The next day, June 10th, the temperature already hit twenty-five degrees early in the morning—another scorching day.

As Wang Zhuo arrived at the leisure clubhouse, Guan Yingying, Qi Fei, and Qiu Lu were just walking in too. Upon seeing him, Guan Yingying immediately teased, "Oh, Wang Zhuo, you look quite different today?"

Wang Zhuo's attire that day was something he'd picked up yesterday morning at a specialty store on the commercial street. He didn't understand the brands or their reputations; he chose the clothes purely based on personal taste. Though expensive, the price wasn't outrageous.

It must be said, his transformation from head to toe was a world away from his previous faded Li-Ning tracksuit. As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and this new ensemble instantly shifted him from an ordinary student to a dashing, elegant young man.

"That outfit couldn't have been cheap," Qiu Lu spotted the key detail immediately.

Wang Zhuo nodded honestly, "About two thousand-plus."

Qiu Lu chuckled, "Not bad. You've got the computer sorted too. When are you buying a house and a car?"

Wang Zhuo thought for a moment and smiled, "In a little while. Once I get my acceptance letter."

"Living the high life, aren't you?" Guan Yingying needled him playfully.

Qi Fei also smiled and nodded, "If you find a beautiful girlfriend next, you'll have a life everyone envies."

Wang Zhuo let out a dry laugh, thinking that such a life wasn't far off. It would be even more perfect if he could attend the same university as his girlfriend, buy a house off-campus, and live together!

"Look through these first," Qi Fei pushed a neatly stacked pile of magazines and newspapers in front of Wang Zhuo.

Because of the heat, Qi Fei was wearing a sheer, pink silk blouse today. Her full chest pushed the fabric taut, making the lace embroidery of her bra subtly visible beneath. Her hands were slender and delicate, her nails coated in a clear, glistening topcoat. The contrast between her petite hands and her generous bust made Wang Zhuo marvel at the wonders of creation.

Setting aside the appreciation of beauty for the moment, Wang Zhuo flipped through the materials. They turned out to be recent publications related to jadeite collecting. Qi Fei had diligently gathered them, adding simple annotations and binding them, allowing one to grasp the industry's latest developments with just a quick scan.

These magazines and newspapers were highly specialized, covering jadeite origins, auction processes, fine details, and expert commentary. She had even made special notes on some smaller Imperial Green and Dragon Stone jadeite pieces. Using this information as reference, a little analysis would allow them to roughly estimate the value of that piece of Dragon Stone Imperial Green.

As he read, Wang Zhuo sincerely admired her effort, "Sister Qi, this material is incredibly useful. Hard to find, isn't it?"

"Of course it's hard to find. You wouldn't get this in a third-tier city like ours," Guan Yingying laughed. "These were sent via express mail from Shanghai by people Sister Qi arranged. They just arrived yesterday."

"It's nothing, really," Qi Fei shook her head. "If you're determined to collect, it’s not that hard. I have specialists who are always on the lookout. Helping you this time was just a small favor."

Qiu Lu commented, "Sister Qi's studio is very professional."

"This Laughing Maitreya seems quite close to our material," Wang Zhuo said, flipping to a color insert in one magazine. "The texture is the same as ours, and the size is comparable. It sold for 12.8 million late last year."

"That's right, it's the closest match," Guan Yingying tossed a strand of hair back from her temple. "But there are still differences. Did you notice? Its thickness is four millimeters less than your rough. That’s the thickness of a single cabochon face. Moreover, jadeite prices have surged dramatically in the last six months, especially top-tier rough like this, which is priceless. So, your piece will be worth much more than this Laughing Maitreya."

Qi Fei smiled gently, "Actually, I had seen this Laughing Maitreya before it was carved. The rough had a very fine internal fracture that reduced its value somewhat. But the designer cleverly concealed that flaw, so the finished piece you see is flawless."

Qiu Lu looked on with longing, "That is the pinnacle of jade playing. I wonder if I’ll ever have that opportunity."

"Right," Wang Zhuo suddenly recalled something. "Brother Qiu, did Boss Cai let you go that easily?"

Qiu Lu nodded, chuckling, "He even gave me a 20,000 yuan red envelope, saying the pond was too shallow to hold a big carp, and told me not to forget him if I become successful later."

Cai Yuantu is truly an interesting character, Wang Zhuo laughed. "So you're a freelancer now?"

"Yep!" Qiu Lu said. "The jade market has been hot these past few years, so I've saved up some capital. I plan to head down to Yunnan, source some rough material myself for processing, and open an online shop."

Wang Zhuo gave him a thumbs-up. "Wishing you success in your new venture!"

"It's about time," Qi Fei glanced at the delicate wristwatch on her wrist, stood up, and said, "Xiao Qiu and I will go downstairs to meet the others. Yingying, you chat with Wang Zhuo first."

About ten minutes later, Qi Fei and Qiu Lu returned, escorting a group of ten people—men, women, old, and young—making the spacious room feel slightly cramped.

A server quickly entered, slid open a screen, revealing a low platform bed (kang). After removing the chessboard from it, three or four people could sit comfortably, immediately easing the spatial pressure.

"Let's start with introductions," Qi Fei said with a smile, pointing first to a spry old man around seventy years old. "This is Elder Yue from Taiwan. He's originally from Jiaxing, Zhejiang, but has been living in Beijing in his retirement for the past few years. He is a big name in the jadeite collecting circle."

The elder nodded with a smile, offering no modest pleasantries, suggesting he was quite self-assured.

The four people behind him were his younger relatives and attendants. After Qi Fei introduced them all, she politely nodded to the remaining five people, introducing Wang Zhuo and Guan Yingying to everyone before continuing with the last five introductions.

It turned out the ten people weren't a single group. The two parties knew each other vaguely, and since they happened to be staying at the same hotel while visiting to view the jadeite, they had come together.

Qi Fei had intended to host them separately, but since fate had brought them together, she smoothly rolled with it.

The remaining five people were led by the boss of a mainland film company, a man around forty named Guo Jiandeng. He wasn't famous outside the industry, but those who knew him understood he was a master of hype—any film he produced, no matter how bad, recouped its investment, and any decent one made a substantial profit.

The four people he brought included two experts in jadeite collecting; the other two stood outside the door, and judging by their build and demeanor, they appeared to be bodyguards.

The two groups exchanged pleasantries first. Elder Yue and the two experts brought by Guo Jiandeng were old acquaintances, readily recounting fascinating anecdotes from the collecting world. Elder Yue's relatives listened politely, occasionally chiming in. Guo Jiandeng, however, was unceremonious, smoking, picking his teeth, and even rinsing his mouth with tea before spitting the water into a small bamboo planter on the windowsill!

Guan Yingying grimaced and looked to Qi Fei for confirmation. Qi Fei signaled back; this man was brought by those two experts, and she had never met him before!

After the tea was drunk and the heat had subsided somewhat, at the suggestion of one of the experts, the main event began. Wang Zhuo and Qiu Lu took out the safe, opened it, and placed the jadeite in the center of the eight immortals table.

"Such beautiful green," exclaimed Elder Yue's son, who looked to be in his thirties.

The expert named Ma Zhongbai gestured respectfully, "Elder Yue, please go first."

Expert Zhao Meng also smiled and deferred. Elder Yue nodded, put on the glasses handed to him by his granddaughter, and pulled a silk cloth over to move the jadeite closer for a serious inspection.

The old man first nodded, then shook his head, then nodded again, his expression shifting between relaxed and furrowed. No one could discern his thoughts.

After finishing his inspection, he fell silent for a full ten seconds, slowly pushed the jadeite away, and said to Ma Zhongbai, "You take a look too."

Ma Zhongbai examined it closely with a magnifying glass, while Zhao Meng leaned in. Guo Jiandeng remained by the window, smoking, seemingly in no rush to see the jadeite.

"Little Qi," Elder Yue took a sip of tea and spoke slowly, "Did you cut this piece open yourself?"

"I just offered some advice; the actual work was done by these two," Qi Fei pointed to Wang Zhuo and Qiu Lu.

"The young men have good technique," Elder Yue smiled, then asked seriously, "Who first determined this piece was Iron-Green?"

"Elder Yue, you might be mistaken. This is Dragon Stone, not Iron-Green," Qi Fei replied with a smile.

"Dragon Stone? Heh heh." Elder Yue shook his head repeatedly, giving Qi Fei a faint look, and said, "Dragon Stone is just a term that became popular in the last few years. In my view, it's purely a marketing gimmick with no real significance."

Hearing this, Wang Zhuo felt something was off. The old man's words had an undertone, as if he intended to spoil the mood?

Sure enough, Elder Yue continued, "This material admittedly displays flawlessly—excellent water penetration, rich and full color, and absolutely no impurities. But it’s nothing more than glass-type jadeite with low translucency. They gave it a pretentious name like 'Dragon Stone' just to inflate its price? That’s laughable."

Low translucency glass-type? Guan Yingying was the first to protest, politely saying, "Elder Yue, let me fetch you a glass of water. Perhaps you could examine the material again after rinsing it?"

"No need," Elder Yue shook his head confidently with a smile. "I've been playing with jade for forty years; I've seen every kind of material. My eyes haven't failed me yet, even though I’m older."

Guan Yingying looked helplessly at Qi Fei, who offered a wry smile and shook her head slightly; she hadn't expected this old man to be so difficult.

Wang Zhuo had already decided to stop engaging with the arrogant elder. While it was fine to look without buying, couldn't he just look without speaking nonsense? Wasn't this clearly an attempt to disrupt things?

At that moment, Zhao Meng put down his loupe and strong flashlight, nodding affirmatively, "It is indeed Dragon Stone."

"Such pure Imperial Green is truly rare," Ma Zhongbai sat up straight and stated sincerely, "If this were made into a finished piece, it would be museum-quality, displayed in the best cabinet with several small signs next to it."

"Small signs?" Wang Zhuo asked curiously.

Guan Yingying laughed, "Do they say 'Not for Sale'?"

Ma Zhongbai smiled and nodded, "And perhaps 'No Photography Allowed.'"

Wang Zhuo, Guan Yingying, and Qiu Lu burst into relieved laughter. Even the usually composed Qi Fei smiled and nodded in agreement. This was the kind of evaluation they wanted to hear—much better than "low translucency glass-type."

Zhao Meng walked over, exchanged a few words with Guo Jiandeng, and then returned, addressing Qi Fei, "Ms. Qi, if I may ask presumptuously, what is your expected price for this jadeite? Can you disclose it?"

"As for that, you shouldn't ask me; find the principal owner," Qi Fei smiled and extended her hand toward Wang Zhuo.

Wang Zhuo met Zhao Meng's questioning gaze, smiled faintly, turned to the page featuring the Laughing Maitreya in the magazine, and slid it across the table. "Mr. Zhao, might this treasure serve as a reference?"

Zhao Meng understood the situation at a glance. The other party wasn't just prepared; they were thoroughly equipped. Further discussion seemed pointless; if he wanted the material, he needed to speak with money.

"I have seen this Buddha," Elder Yue glanced at the close-up photo in the magazine and shook his head dismissively. "The craftsmanship is top-notch, but the material quality is slightly inferior, just like yours. As they say, a tiny difference leads to a huge error. That gap in material significantly lowers the price. Therefore, this transaction price is inflated, severely inflated."

"Then, Elder Yue, what do you think the Laughing Maitreya is worth?" Qiu Lu asked politely.

"Remove this digit," the old gentleman said, shaking one finger emphatically. "Take away the leading one from the selling price, and you’ll be close."

Removing ten million?! Wang Zhuo and the others were stunned speechless. This gentleman certainly didn't hold back his shocking statements! Did he really think the buyers who engaged in that fierce bidding war had too much money to spend?

Guests were guests, especially an elder of status. Wang Zhuo and his group found it hard to argue, but that didn't mean everyone present would tolerate his behavior. Just then, Guo Jiandeng, who had been silent, finally spoke: "Elder, your assessment is outdated."

"Oh?" The old man raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly. "Mr. Guo, what insight do you have?"

Guo Jiandeng took a deep drag from his cigarette and leisurely exhaled a smoke ring. "I believe the price of this Laughing Maitreya is not the 2.8 million you quoted at all. It should be worth at least 18 million."

Elder Yue sized up Guo Jiandeng, his tone tinged with scorn. "Then I must ask, Mr. Guo, why do you think it’s worth 18 million? Can you offer any reasoning?"

"Reasoning? That's simple," Guo Jiandeng chuckled as if he'd heard a funny joke. "The reasoning is, if I buy it for 18 million, I can sell it for 20 million after marking it up. Because it allows me to make two million, it is worth 18 million."

Elder Yue was instantly stunned, his lips trembling, and he declared indignantly, "Boss Guo, I thought you understood stones and could offer some reasoning for discussion. I misjudged you; you are nothing more than a merchant trying to jump into the fray for a quick profit!"

Guo Jiandeng grinned, brazenly nodding in admission.

Wang Zhuo and the others exchanged glances, suddenly finding Guo Jiandeng very agreeable. He had successfully suppressed Elder Yue's arrogance, which was extremely satisfying.

"The price of jadeite is being messed up by profit-seeking merchants like you," Elder Yue’s beard trembled slightly with anger, his voice rising. "Even transparent material that was worthless before, and brick-like material as black as charcoal, are being hyped to astronomical prices! Do you really think collectors are fools who can't see through your tricks?"

"There are no tricks; one is willing to buy and the other is willing to sell—it's a mutual agreement," Guo Jiandeng chuckled, glancing at Elder Yue. "Do you mean that 2.8 million you quoted is the true value of that piece, but my 18 million is not? Then guess which one of us the original seller would choose to sell to if we both approached him with our money?"

This was about to escalate into a row... Ma Zhongbai and Zhao Meng rushed forward, ready to mediate. Elder Yue was very famous in the circle, but he was notoriously stubborn; it wouldn't do for him to become ill from anger.

"What a glib merchant!" Elder Yue slammed the table and stood up, giving Qi Fei a slight bow. "Ms. Qi, I take my leave!"

With that, Elder Yue strode out and quickly exited the private room.

"Hey? Elder Yue..." Qi Fei hurried after him, though Wang Zhuo suspected she wasn't trying to bring him back, just trying to save face.

Elder Yue's entourage followed quickly. Ma Zhongbai hesitated, whispered a few words to Guo Jiandeng, and then chased after them.

Suddenly, only Guo Jiandeng and Zhao Meng remained as guests, along with the hosts: Wang Zhuo, Guan Yingying, and Qiu Lu.

Wang Zhuo cheerfully refilled Guo Jiandeng's tea. "Mr. Guo speaks his mind plainly, which I greatly appreciate."

Guo Jiandeng grinned, "He's just an old man who thinks too highly of himself. I've dealt with plenty of people like that."

"Does that mean, Mr. Guo, you are interested in buying my jadeite?" Wang Zhuo picked up the jadeite from the table and slowly turned it over in his hand.

"Indeed. You can use the price of this as a reference," Guo Jiandeng pointed his hand toward the Laughing Maitreya in the magazine.

At this point, Guan Yingying suddenly interjected with a smile, "I hear Mr. Guo is a renowned hype master in the film industry?"

Guo Jiandeng was slightly taken aback, then smiled, "I dare not claim that. It's just praise from a few peers."

"In that case, I believe we have even more common ground," Guan Yingying flashed a sly smile. "I am confident Mr. Guo will offer us a price that satisfies us, given the future reputation of this jadeite."

This time Guo Jiandeng was visibly surprised, then laughed heartily, "Excellent! Since we are all straightforward people, I will certainly offer you a satisfactory price!"