The transaction concluded, and the rough stone was loaded into the pickup truck fitted with an anti-theft canopy.

The little pickup, possessing ample horsepower, drove swiftly out of the rear yard of the Odd Stone Workshop, pulling the multi-million-dollar rough stone and leaving behind a wisp of lingering exhaust smoke.

Zheng Mingshun chuckled, "Minister Li, look at this piece we acquired. Shall we take it to Old Jiang for a slow examination, or should we cut it right here?"

Fat Minister Li, still basking in the glow of having secured a bargain from Wang Zhuo, paused before replying, "How about we try the first cut right now?"

"Good, let's make that first cut and see!" Zheng Mingshun had intended the same. This rough showed extraordinary potential, and the chance of it yielding a profit was immense. If he struck gold in front of so many people, any future questioning about the provenance of his assets would be preemptively answered with more confidence.

The assets of corrupt officials come in many forms; what is visible is always just the tip of the iceberg, while the vast majority remains submerged. Yet, no one is content to live frugally while hoarding millions at home, which leads to all sorts of money laundering schemes. Zheng Mingshun, for instance, relied on jade gambling and bribery to launder his funds.

Some officials regularly buy a few cheap lottery tickets—they are, after all, supporting a national welfare endeavor. Is there a rule forbidding officials from buying lottery tickets? Clearly not. Then, one day, these officials suddenly win the grand prize. This, too, is a method of money laundering. They use illicitly gained money to purchase the winning ticket, instantly acquiring millions in legitimate income, allowing a small piece of that submerged iceberg to surface so they can live a lavish life.

There are countless similar examples: treasure hunting in antiques, unexpectedly favorable demolitions for properties bought cheaply to house elderly relatives, and so on; these need not be recounted one by one.

After a brief discussion, the three decided to take a thrilling risk: slicing the rough stone directly in half along its centerline. Because the stone was large, and this type of blue-water material yielded the best profit when crafted into smaller items like bracelets—unlike that previous 'cabbage-leaf' stone, which was unique—cutting it in half wouldn't result in any real waste or diminish its final value.

Minister Li picked up a pink marking stick and swiftly drew a line across the window Zheng Mingshun had already revealed in the center of the rough. He nodded in satisfaction.

"Heh, Minister Li, following the standard procedure for stone cutting, that line really ought to be drawn here, which would be much better," Jiang Xianghe remarked, picking up a lighter-colored pink stick and drawing a fresh line half a centimeter outside the edge of the window.

Minister Li pondered for a moment, then raised his thumb and laughed heartily, "That makes sense; Boss Jiang is certainly more thoughtful!"

Seeing his superior nod and smile, Li Qing seized the opportunity to ask, "Why did they leave that window area alone and decide to cut beside it?"

Li Qing actually understood the reasoning himself, but he asked the question as if ignorant, allowing his superior to explain the logic—perfectly showcasing the leader's sagacity!

It was clear that one needed to be exceptionally sharp to serve a leader well as a driver. Li Qing's little maneuver perfectly appealed to Zheng Mingshun.

Zheng Mingshun explained slowly, "This cutting method is actually designed to minimize loss in case the stone turns out to be a dud. Look, the blue water underneath that window could yield enough material for two bracelets. If the cut is profitable, fine. But if it fails, cutting at the first line's position would mean losing those two potential bracelets."

"I see," Li Qing replied, feigning sudden realization, "Stone cutting truly is full of wisdom!"

This was an indirect compliment to his own leader's intelligence. However, everyone present, except for the raw novices who felt they had learned a trick, anyone with even slight experience knew this principle and paid no mind to their exchange.

Switching to a larger cutting table, Jiang Xianghe and his assistant secured the rough stone firmly under the blade. After precisely positioning it, they invited Zheng Mingshun and Minister Li to oversee the process.

The two leaders, acting as outside experts guiding the professionals, directed the process with exaggerated gestures. In reality, their instructions were no different than before—shift the stone one centimeter left, then one centimeter right—as good as making no adjustments at all.

"Alright! The position is set now!"

At the leader's command, Li Qing gripped the cutter's handle tightly and slowly engaged the power, pressing the blade downward.

The blade descended, and the stone split open. The onlookers, layered three deep, craned their necks to see the result.

"A two-million-plus stone getting cut in half? Haven't seen such a bold move in a year!"

"It's probably going to be a huge win. Odd Stone Workshop has been strangely lucky lately; haven't heard of a single major failure since that Imperial Green was found."

"That's not necessarily true; be careful when things reach an extreme."

"If this rough turns out to be solid emerald, it could fetch over ten million, right?"

"If the inside matches the window's quality, it's definitely over ten million. They'll be rich."

"I really don't get it. Why did that young man sell such a fine piece for just over two million? He isn't exactly short of money."

"It's about to open! Hurry up and look!"

The moment of truth finally arrived. Zheng Mingshun strode forward with steady steps, placing his hands on each half of the rough stone, and pulled forcefully apart!

In the half beneath his left hand, the blue-water jade abruptly stopped at about six or seven centimeters from the top, leaving only a piece the size of a woman's palm, with a depth barely visible—less than three centimeters deep. The rest was dull, gray brick material, worth nothing!

The half under his right hand was even more disappointing. The blue-water layer on top was so thin it was almost invisible, and the rest was entirely opaque gray material. A massive failure!

Zheng Mingshun’s composed expression instantly collapsed, mirroring the stone beneath him. To go from a value of over two million, possibly reaching a sky-high ten million, to two worthless blocks of stone after one cut—it was a clear case of heaven and hell in a single stroke.

This time, the spectators didn't even bother to step forward to examine the pieces; they immediately began murmuring amongst themselves.

"Oh no! What a massive loss!"

"Damn it, that's unbelievably bad luck!"

"Didn't someone just say that Odd Stone Workshop's recent streak meant we should watch out for the extreme swing? That guy was a prophet!"

"Did I see that right? That patch of blue water is only palm-sized?"

"I have only one comment: that guy who picked the window was absolutely brilliant!"

Amidst the hubbub, Zheng Mingshun stared at the two utterly ruined pieces, his face as dark as a thundercloud. His lecture to Li Qing moments before now felt like a cruel joke. While leaving that space by the window did reduce the potential loss, what was the real difference between losing two million and losing two million and ten thousand?

Jiang Xianghe felt faint from anxiety. Minister Li had only paid seven hundred and fifty thousand; the remaining one million five hundred thousand came entirely out of his own pocket. If they had made a profit, Zheng Mingshun would have taken a share, but since they lost, it was entirely Jiang Xianghe's money! Furthermore, this loss would fall solely on him; the bribe money for Zheng Mingshun could wait for the next deal, but not a penny of the loss could be covered!

Fat Minister Li’s face turned ashen, and he rushed to the cutting table, lifting the stone halves to examine them. Seeing how badly the rough had failed, the onlookers instinctively remained standing back. Approaching the stone now felt like tempting fate for the gambler, so it was better to keep a distance.