"Wang Zhuo, what about this one?" Guan Yingying held up a small, emerald-green 'four-bean' jadeite pendant between two fingers for Wang Zhuo to inspect.

It was an ice-grade, positively-green piece, intensely verdant, barely over thirty millimeters long, featuring two beans within a very plump pod—a truly fat bean pod.

Wang Zhuo glanced at it. "It's pretty enough, but it has cloudiness."

Guan Yingying pouted. "One without cloudiness costs tens of thousands! This one is only six thousand five hundred!"

"Only six thousand five hundred?" Wang Zhuo stressed the word 'only' heavily, looking both exasperated and amused. "Sister, six thousand five hundred is enough for my living expenses for half a year. For that price, I could buy over a thousand plates of edamame from the street stalls at six yuan a plate."

"Philistine!" Guan Yingying shot him an exasperated look and returned the bean pod to the vendor.

"Let's go. We're going to the backyard to look at the rough stones," Wang Zhuo waved his hand. "If we're going to wear it, it has to be good stuff—the kind we gamble for ourselves from the rough material."

"Great!" Guan Yingying had the same idea and quickly hurried to follow.

The Qishi Workshop was indeed massive. The backyard was even decorated like a classical courtyard, complete with rockeries, a pavilion, and a ten-square-meter lotus pond filled with beautiful koi fish.

The first impression the place gave was that of entering the private garden of a wealthy official. However, for such a large compound dealing in precious goods, security was paramount. Surveillance cameras shielded by rain covers were visible everywhere—high-tech deterrents meant to keep both honest men and scoundrels in check.

The jade roughs at Qishi Workshop weren't placed on shelves but displayed on long tables made of bluestone. Bamboo chairs were arranged beside these tables, inviting visitors to sit down, examine the goods at leisure, or just rest and chat.

Wang Zhuo and Guan Yingying instantly fell in love with the ambiance. Even without purchasing anything, spending time here was pleasant; every piece of decoration revealed the owner's meticulous attention to detail, exuding refinement and elegance—far superior to a public park.

Wang Zhuo had brought his entire net worth today: a little over thirty-six thousand yuan, all sitting in his bank card. While this sounded like a decent sum, in a place like Qishi Workshop, it was rather paltry; it couldn't even afford many of the fully-gambled rough stones.

Of course, there were plenty of smaller, cheaper roughs available, priced affordably between a few hundred and a few thousand yuan. This was exactly what Wang Zhuo and Guan Yingying were targeting. Guan Yingying was a beginner who needed these inexpensive pieces to practice, while Wang Zhuo was focused on the high potential rate of return these smaller stones offered.

Jade roughs, also called maoliao, originate from Myanmar and are extracted through manual mining. The surface of the rough is encased in a weathered rind that obscures the jade inside. This outer skin cannot be penetrated by instruments; only by cutting it open can one determine the value of the jade within—hence the process known as stone gambling.

Jade roughs from different production areas yield different qualities of jade, leading to the terms 'old pit' and 'new pit,' which refer to older and newer mines. 'Old pit' is a premium designation; attaching those two words immediately inflates the price.

This doesn't mean that jade, like antiques, is inherently better just because it's older. Rather, it signifies that old-pit jade possesses a superior texture, yielding better results in finished products. Furthermore, these sources are nearing depletion, making scarcity a factor; thus, the price naturally reflects this disparity.

Besides Wang Zhuo and Guan Yingying, quite a few other people were examining the roughs, gathering in small groups of three or five, each with a distinct bearing. Wang Zhuo was somewhat surprised to see the very large man he’d first encountered when buying a scratch-off lottery ticket was also present.

The big man spotted Wang Zhuo too, immediately breaking into a wide grin, and sauntered over from a distance. "Well, well? It truly is a small world, isn't it!"

Wang Zhuo met him halfway. "Haha, it is. Are you here for stone gambling too?"

"I don't mess with that," the big man chuckled, shaking his head. "Playing the lottery is a battle against people, a contest of psychology, a calculation of human nature. Stone gambling tests sight, guts, and luck. Where’s the fun in that compared to the lottery?"

What an original and unique perspective! Wang Zhuo smiled wryly and nodded.

"You, though, you're quite interesting, kid. Not bad, you’ve improved!" the big man teased with a smile. "Although stone gambling isn't as exciting as the number draws, it’s certainly a huge step up from the scratch-offs you used to play. Now that's class!"

The fat man’s voice was booming, immediately drawing the attention of the other gamblers—so, playing the Powerball was considered more high-class than gambling on stones.

Wang Zhuo asked, "If you're not gambling on stones, why are you here?"

"Just because I’m not gambling on stones means I can't visit?" the fat man replied with a bright, happy smile. "I don't recall setting that rule, do I?"

Wang Zhuo was speechless. It dawned on him that this gentleman was actually the owner of Qishi Workshop. No wonder he was dropping thousands on lottery tickets—he was wealthy!

The fat man dropped his smile. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cai Yuantu, and I own this Qishi Workshop. How should I address you, young man?"

"My name is Wang Zhuo, I’m in my final year of high school downtown," Wang Zhuo said, extending his hand to shake Cai Yuantu’s.

Cai Yuantu’s waistline was at least four feet around, and his hands were broad and thick like a bear's paws, yet they clearly belonged to someone who lived a life of ease, completely devoid of calluses.

"You two take your time browsing. If you find a stone you like, I’ll give you a ten percent discount," Cai Yuantu nodded toward Guan Yingying, who had approached Wang Zhuo, gave his instructions, and then lumbered outward with his large belly.

"You know each other?" Guan Yingying asked.

Wang Zhuo shook his head. "We've only met once. We were in the same lottery ticket outlet buying tickets."

"He's quite generous; a ten percent discount will save us a sum. I've spotted a stone, come quickly and give me your expert opinion." Guan Yingying was eager to begin.

"Let's go take a look!"

Led by Guan Yingying, Wang Zhuo arrived under a large, sky-blue umbrella. The surprises kept coming; in the short time Guan Yingying had been gone, someone else was already examining the rough stone—and it was an acquaintance: the young married woman who had bought Wang Zhuo's translucent material last time!

On the stone table lay a strip-shaped rock about forty centimeters long, roughly the thickness of an adult man's upper arm. Its weathered rind was pitch black, marked with several slanted indentations.

The young married woman appeared to be alone today. She was currently holding a magnifying glass, intently observing the rough's surface skin. As Wang Zhuo walked up to the table, he happened to be directly opposite her, and his gaze naturally swept across the stone, passing straight over the neckline of her blouse as she bent forward.

Two high peaks, fair and smooth, a soft, deep valley…

Wang Zhuo froze, for a full ten seconds, until Guan Yingying, sensing something amiss, elbowed him sharply, bringing him back to reality.

Guan Yingying silently criticized the unrestrained young man with a silent mouthing of words: "Pervert!"

Wang Zhuo awkwardly scratched his head, clearing his throat to mask his embarrassment.

The allure of a mature woman's form was something a hot-blooded youth like Wang Zhuo could hardly resist. To avoid displaying any further abnormality, Wang Zhuo forced himself to calm down, shifting his focus entirely to the rough stone on the table, and activating his X-ray vision!