Chapter 1552 Cannot Say (1/2)

The children's crying attracted the attention of the people nearby and Li Du became helpless. He put down Ah Meow, then turned to nod at Ah Ow before saying, ”Come on, let's put on a little show.”

He took out a piece of beef jerky and threw it with a flick of his wrist. Ah Ow leaped up and caught it neatly with her mouth.

The children were still crying, so Li Du could only throw another piece. Before Ah Ow could jump again, Ah Meow was one step ahead and leaped up at a startling height to snatch some candied fruit. Li Du kept tossing and tossing, throwing the snacks slightly further up this time, but Ah Ow could not jump high enough. When it jumped, Ah Meow sprung into action as well, first jumping onto her back, then using the momentum to make a second jump and opening its mouth to catch the snack just as it began to fall.

The children stared at this impressive display with wide eyes; their crying had stopped. Big Markelov and Brother Wolf were also impressed. Li Du waved his hands. ”What are you looking at? This is no big deal, but we have to leave now. I have no more tricks up my sleeve if they cry again.”

They returned to the hotel where the owner, Maung Kyaw Zin, served them piping-hot breakfast. ”Here's some Ciba cake my wife made, and this jellied beancurd was prepared by my brother. I added some pepper and soy sauce, try it and let me know how it tastes,” He said enthusiastically.

Li Du put his hands together in gratitude. The owner was really hospitable, giving him and his friends such a warm welcome. The Markelov brothers really outdid themselves this time; not only did they find a good place like this one, but they were even conversing with the owner during the meal and managed to subtly steer the conversation to fish for information they needed. ”...Mayor, you're not too far from Hpakant. Do you have any jade mines here?”

Maung Kyaw Zin finished off the Ciba cakes, then furrowed his eyebrows and pondered for a moment. ”It's true that we're not too far from Hpakant, but there are limits to how far jade mines can stretch. To the best of my knowledge, we don't have any here.”

He mulled it over for a while more before continuing, ”Actually, that's not entirely true. I'm the mayor, so I've seen the archives and historical records. From what I have read, it seems like we've used to produce jade before, but this is a taboo topic here that everyone actively avoids speaking about.”

This puzzled Li Du. ”What happened?”

The mayor reached for another piece of cake. He became somber and stared down silently. Li Du did not hurry him, fully aware that the man was deep in thought. After the mayor finished his piece of the cake, he clapped his hands and said, ”Boss Li, you're an honored guest and the Markelov brothers saved my family, so we are not in the position to be hiding things from you guys. However, rules are still rules, so it's best I stick by this town's laws.”

Young Markelov furrowed his brows, very evidently displeased. He opened his mouth to persuade the mayor but Li Du shook his head and said politely, ”I understand your position, mayor. Please forgive us if we've overstepped our boundaries.”

The mayor waved his hand and said, ”Oh, Boss Li, it's not that serious. It's just that this is really something I shouldn't be discussing, I'm sorry.”

And that was the end of the conversation. He waited for everyone to finish their meal before bringing his wife and daughter out to clear the table. They then brought the dishes to the kitchen to be washed.

Young Markelov mumbled, ”Sketchy.”