Since the only step required was the immediate revelation of the interior material, there was no preliminary windowing step for this particular stone cutting.

Soon, several viewing windows were cut into lot number G-Nai Four, and amidst sounds of regret, the pure white, mottled texture inside was revealed.

The cutter paused, and with the judges' consent, switched to a larger cutting machine to cleave the entire rough stone in half. The result was another wave of disappointment; not even a sliver of water sheen was exposed.

However, nearly half of the competing contestants seemed satisfied, suggesting that quite a few people possessed keen eyesight and recognized the poor potential of the stone.

Two more precise cuts were made, and this time the cutter finally showed a pleased expression, letting out a soft cry as the stone separated: "It's a win!"

Seeing this, immediate murmurs erupted from the crowd.

"It's a win, sure, but whether it covers the cost of the whole rough stone remains to be seen."

"Don't jump to conclusions yet, let's see the quality first!"

"I had valued this stone at zero yuan; I misjudged it."

"..."

After calculations, the cutter made two more incisions, finally revealing the full extent of the jadeite. The host announced, with a degree of disappointment audible through the microphone, that it was merely a thumb-sized piece of shallow blue ice-grade water, a modest increase in value.

He refrained from speculating on the final worth, and after the judges inspected it one by one, the piece of jadeite was set aside. It seemed they truly intended to deliberate on the value only after all four rough jadeite pieces were cut open.

After the other half of the stone was subjected to two more cuts, all possibility of finding jadeite was completely extinguished, and the entire G-Nai lot was finished. Lot Number Three was then brought onto the table.

"Wang Zhuo, what did you estimate for this piece?"

Luo Lan leaned close to Wang Zhuo and asked quietly; she seemed most intrigued by this third lot among the four rough stones.

"I estimated fifty cents," Wang Zhuo replied with a shrug and a smile. "Don't you think it looks exactly like a brick?"

Luo Lan was speechless at the answer—estimated at fifty cents just because it looked like a brick? If it looked like a missile, would that mean it should be cut up immediately?!

Most people were pessimistic about the performance of Lot Number Three. After deliberation, the judges made a bold decision: they would not window this stone; they would cleave it straight down the middle!

"I object!"

The gentleman who had written down an estimate of twenty thousand while being watched by Wang Zhuo immediately raised his hand in protest. "What if there was an egg-sized piece inside, and this single cut sliced it in half? Wouldn't that result in a complete failure?!"

Three other contestants immediately echoed his sentiment. Wang Zhuo recognized that all four of them had placed relatively high valuations on this stone. It seemed they realized the general skepticism surrounding the lot and wanted to try and salvage the situation through the cutting method.

Seeing the protest, the judges conferred for a minute, and then Jing Tianhui stepped forward to state, "If a stone is ruined due to an improper cutting technique, the judging panel will assign a value as if it had not been ruined. How does that sound?"

The proposal was swiftly passed unanimously. After the band played a brief piece to heighten the atmosphere, the cutter brought down the blade. The brick-like stone split into two!

It was indeed a brick. Even those contestants who had prayed fervently for it to win could not change that fact. One cut, two cuts, three cuts, four cuts... the brick became shattered fragments—this time, it wasn't even worth fifty cents; it was equivalent to a pile of waste rock.

The host improvised with a chuckle, "I don't think we even need an expert appraisal for this one; even I, with only half a clue, can tell—it's worthless."

Wang Zhuo mused to himself. Nine contestants had estimated Lot Number Three at zero yuan—including the two seed contestants Yu Yang and Ma Xin. The other seed contestant, Liu Jixiang, had estimated it at five hundred yuan. Setting aside Lot Number Four, whose value remained undetermined, he had now tied with nine others for a single point.

"Next up, please welcome the penultimate competition rough stone of the day!" The host’s voice was filled with excitement, accompanied by the band's grand drumrolls, as they introduced Lot Number Two—the best-performing and most anticipated stone among the four.

However, Wang Zhuo had already used his Clairvoyance to see that this stone, which exhibited both streaks (xuan) and mottled patches (song hua), was a sophisticated fake with a surface layer. The craftsmanship of the skin was incredibly skillful; without more cumbersome identification methods like water immersion, it could fool almost every stone gambler. While high-intensity flashlights and magnifying glasses were available at the competition, time was short, and contestants were unlikely to even consider the possibility of a fake surfacing in such a setting, leading to a relatively optimistic initial appraisal.

While the judges gathered around the stone to discuss the cutting location, Wang Zhuo asked Siyuan, "What do you think of this stone?"

"It looks very good," Siyuan replied casually. But immediately after answering, she let out an 'eeh' sound, then frowned slightly and added, "But I don't think it will rise much in value."

"Siyuan understands stone gambling too?" Luo Lan interjected with a smile. "Then tell us, why won't this stone appreciate much?"

Siyuan giggled, replying confidently, "Ai Yu Fang isn't some huge corporation. If this stone were truly as good as it appears, I doubt Ai Yu Fang would sponsor it for this event."

"Oh?!" Luo Lan was momentarily surprised, then smiled wryly and nodded. "I truly hadn't considered that angle. Siyuan, you are so sharp!"

This was praise aimed at Siyuan’s emotional intelligence rather than her intellect, as she had seen through the human motivation behind the stone, not the stone itself. Encouraged by the compliment, Siyuan felt both happy and a little smug, making her even more eager for the stone to fail spectacularly.

The first cut revealed some mottled white stone; joy for some, sorrow for others. As the second cut continued—not yet reaching the bottom—two contestants watching nearby simultaneously exclaimed, "Eeh!"

As soon as the sound of the electric saw stopped, one of them blurted out, "This stone is wrong!"

The other quickly affirmed, "Yes, Old Zheng, you hear it too? The sound of the saw blade clearly changed just now!"

Their shouts instantly drew everyone's attention. The cutter shook his head repeatedly, muttered, "This is going to be a big headache," then removed the blade and flipped the partially cut rough stone so the cut surface faced upwards.

Now everyone could see clearly: the exposed section revealed a slanted fracture. The color and texture on it were sharply delineated—a natural stone could never produce such an effect. This was a forged stone!

A massive uproar swept through the hall. Some were angry, some astonished, and others gloating. Many contestants and members began to question Ai Yu Fang, who had donated the stone, accusing them of provoking and disrespecting all participants and members by submitting such an item!

"Thieves! How could the people from Ai Yu Fang pull something like this!"

"Tricking us with a fake stone, Ai Yu Fang is too unethical! This is a blasphemy against Jiangzhou’s jadeite collecting circle!"

"I think the Ai Yu Fang people might not have known either; maybe they are victims too."

"This is a scam! I signed up for a stone gambling contest, not a CCTV antique appraisal show!"

"A bunch of idiots, the truth is out now, isn't it? Can’t even spot a fake stone, and they call themselves stone gambling masters!"

"Hahaha, I agree. Look at those loudest protesters; they definitely didn't spot that it was fake. How can you even compete if you can't tell real from fake? Isn't that ridiculous?"

"Everyone, quiet down, please quiet down!" The host repeatedly tried to restore order, but with little effect.

Out of necessity, Jia Weimin himself had to step forward. After temporarily silencing the rising discussions in the hall, he handed the microphone to Jing Tianhui.

"Everyone," Jing Tianhui stated with composure, "if you are going to blame someone, blame me, Jing, personally. This actually has nothing to do with Ai Yu Fang."

The hall fell silent, everyone awaiting his next words.

Jing Tianhui cleared his throat, a faint smile touching his lips, and continued, "This was actually one of the challenges our organizing committee specifically prepared for the contestants today, intended to increase the difficulty and enjoyment of the competition. It seems the difficulty has increased, but the enjoyment aspect may not have been achieved, leading to some unforeseen dissatisfaction."

"President Jing, since you are in the know, please explain to everyone how such a worthless stone can be auctioned or donated? Are you perhaps being a bit unscrupulous in doing this?!" a middle-aged man, who seemed to be at odds with Jing Tianhui, called out loudly.

"Yes, President Jing, we were genuinely interested in participating in the post-competition auction segment, hoping to contribute to charity through this opportunity. But this piece is too disappointing. Don't you owe us an explanation?" the boss of Zhou Fufu chimed in, pressing Jing Tianhui.

Wang Zhuo was never one to be easily subdued. Seeing an opening, he seized the opportunity to raise his voice slightly and laughed, "Actually, stones can still be auctioned. If Mr. Zhou is focused on making a donation, he could certainly perform a beautiful act of 'spending a thousand gold pieces to buy a fine horse's bones.'"

While this statement sounded like support for Jing Tianhui, everyone understood that Wang Zhuo was deliberately provoking him to make it difficult for Jing Tianhui to retreat gracefully. Imagine the Jiangzhou Jadeite Collectors Association's first stone gambling competition ending with the awkward spectacle of auctioning off a worthless stone—if this news got out, what would people think of Jing Tianhui, the originator?

Unexpectedly, the backlash was so strong that Jing Tianhui inwardly felt a pang of regret. An idea struck him; he raised both hands in a calming gesture and smiled. "How about this: I admit I considered this poorly. The auction for Lot Number Two will be canceled. I will personally pledge one hundred thousand. How does that sound?"

"That’s more like it," Siyuan whispered with a suppressed giggle. But then she heard Wang Zhuo respond first, speaking clearly and loudly: "President Jing, if you pledge personally, won't that dampen everyone's enthusiasm for the auction? I suggest the association auction off one of its collection pieces instead; that would have a much better effect!"

Those who had been protesting the loudest were already prepared to call it a win and back down; forcing Jing Tianhui to offer one hundred thousand had already secured them face. But Wang Zhuo’s sudden suggestion made those who understood the situation realize he was relentlessly pushing Jing Tianhui onto the hot seat!