The people nearby couldn’t help but laugh at his words. Someone chimed in, “Little brother, fully raw rough stones are inherently high-risk. If it’s a loss, it’s just a loss—no need to take it to heart. Don’t let it upset you.”
The plump shop owner also spoke up, “Brother, I think you should just let it go. Old Mo might have a temper, but his eye for stones is sharp. Why not pick another one to try your luck? I’ll give you a 10% discount—consider it a gesture of friendship.”
Jiang Feng shook his head with a smile. “g@mbling on stones or g@mbling on pride—it’s all g@mbling. Who knows? Maybe my stubbornness will bring out some green.”
Ma Lianhao, feeling a bit embarrassed, tugged at Jiang Feng’s sleeve. “Big Bro, let’s just forget it. It’s only a thousand bucks—is it really worth it?”
Jiang Feng didn’t care about the money. In the past, he wouldn’t have even bent down to pick up a thousand yuan if someone dropped it. Right now, he wasn’t betting on whether the stone would yield jade—he was betting on a feeling.
The middle-aged man, overcome with guilt, spoke up, “Little brother, I’ve thought it over—I can’t take your money. I may be poor, but I can’t let you shoulder the risk for me. That’s just not right.”
He tried to push the money back into Jiang Feng’s hand, but Jiang Feng refused. “No rush. Let’s finish cutting this half-stone first.”
The old man, seeing Jiang Feng’s persistence, reluctantly resumed cutting, muttering, “Kids these days—no sense of reality.”
The moment he finished speaking, Ma Lianhao suddenly shrieked, “Hey—slow down! There’s green!”
Ma Lianhao’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head as he stared at the old man’s hands, itching to snatch the stone away himself.
The old man paused, washed the stone’s side with water, and froze. “Huh. There really is green.”
“D*mn, this kid’s got luck! Who’d have thought such a small stone would have jade?”
“Old Man, how’s the quality?” someone else asked.
The old man inspected it and chuckled. “Glutinous rice variety. Average—very average.”
He shot Jiang Feng a sidelong glance. “Want me to extract it?”
“Go ahead,” Jiang Feng replied indifferently.
Despite his age, the old man’s hands were steady. In no time, he extracted a piece of jade the size of an egg and handed it to Jiang Feng. “Selling it on the spot?”
“Sure.” Jiang Feng didn’t care—it was just a tiny piece.
“Little brother, I’ll give you 8,000 for it. How’s that?” someone offered.
“10,000!”
“20,000!”
In the end, Jiang Feng sold it to an elderly man for 20,000 yuan. As the money changed hands, Ma Lianhao’s face twisted with glee, as if he’d never seen so much cash before.
Jiang Feng exhaled softly. He hadn’t expected much from this stone—he’d only sensed a faint trace of spiritual energy, so he knew the quality wouldn’t be high.
The 20,000 yuan meant nothing to him. What mattered was whether his judgment had been right. The fact that the stone had yielded jade confirmed his method of appraisal.
The old man clicked his tongue regretfully. “Pity the quality wasn’t better. Otherwise, even this small piece could’ve gone for over 100,000.”
Jiang Feng smiled. “Profit is still better than a loss.”
As if forgetting his earlier skepticism, the old man grinned without a hint of shame. “Kid, your luck’s something else. Wanna try another?”
Jiang Feng found the old man amusing—grumpy, but genuine. He had been planning to buy another, so he said, “Not much money left, but I’ll take a look.”
The plump shop owner beamed. “Take your time! If you pick another winner, I’ll set off firecrackers for you!”
Jiang Feng crouched by the stall, scanning the stones. Prices ranged from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands. The most expensive was a semi-processed stone with a small “window” of jade, priced at 6.88 million.
The 6.88-million-yuan stone weighed about a ton. Many eyed it, but no one dared to buy. Jiang Feng ignored it—with only 20,000, he focused on cheaper options.
But he soon realized higher prices didn’t guarantee better stones. After careful selection, he picked one priced at 18,800 yuan—a modest piece, around twenty pounds.
“Kid, I checked that one earlier. The odds aren’t great. Try that one instead,” an elderly bystander suggested, pointing at another stone.
The man had already lost twice and was hesitating on his third pick. Seeing Jiang Feng’s luck, he figured he’d test it.
Jiang Feng had already examined that stone. Smiling, he declined. “No need. This one’s fine.”
The old man sighed. “Suit yourself. Easy come, easy go, I guess.”
Jiang Feng understood the implication—this stone was likely a dud. Unfazed, he handed it to the cutter and paid the shop owner. “Cut it.”
“Tsk, tsk…” The old man shook his head. “Kid, you really don’t know a thing, do you?”
“Not a thing,” Jiang Feng quipped. “But I’ve always relied on luck.”
The crowd chuckled. The old man smirked and started cutting. Jiang Feng drew a line on the stone. “Just cut here directly.”
The old man rolled his eyes but complied. “If it ruins the jade, don’t blame me.”
“Cut as I said. If it’s damaged, it’s on me.”
With a grunt, the old man sliced along the line. Dust flew—and a glimmer of translucent green emerged.
“Green again! This kid’s on fire today!” someone shouted.
“Ice variety, pure color, high saturation. Congrats, young man!” an expert remarked, sparking murmurs of envy.
The old man gaped, then laughed dryly. “Well, I’ll be damned. Your luck’s unreal.” He asked, “Selling this one too?”
“Sure.” Jiang Feng nodded.
“How about 200,000? No haggling,” a man in a Zhongshan suit offered.
“200,000? D*mn, you’re actually being generous for once,” the old man teased, browning yellow teeth.
The Zhongshan-suited man shrugged. “My shop’s running low. Gotta restock.” He turned to Jiang Feng. “Deal?”
“Deal.” Jiang Feng signaled Ma Lianhao to collect the money, then returned to the stones.
Now with 200,000, his options widened. But he wasn’t just g@mbling for profit—he needed high-quality jade for his spirit-gathering array.
The crowd watched intently, no longer mocking him. They held their breath, waiting for another miracle.
Jiang Feng quickly picked two more stones. Both yielded jade—one glass variety, one imperial green. His money skyrocketed from 200,000 to 12 million.
The onlookers were speechless, gaping at him. The shop owner rushed to set off celebratory firecrackers. Word spread, drawing even more people until the area was packed.
Ma Lianhao grinned as he handled the checks. He didn’t need the money—he just loved the thrill of easy wins.
Jiang Feng, however, frowned. He hadn’t wanted this attention. He’d planned to cut more stones but decided against it. Sensing spiritual energy was his secret edge. If he kept winning, people would grow suspicious.
With enough funds now, he no longer needed to g@mble. He picked a few promising stones and finally turned to the 6.88-million-yuan semi-processed one.
“Interested in this one?” the old man asked.
Jiang Feng didn’t answer, simply walking over. Earlier, he’d ignored it due to lack of funds. Now, he could inspect it properly.
Just as his hand touched the stone, a cold voice cut in:
“Don’t move. That stone is mine.”