There are several provinces in the southeast, and while the market here may not look like much on the surface, its fame must stem from something unique.

Zhang Yang nodded silently, acknowledging the point.

But it was only acknowledgment. While he had a great interest in antiques, he knew very little about gambling on uncut jade stones. In his previous life, some of his patients had shared techniques with him, but alas, those memories were lost somewhere in the recesses of his mind.

All he truly knew was jade itself; he was quite clear on the classifications like glass-type, ice-type, and hibiscus-type.

In his past life, he once owned a beautiful glass-type Guanyin pendant, which fetched a high price, though it lacked full color—a complete coloration would have made its value even higher.

Seeing Zhang Yang’s placid reaction, Boss Lu lost any interest in further introduction. Lu was convinced Zhang Yang simply didn't understand.

Huang Hai turned his head back, continuing to observe the rough gambling stone he had selected with keen interest.

Zhang Yang didn't leave either; he watched quietly. Though he was ignorant of the practice, curiosity was universal, and he wanted to see how Huang Hai played this game of stone gambling.

Huang Hai’s stone was irregularly shaped, about the size of a basketball, but not nearly as round.

The surface of the stone had tiny granules scattered across it, and many areas bore a yellowish-black hue. To Zhang Yang’s eyes, the stone looked entirely unremarkable.

Normally, he wouldn't even spare a glance for a stone like this; it seemed too common.

“Boss Huang, you have excellent taste. This piece with a water-turned sand skin is the finest among our sandy-skinned roughs. Look how evenly the sand grains are turned—much better than other materials!”

Boss Lu ignored Zhang Yang and began introducing the stone to Huang Hai again.

Zhang ** didn't understand a word he said, but as long as Huang Hai did, that was enough.

Water-turned sand skin is a type of rind presentation found in rough gambling stones, belonging to the sandy skin category. Besides sandy skins, there are fine skins, coarse skins, and other roughs in stone gambling, each with its merits and flaws.

The better the stone’s rind, the higher the probability of yielding jade—this is basic common knowledge.

Of course, it’s not an absolute certainty, otherwise, it wouldn’t be called stone gambling; the element of chance remains significant.

The water-turned sand skin rough is actually not considered the best among the sandy skins. The most renowned sandy skins are the white salt sand and yellow salt sand types; these roughs have a higher chance of producing high-quality jade or high-grade material.

However, such roughs are generally very expensive, and the risk of a "gamble cross" (a loss) is also considerable, meaning few people with true boldness venture to play them.

Since the water-turned sand skin cannot compare to those two categories, its value is correspondingly lower. Although Huang Hai enjoys stone gambling and is a seasoned player, his tendency toward risk isn't high; he maintains strong self-control.

He wouldn’t spend too much money on this; moderation was key. He wasn't looking to make a profit from it—it was merely a hobby.

In that case, this water-turned sand skin rough was perfectly suited for him. Not to mention, the sand grains on this piece were indeed turned exceptionally well—neat and uniform.

“How much for this rough?”

Huang Hai finally spoke, his first words being an inquiry about the price.

This indicated that the rough stone before him had indeed attracted his attention, piquing his interest enough to consider purchasing it.

“Not expensive, this one is only twenty-eight thousand. If you, Boss Huang, take it, twenty-six thousand will do!”

Twenty-six thousand, for just a stone. If this were said aloud, many would disbelieve it. In this era, there weren't as many people knowledgeable about stone gambling as in later generations, nor was the frenzy as intense.

Twenty-six thousand was indeed a significant sum.

But this was the present. In the later era that Zhang Yang was supposed to experience in the plane crash, a rough like this wouldn't be acquired for less than several hundred thousand—a markup of nearly ten times.

The other customers in the shop also looked up at the mention of the price.

Twenty-six thousand was not a low price for them either. Most of the stones they were looking at were ordinary roughs costing tens or hundreds of yuan. These pieces might yield jade, but the probability was low, and the chance of producing high-quality jade was extremely small.

After lowering his head in silence for a moment, Huang Hai nodded and murmured, “Twenty-six thousand. That seems reasonable!”

Boss Lu asked again, “Would you like to take it now and have an auspicious start?”

“No rush yet, let me look around a bit more!”

Huang Hai shook his head. He didn't buy the stone immediately based on Boss Lu’s suggestion; he was a cautious man.

Frankly, he was Boss Lu’s customer, and Lu would naturally only tell him good things, eager to close the deal and earn his money quickly.

He could let Lu make this money, but he couldn't do it blindly. He himself understood a fair bit about stone gambling, so there was no harm in taking a good look before deciding.

“No problem, Boss Huang, please take your time. I’ll have someone prepare some tea!”

Boss Lu grinned, inwardly cursing the sales clerk who had been hovering nearby earlier.

This place was also Yayu Zhai, one of his establishments. The clerk in question was a young man who had recently started, specially hired from Yunnan province.

The reason for hiring him was his extensive knowledge of stone gambling. Many customers now were still beginners needing guidance from an expert, which is why he was brought in.

Unfortunately, the young man’s biggest flaw was his lack of situational awareness. Any other clerk, seeing the boss bring in a major client, would have already gone to brew tea without being asked.

Feeling a bit dissatisfied, Lu couldn't simply dismiss the employee, so he went to give the instruction himself.

After relaying his order to the clerk, Boss Lu suddenly noticed that the clerk’s attire somewhat resembled Zhang Yang’s.

It wasn't identical, but the material looked similar—both appeared to be cheap, street-stall quality items.

This discovery made him shake his head slightly, further diminishing his regard for Zhang Yang. He couldn't fathom why a prominent figure like Huang Hai would show special consideration toward such an ordinary young man.

Soon, the tea arrived. Zhang Yang accepted the cup without ceremony and took a small sip.

Because a major client was present, the tea served was of the highest grade. However, to Zhang Yang, it was merely adequate. He didn’t particularly enjoy tea, but having sampled many fine brews, he had developed a discerning palate.

His former patients always served him the best teas, which were certainly superior to what was offered now.

“Boss Lu, I’ll take this one. Let’s cut it open right now!”

Huang Hai hadn’t bothered drinking his tea. He suddenly put away the small flashlight he was holding and addressed Boss Lu.

After observing for a while, he had seen enough. There were minor flaws, but they weren't significant. The price of twenty-six thousand was also suitable for him; his goal for the day was to have a good session of gambling.

He would buy one first to see if he could achieve a winning start.

“No problem! We’ll cut it immediately. Whatever Boss Huang chooses is guaranteed to bring great fortune, huge gains!”

Boss Lu laughed heartily, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The business was done, and he was naturally delighted. Selling it for twenty-six thousand still meant a profit for him. No one objects to making money; earning money always puts one in a good mood.

The clerk approached and helped Huang Hai cradle the rough stone.

Huang Hai, meanwhile, opened the bag he had brought. Zhang Yang then noticed that the black bag contained a substantial amount of cash—a quick glance suggested no less than five or six hundred thousand yuan. No wonder the bag had some weight.

The currency notes were the older bills featuring four heads, heavier than the red bills of the later era.

Selecting twenty-six thousand from a stack, Huang Hai casually handed it to Boss Lu.

Boss Lu also saw the contents of Huang Hai’s bag, and the smile on his face widened. He had some understanding of Huang Hai; Huang Hai was a steady person who always acted with measure.

Since he brought so much money, it proved he intended to gamble with it. Several hundred thousand was a significant venture for him. If this transaction went well, it would exceed his earnings from several months of regular business.

In fact, Huang Hai had planned to play a few more rounds this time. Usually, he brought at most a little over a hundred thousand, and he didn't always spend it all. This place didn't accept checks, nor were there POS machines for card usage; transactions were typically in cash. For this reason, he had specifically prepared eighty thousand in cash.

Cash transactions offered a different kind of feeling.

The reason for bringing so much money was that a teacher whom he deeply respected was approaching his birthday. This teacher also happened to like jade and emeralds.

This teacher was immensely important to him; one could say that without this teacher, he wouldn't be where he was today. He wished to prepare a superb piece of jade artistry as a gift for his teacher.

He enjoyed stone gambling and understood a little of it. While his previous ventures hadn't yielded profit, he hadn't lost much either. This time, he thought he would take the plunge himself: gamble on the rough material, then commission someone to carve it into a gift.

The greatest advantage of doing this was that he could dictate the exact style of jade artifact he wished to present.

After paying, the rough stone officially belonged to Huang Hai. Large transactions here usually required a contract, but since Huang Hai was a regular customer and the transaction amount wasn't exceptionally large this time, he spared them the formality.

Contracts were usually for unfamiliar clients whom the vendor couldn't trust.

Generally, the rule was money exchanged for goods; once paid for, the stone could be taken away. Regardless of the outcome after cutting, the merchant bore no further responsibility.

The clerk carried the stone forward, with Huang Hai following closely. Boss Lu also trailed behind them.

Zhang Yang walked at the rear. Before he even stepped out, Wuying, residing in his canvas bag, suddenly poked its head out, its little nose sniffing the air constantly.

After a few sniffs, it darted out and jumped off Zhang Yang’s body.

As soon as it ran off, Lightning bolted after it. Zhang Yang sighed helplessly and had to call out to stop the pair.

The simultaneous appearance of Lightning and Wuying also surprised some others in the shop. While pet ownership was common, keeping a pet ferret and a pet rat was not, drawing a few extra glances toward Zhang Yang.

Wuying scurried to a corner where a large pile of rough gambling stone blocks lay stacked.

Wuying stopped before one particular stone, sniffed it vigorously again, and finally lay down on top of it.

Unfortunately, the stone was too large, and the creature was too small—they were completely disproportionate. Wuying looked as if it wanted to climb onto the stone but couldn't manage to scramble up.

Yesterday's minimum required chapter: second chapter, backlog cleared. Today’s guaranteed update follows!