Boss Lu, standing behind him, was utterly dumbfounded, staring blankly at the newly exposed face of the jade, his expression a mixture of disbelief.

"Clang!"

The basin of water in Huang Hai’s hands slipped, crashing onto the ground with a sharp report.

It was an old-fashioned porcelain-enameled iron basin, sturdy and impossible to break from a drop—the kind rarely seen now, soon to be obsolete, replaced by lightweight plastic ones.

"Fu-fu-full green!"

It took Huang Hai a full minute before the words slowly escaped his lips.

Qiu Jinghuan, standing beside him, nodded instinctively. Full green—a streak of vibrant, complete green spread before them, covering the entire cut surface of the jade, breathtakingly beautiful.

"Glass-type!"

Boss Lu felt his throat constrict, dry and itchy. He managed to squeeze out those three words.

Unfortunately, his throat was dry, and the words emerged raspy and grating, an uncomfortable sound for anyone to hear.

The sound was unpleasant, but the meaning behind those three words was monumental.

Glass-type was the pinnacle of jade quality. In his previous life, Zhang Yang had owned a glass-type pale green Buddha pendant, which wasn't even fully green, and it was worth several million at the time.

That was just a pendant; what lay before them was a massive piece, far larger than that ornament.

Even with prices not yet reaching the astronomical heights of later years, this was an unprecedented treasure, a genuine marvel.

"Chirp chirp chirp!"

Wuying poked its head out again, chirping at Zhang Yang.

Its posture clearly demanded praise; it was the one that had guided Zhang Yang to this exceptional find.

But it wasn't wrong; without Wuying, Zhang Yang wouldn't have given this strange rock a second glance, much less bought it for cutting.

Similarly, if the cutter hadn't been him, and the first blade had revealed that black mist, the stone would likely have been tossed aside as worthless scrap. As for the fate of the hidden jade, no one could know.

It might have ended up as a paving stone, buried forever beneath the earth, waiting for an unknown era to see the light again.

"Glass-type! It’s actually glass-type!"

"Full green! And it's full green! Could this be Imperial Green?"

The six or seven onlookers nearby finally snapped out of their shock, shouting at the top of their lungs.

This market, while locally known in the southeastern provinces, was merely a small vegetable stall compared to the true jade gambling capitals of Myanmar and Yunnan.

Forget those places; even Pingzhou in Guangdong was far superior. The real high-stakes players went there.

Because of this, truly fine jade rarely surfaced here; even Ice-type was uncommon, and glass-type had only appeared twice—once the year before last, and again last year.

Those two instances had caused quite a stir locally, but both resulted in ordinary glass-type, with last year’s being colorless, leaving everyone deeply disappointed.

This piece, visible to any seasoned jade speculator, was the real deal: glass-type, full green—the absolute best variety of jade.

The shouts of the few quickly drew others over. Everyone arriving and seeing that cut surface immediately had their eyes lock onto it.

The latecomers started shouting too, screaming wildly. Seeing glass-type, seeing full green, they acted as if they had encountered an alien life form, barely restraining themselves from throwing themselves on the ground and rolling in hysterics.

"Glass-type! Truly glass-type! And a full-face display of glass-type!"

Huang Hai ignored the fallen basin and stepped closer, his fingers gently tracing the emerald brilliance on the cut face.

He had seen glass-type jade before; he even owned a piece himself, but never a full-green glass-type. And that piece he owned, he had paid a hefty price for.

Something bought and something cut yourself felt fundamentally different. At that moment, Huang Hai felt a surge of intense jealousy toward Qiu Jinghuan, regretting that he hadn't insisted on being the one to cut this rough stone for Zhang Yang.

If he had been the principal cutter, this glass-type would have emerged from his hands, carrying an extraordinary personal significance.

In all his years playing the jade game, he had never cut a single piece of glass-type jade, let alone one that was full-green glass-type.

"Yes, full-green glass-type. Is this Emerald Green or Imperial Green?"

Qiu Jinghuan leaned over as well, studying it closely. Hearing Huang Hai’s words, he nodded repeatedly, murmuring softly.

His comment made Huang Hai pause momentarily, and he quickly leaned in for a closer inspection.

Emerald Green and Imperial Green were both hallmarks of top-tier full green. The difference was that Imperial Green possessed a more perfect, purer color than Emerald Green, making Imperial Green the ultimate green, the sovereign of green jades.

Emerald Green was slightly subordinate to Imperial Green but still exceptional. In later years, even a poor-quality, low-transparency Emerald Green ring stone couldn't be acquired for less than six figures. Things weren't that extreme now, but it still denoted immense value.

"A pity, it’s Emerald Green!"

Huang Hai stared for a moment, then shook his head with profound regret.

In truth, Imperial Green was a type of Emerald Green, just the most perfect manifestation of it, the highest tier among all greens. Hence the name 'Imperial'—to denote its unique supremacy.

This jade hadn't quite reached the standard of Imperial Green, but even as Emerald Green, its value was considerable, not to mention... this was the finest glass-type, crystal-clear glass-type.

Raw material of this caliber was not just sought-after here, but everywhere jade was appreciated, nationwide and globally. Such material was always in demand but rarely available.

This reality would only become more pronounced in later eras.

"Let me see, let me see!"

Boss Lu shoved his way next to Huang Hai without hesitation, his eyes glazed over, a deep, unmistakable greed lurking in their depths.

He knew the value of glass-type Emerald Green intimately. To be blunt, if this cut yielded enough material, it could buy him several of his Ya Yu Zhai shops.

The total assets of Ya Yu Zhai amounted to barely two or three hundred [units], and that was after factoring in considerable bank debt.

"Little fellow, you’ve certainly got talent. You’ll get a reward when we get back!"

Zhang Yang smiled faintly, though he wasn't displaying the same frenzy as those around him.

Ultimately, he wasn't a true jade speculator; he only bought the stone because Wuying had shown interest in it, prompting him to cut it open for testing.

It was, after all, a trial run for Wuying's treasure-finding capabilities.

The result had not disappointed Zhang Yang. Glass-type Emerald Green jade was a superb treasure anywhere it was found. Wuying's ability had been thoroughly validated.

Knowing that it could discern the best jade hidden within stone gave Zhang Yang even greater confidence in it.

While everyone else was beside themselves over the glass-type Emerald Green, Zhang Yang was already thinking about venturing deep into the mountains someday to search for true natural treasures.

To Zhang Yang, no matter how beautiful the jade, it held less allure than the genuine treasures hidden in the mountains.

Those items were what truly mattered; only in his hands could they realize their most significant potential.

"It really is glass-type!"

"Glass-type Emerald Green! We’ve struck it rich! This is the biggest haul this place has seen in years!"

"A black sand-skin that yielded glass-type Emerald Green—how bizarre! Do you know this rough stone was bought for a few hundred yuan?!"

In this short span, over two hundred people had gathered, surpassing the peak crowd around Huang Hai’s earlier cuts.

People from the other cutting stations were now streaming toward them. A glass-type find was enough to attract attention; a top-tier find like glass-type Emerald Green was an irresistible spectacle.

"That guy has incredible luck!"

"Indeed! How much money is this amazing jade worth?"

"I saw that rough stone; it belonged to Ya Yu Zhai. Why didn't I think of buying it earlier?!"

The newcomers were also shouting, and soon the area was packed tight with five or six hundred people. Many standing on the perimeter couldn't see inside, and the shorter people were frantically shouting in agitation.

At this moment, the majority of people in these yards had converged here.

Only a sparse dozen remained at the other cutting machines. However, even these few couldn't remain seated. Even those currently cutting had stopped their work and rushed over, their faces drawn with anxiety. Those whose stones were half-cut could only stand there glumly, hoping their cutting finished quickly so they could join the spectacle. Their focus on cutting their own rough stones had vanished.

Besides them, people inspecting stones inside the shops were also pouring out.

Normally, even a high-quality, deep-green jade would capture significant attention; now, with glass-type Emerald Green revealed, one could imagine their speed.

Many people in this crowd had never even seen glass-type jade in their entire lives.

The entire market, totaling perhaps a thousand people, had nearly nine hundred clustered around Zhang Yang’s group. Only those genuinely unable to leave their posts hadn't come, such as cashiers in various shops who could only stand anxiously at the doorways, hoping someone would bring them news.

Many who arrived later were blocked from seeing the scene. Under necessity, some people even ran off to find tables and chairs to stack up, using them as makeshift perches to peer over the crowd.

"Mr. Z-Zhang, I’m willing to buy this rough stone from you. How about... fifty thousand? I can pay you immediately!"

Boss Lu finally straightened up, trembling slightly, having managed to recall Zhang Yang's name.

Fifty thousand was quite a sum, he prayed the young man would agree quickly so he could secure the rough stone first.

"You’ve only made one cut; we don't know how much jade is inside. If I give you fifty thousand, I take on the risk for whatever is beneath!"

Seeing Zhang Yang remain silent, he quickly added the second clause, deliberately trying to suppress his racing heart, though the flashes of avarice in his eyes betrayed his true intentions.

"Despicable!"

"Shameless!"

Quiet murmurs of condemnation immediately rose from the surrounding crowd. While fifty thousand might be a good price for other roughs, for glass-type Emerald Green, it was far, far too little.

I’ve been busy writing the chapters recently and have neglected to thank all the friends who have offered rewards. I owe many of you a proper acknowledgment for your recent contributions. A special thanks to Alliance Leader Xiao Kou Dai, Alliance Leader Yan Hui Man for the red-envelope notifications, and Alliance Leader Wu Ai Tang for multiple generous monthly ticket rewards of 10,000 Qidian coins. Your support during my most challenging times has truly moved me.