Young Master Shi stepped forward to assist, leaving Zhang Yang to the side, effectively removing him from the main action. He couldn't cut the stone anyway, so helping would only be counterproductive; it was better for him to watch. Everyone watched intently as Qiu Jinghuan secured the rough stone, while Zhang Yang alone leisurely stroked Lightning's fur.

The grating, ear-piercing sound of the cutting wheel quickly resumed.

Little Lightning could no longer tolerate it. It leaped directly from Zhang Yang’s arms, darted over everyone's heads, and flew out to play in a deserted spot nearby.

The crowd only registered a white shadow shooting overhead. By the time they looked up clearly, Lightning had vanished without a trace.

After it ran off, Wuying also tumbled out of the canvas bag and immediately burrowed out of the ground. The crowd was packed so tightly there wasn't a gap to be seen, but there was space beneath their feet. In just a few movements, it slipped out underneath and joined Lightning nearby.

Zhang Yang noticed the two little creatures were in an unpopulated area and relaxed.

It was fine to let them play for a while; with their capabilities, as long as no one was pointing a gun at them, they would be safe.

Their speed was far greater than that of ordinary people.

Everyone's attention was focused on the cutting happening at the front. The surrounding cutting stations were now completely empty.

Furthermore, quite a few people were rushing over from outside, drawn by the news. Unearthing a piece of glass-type emerald is no small matter; everyone wanted a look.

These were the first to arrive, and some were still sprinting over. Those further away were nearly frantic with anxiety.

"Swish!"

Qiu Jinghuan finished this cut swiftly. After washing the exposed surface, the three of them let out a sigh of relief.

The result of this cut was excellent. Jade was still revealed underneath, and very little material was wasted. This confirmed that the strategy the three had discussed earlier was correct. Not only was Qiu Jinghuan happy, but Huang Hai and Young Master Shi also wore smiles.

This piece of jade had been brought out by the combined efforts of the three of them; they all deserved credit.

With the success of this cut as experience, the subsequent steps became easier and quicker. A few minutes later, Qiu Jinghuan set up the grinding wheel and began the polishing process.

The choice to polish rather than continue cutting was made to ensure stability.

This method allowed them to better preserve the jade within. This was an exceedingly rare, top-grade glass-type emerald. Any waste, no matter how small, would be agonizing for everyone present.

Time slowly passed, and the crowd of onlookers grew steadily, now exceeding a thousand people. A ring of tables had been set up on the outside, and every table was occupied.

Some clever individuals had even brought cameras and were filming non-stop; every moment now was highly memorable.

"Done!"

After more than half an hour, Qiu Jinghuan let out a heavy sigh of relief, looking joyfully at the two crystalline, fully green pieces of jade by his side—one large and one small, resulting from his single cut.

That cut had divided the original jade into two pieces.

The smaller piece couldn't yield any bangles and would only be suitable for smaller items like pendants or ring faces. Even as scattered pieces, jade of the glass-type emerald grade held considerable value.

The larger piece was substantial; the main body was intact and could yield at least three or four sets of bangles, with enough remaining material to create a multitude of other ornaments if utilized skillfully.

Gazing at these two pieces of jade, everyone present felt a burning heat in their eyes.

Some people’s eyes were literally as green as the jade, wishing they could swallow it whole—Boss Lu, standing at the innermost edge, looked exactly like that.

"Ahem!"

Huang Hai suddenly coughed lightly, immediately turning to Zhang Yang and saying, "These two pieces of jade, I’ll give you twenty million for them. How about you transfer them to me?"

After speaking, Huang Hai stared intently at Zhang Yang.

The jade market wasn't booming currently, but top-grade jade like glass-type emerald still commanded high prices. For a raw material of this size, twenty million wasn't excessively high or low.

Zhang Yang was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected Huang Hai to be the first to try and purchase the jade from him, nor had he expected Huang Hai to offer twenty million.

Based on Zhang Yang’s understanding, Huang Hai’s net worth was likely over a hundred million, but much of that was in equity; his liquid cash wouldn't exceed twenty million. If he offered twenty million, he would certainly have to borrow money.

"No way, absolutely not! Brother, you aren't being fair. I spotted this first, and they already said they'd discuss the price with me after the cutting was finished!"

Before Zhang Yang could speak, Young Master Shi vehemently shook his head.

Looking at Zhang Yang, Young Master Shi continued, "Twenty-two million. Brother, I'll give you twenty-two million for both pieces!"

With twenty-two million, he had instantly added two million, which made even Huang Hai momentarily stunned.

Zhang Yang’s guess was correct; Huang Hai didn't have twenty million in cash, but he could borrow some from Long Cheng and Wang Chen, paying them back later. The allure of this jade was too great; he would rather sell his car than miss out on buying it.

Gritting his teeth, Huang Hai spoke again, "Brother Shi, I apologize, but I am extremely fond of this. Zhang Yang, twenty-three million—I'll add another million. We are good brothers, close friends; you absolutely must give this jade to me!"

He decided he would sell the Hummer he had just bought. Although he would lose some money on it, he could recover a portion of the capital. Moreover, he would sell off some other assets upon returning. Twenty-three million could be scraped together. If he truly couldn't borrow the money, he could mortgage his house. As long as he remained the general manager and kept his equity, this money could eventually be repaid. The money could be repaid, but if he missed this jade, it might be lost forever.

"Twenty-four million! I bid twenty-four million!" Young Master Shi shouted again, his voice tight this time as well.

He was certainly wealthy—he had spent over ten million gambling on stones here—but that was accumulated over several years, and he hadn't wasted it; he possessed many good raw materials, including a colorless glass-type piece that fell into his hands last year. To pull out over twenty million instantly put him under significant strain. This wasn't the future era where everyone threw around hundreds of millions casually; tens of millions carried considerable weight in this time.

As soon as Young Master Shi bid, Huang Hai grew anxious and immediately called out, "Brother Shi, stop fighting me on this. I’ll let you have the next one!"

"No, Big Brother Huang, let me have this one, and I'll yield to you next time, and the time after that, how about that?" Young Master Shi's words drew a wry smile from Huang Hai.

This was a glass-type emerald, not common jade that appeared everywhere after a simple cut. Such jade was inherently rare and impossible to come by frequently; there wouldn't be so many "next times." He understood this, and Young Master Shi understood it too, which is why neither would yield.

"Gentlemen, stop arguing. I haven't even said I’m selling yet!" Zhang Yang suddenly interjected. Both men immediately turned their gaze onto him, their eyes looking as if they could devour him. Zhang Yang suspected that if he stated outright he wouldn't sell to either of them, they might physically pounce and tear at him.

"I ask you, how many bangle sets can this rough yield?" Zhang Yang averted their gazes and lightly asked, pointing to the jade still on the table.

"I know a famous jade carving master. In his hands, it could yield at least four sets!" Young Master Shi looked it over and finally said quietly. Four bangle sets would be remarkable. The price for such bangles wasn't high now, but during the peak craze in the future, they would fetch sky-high prices approaching one hundred million. One pair of bangles for one hundred million—who dared to imagine it?

"Here's the deal: neither of you needs to argue over twenty-four million or twenty-three million. I only want twenty million!" Zhang Yang said slowly, causing both their eyes to widen instantly.

Qiu Jinghuan also watched him in disbelief. Who sells something and lowers the price when buyers offer a higher amount? To many onlookers, Zhang Yang looked foolish, perhaps even terminally so.

"Don't look at me like that. I have conditions!" Zhang Yang quickly added. He certainly wouldn't lower the price he was offered; the price was initiated by the buyers. Last time, he refused extra shares from Su Zhantao because there was a prior agreement, but this time was different—this was his due, and there was no reason to give it away.

"For this piece of material, whoever gets it, I must have one set of bangles, one pair of earrings, two pendants, plus two ring faces!" Zhang Yang stated slowly, leaving Young Master Shi and Huang Hai momentarily stunned.

They both lowered their heads, thinking. The most valuable component of the jade was the bangles; the earrings and ring faces were standard items that could be made from the remaining scraps. The pendants were slightly more complex but wouldn't consume much material either. Zhang Yang's request meant that aside from the high value of the bangles, everything else combined wouldn't even amount to half the value of one bangle set; if not for the quantity, they could be disregarded.

"No problem, I can give you those things!" Young Master Shi suddenly nodded. Four bangle sets—giving one away to Zhang Yang was acceptable, especially since Zhang Yang had just reduced the price by four million for him. With four million, he could probably buy a set of such bangles right now.

"I can too!" Huang Hai quickly called out. Giving away those few items only involved a small portion of the material. The bulk would remain, and he could accept Zhang Yang’s terms.

"Big Brother Huang, Young Master Shi, why don't you stop arguing? Take half each, and then find someone to process it together, handing over what Brother Yang requires, and then you can divide the rest amongst yourselves as you see fit—you can discuss the division first!" Qiu Jinghuan, who hadn't spoken until now, suddenly offered a suggestion. He hadn't overthought it; he just saw them arguing ceaselessly while Zhang Yang was put in a difficult position, so he offered this compromise.

However, his words caused both Huang Hai's and Young Master Shi's eyes to light up fiercely. Having to come up with twenty million at once meant Huang Hai needed to borrow, but ten million was no problem at all; he wouldn't need to sell his car and could handle it immediately. Young Master Shi was slightly better off, but offering twenty million at once was still a significant burden. This raw material was large, and if they divided it properly, it would be enough for both of them.

"I'll pay twelve million, and Big Brother Huang takes eight million. I want two sets of bangles, and the rest we split evenly. How about that?" Young Master Shi suddenly proposed, signaling his agreement with Qiu Jinghuan's suggestion.

…………………………

I won't write a separate chapter update. I'll use the main text to say a few words. The following word count does not count towards billing.

The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment—I don't know who first said this, but it is profoundly true.

From noon until past six in the evening, in six hours, we rapidly gained over 140 monthly tickets. I had expected the evening count to be even higher, but after more than three hours, we only scraped in forty tickets. This reminded "Xiao Yu" of a line from Lurk: "I intended to show my face, but ended up exposing my backside." I had boasted loudly about letting the monthly tickets fly, but now, how many people will laugh at Xiao Yu? This isn't flying; it's tears—tears of sorrow and distress.

Thanks to the twenty friends who continued to vote for Xiao Yu. It’s ten o’clock; Xiao Yu is going to rest now. I'm giving up on the four hundred ticket goal for today. If we hit three hundred, I'll push myself to add another chapter. If not, I'll just wash up and sleep. My body is tired, but my heart is even more exhausted. Such emotional rollercoasters—please don't torment Xiao Yu like this! I'm going to cry into my covers!