I spoke into the walkie-talkie, telling Da Kui what had just happened. Since the Young Master had made a move, he wouldn't stop at just one. I asked him to guard the VIP room while I went to the stone gambling area, where there were more people and a more mixed crowd.
It seemed he wasn't going to give up easily today. What happened earlier was just a small taste of his abilities; the real challenge was yet to come.
The stone gambling area was quite crowded, with most gamblers not rushing to make a purchase, instead observing and contemplating the various stone lots.
After all, we were a newly opened establishment, and most people were unfamiliar with our raw stones. They were holding onto their hard-earned cash, and no one would foolishly hand over money for a pile of rocks.
What was needed now was a stunning piece of jade to shock the crowd and ignite the desire to buy.
Yesterday, the Young Master had used decoys to instigate a frenzy, leading many to snatch up his discarded materials. I didn't want to do that. I wanted to wait. I had confidence in the materials we had selected. As soon as someone struck it rich, the atmosphere would naturally liven up.
Wen Siqiang was vigilantly observing the crowd, looking for suspicious individuals.
I saw Master Zhang explaining the key points of stone selection to some guests. This was my arrangement. Our goal was to sell the raw stones fairly. As long as customers understood more about the characteristics of raw stones, they could make targeted choices based on their preferences. We couldn't achieve our goals by sacrificing the interests of the gamblers. We aimed for fair transactions.
Of course, since it was stone gambling, there would be risks. It tested not only skill but also luck.
Wen Siqiang seemed to have noticed something and walked over to me, saying, "Someone is spreading rumors inside that we're deceptive and that our materials are all rejects from other stone gambling shops, with nothing inside."
I followed his gaze and saw a few people constantly talking in the crowd. Many people left the venue angrily and headed for the exit.
Clearly, they had believed the rumor and chosen to leave.
I walked over to a man who was talking incessantly and patting his shoulder, quietly saying, "Friend, since you're so knowledgeable, how about I find a stone, and you can give me your expert opinion?"
He turned to look at me and said brazenly, "Do you have eyes of clairvoyance? These are all common stones here, where would there be jade? You wouldn't intentionally give me a stone with something inside, would you?"
I said, "Everyone, look, my hands are empty. I'll find a stone from here, and we'll cut it on the spot to prove whether this friend is right or wrong. We can't just blindly say these are all common stones. Wouldn't it be better to spend my own money and open it to see?"
A crowd had gathered around, and they started chattering, accusing the man of baseless claims about the stones being common.
I loudly told everyone to calm down. I would go find a stone and cut it on the spot to verify.
Wen Siqiang also asked everyone to be quiet. I told a few people near me to pick a stone lot, and once they chose, I would decide which stone to look for.
Those few nodded. Only by doing this could we prove there was no foul play. If I had walked straight to a stone, picked it up, and cut it, they would have surely thought it was arranged.
One person pointed to a pile of the most inconspicuous raw stones and said, "If you have the guts, find one here."
When I went over to look, I realized this person indeed had some skill. He was pointing to materials from the Huika mine.
Materials from the Huika mine had two characteristics: one was that they varied in size, and the other was polarization. Either the texture was very rich with high color, or it was a complete failure, with imperial green instantly turning into imperial cracks.
It seemed the person who pointed out the lot to me was quite an expert.
I walked over, squatted down, and rummaged through the pile, finding a very unremarkable stone, weighing about two to three pounds.
This stone had a gray-black waxy rind, which was very smooth with no obvious cracks. Although Huika stones were prone to cracks, it mainly depended on the rind. If the rind had cracks, the meat inside would definitely have them. If the rind was smooth or sandy, it had to be tight and intact. Some cracks were hidden, and with years of weathering, impurities filled the fissures, which were then covered by wax, making them difficult to discern.
Instead of using a flashlight, I took it to a well-lit area and shone a light on it. The fog was heavy. The base of this stone was fine; the gamble was on the color.
I walked back to the man with the stone, held it up in front of him, and asked, "Tell me, can this stone yield anything?"
He glanced at it sideways and said contemptuously, "If this stone yields anything, then all the stones here are imperial green."
I smiled and said, "You'd best stay and be a witness for everyone. I bet this has six parts water and seven parts green, with a pure base. While I can't guarantee it's imperial green, it will definitely reach the glutinous ice bean grade."
Some people in the crowd started heckling, saying I was bragging. They thought it was nonsense to claim glutinous ice bean grade for such a dark, unpolished stone before even opening a window or rubbing it.
No one here knew me, and I wasn't wearing a company uniform, just casual attire: jeans on the bottom and a white t-shirt on top. I looked like a young kid, holding a raw stone and claiming it was glutinous ice bean grade. What else could it be but nonsense?
I handed the stone to Wen Siqiang, told him to pay, and then took it to be cut in half.
I told everyone to please wait patiently. It would soon be clear whether I was talking nonsense or if this person was causing trouble.
Everyone was chattering, expressing different opinions, basically divided into two factions: supporters and opponents. The opponents were in the majority, making up two-thirds, with only a few supporters. They argued heatedly, each presenting their own reasoning, their faces flushed red.
I didn't pay them any mind. I was confident in this stone; at least, it wouldn't be a complete loss.
After a while, Wen Siqiang returned with the stone wrapped in newspaper.
From his eyes, I could tell that the stone wouldn't have any major problems. If it did, he would at least show some nervousness.
He didn't rush to open it. He handed it to me, letting me reveal the answer.
At this point, the naysayers became energized, loudly exclaiming, "It's a bust, isn't it? You don't even dare to open it."
I said, "I haven't opened it myself yet. Now, re-evaluate, has anything changed?"
At this moment, a few people hesitated. Perhaps they had seen something in Wen Siqiang's expression but weren't sure.
Others continued to heckle, especially those causing trouble, who were further inciting everyone to say that all the stones here were trash.
Nearly an hour had passed since the base opened, and during this time, there had been almost no transactions. It was their people obstructing everyone, making gamblers afraid to make a move.
I loudly declared, "You all split up. Those who oppose stand on one side, and those who support stand on the other. If this stone of mine yields anything today, I will turn it into cash and split it equally among the supporters."
Upon hearing that I would reward the supporters, some people quickly moved to their side. It wouldn't cost them anything anyway, and if it turned out to be high-grade green, they could get money for free.