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Chapter 171: The Crazy Stone (Part 2)
Here, what is actually taking place is one of the largest gambling activities in the world.
A single stone is enough to make someone wealthy, enough to drive someone insane. The term "Gambling on Jade" already signifies that this is all a speculative game.
Some people believe in their own judgment, some believe in their luck, or perhaps some possess the ability to see through the inner workings of things. Regardless, those who come here have one goal: to gamble their future on these Raw Jade Materials.
Because most people cannot afford to be extravagant like Yuan Ziyi, treating such high-stakes gambling as a test of judgment. Moreover, she knows how to control her emotions, which is something that most gamblers find difficult to achieve.
However, what is even rarer is someone like Wei Yuan, whose intention in entering the Raw Jade Material market is not Gambling on Jade, nor does he come merely to watch the spectacle. In short, it is quite rare to find someone who can approach this gambling activity with such a calm mindset, indifferent to winning or losing.
A firm conviction guided Wei Yuan's decision: "Master, please continue with the cutting."
Upon hearing this astonishing request, the Master Craftsman of Jade Cutting was somewhat surprised, but customer requests take precedence, so he naturally complied.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
After a final inquiry, the Master Craftsman of Jade Cutting began his work, picking up his tools and starting the final polishing. Soon, the true form of the jadeite was revealed...
A stunning flash of green suddenly appeared, causing an uproar in the crowd.
How long had it been since something like this happened? A piece of Raw Jade Material worth over a thousand suddenly yielded a jadeite worth hundreds of times more.
The odds of this happening are likely lower than a plane crash; once it occurs, the shock felt by those around can only be imagined...
Once the Raw Jade Material was fully polished, it could already be considered a piece of jadeite. A large expanse of Green Veins emerged, and the ethereal luster and crystal-clear green sheen captivated everyone present, causing them to gasp in awe and hold their breath.
That shade of green brought a sense of warmth and tranquility at first glance; it was peaceful and comforting. This was undoubtedly a very high-quality green.
Although there were still faint white streaks visible on its surface, from within it appeared quite pure. A rough estimate suggested that this piece of Raw Jade Material was worth at least nearly a million.
"Brother, your luck is truly remarkable. It's been a long time since something like this has happened in the Jade Rough Stone Market."
The Master Craftsman of Jade Cutting couldn't help but exclaim.
Wei Yuan was also someone who understood the importance of giving back. The Master Craftsman not only offered him verbal encouragement but also meticulously cut and polished this low-quality Rough Stone, which was priced at just over a thousand yuan.
Although there was some assistance from Yuan Ziyi, the old man's dedication and impressive skills were still admirable.
Therefore, when Wei Yuan paid for the Jade Cutting service, he was very generous, offering two to three times more than what an average person would pay.
Of course, this wasn't the main highlight, as once a complete piece of exquisite jade was revealed, the bidders naturally became more enthusiastic. Especially seeing Wei Yuan's demeanor, it was clear he was a novice; how could they not take advantage of such an easy target?
"Brother, is this stone still for sale?" The fat man with the Black Leather Bag had a persistent look on his face, as if he wouldn't give up until he bought the stone from Wei Yuan.
"Of course it's for sale, but the price has to be right."
Although Wei Yuan was inexperienced, he understood that at this point, the Raw Jade Material had already increased in value significantly. It couldn't be easily swayed by a few sweet words from others.
"Then how much do you want?" The fat man actually tried to negotiate with Wei Yuan in front of so many people; did he really think everyone was foolish?
Wei Yuan chose to turn the tables: "You've been calling out prices since earlier; now that the whole stone has been cut, if you have sincerity, make another offer."
"Four hundred fifty thousand, how about that?"
The fat man said shamelessly.
As soon as he quoted that price, those who heard it couldn't help but lower their heads and laugh; some even burst into loud laughter.
Wei Yuan followed along with their laughter: "They've already responded for me, haven't they?"
At this moment, the fat man felt a bit embarrassed. Trying to buy the jade at a low price in front of so many people was indeed challenging. He probably needed to make a significant sacrifice; after all, as long as he got it in hand, he could still make a profit.
Unfortunately, this kind of speculator clearly overlooked the occasion. The people playing here are either high-ranking officials or powerful figures; otherwise, how could they afford to play a game like "Gambling on Jade" that costs hundreds of thousands?
It is evident that these are knowledgeable individuals. Even if Wei Yuan is not well-versed in this area, trying to fool some uninformed people in front of those who understand the game is not so easy.
Especially with Yuan Ziyi present, as long as Wei Yuan observes her expression, he would know whether the price offered by the fat man is reasonable or not.
Moreover, good goods do not fear a lack of buyers. At this moment, a well-dressed young man also called out, "Since this fat brother offers four hundred and fifty thousand, I’ll offer five hundred thousand."
Clearly, this statement was somewhat mocking the fat man. However, seeing that the young man seemed to have some background, the fat man could only blush in response to his teasing.
Bidding is all about one's capabilities; with such a valuable piece of jade, there is no fear of lacking interest.
"I bid six hundred thousand," said a middle-aged man wearing glasses.
At this point, the atmosphere in the room became lively once again. What people enjoy watching are the Jade Cutting and the bidding process—one brings unknown excitement while the other brings competitive tension. Both atmospheres easily attract onlookers.
Wei Yuan looked at Yuan Ziyi and suddenly noticed she winked at him, leaving him momentarily stunned.
Usually presenting a serious image as a strong woman, she seemed like someone calculating and wise when she raised an eyebrow and closed her eyes. But at this moment, showing a somewhat playful demeanor brought an entirely different feeling.
Wei Yuan was instantly captivated; his entire consciousness conveyed one message: so cute and charming.
Little did he know that Yuan Ziyi had also joined the bidding. It turned out that her wink was meant to convey this message to Wei Yuan, leading him to imagine various scenarios. He then heard her say, "I bid eight hundred thousand."
She immediately raised the price by two hundred thousand, drawing everyone's attention to Yuan Ziyi. Her inherent beauty was already enough to attract people; combined with her wealth, how many could resist such a woman?
Especially for several ordinary individuals who had come in hoping to pick up some cheap inferior stones for luck, hearing Yuan Ziyi's bid left them dumbfounded.
In fact, the price Yuan Ziyi called out was already very close to the value of this piece of jade. Although it had abundant jade quality and its emerald green luster was as clear as water with not very obvious flaws...
However, considering all its advantages, there was one difficulty: the raw jade material itself would yield emeralds that were relatively average in size, making it hard for the price to reach an exaggerated level...
The price was close to one million, and the person who bought it would still need to find a top-notch craftsman to carve it before it could be presented to the world.
The expression on the fat man's face was somewhat troubled, and he even looked at Yuan Ziyi with some annoyance. This damn woman had interfered with his good fortune at this moment, raising the price by two hundred thousand in an instant. What was the point of that?
Just as the fat man holding the Black Leather Bag was hesitating, a middle-aged man wearing glasses began to raise the bid, saying, "I offer eight hundred fifty thousand."
At this moment, Wei Yuan looked at Yuan Ziyi again and suddenly realized that her face had lost all expression, as if she were telling Wei Yuan: This price is quite reasonable; whether to sell or not is up to you...
Who would have thought that just as Wei Yuan had made up his mind, the fat man holding the Black Leather Bag, still hesitating, gritted his teeth and shouted again, "Final offer: nine hundred thousand. If anyone raises the bid again, they can take it!"
Hearing that the fat man was making a desperate move, everyone knew that the price had reached its peak. Any further bidding would only benefit Wei Yuan.
After the fat man announced his price, there was about a minute of silence where no one else spoke up. At this time, the fat man wore a smug expression as he looked at Yuan Ziyi, even declaring to her: Now I’ve raised your price; this piece of jade is mine...
Little did he know that Wei Yuan's next series of actions left him looking like a wilted eggplant, his jaw nearly dropping in shock.
Wei Yuan slowly walked over with the piece of jade in hand, standing beside Yuan Ziyi and gazing into her eyes. He said, "Last time I took fifty thousand from you; now this piece of jade is my way of returning it to you with interest. As for whether you want to sell it or keep it for yourself, that's your decision."
Earlier, when Yuan Ziyi first met Wei Yuan, she drove a Hummer and took him to a secluded spot by the sea. When Wei Yuan mistakenly thought his virtue might be at risk, Yuan Ziyi told him she had fifty thousand in her bank account.
That fifty thousand was neither a meeting gift nor a payment for an overnight stay with Wei Yuan; it served an even more outrageous purpose.
Indeed, at that time, Yuan Ziyi wanted him to be a catalyst.
This catalyst referred to helping her half-sister Han Ling experience emotional nourishment and open her heart.
The most effective way was to express love—essentially to show affection.
For Wei Yuan, who already had two girlfriends and didn’t know how to handle them, this was quite a dilemma. How could he possibly think about getting involved with Han Ling?
However, from a friend's perspective, he hoped Han Ling could resolve her emotional issues and then he could help her heal the burn scars on her face. That way, everyone would be happy.
Unfortunately, the development of the situation is not as expected. Han Ling's thoughts have become increasingly difficult to grasp, which has left Wei Yuan particularly troubled about how to handle her situation; this is a greater test...
However, no matter what, he does not have the habit of spending money on women. Previously, due to the urgent need for cash to recover Guo the Fat's defective Jade, Wei Yuan had no choice but to use the five hundred thousand given by Yuan Ziyi. Now, with both principal and interest, he has a total of nine hundred thousand in jade; even if it is considered high-interest debt, it should be enough...
The originally confident fat man, who thought he had secured this piece of jade, was now somewhat displeased: "Brother, I’ve already offered nine hundred thousand."
Wei Yuan politely replied, "Yes, I appreciate your bid..."
What does that mean? Is he dismissing me with just one sentence?
The fat man holding the Black Leather Bag became even more furious: "What do you mean? Are you playing with me? You asked me to bid, and now you're backing out?"
Wei Yuan remained very rational: "Yes, I asked you to bid, but I never said I had to sell it, did I?"
The fat man was momentarily speechless and could only look at Yuan Ziyi, but she said, "Once I send out the money, I don't intend to take it back."
Everyone present turned their attention to Wei Yuan. This young man was truly charming; he initially acted like a poor person, choosing only cheap inferior stones. Yet when it came to revealing exquisite jade, he remained calm and composed, showing none of the anxiousness or embarrassment typical of a poor person during jade cutting. He also did not display any smugness after winning.
He treated everything with a normal mindset and was even willing to gift beautiful jade to a lady. Now that he faced rejection from her, everyone felt that this gossip was another layer of meaning compared to Gambling on Jade.
Wei Yuan added, "But I cannot fulfill what you instructed. Returning the money to you is only right, isn't it?"
Although Wei Yuan could easily take the money and deny any obligation—after all, such matters only involve forcing someone into a physical relationship; how could one force someone into a spiritual romance?
However, now that Wei Yuan has earned quite a bit through his Repairing Ability, although several million may not be sufficient for immediate needs, he still does not wish to covet such 'selling oneself' money.
"If I take the money without doing anything in return, wouldn't that be taking advantage of you?"
At this point, Wei Yuan had not considered that his words carried another layer of meaning. Yuan Ziyi did not mind such things; she only grasped the general content of his statement.
In the end, Yuan Ziyi said: "Last time when I was being chased and you saved my life, this five hundred thousand is worth it."
Watching the two of them push and pull, the fat man felt anxious and wished he could just eliminate this pair of scoundrels on the spot.
"Let's not talk about that for now. Since I've taken your money, I have to return it."
Regarding this financial matter, Wei Yuan was quite stubborn. He was unwilling to owe anyone a favor and did not want to accept what felt like money for selling himself. Even if Yuan Ziyi didn't intend to keep it, he still had to return it.
As the saying goes, it's hardest to repay a beauty's kindness. At this moment, Wei Yuan was already afraid that borrowing this five hundred thousand would lead to new problems, which would only complicate things further.
However, it was precisely this five hundred thousand that made Yuan Ziyi appreciate Wei Yuan even more for his insistence on returning it, laying the groundwork for their future relationship to remain clear-cut.
"Alright, it's up to you. But I will only accept five hundred thousand. As for the life-saving favor from last time, I still owe you one."
Although their voices sounded like whispers, the fat man was already fixated on the piece of jade in Wei Yuan's hand and was very concerned about their conversation because it related to the ownership of that jade.
Finally, it seemed they had reached an agreement. Wei Yuan turned to him and said, "Fat man, I'm selling you this piece of jade, but we need cash."
Wei Yuan hoped to give the five hundred thousand directly to Yuan Ziyi, but in this day and age, who carries over a million in cash to the Jade Rough Stone Market? Even if one wasn't worried about being robbed, there was still the concern of being pickpocketed.
The fat man with the black leather bag was also in a dilemma: "Where am I supposed to find nine hundred thousand in cash right now? Can't we do a bank transfer?"
At this moment, Yuan Ziyi realized that Wei Yuan probably wasn't very familiar with the local customs and stepped forward: "Alright, we agree."
Yuan Ziyi faced many such situations and found them easy to resolve. She first had the fat man with the black leather bag transfer nine hundred thousand into her bank account. Since Yuan Ziyi was an important client at the bank, after a phone call, everything was settled without giving the fat man a chance to play any tricks. Once he successfully took the jade away, Yuan Ziyi turned to Wei Yuan and asked, "Is it still that previous account?"
After receiving a positive response from Wei Yuan, she instructed her bodyguard: "Five, go get my notebook from the car."
Wei Yuan knew she intended to transfer money to him on the spot and immediately said, "No need; do I not trust you?"
Wei Yuan's meaning was clear. He originally planned that if Yuan Ziyi was willing, she could take the whole piece of jade with her. As for the extra money, whether it was considered a reward for what felt like money for selling oneself or interest didn't matter anymore.
He was not the least bit afraid that Yuan Ziyi would not transfer money to him, so he didn't care at all about the remaining four hundred thousand.
After sending Yuan Ziyi off, Wei Yuan had also put one worry to rest. After all, when you accept someone's help, you become indebted to them. Now that he had returned the five hundred thousand, he wouldn't feel awkward facing Yuan Ziyi and Han Ling, the half-sisters, in the future.
He then chose several pieces of Raw Jade Material, all at a relatively moderate price, totaling around a hundred thousand. With the expectations of those around him, it seemed as if Wei Yuan could continue to create miracles.
Unfortunately, he ended up losing. During the Gambling on Jade process, out of five or six stones worth several tens of thousands, only two pieces turned out to be of insufficient quality. Describing it as losing everything would not be an exaggeration.
This also made Wei Yuan realize that to truly make money from Gambling on Jade, aside from luck or having a pair of discerning eyes, most people would end up losing.
Therefore, to really earn money, he needed to take control of everything himself. Knowing the situation here, he began issuing orders to those university students he had recruited from the job market, selecting targets to continue with his plan.
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