Compared to Ning Yao, Ma Xin was slightly inferior, as Ning Yao's celebrity status and the aura forged under constant scrutiny were things most people simply couldn't cultivate.

However, in the present situation, her identity was that of a candidate champion in the stone gambling competition. If a woman achieved significant success in a particular field, even if her looks were merely average, she would still be categorized among beauties.

Examples of this were countless, such as world-class singer Britney, female tennis player Kournikova, mainland director Xu Jinglei, and American female politician Palin, among others.

When set against this backdrop, Ma Xin standing on the [Main] stage did not look inferior beside Ning Yao, whereas Siyuan was completely overshadowed, becoming the mere green foil to a bright flower.

The host first conducted a brief, impromptu interview with Ma Xin, revolving around her profession, her research into stone gambling, and how she managed such accurate valuations. This brief exchange, prompted by the high enthusiasm of the attendees, lasted only two minutes.

After inviting Ma Xin off the [Main] stage, the host loudly announced: "Next, only the answers of the final three contestants remain unrevealed! Please welcome the beautiful and radiant Miss Ning Yao to announce the answer of the third-to-last contestant!"

"Uh," Ning Yao addressed the microphone, smiling, "May I request a change in the reading order? The card in my hand holds significant potential for the championship; perhaps it should be saved for the grand finale."

This statement immediately caused a stir both on and off the stage. To everyone present, Ma Xin's victory seemed a foregone conclusion. After all, her estimated total price was only off by five thousand yuan, and she had correctly valued two rough stones, earning an additional two points. If the card in Ning Yao's hand truly held championship hopes, the estimated price would have to be an unbelievable figure exceeding fifteen thousand yuan!

Since Ning Yao had said as much, it was evident that the answer she hadn't revealed had already surpassed Ma Xin's in comparison. Everyone’s gaze shifted to the three contestants whose results were yet to be announced, eagerly anticipating who had hidden their strength to emerge victorious in this final showdown.

"Don't look at me, how could it be me!" one contestant, bombarded with questions, waved his hands repeatedly with a wry smile.

Another contestant displayed a look of deep surprise, stating, "My total estimate was twenty thousand. I thought I’d secure second place with a score of two points, but now I might end up tied for second."

Because a previous contestant had already guessed zero yuan for the number one rough stone, Ma Xin missed out on that specific point. She gained one point each for stones two and three. If winning the total price yielded five points, she was set to win by five points. This contestant, with a total estimate of twenty thousand, did not surpass Ma Xin's fifteen thousand, meaning he could only claim points for the two zero-yuan stones, leading him to believe he would land in second place.

Even if Ma Xin failed to secure the three points for the total price, she was guaranteed two points. Therefore, to surpass her, one would need an estimate closer to the total value of ten thousand yuan. If there truly was a contestant like Ning Yao suggested, Ma Xin would lose the three points and drop to only two; hence this contestant's comment about potentially tying with Ma Xin for second place.

With both these contestants admitting defeat, the focus of the entire hall immediately locked onto the only remaining participant: Wang Zhuo!

"Oh my, could it be this coincidental?"

"How is this fellow everywhere? Tonight is turning into his personal showcase!"

"Exactly. That button on Wang Zhuo's coat was just pointed out by Elder Yu, and now he’s poised to win the stone gambling championship too. His luck is unbelievable!"

"Luck? I think it’s skill. Can sheer luck allow someone to personally gamble out a supreme Emperor Green and a Jade Watermelon, and then take the championship?"

Amidst the murmuring speculation, the host on stage quickly composed himself and asked Wang Zhuo with a smile from a distance, "If I’m not mistaken, this is Mr. Wang Zhuo, the Chairman of the Shengshi Dynasty Group, correct? May I ask if the contestant card held by Miss Ning Yao belongs to you?"

Wang Zhuo nodded with a smile. Seeing his self-assured demeanor, everyone understood: the championship was slipping away from Ma Xin!

Jing Tianhui’s expression instantly darkened. For this elaborate setup—which included three seeded contestants, collusion with three of the five judges, and extensive work on the rough stones selected for the competition—to have ultimately ended up paving the way for someone else felt like an utter waste of effort!

He felt a sensation in his mouth as if he had swallowed a fly—more bitter than having ten pieces of Coptis root. He had intended to use this occasion to strike at Wang Zhuo, build up the atmosphere of the event, and generate buzz for the entire industry. But the result was the exact opposite: it had turned into a personal show staged entirely for Wang Zhuo!

Watching the invited media reporters diligently photographing the imminent champion, Jing Tianhui, usually robust, felt his vision begin to blur, startling him into rapidly holding his breath, forcing himself to detach from the unfolding events.

The host glanced toward Jing Tianhui, noticing the old gentleman appeared distinctly unwell, seated as if in deep meditation, showing no sign of issuing instructions.

Left with no choice, the host prioritized maintaining the lively atmosphere and fulfilling his duties. He smiled and announced, "Then, at Miss Ning Yao's request, we will temporarily hold Mr. Wang Zhuo's answer until last. Miss Siyuan, please continue by announcing the result for the other contestant." Siyuan announced the estimate of the contestant who had valued the total at twenty thousand yuan. This was initially a highly competitive result, but faced with the dark horses Ma Xin and Wang Zhuo, it was simply unfortunate. The host called for applause for this contestant, who, though defeated, retired with honor.

The second-to-last announced result earned one point on the number three brick. Judging by the contestant's happy expression, he valued this consolation point highly.

Finally, the moment of truth arrived!

Ning Yao held Wang Zhuo’s card steady with both hands and raised it toward the microphone aimed at her by the host, raising her voice slightly, and read aloud: "The final contestant, Wang Zhuo: rough stone number one bid, zero yuan; rough stone number two bid, zero yuan; rough stone number three bid, zero yuan!"

A perfect trifecta! She paused deliberately. A wave of thunderous applause immediately swept through the hall. Only those involved in orchestrating this banquet felt their faces turn ashen, remaining silent, while the fence-sitters and unaware private collectors were utterly stunned by Wang Zhuo’s almost divinely inspired valuations—so much so that they didn't realize their palms were stinging from clapping.

Her voice softening slightly, Ning Yao smiled and continued, "For the bid on the last rough stone, I think it would be best to let Mr. Wang Zhuo's little companion tonight, Miss Siyuan, announce it. I believe everyone can see she is the one watching Mr. Wang Zhuo's results most closely. Look, as soon as I finished speaking, she couldn't wait!"

An eager Siyuan exclaimed her thanks, taking the card from Ning Yao’s hands. After a quick glance, she erupted with joy: "The bid for rough stone number four is ten thousand yuan! Instructor Wang has won!"

A dense, grand drum roll immediately erupted like raindrops; the drum kit roared with the most exhilarating sound. The host took the card from Siyuan, confirmed the figures with a glance, and then, raising the microphone as if shouting, bellowed: "Congratulations to Mr. Wang Zhuo for sweeping all four individual categories and securing three points for the total bid! In this moment, he possesses the spirit of a God of Gamblers! In this moment, he is the champion of the first Jiangzhou City Jade Collection Association Stone Gambling Competition!"

Amidst the fervent atmosphere, Wang Zhuo stood and bowed deeply in all directions to show his thanks. On the [Main] stage, Siyuan’s excited eyes welled up with tears. At this moment, Wang Zhuo was the irreplaceable person in her heart, her one and only.

Sweeping all seven points, hitting all four targets perfectly, Wang Zhuo’s result shocked the assembly. Although everyone knew that stone gambling involved a huge degree of luck, Wang Zhuo’s capability was undeniable, and his luck was so astonishingly favorable that this championship was undeniably his!

On the judges' panel, Jia Weimin led the applause with a beaming smile, while Liu Yufeng also shook his head repeatedly with a grin, appearing envious of Wang Zhuo's supreme fortune. Jing Tianhui, however, maintained his meditative posture, eyes fixed on his nose, nose on his mouth, mouth on his heart, his face as pale as stark white linen.

The other two judges colluding with Jing Tianhui also wore disappointed expressions, clapping perfunctorily. The 'Hongmen Banquet' staged today had utterly failed by this point. They needed to start thinking about how to guide the media reporters to reframe the narrative of the coverage.

In the midst of the excitement, Wang Zhuo walked onto the [Main] stage, first shaking hands with the host, then with Ning Yao. After the handshake, he even received an unexpected, intimate hug from the superstar, leaving him somewhat flattered.

The elderly lady who had also read out results followed suit, shaking his hand and embracing him. This woman was old enough to be Wang Zhuo’s grandmother, yet her spirit was far from old; she took the opportunity to feel the breadth of Wang Zhuo’s chest.

When it came to Siyuan, she took the initiative to kiss him, planting a firm peck on Wang Zhuo’s cheek, which drew a burst of laughter.

Jing Tianhui, who had just managed to settle his slightly elevated blood pressure, snapped back to attention just in time to hear Wang Zhuo thanking the organizers, thanking President Jia Weimin, and thanking Vice President Jing Tianhui for his dedicated efforts in arranging this competition. Instantly, his vision went dark again, and he returned to his state of deep meditation.

In his current physical condition, the best choice would be to call an ambulance for a medical examination, IV drip, and hospitalization. However, he simply could not afford to lose face, so he chose to stubbornly remain at the judges' table, risking a cerebral hemorrhage.

"Mr. Wang Zhuo, how did you manage to guess every single rough stone correctly?!"

The host deliberately used three "hows" to emphasize his shock. Since this was not a segment intended for broadcast, he felt free to improvise.

"Actually, I learned from that gentleman," Wang Zhuo said, smiling as he pointed to a contestant in the audience. "His theory on using probability in stone gambling gave me significant inspiration. That’s why I wrote down zero yuan for every stone I wasn’t confident about. As everyone knows, nine out of ten gambles end in failure!"

The host made an exaggerated expression of speechlessness, looking toward the audience, where the crowd responded with a cacophony of opinions, causing a brief clamor in the hall.

"We're a bit short on time, so let's streamline the interview process," the host continued. "Final question: if those first three stones were pure guesses, then you also guessed the value of the fourth stone—ten thousand yuan—to the exact amount. Do you possess X-ray vision?!"

Wang Zhuo paused, then suddenly feigned a Stephen Chow-esque expression of astonishment: "No way, how did you know I have X-ray vision?"