At this moment, Wang Guan naturally felt a bit strange. He looked closely and saw that Jia Qin didn't seem to be watching the spectacle; rather, he appeared to be the focus of congratulations.

"Could it be that he made a lot of money the past couple of days and is celebrating here with firecrackers?" Wang Guan chuckled, shaking his head, finding the reason flimsy.

But whatever Jia Qin was doing was his own business. Wang Guan glanced over and had no intention of paying further attention, preparing to drive off. Yet, in that instant, Wang Guan caught a shout from within the crowd that made him change his mind.

"One million, I'll take it."

"Something with such good water content, don't embarrass yourself by offering only a million; I bid one point five million!"

"One point seven million!"

Hearing these bids, Wang Guan was naturally surprised; it seemed they were fiercely competing to buy some treasure. His professional instinct kicked in immediately. He parked his car, got out, and went to investigate.

Walking into the alley, Wang Guan suddenly noticed that the storefront shops on this street seemed to deal in similar goods. Despite the lack of obvious signage, both inside and outside the shops, there were cutting machines and numerous rough stones displayed.

Seeing this, Wang Guan understood somewhat: this must be a hub for jade processing. This meant Jia Qin had likely cut open some high-quality jade, drawing the interest of these jade merchants.

The facts proved Wang Guan both right and wrong.

As he approached, relying on his youthful vigor, Wang Guan gradually squeezed into the innermost circle. He immediately spotted a large cutting machine set up in front of one shop, and next to it, a stone that had already been cut open.

At this moment, Wang Guan noticed that on the cut surface of the stone, a faint trace of green was glowing under the sunlight, and he instantly understood. This wasn't jade; it was fei cui (jadeite).

"Stone Gambling!"

The thought flashed through Wang Guan's mind in an instant.

Wang Guan was no stranger to stone gambling. After all, during his time in Jiangnan, he and Yu Feibai had participated in it before. However, at that time, they were betting on chicken-blood stone, whereas these people now were betting on jadeite. It was said that currently, betting on jade, jadeite, and agate dominated the scene; compared to that, betting on chicken-blood stone was merely child's play.

But that wasn't the main point; the main point was the stone gambling itself!

Just then, a peculiar gleam crossed Wang Guan's eyes. Although stone gambling and general gambling were both forms of betting, they seemed fundamentally different in practice, bearing significant disparities.

In general gambling, no matter how much you lose—even if you lose your entire fortune and end up jumping off a building—no one finds it strange; rather, they consider it the natural consequence. If you suddenly won, winning hundreds of millions or billions, the first reaction people would likely have is that you cheated. They might even question if you'd live long enough to keep the winnings.

However, stone gambling is different. If you pick a stone, cut it open, and find a piece of priceless jadeite inside, you don't need to worry or explain anything. People will only envy and resent your luck; they will never harbor suspicion.

"Idiot, why didn't I think of this before..."

Patting his forehead, Wang Guan seemed to see a glittering, golden path to wealth opening before him.

Well, he wouldn't need to be too conspicuous; pick a few stones, make three to five hundred million, and then stop. If anyone knew Wang Guan's thoughts, they would surely spit in his face—cutting out jadeite worth hundreds of millions and calling that not special?

Others might not know, but for Wang Guan, this was quite straightforward, posing no real challenge. For instance, he could currently see quite clearly the stone next to the cutter that was showing green. Even though it showed green, it was only a shallow layer; the interior was entirely white and chalky. This meant whoever bought this stone at a high price was guaranteed to lose heavily.

At that moment, someone bid two million, giving Wang Guan a profound understanding of jadeite pricing.

However, since only one layer had been cut, there was still a degree of risk. After reaching two million, no one else placed a bid. Jia Qin considered it briefly and agreed to the bidder’s offer, selling the stone that showed green on the surface for two million.

Simultaneously, Wang Guan glanced at Jia Qin in surprise, wondering if this young master, who had been squandering his family fortune, genuinely understood stone gambling or was simply guessing wildly.

At that same moment, as he took the check from the buyer, Jia Qin turned around and noticed Wang Guan, suddenly exclaiming in astonishment, "It's you!"

As he spoke, Jia Qin added with interest, "What, you play with jadeite too? I’ve never seen you around before."

"I was just passing by and heard the lively firecrackers, so I came over to have a look," Wang Guan explained, then asked with some curiosity, "From what you say, it sounds like you often deal in jadeite."

"Heh, you must be ignorant of the world," Jia Qin replied.

Just then, someone nearby chimed in convivially, "Don't you know? The Jia family is the largest jadeite supplier in the capital, and Young Master Jia is an absolute expert in stone gambling. Countless top-grade jadeite pieces are cut in his name every year."

"That's an exaggeration," Jia Qin shook his head. "Why don't you mention how many tons of stone I've cut and failed with every year?"

"Young Master Jia is being modest. In stone gambling, failure is inevitable; cutting a dud is very normal. The issue is that some people only ever cut duds and never have a successful cut, whereas you, Young Master Jia, have far more wins than losses—it's truly remarkable." The man praised him, and others nodded in agreement, suggesting it wasn't mere flattery.

Seeing this, Wang Guan couldn't help but sigh internally. One really shouldn't judge people hastily. Based on the events of the past few days, Jia Qin clearly appeared to be a profligate wastrel, yet in the eyes of these people, he was a master gambling expert, respected by all.

This showed that people truly are complex beings; you can't fully understand them after only a few encounters. It was no wonder the ancients said, "A long road tells a horse's strength; time reveals a person's heart."

While musing, Wang Guan also smiled and chimed in, "It is indeed remarkable. I just arrived and saw Young Master Jia casually earn two million. Shouldn't you treat us?"

Jia Qin was in a good mood and laughed in response, "I can treat anyone else, but not you. You must have made a good profit reselling the Golden Pagoda you bought the other day, right?"

"Didn't make much..." Wang Guan smiled vaguely, having no intention of explaining. However, this was personal business; even if Jia Qin didn't believe him, he wouldn't pry into it.

At this point, the shop owner showed some shrewdness. Having overheard their conversation, he immediately realized that Wang Guan was likely not short of money either, perhaps another young master from a wealthy family like Jia Qin.

Thinking this, the owner knew what to do and quickly said with a smile, "Gentlemen, no need to defer to each other. A guest is a guest; naturally, I must fulfill my duty as host."

To be honest, the owner had a compelling reason to treat them. Since Jia Qin had a successful cut here, the news would surely attract customers to try their luck at stone gambling, hoping to catch some of Jia Qin's good fortune.

This meant the shop's business would certainly improve, so the owner felt obliged to show his gratitude to Jia Qin.

"It's a failure, a complete failure!"

"It turned out to be a total loss; two million gone down the drain."

"Truly, one cut brings poverty, one cut brings wealth; one cut fills the hall with gold, one cut leads to sleeping on the floor. Heaven and hell are separated by a single thought..."

Amidst the clamor of gasps, fear flickered in the eyes of many onlookers. If they had taken the stone just now, they would likely be weeping in regret.

Wang Guan followed the gazes. The man who paid two million for the stone now wore a numb expression, his eyes filled with endless disappointment. However, even though the stone was a dud, he couldn't blame Jia Qin. No one forced him; he bought the stone himself. If he had won, it was his good judgment; if he lost, he had to swallow the bitter pill.

In truth, the rules of stone gambling were much like buying antiques: once the transaction was complete, there was absolutely no recourse for changing one's mind. A winning cut was like snagging a treasure; a losing cut was like making a bad judgment call—you couldn't blame heaven or anyone else, only your own poor eyesight.

In short: if you can't afford to play, don't. Never treat it like a child's game, and don't try to renege on your losses...

"It failed?"

At the same time, Jia Qin frowned, and his expression of regret mixed with confusion didn't seem feigned. He then pushed through the crowd to the cut stone, crouching down for a closer examination.

After a moment, Jia Qin’s brow smoothed out, as if he had found the reason for the failure. He stood up and said, "I misjudged it. I caused you to lose a sum of money."

"That's not your fault, Young Master Jia," the man responded, taking it philosophically and sighing, "So many people thought this stone looked good; who knew it was all surface dressing. I take responsibility for my own poor assessment."

"It’s good that you don't blame me," Jia Qin mused, then smiled, "How about this: go to my family's warehouse later and pick out a colored rough. I’ll sell it to you at cost as compensation."

"Thank you, Young Master Jia."

The man was overjoyed at this, thanking Jia Qin repeatedly.

It should be known that colored rough is high-grade jadeite material, a hot commodity on the market. Getting it at cost meant he could make a profit whether he carved it into a bezel or pendant for personal use or sold it directly to a jewelry company.

Seeing this, the others couldn't help but show envy.

It wasn't just about the profit the man might make to cover his two-million-dollar loss. They were envious that this man had established a connection with Jia Qin through this incident, which might lead to huge future gains based on that relationship.

Thinking this, many regretted their decision, wishing they had bought the stone even knowing it might fail.

Noticing the expressions of the crowd, Wang Guan clicked his tongue in amazement, once again seeing Jia Qin in a new light. Whether this move was intentional or accidental, he had not only smoothed over the buyer's grievance but also made him grateful to the point of tears, while the others praised Jia Qin's benevolence. He had truly earned immense goodwill.

At this point, everyone likely felt that Jia Qin’s successful cut was skill, while the buyer’s loss was simply his own bad luck, having nothing to do with Jia Qin. Perhaps some idealists might even think that if the man hadn't taken the stone, and Jia Qin had continued cutting it, the stone might have yielded an even bigger gain...