Lightning, mischievous as ever, hopped right onto the stone and stood there, deliberately yelping as if mocking Wuying’s clumsiness for not even being able to climb a simple rock.

Lightning chirped from above, and Wuying squeaked from below, drawing the attention of several people inside the shop toward them.

“You two, stop messing around and come with me!”

Zhang Yang sighed, shaking his head helplessly. He moved forward, scooped Lightning into his arms, then bent down to grab Wuying and promptly tucked him into the canvas bag.

Wuying’s loyalty level had surpassed sixty now, so there was no worry about him running off. Zhang Yang hadn't bothered to attach any tracking device to him.

Lightning’s loyalty was the highest, nearing eighty, and once it hit eighty, even if Zhang Yang faced danger, Lightning wouldn't leave—at the critical moment, he’d even be willing to sacrifice himself for his master.

“Jee-jee-jee!”

Wuying poked his head out of the canvas bag again, squeaking toward that particular stone. The moment Zhang Yang turned his back, Wuying stood right there again.

He looked down at Wuying, a hint of surprise lingering in his eyes.

If Wuying simply couldn't jump onto the stone, he certainly wouldn't be calling out like that after they walked away. Recalling how Wuying had actively run out earlier to position himself next to that specific stone, Zhang Yang’s heart rate suddenly accelerated.

Wuying was a Treasure-Seeking Rat. His greatest ability, his paramount talent, was locating treasures.

He could smell any treasure, no matter where it was hidden—even inside a rock.

Thinking this, Zhang Yang turned to look back at the stone as well. If his suspicions were correct, this stone must be problematic, otherwise Wuying wouldn't ignore everything else to focus solely on this one.

Zhang Yang then recalled Wuying’s posture just now. It wasn't that he was trying to climb onto the stone; it looked more like he was trying to hug it.

He wanted to carry the entire stone away, but unfortunately, he couldn't lift it.

“Hey, you! Come here for a second!”

Zhang Yang called out to one of the shop assistants. There were three people inside: two assistants and a cashier; the cashier was seated to the side, one assistant was outside, and one remained in the shop.

“Boss, what can I do for you?” The assistant, a young man, immediately hurried over, asking with a smile.

Zhang Yang got straight to the point: “How much are you selling the stones here for?”

Since this was the object Wuying had singled out, it likely held significant value. Zhang Yang felt it necessary to purchase it first. Even if it turned out to be nothing, it would serve as a test of Wuying’s treasure-seeking ability—Zhang Yang hadn't tested that capacity since Wuying pledged allegiance.

The young man smiled and replied, “We have various rough stones here, and the price differs for each type!”

Zhang Yang turned and pointed to the stone Wuying had been scrambling near earlier: “That one right there, how much?” The young man took a quick look and immediately stated, “That’s a rough stone with a Black Wusha skin. It costs eight hundred yuan here!”

“Fine, eight hundred, I’ll take it!”

Hearing the price, Zhang Yang didn't hesitate for a second and agreed immediately. He took money out of his canvas bag—a wad. He always carried tens of thousands in cash in his large canvas bag, which held more than a wallet ever could. This particular wad, however, was thinner, with only a few thousand left from a large stack Zhang Yang had spent previously.

He counted out eight hundred and handed it directly to the young man. The young man asked if Zhang Yang needed a receipt, and upon receiving a negative answer, he picked up the stone and handed it over.

This rough stone appeared slightly smaller than the one he bought at Huang Hai’s place, but it was surprisingly heavy, feeling much denser than an ordinary rock.

Holding the stone in one arm and Lightning in the other, Zhang Yang headed outside to find the others.

The yard outside was vast, with numerous temporary sheds erected.

Beneath the sheds were circles of people. Zhang Yang counted seven distinct rings of people, numbering several hundred in total. Some groups were large, some small, all clustered together, surrounding a machine in the center that Zhang Yang couldn't quite make out.

As he approached, Zhang Yang finally saw clearly: the crowd was gathered around a machine equipped with a large saw blade. Huang Hai was right there.

Beside one of the machines, Huang Hai was marking something on the stone he had just bought with a pen. Boss Lu was next to him, operating the machinery, engaged in some task Zhang Yang couldn’t identify.

There were people gathered near them too, but only about a dozen—fewer than in the other areas. This proximity was what allowed Zhang Yang to spot them instantly, saving him the trouble of calling to locate them.

“Boss Huang, I’m ready on my end. How about you?”

Boss Lu finished adjusting his setup and spoke to Huang Hai. As he turned, he happened to see Zhang Yang walking over and noticed the rough stone cradled in Zhang Yang’s arm. Seeing this particular stone made him pause momentarily, and after a closer inspection, he shook his head.

“I’m ready too. Let’s begin!”

Huang Hai set down the pen, walked over with his stone to Boss Lu’s side, and he too noticed Zhang Yang. He looked at the black rough stone in Zhang Yang’s hands and appeared even more surprised than Boss Lu.

“Black Wusha. Zhang Yang, why did you decide to buy one of these?”

“Oh, I saw you bought one, so I thought I’d follow suit. Isn’t stone gambling all about luck? Just testing mine!”

Zhang Yang smiled. If it weren't for Wuying, he wouldn't have taken this stone even if it were free. But since Huang Hai asked, he had to come up with a reason.

“Black Wusha is decent, but it’s too much of a gamble; it often turns out to be a total loss. Here, let me see your rough stone!” Huang Hai put down his own stone, clapped his hands, walked over to Zhang Yang, took the rough stone, and carefully examined it on the machine’s clamp.

After two glances, he suddenly shook his head.

“Zhang Yang, your Black Wusha looks promising, but it has black blight marks, which seriously impacts its potential. The chance of finding jade in material like this is quite low. How much did you pay for it?”

From Huang Hai’s professional perspective, Zhang Yang’s stone was decidedly ordinary. When he first started gambling on stones, he might have bought material like this to test his luck, but now, he held no interest in such stones.

Zhang Yang grinned and said, “Eight hundred yuan. Not expensive!”

Huang Hai nodded, “It’s not expensive; it’s fine to buy one to play with. This stuff really depends on luck. Even the worst rough material can yield glass-type jadeite, and the best ones can also end up as a loss!”

Huang Hai deeply understood the gamble involved in stone cutting; what he said was sincere.

After saying this, he handed the rough stone back to Zhang Yang and returned to the vicinity of the machine. Boss Lu didn't speak to Zhang Yang at all, even though he recognized the stone Zhang Yang carried out was one from his shop. His store had plenty of similar material, and besides, it was only worth a few hundred yuan—not important enough for the boss to pay attention to.

“Alright, let’s start!”

Walking back to the machine, Huang Hai carefully secured the rough stone he had purchased for twenty-six thousand yuan before pressing the saw blade button, letting it cut into the stone.

The machine emitted a harsh roar. Zhang Yang’s brow furrowed slightly, but he remained standing there, watching Huang Hai cut his stone.

The people nearby were also murmuring amongst themselves. Soon, a few more people approached, inquiring from those who had been there earlier. Through their conversations, Zhang Yang learned a bit more.

This large machine was called a stone-cutting machine, used specifically for slicing gamble stones. Everyone in this market was a stone gambler, and these players loved cutting their own stones or watching others do it.

Stone gambling possessed an unimaginable level of uncertainty; no one dared to draw a final conclusion until the very last moment—no one knew what the result would be. This inherent characteristic filled the process with excitement, which many people enjoyed the most.

Huang Hai was no exception. Though he appeared successful, his work pressure was immense. Five years prior, he encountered stone gambling by chance and became obsessed with the game ever since. To date, he had spent two to three million yuan on stone gambling. Having bought and cut so many, his skill level had improved considerably. His luck was decent; after losing a bit initially, he eventually cut out a fine high-ice-grade jadeite that sold for over a million, recouping all his previous losses and making a small profit. Since then, it had been a cycle of losses and gains, not making much money but not losing either. This outcome satisfied Huang Hai greatly. Many jade pieces he carried, and those carried by his family, were all made from raw material he had cut himself and then commissioned to be carved. Such jade artifacts held far more meaning than those bought ready-made.

“Zzzzzzz!”

The piercing sound of the cutting machine roared on. Zhang Yang dropped his rough stone near his feet, held Lightning close, and watched intently. He didn’t understand much about this process and was unsure how to proceed with the stone he had purchased. This was a good chance to observe and learn first.

Little Lightning, however, had its ears drooped, burrowing hard into Zhang Yang’s embrace. It seemed very bothered by the noise; if Zhang Yang weren’t there, it likely wouldn’t stay at all.

Time slowly passed. After a few minutes, Huang Hai’s saw blade finally sliced completely through the stone.

Boss Lu stood nearby, holding a basin of water. As soon as the cutting machine stopped, he hurried to separate the stone sections and rinse the cut surface.

“There’s fog, white fog—that’s a good sign, Boss Huang. The chances of your stone increasing in value are very high!”

Not getting green immediately disappointed Huang Hai slightly, but Boss Lu’s words reignited his spirit. Boss Lu was right; cutting through to white fog wasn’t considered a loss. White fog was already considered jadeite. Generally, if white fog appeared, jadeite would follow; the only uncertainty was the quality of the jadeite that would be revealed.

After this initial cut, the surrounding noise quieted down somewhat. Zhang Yang, unable to fully grasp the surrounding chatter, found someone close to his own age and asked directly. From this person, Zhang Yang finally understood the current situation. Hitting white fog meant a ‘win’—meaning Huang Hai hadn't lost money on this first cut, but the final outcome would only be clear after further cutting.

“Boss Huang, should we use the rubbing stone or cut further?”

Boss Lu smiled happily and asked Huang Hai again. Regardless of the outcome, this first cut was a success, a good start. If the jadeite inside also showed an increase in quality, it would greatly benefit his future business. He knew Huang Hai carried a lot of cash, and his current goal was to ensure Huang Hai spent all that money on his rough gambling stones.

He felt sluggish in the afternoon, which was frustrating; this chapter was written slowly, taking several hours to finish.