Here is today’s first update; please vote to show your support. .................... The commotion immediately alerted the manager of the backyard, but by the time he arrived, Wang Zhuo had gone to the restroom.
The restroom at Qishi Workshop was situated in a corner of the backyard, built in an antique style, featuring a row of traditional wooden lattice windows set above two-and-a-half meters high, ensuring excellent ventilation and lighting.
Of course, the sound insulation wasn't perfect either, so as Wang Zhuo passed beneath the windows, he overheard voices inside.
“Do you realize how badly you ruined me?!”
“Manager Ai, what do you mean? When did I ever ruin you? And who did I ruin you with?”
Both voices sounded somewhat familiar. Wang Zhuo slowly paused, recalling that Manager Ai was in charge of backyard sales, but he couldn't quite place the other person.
“Li Qing, that’s unfair of you to talk like that. What, now that you’ve used me, you want to deny everything?”
“That’s rich. What do I have to admit to? That day, I only mentioned that the kid forgot to get an invoice for the rough stone he bought—I didn’t say another word! You’re the one trying to play dirty, aren't you? You’re the one who reported this matter to Cai Yuantu, right? You were demoted by your boss—what does that have to do with me?”
“You’re twisting the facts! I checked later. You all had a conflict with that kid that day, otherwise why would you be so kind as to specifically come and tell me about the invoicing issue…”
Hearing this, Wang Zhuo understood the whole story. He realized he had been schemed against without his knowledge, but the two in the restroom had made a fuss over nothing—Cai Yuantu hadn't followed their intentions.
Suppressing a dizzy spell from overdrawing his psychic ability, Wang Zhuo peered through the wall into the restroom. He clearly saw that Li Qing, confronting Manager Ai, was the arrogant driver of a high-ranking official.
It turned out that Ai Yongzhi had just come to the restroom to relieve himself, and as he stood up, he ran squarely into Li Qing, who was coming in to wash his hands. Ai couldn't help but snort dismissively. Li Qing, not one to tolerate slights, immediately questioned him about the reason, and the two began to bicker, just as Wang Zhuo arrived on his own visit.
After a few more exchanges, Li Qing finally grew impatient. He spat a thick glob of phlegm and sneered, “Ai, take a good look at yourself in a puddle before you speak. Let me tell you, my boss ordered me to do this. What are you going to do about it? Take action against us? Or expose us? Don’t forget, you’re the one who gave Cai Yuantu the bad advice! If this gets out, we’re certainly not admitting anything—only you will be unlucky!”
Ai Yongzhi was instantly silenced. In truth, he knew he had swallowed a bitter pill. If he hadn't bumped into Li Qing just now, he wouldn't have argued. Li Qing had powerful backing; what could he possibly argue with?
“Hmph,” Li Qing glanced at him with contempt and strode away.
Wang Zhuo hid aside, waiting until the two had left one after the other before quickly entering the restroom to release the surging pressure within his body.
The strings of jade water flow like a gurgling spring, as if the Milky Way is falling from the heavens. Shaking the water droplets off his spiritual essence, a small plan for revenge immediately took shape in Wang Zhuo’s mind. ……
“Three million nine hundred thousand—that’s enough to buy a whole fleet of Audi A6s, isn’t it?”
“Did you see that? Now that’s gambling. He doesn't even bother inspecting; he just points at whatever rough stone catches his eye and hauls it away!”
“I’ve never seen someone gamble on stones like that. Brother, I’ve really learned something today. He clearly treats money like dirt.”
“So what if it’s over three million? He can afford it. I heard that Imperial Green stone he cut sold for over thirty million.”
“At this rate of spending, all that money will be squandered before long.”
“How do you know he won’t strike lucky again? Maybe he’ll make even more money.”
“Look, the crazy kid is back.”
The onlookers were chatting amongst themselves when they saw Wang Zhuo return. The sales clerk quickly hurried over to greet him enthusiastically.
With such a large transaction taking place, many stone gamblers had been drawn over, momentarily forgetting the rough stones to watch the excitement here.
“Sir, your rough stones total three million nine hundred twenty-five thousand yuan. After the discount, it comes to three million five hundred thirty-two thousand five hundred yuan.” The clerk handed Wang Zhuo the slip detailing the breakdown.
This price was close to what Wang Zhuo had estimated. He glanced over it briefly and nodded, saying, “Is Boss Cai around?”
“He went out to buy lottery tickets,” the clerk replied with a slightly strained smile. “He said on the phone to call him once you’ve settled everything.”
“Got it.” Wang Zhuo took out his phone and dialed Cai Yuantu.
As the call connected, Cai Yuantu’s hearty laugh came through: “Brother Wang, buying so many rough stones at once—are you planning to open a stone shop?”
“That is somewhat the idea,” Wang Zhuo smiled and inquired, “After the discount, it’s over three and a half million. Since I’m buying so much, is there any further discount available?”
“I really can’t lower the price anymore; the shop has its rules, and I have to answer to my partners. How about this: since you’ll need a vehicle to haul the stones anyway, I’ll give you the brand new pickup truck I just bought. Including modification fees, it’s worth nearly a hundred thousand yuan. What do you say?”
“Fine, deal.”
After hanging up, Qi Fei and Qiu Lu walked over. A young man dressed sharply in a suit suddenly stepped forward and asked Wang Zhuo, “Brother, I’ve got my eye on this piece. Name your price!”
The stone he indicated was the ‘cabbage-leaf’ rough that Qiu Lu was holding. Qi Fei and Qiu Lu had already cut seven or eight windows into it, which, combined with the few Wang Zhuo had previously opened, essentially revealed the stone’s true nature. If nothing unexpected happened, a large 'cabbage' plus a few smaller ornamental pieces seemed nearly certain.
Wang Zhuo smiled and asked, “My friend, what are you willing to offer?”
“I’ll offer one million! How about that?”
An elderly man next to them chimed in, “I’ll add another hundred thousand!”
The bidding gamblers immediately surged forward, quickly driving the price up to 1.4 million before temporarily calming down, though none were willing to back down, already brewing the next round of bidding.
Wang Zhuo shook his head: “Forget it. I won’t be tempted for anything less than three million.”
Many people immediately lost heart, though some tried to persuade Wang Zhuo with smooth talk, but he firmly waved them off.
In everyone’s estimation, securing a large ‘cabbage’ from this stone was almost certain, but a large area was still encased in the outer skin, meaning the risk wasn't insignificant. If it were completely revealed as clear jade material, it might be worth three million, but then the profit margin would shrink, and currently, the risk didn't justify that price.
“Wang Zhuo, you really intend to buy this pile of stones?” Qi Fei stared at the mound of stones on the ground, looking slightly stunned.
Wang Zhuo chuckled, “Yes. Didn't I tell you the reason just now?”
Is this kid serious about opening a jewelry store? Qi Fei felt a mixture of amusement and exasperation. Doing business isn't child’s play; it's not done like this!
Qiu Lu advised with a wry smile, “If gambling on stones was really that easy to profit from, why would Qishi Workshop sell the rough stones? Why would the Burmese sell them? They would have cut them open and sold the jade themselves long ago. I know your eyesight is good, but you can’t gamble like this.”
“If you know my eyesight is good, why ask?” Wang Zhuo laughed. “Even though I’ve only gambled on stones a few times, I’ve never cut a complete dud. This proves not only my insight but also my luck. Since I have both insight and luck, why shouldn't I play for higher stakes?”
This statement was actually aimed at the surrounding gamblers. Just as Cai Yuantu had said, Wang Zhuo’s insight was astonishing. Wang Zhuo felt this was an excellent cover—if he established a reputation for having sharp eyesight, future profits from stone gambling wouldn't seem so sudden or suspicious.
These bold words immediately drew commentary.
“Damn, he just got lucky once with a big score; what’s the big deal? Look at him acting cocky now.”
“Exactly. Just wait and see, people like him go bankrupt quickly. I’ll be here watching.”
“To be fair, I heard this young man made over seventy thousand yuan on his very first stone gamble at Shijiji, and a few days later, he cut that Imperial Green stone. Now he’s secured a big ‘cabbage’—maybe his eyesight really is that good.”
“Comparing people is infuriating. I’ve lost on three stones in a row now, sigh.”
“If he manages to strike gold again, I’ll believe him.”
“Tch. I’ve heard of someone winning four hands of Mahjong in a row by drawing their own tile, but I’ve never heard of someone getting three-of-a-kind four hands in a row playing Golden Flower. If he cuts another winner, I’ll eat the stone rind!”
At the outer edge of the crowd, Zheng Mingshun and Minister Li watched coldly. Jiang Xiang sighed, saying, “The kid’s asking price is too high. If it were under two million, it would still be worth taking a shot.”
Zheng Mingshun nodded silently. His method of accepting bribes was quite sophisticated; neither Party regulations nor national laws prohibited civil servants from gambling on stones. If Jiang Xiang won today, he would be co-gambling with Zheng Mingshun and could legitimately share the profits. If he lost, Zheng wouldn't have to lose a single cent of his own money.
“You two, you don’t trust my judgment, do you?” Wang Zhuo pointed at Qi Fei and then at Qiu Lu, his peripheral vision subtly sweeping toward Zheng Mingshun and Li Qing in the distance.
“We don’t not trust your eyesight,” Qi Fei retorted irritably, “We think the way you are gambling has problems—major problems!”
Wang Zhuo secretly laughed inside. This method of gambling certainly had a major problem, but Cai Yuantu was the one who should be worried. He had just bought up nearly all the stones at Qishi Workshop that were likely to yield profit. For the next while, whoever gambled on a stone here would probably lose. Once this reputation spread, how many people would still come here to gamble?
“Fine, you don’t believe me, huh? Then I’ll cut another one, just to show you!”
Saying that, Wang Zhuo walked over to the pile of stones, seemingly casually picking up a rough stone weighing about fifteen pounds and heading toward the cutting table.
The gamblers immediately swarmed after him. Zheng Mingshun, Minister Li, and the others remained rooted to the spot. Wang Zhuo sneered inwardly, If you don't come, I'll wait; let's see who wins!