"Alright, Master Xu, this rough stone is three hundred and seventy thousand." The middle-aged boss quickly nodded.
After seeing that both of them had selected their rough stones, the middle-aged boss asked, "Master Xu, whose rough stone should we cut first?"
"Does that even need asking? Of course, it's Master Xu's first."
"Once Master Xu's rough stone is cut, that kid might just concede."
"It's better if he concedes, saves everyone's time."
Hearing the suggestions from the surrounding people, Xu Yaolin's lips curled up, his face full of disdain. "Of course, mine first. What's the point of cutting his pile of junk?"
The middle-aged boss dared not delay. He picked up Xu Yaolin's rough stone and fixed it in the cutting machine. The grinding wheel was aimed at the stone's skin, and then he closed the lid of the cutting machine.
"Rumble!"
He flipped the switch, and a roaring sound instantly filled the air.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the cutting machine, eager to know what kind of jade Xu Yaolin's chosen rough stone would yield.
A moment later, the stone's skin was cut away by the grinding wheel. The middle-aged boss opened the lid and wiped the cut surface clean with a rag.
"It's green! It's green!" the middle-aged boss exclaimed in surprise.
No one here was more excited than him, as cutting out a piece of jade would attract more people to his stall for stone gambling.
Hearing this, the onlookers crowded closer, looking at the cut surface of the rough stone fixed inside the machine.
"A master is indeed a master. He just picked one randomly, and it turned out to be glutinous-grade cyan jade."
"Although there are some cracks on the surface, it's such a large piece of jade. This cut alone has already recouped the cost. If the next cut yields similar results, the price will more than double!"
"Master Xu, are you selling this jade? I'll offer four hundred thousand!"
"I'll offer four hundred and fifty thousand. Master Xu, please sell this rough stone to me."
"Even if you buy it, you have to wait until Master Xu finishes his gamble. What's the rush? Can't you see Master Xu is still gambling?"
"Is there even a need to gamble? Do you think a two-thousand-dollar worthless stone can compare to Master Xu's glutinous-grade cyan jade? It's a joke."
Many jade shop owners had already started bidding competitively.
Xu Yaolin ignored the jade shop owners around him and instructed the middle-aged boss, "Continue cutting."
The middle-aged boss's face was filled with excitement. He fixed the other side of the rough stone, closed the lid, and started the cutting machine again.
As the roaring sound began, Xu Yaolin's lips curved upwards, and he cast a contemptuous glance at Chen Fan.
A moment later, the roaring sound ended. The middle-aged boss opened the lid, revealing the cut surface of the rough stone inside.
Instantly, the middle-aged boss's expression became even more excited. "It's gone up! Master Xu, it's gone up!"
Everyone was shocked and looked again at the cut surface of the rough stone fixed in the machine. As expected, just like before, the quality of the jade had penetrated to the other side.
"This rough stone has at least doubled in value, and it's probably worth over a million now!"
"Heavens, if I had half of Master Xu's ability, I wouldn't have gone bankrupt back then."
"Master Xu, I'll offer one point two million. Di Yang Jewelry will buy this piece of jade!"
"I'll offer one point two five million!"
The sound of competitive bidding erupted again.
Seeing this scene, Qin Shuran's brows furrowed slightly. She knew that if Chen Fan lost, he would owe 1.25 million plus the original cost of the rough stone at 370,000, and the previous rough stone at 300,000, totaling a loss of 1.92 million!
At this moment, Xu Yaolin's mocking voice rang out, "Kid, I don't think there's any point in continuing. It's just a waste of each other's time. See how many people are clamoring for my jade right now? If you concede now and let this beauty accompany me for tea, I might give you a thirty percent discount."
"Thirty percent discount?!" the crowd exclaimed in surprise.
"The total amount is probably close to two million. A thirty percent discount would save nearly six hundred thousand!"
"Kid, what are you still thinking about? Hurry up and thank Master Xu. That's six hundred thousand! An ordinary family might not earn that much in two or three years."
Many people egged him on, shouting at Chen Fan.
Most people assumed Chen Fan would readily agree.
However, Chen Fan calmly refused, "No need. Since it's a stone gambling match, why shouldn't I compete? What if the jade I cut out is better than yours?"
Everyone looked at Chen Fan in astonishment, surprised that he would refuse.
"This kid still thinks his pile of junk can yield better jade than Master Xu? How laughable."
"Heh, I think this kid can't afford the money and just wants to gamble on his own stone."
"If his pile of junk can yield better jade than Master Xu, I'll eat this stone!"
Xu Yaolin also chuckled contemptuously. "Heh, kid, it seems you won't give up until you hit the Yellow River. Since that's the case, I have nothing more to say. Let's cut it then."
The middle-aged boss placed the dark, unremarkable rough stone on the ground into the cutting machine, fixed it in a random position, and started the machine.
"Wait a moment," Chen Fan's voice suddenly rang out.
The middle-aged boss looked at Chen Fan and sneered, "What? Are you having second thoughts? If you're regretting it, hurry up and apologize to Master Xu. Perhaps Master Xu is magnanimous and will still give you that thirty percent discount."
Chen Fan pointed to one side of the rough stone and said, "I mean, start cutting from here. You're thinking too much."
The middle-aged boss listened, his face full of disdain, but he still adjusted the rough stone's position according to Chen Fan's request.
He knew this stone very well. He wouldn't even give it away for free. Moreover, the opened window revealed black jade, and it was cracked. It was clearly a worthless piece of junk, so how could it yield good jade?
Because the rough stone was large, it took about ten minutes for the machine to stop running.
He opened the lid, and a part of the stone was still uncut by the grinding wheel. The middle-aged boss took a hammer and tapped a few times at the cut.
With a "crack!"
The cut surface of the rough stone detached completely.
However, at this moment, the middle-aged boss stood frozen in place!
"Boss, what did you cut out? Is it black jade inside, just like the outside?"
"Does that even need asking? It's definitely black jade, and a thoroughly cracked one at that."
Everyone asked mockingly. No one stepped forward to check, as they all believed this worthless stone couldn't yield any good jade.
"Gulp."
The middle-aged boss couldn't help but swallow, his eyes still fixed on the stone inside the machine.
Xu Yaolin noticed the boss's strange expression and took two steps forward, looking at the cut surface of the rough stone.
However, the moment Xu Yaolin saw the cut surface, his face was filled with horror. "This, how is this possible!"
Seeing the change in Xu Yaolin's expression, everyone was startled, thinking, could that kid have really cut out something valuable? They then crowded forward.
"Hiss!"
Almost everyone who saw the cut surface of the rough stone gasped in disbelief.
"Ice, ice-grade, imperial, imperial green?!"
The man who had just said he would eat the stone if Chen Fan cut out better jade than Xu Yaolin exclaimed in disbelief.
Qin Shuran also covered her red lips with her hand, her face filled with astonishment at what she was seeing!