The Qi Shi Fang (Strange Stone Workshop) was packed today, with carts full of brand-new uncut stones awaiting the gamble, drawing in both veteran and novice gamblers alike.

Since offering Cai Yuantu that disastrously bad idea the other day, Ai Yongzhi had been having a rough time. While his salary, bonuses, and other benefits remained unchanged, the word 'former' had been prefixed to his title of Business Manager. He currently held no authority, confined instead to standing by the front reception desk every day, seeing clients in and seeing them out, strictly at Cai Yuantu's command.

Cai Yuantu called this 'standing punishment,' to last for three months.

There were far too many customers today. Ai Yongzhi was plastering on a welcoming smile, greeting and bidding farewell, until the muscles in his cheeks felt completely numb. When he spotted a group stepping into the Qi Shi Fang hall, his practiced smile finally froze into something truly rigid.

"Heh heh, how could I dare walk ahead of you, Director Zheng? Please, you first."

The speaker was Jiang Xianghe, owner of the Tan Hua Ju, who stood at the entrance of Qi Shi Fang, gesturing in a posture of invitation.

Zheng Mingshun? Why the hell was that son of a bitch here? Ai Yongzhi quickly excused himself to the receptionist girl for a bathroom break and swiftly scurried away to hide.

Ai Yongzhi was a man with a sliver of cunning. After being severely dressed down by his boss, Cai Yuantu, that day, he had thoroughly reviewed the sequence of events and quickly pinpointed the cause: he had been set up by Zheng Mingshun's driver!

That evening, when the sky-high priced Imperial Green jade appeared, Ai Yongzhi was simultaneously seething with jealousy over Wang Zhuo's luck and struggling to maintain the increasingly chaotic order. At some point, Zheng Mingshun’s driver, Li Qing, had sidled up to him and engaged him in casual conversation.

Ai Yongzhi hadn't thought much of it then, assuming Li Qing’s casual mention of Wang Zhuo not getting an invoice for the rough stone purchase was unintentional. But upon later reflection, he realized something was amiss. A driver is halfway to being the leader’s bodyguard. At that time, it was dark and crowded—why did Li Qing specifically position himself beside Ai Yongzhi and utter those particular words?

There are no impenetrable walls in this world. A few days later, Ai Yongzhi made discreet inquiries and learned from a service worker about the conflict between Wang Zhuo and Li Qing. This confirmed Ai Yongzhi’s deduction: Li Qing had used him as a borrowed knife to inflict injury, making him a pawn!

This realization extended his resentment toward Zheng Mingshun. Though lacking hard evidence, he believed Li Qing wasn't capable of devising such a malicious scheme on his own; it must have been orchestrated secretly by Zheng Mingshun. Others might not know what sort of character Zheng Mingshun was, but Ai Yongzhi did! Zheng Mingshun was absolutely the type to pull a stunt like that!

It must be said that Ai Yongzhi's reasoning aligned perfectly with the actual truth. However, what he didn't anticipate was that Zheng Mingshun, having presumed the scheme a success, had already informed Li Qing and his secretary to approach Ai Yongzhi in a few days to collect their promised benefits. Unexpectedly, Cai Yuantu refused to play dirty, shattering everyone's meticulous plans.

News that a high school student had gambled his way into the Imperial Green jade spread the very next day. Consequently, neither Li Qing nor Zheng Mingshun's secretary ever showed up demanding favors. Had Ai Yongzhi known this, he likely would have cursed Zheng Mingshun’s entire lineage a hundred times over.

Despite this ignorance, Ai Yongzhi already viewed Zheng Mingshun and Li Qing as enemies. Seeing his foes arrive today instantly ignited his anger, leaving him no choice but to temporarily disappear.

……

Zheng Mingshun exchanged a few polite words and took the lead, with Jiang Xianghe, the owner of Tan Hua Ju, closely following. Behind them was the driver, Li Qing, whom Zheng Mingshun invariably brought along, and one of Jiang Xianghe’s lackeys.

"Director Zheng, have you tried the tea I had someone send over for you last time? What did you think?" Jiang Xianghe asked with a face full of smiles.

"It was decent," Zheng Mingshun nodded reservedly. "My wife likes it; she says it helps reduce oil absorption, so I haven't touched it myself."

Jiang Xianghe froze for a second, then managed an awkward chuckle. With Zheng Mingshun’s slight stature of 1.6 meters and weight of 90 jin, any further 'oil reduction' would render him unrecognizable. It was an impossible line to follow up on gracefully.

Fortunately, as they spoke, the four had reached the backyard of the Qi Shi Fang. Upon entering, Zheng Mingshun encountered an acquaintance, and the greetings quickly diverted the conversation.

"Director Zheng, taking a rare break from your busy schedule today to look at some new material?" The man speaking to Zheng Mingshun was a rotund fellow with a paunch, sporting a placid smile—the kind of practiced, administrative smile often seen on cadres in leadership positions. It went without asking that this was yet another official.

Zheng Mingshun nodded cheerfully, "Minister Li, you know my hobby. Occasionally winning big on a cut or two helps supplement the household income."

"Indeed, indeed. Who doesn't know Director Zheng's discerning eye? Even seasoned jade connoisseurs have to give a thumbs-up in admiration."

Saying this, the stout man was inwardly filled with disdain. Everyone knew what kind of person Zheng Mingshun from the Finance Bureau was. Gambling on stones? If it weren't for those people sending gifts to flatter him, he couldn't even gamble out a chicken feather.

Zheng Mingshun, unaware of Fatty Li’s thoughts, inquired, "Minister Li, how long have you been here? Made a move yet?"

"Not yet. I have, however, taken a liking to a fully enclosed Yellow Sand Skin rough. Why don't you take a look, Director Zheng, and help me assess it?"

"Sounds good. Where is that piece? Let's go!"

……

Wang Zhuo withdrew his Clairvoyance, remaining silent for a moment. The internal composition of this rough stone was even more bizarre than its exterior suggested, leaving him utterly speechless.

Seeing his prolonged silence, Qiu Lu couldn't help but ask, "What do you think, Wang Zhuo? What are your thoughts on this piece?"

Qi Fei also fixed her gaze on Wang Zhuo, awaiting his judgment. In truth, apart from occasional witty banter, she held deep admiration for Wang Zhuo's discerning eye. Seeing through the fake blue-and-white porcelain, winning the Imperial Green jade, and just now spotting an artificial dog-head gold—these were feats no one else could manage. If it had happened only once, it might be dismissed as chance; three times in a row suggested something beyond mere sharp eyesight.

Wang Zhuo paused, then countered with a question instead of an answer: "What is the maximum number of colors a piece of jade can have?"

Qi Fei responded, "I once saw a glass-quality bangle with four colors: purple, green, blue, and yellow. It was exquisite, the treasure of a jewelry store in Macau."

Qiu Lu mused aloud, "I heard about a finished piece called 'Lotus Pond Amour' that had five colors. It was supposedly worth five million, but I never saw it."

"I have seen several finished pieces with multiple colors," Qi Fei smiled. "Multi-hued jade is the greatest challenge for a designer. It's a pity most people never encounter a piece like that in their lifetime."

"Isn't there one right here?" Wang Zhuo grinned, pointing at the rough stone shaped like a flat bun. "How many colors do you think this one could possibly have?"

"That question... we were actually discussing it just now, though we treated it as a joke," Qi Fei shook her head and laughed. "Actually, once the colors exceed four, it becomes hard to definitively count how many shades there are. Green layered over red produces yellow; red overlaid with blue produces purple. When the colors multiply, every possible hue emerges."

Qiu Lu burst into laughter. "So, this piece might have countless colors."

"If that's the case, wouldn't the design aspect be even more challenging?" Wang Zhuo nodded repeatedly. Since that was the case, he decided to leave this conundrum to the professionals. He was already impatient to see what masterpiece Qi Fei and Qiu Lu would create after finally cracking open this rough stone!

Qi Fei suggested, "We won't reach a conclusion by studying it further. Are you two interested in making a cut to test it out?"

Qiu Lu rubbed his hands excitedly. "Great! Let's try partnering up this time, contribute equally, what do you say?"

"Deal," Wang Zhuo added, "But we must agree first: this is our very first collaboration. If we cut, we cut all the way through. We can't just sell it for a quick profit the moment we see a gain."

"Cut! Have you ever seen me sell a piece of jade just because it went up in value?"

"You're the one who sells at the first sign of profit, aren't you? Besides, I want to carve it myself."

"It's settled then. No matter the outcome after cutting this stone, I'll design it, and Xiao Qiu will carve it. Anyone who wants a share can wait until the finished product is ready," Qi Fei declared firmly.

Wang Zhuo was completely outmaneuvered in just a few sentences. Qiu Lu called over a sales assistant to inquire about the price. It was indeed not cheap; even with just that small window showing the mixed colors, the price for this large bun had already jumped to eighty thousand. There was no arguing with it, especially since that tiny window revealed glass-quality jade. Once you identify something good, there’s no looking back. Pay up!