Many people had already figured it out—Boss Lu was clearly trying to take advantage of the fact that the others didn't understand the situation. While the rough stone had just been cut open and before anyone could fully grasp what they were looking at, he offered a low price.

If Zhang Yang agreed, Boss Lu would immediately produce the money for a clean transaction, and by then, even if Zhang Yang regretted it, it would be too late. The gambling stone market was like this; it wasn't fully standardized, and besides, this was a semi-gambling rough, which inherently carried a degree of risk.

That was why so many people were cursing Boss Lu under their breath. "Five hundred thousand, Boss Lu, you're truly generous!" A cold voice suddenly rang out.

Boss Lu, already feeling guilty, immediately turned around, but as soon as he did, he froze. The speaker was Huang Hai, who was staring at him with an expression of extreme annoyance.

Zhang Yang was someone he had brought, his brother, and this man was trying to cheat Zhang Yang right in front of him. This incident had completely angered him.

"Haha, that's right, Old Lu is being completely dishonest. Young man, I'll offer five million for your stone!" From the back of the crowd, a loud voice suddenly boomed, causing many people to turn their heads.

Upon seeing who made the bid, everyone nodded without saying a word. Boss Lu also noticed the person at the back; it was impossible not to notice him.

He couldn't get through the crowd, but he was standing on a table behind them, with an extra chair placed on the table, and he was standing right there. His position was too high; he could see everyone, and everyone could see him just as clearly.

"Young Master Shi, it's Young Master Shi!" Many people murmured softly. The muscles in Boss Lu's face twitched continuously, and his expression grew even uglier.

After a moment, he slowly lowered his head. He knew his grand scheme had completely fallen apart; the jade from this rough stone would never belong to him.

However, the thought of the jade's value felt like a knife twisting in his heart. This was a rough stone that had come from his own shop; if he had known his shop held such a treasure, he would have cut it open long ago.

It was a pity there was no regret medicine in this world, and he could only complain to himself about the unfairness of fate. "Everyone, please make way, let me pass through!" Young Master Shi stepped down from the table.

The crowd in front naturally parted to create a path. This alone showed the authority Young Master Shi held here.

Through the cleared passage, Young Master Shi slowly walked to the innermost area, followed by a young man. Young Master Shi appeared to be in his early thirties, standing about 1.75 meters tall, wearing a blue plaid shirt.

From his outward appearance, he didn't seem particularly remarkable. Upon entering, he first cast a contemptuous glance at Boss Lu before walking over to the stone-cutting machine.

When he saw the rough stone, already split in two on the machine, his eyes immediately lit up. He hurried over, gazing at the rough as if admiring an unparalleled beauty.

Huang Hai and Zhang Yang both glanced at Qiu Jinghuan. Huang Hai enjoyed gambling on stones, but he wasn't a regular here; he visited perhaps only a few times a year.

Occasionally, he would go to other major stone-gambling hotspots. In truth, he was the type of person who could control his desires, unlike Qiu Jinghuan, who would stay immersed here whenever he had time, buying stones if he had money, and just watching others cut them if he didn't.

Huang Hai didn't know much about this Young Master Shi, having never seen him before, which was why he looked towards Qiu Jinghuan. He knew that despite his youth, Qiu Jinghuan was an old hand in this place.

As for Zhang Yang, someone Huang Hai didn't even know, he certainly wouldn't know him. Being looked at by the two of them made Qiu Jinghuan a little uncomfortable.

He glanced again at Young Master Shi, who was meticulously admiring the jade, and then pulled the two men slightly aside. "I don't know Young Master Shi's exact status, but I only know he is incredibly wealthy and loves gambling on stones.

He is the highest-spending client in all the major shops here. Some say he has spent at least ten million here; several stone-gambling shops rely on him to sustain their business!" Qiu Jinghuan spoke very softly.

Young Master Shi was the most famous and largest client here, whom all the shop owners fawned over. Several establishments even catered exclusively to Young Master Shi, sustained by him alone.

Anyone who frequented this place knew the influence Young Master Shi wielded; if he made a statement, no one dared to argue. Moreover, if he showed disapproval, even those shop owners could face trouble.

Rumor had it that Young Master Shi had extremely strong connections, influential in both the legitimate and shadowy worlds—there was nothing he couldn't accomplish. After listening to Qiu Jinghuan's introduction, Zhang Yang and Huang Hai immediately understood.

This Young Master Shi was also a young master, but from Shanghai. Based on what Qiu Jinghuan said, he should be on the same level as Long Cheng or Shi Feng—figures of immense influence.

However, Shi Feng should probably be discounted now; Zhang Yang had ruined his reputation, confined him to his home, and he shouldn't expect to ever come out again. "Good, very good!" After observing for a full few minutes, Young Master Shi finally looked up, repeatedly exclaiming his praise.

He looked up directly at Zhang Yang. "My friend, I wasn't joking earlier.

Five million. If you agree, I will have the bank transfer it immediately.

This semi-gambling rough belongs to me. How about it?" Young Master Shi spoke slowly.

In this era, casually offering five million to acquire a rough stone was a grand gesture, showing great courage. Of course, such a stone, in later years, would be valued in the hundreds of millions, making a million seem like pocket change.

The surrounding people quickly started to murmur. For many among them, five million was wealth they had never seen in their lifetimes.

They looked at Zhang Yang with envy or jealousy. This kid's luck was incredible; a discarded rough, cut poorly, had yielded such an unbelievable surge in value.

This wasn't just a minor surge; it was a genuine, super-huge windfall. Five million—many were contemplating how they would spend the money if they had it.

Huang Hai frowned. He glanced at Zhang Yang, opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately said nothing.

He actually wanted to buy the rough himself. He had never owned imperial green jadeite of glass quality, and he could use a portion of the resulting jade as a birthday gift for his teacher, keeping the rest for his own collection.

He believed his teacher would certainly appreciate such a gift. "Brother Yang, five million is not a small sum.

You only made one cut, and there's still that black mist. Young Master Shi is offering a fair price; sell it!" Qiu Jinghuan quietly tugged at Zhang Yang, speaking softly.

He genuinely had Zhang Yang's best interests at heart. The value of this rough stone was indeed high, but it wasn't without flaws; the black mist alone was worrying.

Under normal circumstances, four million for this rough would already be a high threshold. Young Master Shi offering five million truly showed great sincerity.

Of course, Boss Lu's offer of five hundred thousand was pure deception; offering half a million for a rough worth millions—he actually had the nerve to say that in front of so many people earlier. "No need.

I don't care about that bit of money. This luck came from your cutting, Jinghuan.

Finish cutting it, and then we'll talk!" Zhang Yang smiled and shook his head, leaving Qiu Jinghuan momentarily stunned. After speaking to him, Zhang Yang turned back to Young Master Shi with a light chuckle, "No rush.

Let's wait until we finish cutting; I also want to see exactly how large the jade inside is!" "Good, you have spirit. I will wait until you finish cutting," Young Master Shi studied Zhang Yang carefully for a moment, then nodded.

Qiu Jinghuan was still lost in thought. Zhang Yang's words suddenly made him remember: this imperial green jadeite of glass quality was cut by his own hands.

Even if the rough stone wasn't his, he was the one who wielded the blade. Those who play with gambling stones are very superstitious; they attach great importance to every factor, such as the time, the direction, and even the cutting machine.

The person doing the cutting is even more crucial. Often, when someone achieves a huge gain, many people will ask them to cut on their behalf, hoping to borrow their good luck.

If a big gain results, the cutter will be praised; if it turns out to be a bust, the stone's owner just accepts the bad luck. It was easy to imagine that after cutting out glass quality imperial green jadeite today, countless people would ask him to help cut their stones later.

Although helping to cut stones now doesn't usually involve payment—at most, accepting small gifts or a meal—it is still a rare honor. Furthermore, Qiu Jinghuan noticed something else Zhang Yang had said.

Zhang Yang said he didn't care about that amount of money. This was a full five million, yet in Zhang Yang's mouth, it became "that bit of money," and he claimed not to care.

How much money did Zhang Yang himself have? Tens of millions, or hundreds of millions?

Qiu Jinghuan dared not think further; it was beyond his comprehension. He hadn't expected that the young man with whom he had been chatting so congenially would also be a wealthy young master.

"Jinghuan, why aren't you going yet?" Zhang Yang gently patted Qiu Jinghuan's shoulder, finally snapping him back to attention. After giving Zhang Yang a complicated look, he immediately walked to the cutting machine, preparing to fully slice open the rough stone.

Many people watched him with envy. To personally cut out glass quality imperial green jadeite was a tremendous honor.

Never mind the others; even Huang Hai and Young Master Shi were quite envious. After carefully observing the two halves of the rough, this time Qiu Jinghuan dared not make decisions on his own.

He looked at the two pieces with some regret. His single cut had split the jade into two halves.

Looking at the two pieces, he was certain his cut had affected the jade's value. If he had analyzed the situation properly or been more cautious with his blade then, this waste could have been avoided.

Unfortunately, saying these things now was useless. He could only proceed with extra care now.

Qiu Jinghuan did not act independently this time; instead, he began to consult seriously with Huang Hai and Young Master Shi. Both were seasoned stone-gambling players and had extensive experience in how to cut stones.

The three of them discussed the procedures while Zhang Yang just watched from the side, not interjecting a single word. He couldn't interject anyway, as he didn't understand the technicalities; it was better to leave the handling to these experts.

They conferred for a solid ten minutes before Qiu Jinghuan resumed cutting. Huang Hai and Young Master Shi had wanted to take over several times, but neither felt comfortable making the request.

After all, Zhang Yang had designated him. Moreover, since he had achieved a gain, carrying that luck, changing the cutter might lead to a bust, which would be awkward to explain.

Changing the cutter altering the outcome of the jade—it sounded ridiculous, yet it was something many people in the stone-gambling circle deeply believed. The cutting resumed, and everyone focused on the process.

To Zhang Yang's surprise, Boss Lu hadn't left but was shamelessly lingering nearby. Fourth update