the drain!

"Sh*t, where did you get this from?" Zhao Dahai asked, sweat beading on his forehead.

"This was something my parents left me," Li Xuan casually lied. "I heard it's been passed down through generations in our family."

"Let's go, I'll take you to a place!"

Twenty minutes later...

Zhao Dahai drove Li Xuan to a jade store called Cuiyu Xuan, a name that sounded elegant and refined.

"Uncle, come quick! I've got a top-tier Imperial Green jade bracelet here! Come take a look!" Zhao Dahai shouted excitedly.

"What?" Zhao Jianguo, the owner of Cuiyu Xuan, sprang up from his chair in surprise.

"Let me see!"

Zhao Dahai carefully placed the Imperial Green jade bracelet on the table. Unlike his usual rushed demeanor, Zhao Jianguo, who had over 30 years of experience in the jade industry, seemed calmer. But even so, his breath was still quick with excitement.

"Da Hai, where did you get this from?" Zhao Jianguo asked, his tone now more serious.

"From my nephew, Li here. He's looking to sell it," Zhao Dahai explained. "I wanted to make sure it's genuine, so I brought it to you for a professional opinion."

Zhao Jianguo carefully inspected the bracelet using professional tools. His hands were steady, though his breathing was still rapid as he examined the jade closely.

"From my 30 years of experience in this industry, I can say with almost no doubt that this is an extremely rare piece of Imperial Green jade!" Zhao Jianguo finally spoke, his voice filled with awe. "Conservatively speaking, its value is at least 80 million yuan!"

"Hissss…" Zhao Dahai gasped in awe.

The massive weight in his heart lifted as he realized that this was a legitimate treasure, far more valuable than he had ever expected.

"Uncle, this is Li's jade, not mine," Zhao Dahai added, "He's willing to sell it. I'm just helping him out by bringing it to you."

Zhao Jianguo now shifted his focus to Li Xuan.

"Young man, are you sure you want to sell this jade bracelet?"

"Yes," Li Xuan said, his tone firm. "I overheard your conversation, and I'm willing to sell it for a flat price of 80 million yuan. If you're interested, I'll let it go at that price."

80 million—this was the minimum value that the store owner had confirmed for the bracelet. Since it was the lowest price, it meant there was still room for negotiation and profit.

"Let me discuss this with my nephew for a moment," Zhao Jianguo said.

"Sure," Li Xuan nodded calmly.

Half an hour later…

Zhao Dahai and Zhao Jianguo emerged from the meeting room.

"Mr. Li," Zhao Jianguo said sincerely, "To be honest, even for Cuiyu Xuan, 80 million in cash is a huge amount, and we probably can't raise it in the short term."

"After discussing with my nephew, we've come up with two options for you to consider."

"First option: You can leave the Imperial Green jade bracelet with us to sell. While I can't say exactly how much it will fetch, I estimate it will be at least 80 million. Once it sells, Cuiyu Xuan will take a 10% commission. Since this kind of high-end jade is rare, we would need to find a well-funded buyer."

"The second option: You sell the jade directly to us for 80 million. My nephew and I both own villas and a riverside apartment, and their value is roughly 80 million. We can transfer the ownership of both properties to you, and we'll cover all the taxes for the transfer."

"As long as you agree, you can have the property titles right now, without any risk or waiting for the transaction."

"You can choose either of these options," Zhao Jianguo concluded succinctly.

Zhao Dahai added, "Li, my uncle's villa and my riverside apartment are both newly renovated. They'll definitely be much more comfortable than that small, shabby place you're renting now. Have you thought about it?"

In the current real estate market, where properties were hard to sell, exchanging the jade for two prime properties seemed like a very profitable deal. Both Zhao Dahai and Zhao Jianguo had lost quite a bit in recent years due to the downturn in the property market, so this offer seemed like a good way to recover their losses.