Chapter Sixty-Five: Mr. Jin’s Disheartened Heart

Boss Jin did not put away the "Seven-Colored Light Jades." He spoke up, saying, "You stay here. I'll make a quick trip through the mine alone. Send those 'Seven-Colored Light Jades' straight back to the jade shop."

With that, Boss Jin snatched a headlamp from the dazed worker, strapped it on, grabbed a shovel, and quietly walked into the mine alone.

An Feng hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself. Wasn't it a bit dangerous to enter the mine at this hour, nearly evening? Who knew how safe it was inside now? And could the remaining people here be trusted?

Mo Lan and Qian Yin felt that Boss Jin indeed needed some time alone at this moment. They themselves had once spent time in solitude to think things through before emerging again.

The bodyguards exchanged a glance without a word, then began carefully clearing the dirt off the vehicle before pushing the entire load outside.

An Feng immediately blocked their way, looking at the two bodyguards as if they were fools. Not only did they lack emotional intelligence, but apparently, their intellect was also lacking.

"Brothers, aren't you worried that if you just cart this stuff out in the open and load it up, someone might tail you and rob you?" An Feng reminded them impatiently. Was Boss Jin really just a rich fool? Why were the people around him so unreliable? Well, except for the four of them, of course.

Heavens, such precious things, just being wheeled out in broad daylight—was he asking to be robbed? Mo Lan and Qian Yin thought the same. After all, this beautiful item was something of legend; anyone would be tempted by it.

Even Leng Xue felt a flicker of desire, since this was the first time he had come across such a thing. If it were someone else's treasure, he would have tried to seize it and then head home. But these belonged to Boss Jin, Qian Yin's good friend.

With a helpless sigh, Leng Xue resigned himself—these things were never meant to be his.

Boss Jin kept moving forward, occasionally glancing back to see if anyone would follow and offer him some comfort. Was it because he was a man in his thirties or forties that they felt he didn't need consoling?

He walked on until he reached the pile of black jade, discovering there was quite a quantity—likely the entire area would yield more. They lay scattered, at varying heights, across the stones and mud. He continued toward the bend in the path, pressing forward. It seemed they'd just begun digging here, and the soil was still quite moist.

On the ground, a few "Seven-Colored Light Jades" remained, scattered and overlooked. If these jades were suddenly produced in large quantities, they'd lose all value. But if only a few were released occasionally, he could make even more money. With this in mind, Boss Jin picked one up, falling deep into thought.

Suddenly, a sizzling sound echoed. Boss Jin had never heard such a noise before. Looking up, he saw a snake dangling above him. Startled, he stumbled back to the ground as the snake slowly began slithering toward him.

With a shout, Boss Jin bolted back the way he'd come. "Help! There's a snake!" Even if he'd never seen one before, he knew what they looked like. He had no idea if this one was venomous, but a bite would surely hurt for a long time. The more he thought about it, the faster he ran.

He ran and shouted all the way out, his cries echoing to those waiting outside, who stifled their laughter and simply watched the cave entrance without moving.

The moment Boss Jin emerged from the cave, he quickly composed himself, acting as if nothing had happened, and walked over to Qian Yin and Mo Lan in measured steps. Snatching a bottle of water from Qian Yin, he downed it in big gulps, then drank again.

Unbelievably, Boss Jin drained the entire bottle before looking up to see everyone's reactions. Only then did he realize they all knew what had happened, yet none had come to help. Somewhat embarrassed, caught between retreat and advance, he didn't know how to respond to their mocking smiles.

"Didn't you hear Boss Jin say there was a snake inside? Why don't you go catch it? Are you waiting for me to do it myself?" Qian Yin, sensing Boss Jin's embarrassment, put on a stern face and snapped.

The other workers, not wanting to lose such a promising job, nodded at once and, grabbing forks, headed into the cave.

Well, at least now no one dared to mock him. Boss Jin shook his head helplessly—these people really weren't very obedient. Was he too easygoing, hence lacking authority in their eyes?

"We should return tonight. There's no point staying here. I need to go back and sort things out. Once you've got what you want, head back to the Mo family and deal with your own affairs." Boss Jin glanced at the four of them, deciding after a moment's thought to let them leave—he had his own matters to handle.

Qian Yin and Mo Lan had actually found Boss Jin's cries amusing earlier, but now, seeing his pride wounded, they felt a bit awkward. Still, they had to return to the Mo residence to address the matter of the masked man.

"Let's go back together. Your bodyguards have already left ahead of us, and if you return alone, I fear that Foreman Lin might show up again," Mo Lan said after a moment's thought. It wouldn't do to leave Boss Jin here alone; best to travel together for now.

Boss Jin looked at this group—none particularly deferential to him—and nodded. From now on, he mustn't befriend just anyone; he needed to choose his friends with care, to discern who was truly suitable. After all, not everyone was fit to be a friend.

Thus, Boss Jin sat in the front passenger seat as An Feng drove him, while the other three took another car.

Meanwhile, inside a temple, a large group of people sat, all with grave expressions. A man in sunglasses looked at the one nearest to him and calmly asked, "Do you know why I've called you back?"

Han's expression was especially grim. He wasn't used to being ordered around, but had no choice. "Boss, I don't know, but your sudden summons disrupted our plans," he replied.

"You must understand, if you'd actually succeeded, I'd have to disappear from this world very soon. I called you back to have you help me with something else first." As the boss spoke, his eyes glittered with calculation.

Indeed, this man in sunglasses was the boss. After his disappearance, he'd found this temple as his new base.

Han had taken on a contract to kill a certain boss and was on the verge of success when he was abruptly recalled, nearly getting himself injured in the process. He was deeply displeased by this. The others had all taken the drug, except him, but he had no way to oppose the boss.

"Remember, I am your boss now, your superior. All you need to do is obey orders; you don't need to know anything else." Sensing Han's discontent, the boss spoke up immediately. He was in dire need of a trusted aide, and no one else—including the notorious flower thief—could fill that role.