Seeing the stone being cut, a portion of the crowd stayed, though some others left for different areas. Zhang Yang’s piece of black sandskin rough was unremarkable; the stone wasn't small, but its surface lacked distinct features and even bore some scale patterns.
For players, rough like this carried too much inherent risk; it was far too easy to end up with a loss.
There’s a saying in stone gambling: nine out of ten gambles result in a loss. However, this phrase doesn't apply to all rough stones, but specifically to the black sandskin—a simple adage that underscores just how volatile black sandskin truly is.
A black sandskin with no distinguishing marks and even bearing flaws made the chance of a positive yield even slimmer.
In truth, Qiu Jinghuan wasn't entirely confident either; he had only said that to give Zhang Yang some encouragement. He already knew this was Zhang Yang’s very first time playing the stone gambling game.
He felt a pang of regret for Zhang Yang, thinking that his debut should not have been with a high-risk stone like black sandskin; he should have chosen something else.
Every player visiting for the first time harbors high expectations, each hoping for an immediate win.
For such novices, dealers typically recommend rough stones with a higher probability of yielding something, though unlikely to yield a great treasure. A small win serves to encourage the new player; for many newcomers, just breaking even is a success.
Very few people are like Zhang Yang, who directly chooses the notoriously risky black sandskin.
Qiu Jinghuan couldn't quite understand the choice, but he kept these thoughts to himself. Though it was their first meeting, their conversation felt fated, and he wouldn't utter words intended to deflate Zhang Yang’s spirit.
“Jee-jee-jee!”
From the canvas bag, Wuying poked its head out again, extending a small paw to point at the rough stone positioned under the cutting machine.
Its demeanor seemed to declare, This is the good stuff I found.
“Little fellow, if there’s a real treasure inside, I’ll treat you to something great when we get back!”
Zhang Yang picked up the canvas bag and whispered softly to the contents. Wuying immediately hopped inside, chirping even more excitedly.
Seeing this interaction, Shandian seemed a little jealous. It leaped onto Zhang Yang’s shoulder, its tail constantly brushing against Zhang Yang’s neck, letting out a little ‘squeak.’
“Haha, you get a share too!”
Zhang Yang laughed heartily as Shandian tickled him. Qiu Jinghuan glanced at Shandian with a touch of surprise, while Huang Hai’s expression remained unchanged; he already knew Shandian was an incredibly intelligent pet.
There were still about a dozen people nearby. None of them were focused on the rough stone on the cutting machine; instead, their gazes were fixed on Shandian.
Shandian’s pristine, flawless appearance was undeniably captivating; anyone who saw it couldn't help but stare. For a moment, Shandian eclipsed the stone about to be cut, becoming the center of everyone’s attention.
“Brother Yang, shall we start?”
Qiu Jinghuan was ready and turned back specifically to ask Zhang Yang.
“Let’s start!” Zhang Yang nodded.
He didn't understand the cutting process; he relied entirely on the expertise of Qiu Jinghuan and Huang Hai. Having chosen them, Zhang Yang trusted their judgment implicitly.
“Zzzz-zzzz!”
The piercing sound of the stone cutter resumed. Shandian immediately burrowed back into Zhang Yang’s embrace, its ears drooping slightly.
The skin of Zhang Yang’s black sandskin rough was harder, making the sound even more grating. As the cutting began, the surrounding onlookers also turned toward the machine, murmuring amongst themselves.
Some speculated it would be nothing but a brick inside once opened.
Others guessed there might be jade, but of such poor quality—in terms of density and clarity—that it wouldn't even be worth processing.
No matter the guess, everyone agreed that Zhang Yang’s rough stone didn't look promising.
A few minutes later, Qiu Jinghuan finished this first cut. Zhang Yang’s stone was somewhat rounded, and since he opted for the edge where the skin was, the speed of this cut was quite fast.
“Whoosh!”
Huang Hai immediately splashed a basin of water onto the cut surface, washing it clean instantly.
The eyes of Qiu Jinghuan, Huang Hai, Boss Lu, and the surrounding onlookers all focused on the exposed surface.
“Black mist, it’s a loss!”
“I knew it! This stone was too risky, bound to fail!”
On the cut surface, both edges revealed traces of black mist. Unlike white mist, which is a good sign, black mist indicates very poor quality. Rough stones that display black mist usually mean failure.
When black mist appears on black sandskin, it’s essentially a death sentence for the stone.
Qiu Jinghuan looked up, meeting Zhang Yang’s eyes with a hint of embarrassment. He had just been silently praying that some jade would emerge, even if it wasn't fine quality—as long as it could fetch a few hundred or a thousand, Zhang Yang’s stone wouldn't lose money, and for Qiu Jinghuan, that would have been the best possible outcome.
“Brother Yang, it’s a loss!”
Though feeling uncomfortable, Qiu Jinghuan still had to state the reality, saying regretfully to Zhang Yang, “It’s a loss!”
“Zhang Yang, how about we select a few more stones? I can help you choose!”
Huang Hai chimed in. He knew Zhang Yang was new here and inexperienced in stone gambling; having the first stone bust could have a psychological impact.
This wasn't about the money, but about the feeling.
“Jee-jee-jee!”
Wuying chirped again from the canvas bag, poking its head out. Qiu Jinghuan hadn't noticed the little creature before, but now that he saw it, he looked utterly astonished.
He hadn't expected Zhang Yang to have two pets—a pet sable and a pet rat.
“It’s fine, let’s keep cutting!”
Zhang Yang seemed to sense Wuying’s meaning. He tucked it back into the bag before speaking to Qiu Jinghuan.
Wuying’s message was simple: everyone else was wrong; there was treasure inside, it just hadn't been revealed yet.
That was Zhang Yang’s interpretation, and at this moment, he had no choice but to cling to it, or this entire experiment would be deemed an early failure.
“Cut?” Qiu Jinghuan paused slightly, as did Huang Hai.
Before Qiu Jinghuan could respond, Boss Lu suddenly spoke up, “That piece is completely ruined; cutting it further is a waste of time. Tell you what, come with me, and back at the shop, I’ll give you another rough stone of equal value to cut instead!”
Boss Lu wasn't trying to be overly generous; he simply didn’t want Zhang Yang to waste any more of Huang Hai’s time.
He had also figured out that if Zhang Yang didn't leave, Huang Hai wouldn't leave either, and Boss Lu was counting on Huang Hai to inspect some of his more valuable rough stones to secure a bigger sale.
Zhang Yang’s stone wasn't expensive to begin with, so gifting him another one cost little. A few hundred yuan was negligible compared to a potential deal worth hundreds of thousands—Boss Lu calculated these numbers quite clearly.
Huang Hai’s expression darkened further; he was beginning to feel irked by Boss Lu’s attitude.
Who was Zhang Yang? He was his guest, his friend, whom he had just referred to as his brother.
Given Zhang Yang’s apparent wealth, why would he care about the outcome of an eight-hundred-yuan gamble? Zhang Yang hadn't blinked when purchasing a vehicle worth several million, and with modifications, taxes, and other fees, the total neared eight million.
If eight million was trivial, how could eight hundred matter?
Boss Lu’s words carried an undertone of looking down on them—and looking down on Zhang Yang meant looking down on him.
“Young man, keep cutting!”
Huang Hai ignored Boss Lu and instead instructed Qiu Jinghuan. If Zhang Yang wanted to cut, they would cut, regardless of the result; he wouldn't let Zhang Yang lose face.
As for Boss Lu, Huang Hai only associated with him because the shop carried more and better rough stones; there was no deep friendship between them.
Moreover, there were other stone gambling shops nearby. If Huang Hai decided to move, any other owner would personally come out to receive him.
In this era, it wasn't the age where a single rough stone fetched millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions. A deal in the hundreds of thousands was considered significant business now.
“Alright, we’ll keep cutting!” Qiu Jinghuan agreed, a smile still on his face.
He understood Boss Lu’s underlying motive. It sounded like concern for Zhang Yang by offering a free stone, but upon closer inspection, it was clearly patronizing, implying Zhang Yang couldn’t afford the loss.
He already had a poor impression of Boss Lu, and now he certainly wouldn't acquiesce to him.
This time, Qiu Jinghuan didn't bother drawing a line for Zhang Yang; he arbitrarily fixed the stone, placed it under the blade, and pressed the button. Internally, he felt this stone was not worth continuing to cut—it was a pure waste of time.
However, after Boss Lu’s interference, no matter how worthless the stone proved to be, he was determined to slice through it.
“Zzzz-zzzz!”
The sound of cutting resumed. Boss Lu’s face cycled through shades of green and white; he stood there utterly awkward.
The surrounding people knew him and understood that Huang Hai had just firmly rebuffed him. But being contradicted by one’s own customer made it hard for Boss Lu to argue back.
It was his own fault for being too eager and for showing such contempt. Most people present now realized he was desperately trying to close a deal quickly by sending Zhang Yang away.
Zhang Yang understood all of this even more clearly.
He lifted his gaze to glance coolly at Boss Lu, then gently shook his head.
Boss Lu had just earned himself a spot on Zhang Yang’s mental blacklist; regardless of any future business, he wanted no further entanglement with that man.
Still, he wouldn't seek petty revenge over such a small matter; his tolerance was not that narrow.
Clenching his jaw, the embarrassed Boss Lu stood his ground, unwilling to leave.
He said nothing more, just stared fixedly at Huang Hai. It had to be admitted, the man possessed a thick skin; for the sake of business, losing a little face was acceptable.
In truth, he already felt some regret for acting too hastily. If this incident caused him to lose a major client like Huang Hai, his loss would be substantial.
For the sake of business, he could only swallow his pride for now.
“Crack!”
Qiu Jinghuan’s second cut finally finished. It took slightly longer than the first, as he had chosen a slightly thicker section this time, mostly by chance.
Huang Hai went to clean the surface; the water was already prepared, and a full basin was dumped over it.
Only six or seven people remained in the vicinity. These onlookers assumed that after this second cut, Zhang Yang would finally cease his insistence on continuing, as two failed cuts in a row certainly meant the stone held no residual value.
They glanced absently at the cut surface, but after just one look, every single person froze in place, their eyes wide and round, as if they had seen a ghost.
Before them, Qiu Jinghuan and Huang Hai had already exhibited the same stunned disbelief, staring blankly at the surface, their faces etched with profound incredulity.