Of course, Li Xiang wasn't foolish enough to dig for jadeite himself. That would be far too much trouble. Besides, what you dug up were basically rough stones, with no guarantee of finding good material. This market, on the other hand, had it all: finished and semi-finished products, windowed stones, raw stones, slabs, and roughs—everything one could possibly want.
It was around one in the morning when Li Xiang arrived. The streetlights were dim, and many stretches had no lights at all. The area was filthy, chaotic, and run-down, utterly cold and deserted.
Although Mandalay had a night market, it usually closed up by nine p.m. As Myanmar's second-largest city, almost no one dared to venture out late at night.
'The Eighteen Dukes were in a chaotic war. Even with a temporary ceasefire now, how good could public safety possibly be?'
If this were China's second-largest city, the streets would still be bustling with endless streams of traffic, a time of lively and peaceful nightlife.
