Chapter 1573: Da Mao Is Missing
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Xiao Liao drew back his hand as Zhong Dapao pushed him. He looked at Zhong Dapao, gulped, and said unwillingly, “Master Pao, we are ready to give you face, but we are not afraid of you…”
“If you aren’t afraid of me, why would you find Young Master Li only in this d.a.m.n auction? Why didn’t you come looking for him? Why didn’t you look for him when you were outside?” Liu Zi interrupted him in disdain.
Xiao Liao stiffened his neck and said, “Didn’t we… didn’t we meet here? Master, we have to do things carefully, right? In the fields of Hpakant, our brothers look up to you…”
Zhong Dapao frowned and said, “Okay, get lost, we have no more respect for you, understand? Don’t bother showing us the stones, go away!”
Xiao Liao wanted to say something else, bu Zhong Dapao was too lazy to listen. He raised his leg and wanted to kick him. “Get lost.”
Master Dao pulled Xiao Liao away and said, “Master Pao, you are a great man. We are convinced, after all, that if you even dared to kill the King of Hpakant, you are really strong, haha… but you are not G.o.d. There is always someone stronger than you, right?”
Li Du would have ignored the other side if they did not mention this topic. They mentioned the King of Hpakant, which Li Du was concerned about. He said, “What do you want from me?”
Xiao Liao said, “What could it be? Of course, the money you tricked out of us!”
Li Du said with a smile, “Don’t you feel ashamed saying this? How did I trick you out of money? Aren’t you the one trying to rip me off? It’s a shame that you are such a cheater.”
He was thinking of having to cut into the topic of how the King of Hpakant died, but the other side did not give him any chance.
There was a rolling stream of people, and a large group of people scattered them apart. Master Dao blended into the crowd and was gone.
Da Mao disappeared as well. Zhong Dapao and Liu Zi found Li Du and came back. They asked, “Eh? Where is Da Mao?”
Li Du shook his head and said, “Wasn’t he with you guys? I thought you were together.”
Liu Zi said carelessly, “It’s okay. We won’t lose him, the security force is very strong here. Let’s continue looking, and then we’ll wait in hall no. 1, and maybe we’ll run into him.”
Li Du nodded. He had no time to worry about Da Mao.
He released the s.p.a.ce-time bugs and checked out the few stones nearby. As a result, the s.p.a.ce-time bugs disappeared from his eyes, transient, and at the next second, reappeared in a piece of ore some distance away.
This was the bugs’ new ability after absorbing the mysterious copper pot and stove: switching through s.p.a.ce and transience!
There were many pieces of jade ore in the auction, and many of them were good too, but the opportunity to get one was very slim.
Besides the big green stone that Da Mao had encountered, the price of a few stones that Li Du was interested in was exorbitant. All had a starting price of 10 million and more.
Li Du walked around the auction, and before he knew it, about an hour had pa.s.sed. He nodded to Zhong Dapao, gesturing him to go to the No.1 hall to find Da Mao.
Zhong Dapao asked, “Aren’t you going? If you don’t go, we might lose each other again.”
Li Du said, “Iʼm fine by myself. The reason why I asked you to find Da Mao is that I’m worried Da Mao might be in trouble. You know that many people are after him.”
Hearing what he said, Liu Zi quickly nodded his head and said, “Yes, Young Master Li is right.”
Li Du patted their shoulders and said, “Go, go to the No.1 hall. Iʼm afraid that Da Mao might be in trouble.”
They left and he walked on, making marks in the notebook.
Now he knew why Zhong Dapao wanted more pens. Although the pieces of jade ore at the auction were all raw materials, some of the material had been cut open, and it was clear there was jade inside.
Many materials were suitable for making jade bracelets, pendants, or rings. Experts had to estimate the texture of jade and how much of the material could be used to estimate the price of the raw materials.
In this case, people would map the stone with a pen, drawing bracelets or auxiliary lines to estimate a stoneʼs yield more accurately.
There were many stones, and Li Du examined them carefully. It took much energy and time, so he needed to concentrate.
He was studying the stones when someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind, making him jump.
Looking back, he saw Zhong Dapao and said disapprovingly, “What? Why did you come back by yourself?”
“Master Li, Iʼm afraid you are right. Da Mao is really in trouble. d.a.m.n, we waited for him in the hall for two hours, but he did not come!”
The auction started at eight oʼclock, and soon after they entered, they dispersed. It was not half-past eight when Da Mao was lost. Li Du looked up, and saw that now it was nearly eleven oʼclock!
He frowned. “Will this place be cleared at noon?”
Li Du shook his head. “No, from eight oʼclock in the morning till six o ʼclock in the afternoon, the door is open for ten hours every day, uninterrupted.”
Li Du wanted to stand and wait at the door at noon. However, if the site was not cleared at noon, then his plan would be useless.
Zhong Dapao said again, “Why donʼt you examine the stones first, and Liu Zi and I will look for Da Mao?”
Li Du shook his head. “Itʼs okay, there are nine more days to the auction, we have plenty of time to look around. Letʼs look for Da Mao first. You tell Master Liu to wait at the No. 1 area, and we will both look for him and bring him to Master Liu when we find him.”
After he finished speaking, he let out both his s.p.a.ce-time bugs that shuttled through the crowds quickly.
The s.p.a.ce-time bugs could fly a distance of two kilometers, while the main target field was only 200 square meters, quite within his control area.
Looking for a person was easier than looking for jade, as the little bugs did not have to enter the ore. They could just glance from the air.
The main auction area was divided into lines with stones. Li Du searched along the paths from the ends of both sides. Both the s.p.a.ce-time bugs converged and still, he did not manage to find Da Mao.
Li Du thought for a while and released the s.p.a.ce-time bugs again to search, this time more carefully.
There was still no sign of Da Mao!
He saw Liu Zi and Zhong Dapao, not Da Mao, nor any other acquaintances.
Thinking of this, Li Du shuddered. He suddenly thought of something. He did not see Master Sao and his men either, and Master Sao and his men were by their side when the crowd dragged them away together with Da Mao.
Immediately, an idea occurred to him: Da Mao might have fallen into the hands of Master Dao, and they left the auction site already!
Thinking of this, Li Du went and looked for Zhong Dapao. He asked, “Did you spot any signs of Da Mao?”
“No,” Zhong Dapao said helplessly.
“Did you b.u.mp into Master Dao and his men?” asked Li Du.
Zhong Dapao was stunned. “Why should I look for Master Dao? d.a.m.n, do you think Da Mao fell into their hands? But I didnʼt meet them either.”
Li Du said, “I asked a man and showed him a picture of Da Mao. He said he saw Da Mao being taken away by several men. His description of the men was similar to Master Dao, Lu Dayou and the rest of them.”
Zhong Dapao’s facial expression changed a little, and then he smiled jeeringly, “F**k them, they have the guts! I guess I didnʼt d.a.m.n teach them well enough, sons of b*tches, because we are all Chinese, and now they have the guts to provoke me?”
Li Du said, “We canʼt be sure yet. Weʼll find them first and then see what the situation is.”