Of course, for the convenience of everyone, a detailed area map and notices were thoughtfully posted. Perhaps because the majority of attendees were from $\text{\text{〖〗}}$ (China), the announcements were written in Chinese, specifying the dates for sealed bids (, ànbiāo) and open bids (, míngbiāo).

Of the lots in the auction, sealed bids accounted for four-fifths, while open bids made up only one-fifth. Therefore, before bidding commenced, everyone needed to carefully consider how to approach the pricing to gain the greatest advantage. However, Wang Guan felt that, whether in ancient times or the present, the seller almost always held the upper hand, and the buyer was invariably more prone to suffering a loss.

"Let's go."

After reviewing the guide map, Jia Qin signaled for them to move on. They then passed through a security check—complete with visible firearms—and presented their entry passes to gain access to the main auction hall.

Upon entering, Wang Guan realized the atmosphere was far more bustling than he had anticipated. At a glance, the place was a throng of people, a dense sea of faces, making even walking somewhat difficult.

Fortunately, the auction hall was vast, and people naturally dispersed to examine the rough stones they found interesting.

After a while, following the massive flow of people, Wang Guan and the others reached the area where the jadeite rough stones were displayed. Unlike stone gambling (, dǔshí), these jadeite pieces were already cut open, allowing observers to see the cross-sections. Furthermore, color was visible within every cut face.

In essence, these stones could be categorized as semi-transparent materials (, bàn míngliào). At the very least, it was certain that jadeite existed inside the stone, but determining the quantity or quality of the jadeite depended entirely on individual judgment.

There were also fully transparent materials (, quán míngliào), where the jadeite was completely excavated, allowing for crystal-clear viewing. However, such pieces naturally attracted intense competition, making it difficult to secure a bargain.

Regardless of whether they were semi-transparent or fully transparent, every jadeite rough stone here was assigned a unique number, along with its quantity, weight, and reserve price clearly marked. It was incumbent upon the jadeite merchants to meticulously inspect every exhibit, select the roughs they favored, assess their value, determine the optimal bid price, and submit it to the designated ballot box.

Bidding too high meant incurring a personal loss; bidding too low risked being outmaneuvered by competitors—a truly vexing dilemma.

Thus, one could discern a person’s disposition simply by observing their expressions. Some moved with practiced ease among the myriad of stones, pausing at a particular piece to squat down and examine it closely with a single glance. Others flitted about aimlessly like headless flies, rushing towards wherever the crowd was thickest, clearly lacking any firm conviction...

In the eyes of the others, Wang Guan belonged to the latter category, displaying the demeanor of a complete novice.

"Right."

Suddenly, Wang Guan recalled something and asked in a low voice, "Even if you saw Wu Gang's rough stones at his house yesterday, they've been cut open now. Can you still identify which ones are his?"

Hearing this, Jia Qin and the others exchanged knowing smiles.

"Brother Wang, don't you understand yet?"

At the same moment, Boss Yang chuckled quietly, "The jadeite roughs at the public auction were prepared long ago. How could the raw stones from Wu Gang's warehouse possibly have been brought here for display in time?"

"Then you..." Wang Guan looked genuinely perplexed.

"We judge the origin based on the characteristics of the roughs," Boss Yang explained with a smile. "By identifying the source mine (, chǎngkǒu), we can roughly determine which jadeite pieces belong to him. If the quality is genuinely good, we wouldn't mind doing him a favor by following the flow."

"Of course, that's assuming he actually has his jadeite here, and that he is, as Mr. Liu suggested, a major supplier..." Jia Qin shrugged casually, adding, "Enough talk, everyone. Let's focus and make the best use of our time."

The others nodded in agreement and dispersed with tacit understanding. In an instant, Wang Guan was left standing alone, prompting him to mutter, "Businesspeople are truly cold-blooded. The moment personal interests are involved, the veil of warm camaraderie is instantly torn away."

Shaking his head, Wang Guan wandered about distractedly. He casually pulled out his notebook and began making meticulous records. Onlookers paid him no mind, as recording observations wasn't exclusive to him; many people, after spotting a favored jadeite rough, also took out pens and paper to jot things down.

A poor memory is no match for a worn-out pen. After all, there were too many jadeite roughs at the auction, enough to dizzy the eyes. If one turned around and mixed up the lot numbers, accidentally bidding on something undesirable, wouldn't that lead to endless regret?

The following events require little recounting. In truth, on the first day, everyone did nothing but look at the jadeite roughs. They returned with stacks of notes, ate a hasty dinner, exchanged greetings, and then pored over their notes late into the night studying them.

The second day saw a continuation of the same diligent effort...

After enduring several days akin to students burying themselves in study before the college entrance exams, they finally reached their 'exam day'—the start of the sealed bidding (). When participating in the sealed bids, everyone felt a similar mixture of anticipation, nervousness, and a degree of relief, much like students facing the Gaokao.

When viewing the roughs, despite the large crowds, people could at least spread out. But now, with everyone converging to submit their bids, the scene couldn't merely be described as immense; it was a human tide, shoulder-to-shoulder, sweating profusely.

Jadeite roughs, each with a different lot number and reserve price, were arranged within huge tents, with nearly every piece surrounded by bidders eager to place their offers. Yet, a larger number of people avoided the crush, cautiously scribbling and erasing, constantly revising their bids, likely unable to finalize their decision until the last possible moment.

"This is going to be insane."

Upon seeing the reserve prices for some of the roughs, Boss Yang immediately frowned, sighing, "In previous years, jadeite roughs of this quality were at most eighty or ninety thousand; now they're over two hundred thousand."

It must be noted that the Myanmar Public Auction only accepts transactions in Euros; meaning both the listed prices and the submitted bids are denominated in Euros. In the past, some people unfamiliar with this assumed it was Myanmar's local currency and blindly placed bids, only to be unable to pay the required funds later, resulting in fines and expulsion from the country.

Roughs priced between seventy and eighty thousand Euros were considered low-end. Beyond that were stones valued at hundreds of thousands, millions, and even tens of millions of Euros. In any case, the price of roughs had generally skyrocketed this year. If you found it too expensive, you simply didn't have to buy; after all, this was a buyer’s market, and moreover, a monopolistic trade structure that didn't fear a lack of participants.

The sight of the crowds waving their bid slips confirmed that while prices were high, they hadn't risen high enough to cause a mass retreat. Furthermore, to put it bluntly, the higher the price, the less it mattered, as ultimately, these bidders weren't the ones footing the final bill. There is a type of sucker in the world called the consumer, and these people are the fools responsible for paying.

Thus, Boss Yang merely complained a little; he still placed his bids when it was time to do so.

However, while everyone else was intensely weighing their bids, Wang Guan remained remarkably relaxed. With an air of leisurely contentment that made others intensely irritated, he continued to stroll around the vicinity.

Imagine someone so carefree and unhurried amidst the collective anxiety of the crowd; naturally, he looked irritatingly conspicuous. If there hadn't been a proper justification, someone might well have called the auction security guards to eject the offensive individual.

Wang Guan was unaware of the growing resentment he was causing, but even if he knew, he wouldn't have cared. He continued to wander serenely until about an hour before the sealed bidding was scheduled to close, then he finally moved at a measured pace.

Since there were numerous lots in the sealed bid section, a batch of roughs was replaced daily. After the bidding period concluded, these jadeite roughs, along with the submitted bids, were sealed. Results were only announced daily after all the final bids were tallied.

The waiting period was the most agonizing, explaining why everyone was so on edge.

Only Wang Guan seemed at ease. He casually walked up to a rough, filled in a number with utter nonchalance, and decisively tossed it into the ballot box. Unlike the others who cast wide nets, he focused on key targets, submitting only a handful of bids before stopping.

Seeing this, Boss Yang offered a kind word of caution: "Brother Wang, you've submitted too few bids; your chances of winning anything might be quite low."

"It's fine, I'm just playing around."

Wang Guan's simple remark dispelled any further attempts at advice from the others, as his behavior truly suggested he was merely passing time and enjoying the spectacle. Consequently, they naturally ignored him.

The first day of sealed bidding concluded, settling into a lull. Upon returning, everyone inevitably discussed their gains and losses to summarize their experiences, marking the end of a hectic day.

The second day repeated the pattern of the first. When they returned that evening, the others had lost the energy to chat but could still manage. By the third day's return, Jia Qin and the others were utterly drained, collapsing into immediate sleep—more exhausted than if they had been hauling bricks.

"In this day and age, no matter the profession, it all comes down to physical labor," Wang Guan mused, shaking his head. He finished his rich dinner leisurely, made a sweet phone call to Bei Ye, and then settled down to rest peacefully.

When the sealed bidding finally ended, only a small fraction of people could manage a smile; the vast majority appeared mentally vacant, as if they had pulled several all-nighters consecutively.

This was unavoidable. The process of sealed bidding was essentially a complex exercise in calculating one's own moves while simultaneously calculating the moves of others, consuming mental energy equivalent to exhausting oneself unto death. Jia Qin and the experienced ones were merely physically and mentally weary. Some individuals were in a far more tragic state, appearing like walking corpses, numb and unresponsive, as if they had been brutalized by hundreds of strong men.

Compared to the sealed bids, the open bids () were considerably simpler.

Not only were there fewer lots in the open bid, but more importantly, items with openly displayed prices required no complex strategic calculation. Whoever possessed the deepest pockets and the willingness to spend freely could take the goods away.

"I wonder who the 'King of Bids' will be this year?"

Just then, Boss Yang mused, "I can be certain that this year's King of Bids will be even more formidable than last year's."

"That's right," someone nodded. "Not only has the general price of roughs skyrocketed, but more importantly, the raw stone rumored to have the potential to become the King of Bids was allegedly excavated from an old pit..." (To be continued)