It has been nearly ten months since Jiang Hai obtained the Dragon Ball.
He knew well that his wealth and status in this world depended on it. He could lose everything except for this one thing, because it was his foundation, his everything.
For the past several months, he had neglected business and women. The only thing that mattered to him was his spiritual energy. He had been searching for ways to absorb spiritual energy more quickly and effectively. After a long period of searching, the only thing he found was tea leaves, which could only help Jiang Hai absorb about one to two percent more spiritual energy. Of course, if he could harvest his own tea leaves, the effects might be better. But for now, he had to wait. The tea trees he planted this year wouldn't be ready for harvest until next year, around Qingming Festival.
Originally, he thought his spiritual energy absorption was limited, and he was prepared to upgrade it gradually.
Then, he stumbled upon something that could help him absorb spiritual energy faster.
A small piece of Hetian jade could actually increase his absorption speed by about 10%. What if he had a larger piece? What if he used this jade to build a room and a bed? Jiang Hai's eyes lit up at the thought.
"Do you have any more Hetian jade for me to look at?" Jiang Hai asked Fatty Wang, taking the initiative to speak for the first time.
"Ah? Yes!" Fatty Wang, who had no intention of selling, was momentarily stunned. He quickly pulled out more Hetian jade. He knew Jiang Hai wasn't short on money.
Jiang Hai carefully held the pieces of jade and examined them. Hetian jade comes in various types, categorized by color: white jade, green jade, blue-white jade, black jade, blue-flowered jade, jasper, topaz, and sugar jade. Among them, white jade is the most valued and expensive.
As Jiang Hai held each piece, he could feel the quality for himself. The white jade and green jade had the best absorption effects.
A jade plate the size of a palm could increase his absorption rate by 11% to 15%. Next was Qingbai jade, the piece Jiang Hai had just held, which increased absorption by 8% to 10%. Other types, like Moyu, Qinghua jade, jasper, and topaz, offered far less benefit. And the Tangyu jade, while it contained spiritual energy, didn't allow for absorption.
It was clear that white jade and green jade were the most effective for Jiang Hai.
Putting the jade down, Jiang Hai continued to look through the other pieces.
There were various stones he had never heard of, such as opal, Xiuyan jade, Dushan jade, Charoite, Nafeldspar jade, and more. Wang Yang truly was an expert in this field.
Jiang Hai, though less knowledgeable than Wang Yang, managed to find a few stones that could help with his spiritual energy. Among them, the chicken blood stone, Qingtian stone, and sea vein stone were beneficial, though their effects were much weaker than the Hetian jade.
"I'll take this type of Hetian jade, as long as it's green or white. Raw stones are fine too. Do you think you can get some?" Jiang Hai asked, feeling genuinely tempted.
"Oh? You want raw stones? Uh... Excuse me, brother, what do you need so much Hetian jade for?" Fatty Wang asked, surprised. He had expected excitement, but instead, there was a hint of concern on his face.
"Haha, don't worry, I'm not entering the business. I just want to use it to decorate my home," Jiang Hai said with a smile, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
"Decorate? With this?" Wang Yang was a bit confused, wondering what Jiang Hai meant.
"Yes, I plan to use it to decorate my room, the walls, floors, bed, pillows, and a few recliners. Since this jade helps with spiritual energy absorption, I don't want to miss this opportunity. Money isn't an issue for me right now. This is the priority." Jiang Hai was determined. He wouldn't pass up anything that could help improve his spiritual energy.
Wang Yang, Minister Qin, and even Qi Li were stunned. Was Jiang Hai losing his mind? Was he really planning to sleep on jade? Wasn't that uncomfortable?
"Jiang Hai..." Qi Li pulled at his sleeve, concerned.
"I'm fine," Jiang Hai reassured him, still focused on Wang Yang. "I have a lot of use for this jade. Just tell me if you can get it."
Fatty Wang, now sure Jiang Hai was serious, asked, "Do you have any preferences for the origin?"
"No preferences, but I only want green and white jade," Jiang Hai replied, speaking seriously.
Jiang Hai had already tested Hetian jade from various origins, and the differences were minimal for him. There were only a few places in the world that produced Hetian jade, including Qing Province in China, Russia, Canada, Taiwan, and nearby Goryeo and Shu. The price and quality varied depending on origin, but Jiang Hai only wanted the best.
Hetian jade and jadeite fall into two categories: collection material, which is mined and ready for use, and processing material, which requires more work. Jiang Hai wasn't interested in the processed kind, as he wanted raw, uncarved jade for his purposes.
Fatty Wang calculated the cost in his head. Jiang Hai was asking for top-tier material, which would be quite expensive. A small plaque of the worst Hetian jade in special grade would cost around 65,000 RMB, weighing about 25 grams. This price equates to roughly 2,600 RMB per gram. Jiang Hai wasn't looking for carvings by famous masters, but rather large, unprocessed pieces for his project.
For a bed, made with 50 kilograms of jade, the material cost alone would be around 130 million RMB. This didn't include labor costs or the cost of recliners and floors, which would push the total price to over 400 million RMB.
Fatty Wang was stunned, realizing this could be a huge business deal.
"I want a big bed, 100 kilograms of jade, and the floor must cover my entire room. I also need three recliners and four pillows." Jiang Hai was firm. The total cost would be around 416 million RMB, though Fatty Wang wasn't about to charge retail prices.
Minister Qin, who had been silent, spoke up. "Jiang Hai, are you sure about this? This is a huge investment."
Jiang Hai simply smiled. He wasn't about to explain himself.
Fatty Wang thought for a moment and then said, "Alright, I'll make an exception. I'll get special grade, processed white jade for you, collection-grade material. It'll cost about 1,500 RMB per gram. With 250 kilograms, it will be around 375 million RMB. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"