The crowd, being shrewd individuals, naturally recognized the high quality of the ice-type jadeite emerald. Thus, although a substantial price was put forward, it fell far short of the actual bottom line. Everyone understood that eight million was merely the warm-up, the prelude to a true battle.

Moreover, there was a vague consensus that the price for this ice-type jadeite would certainly surpass that of the previous glass-type jadeite. After all, the glass-type jadeite was only the size of a fist, whereas this piece of ice-type jadeite was the volume of a brick.

While quality was paramount, sheer quantity caused the price to soar dramatically.

In any case, when the manager of the jewelry company that had secured the glass-type jadeite rushed to the scene, he was met with the sight of animated bidding for another stone, which naturally left him quite perplexed.

Finding his informant, the manager frowned. "Didn't you say you'd already secured the jadeite? Why is the auction still going on?"

"It has been secured," the informant quickly explained. "Manager, look, that's the one. Everyone is currently fighting over the other stone. We acquired the glass-type vibrant green jadeite, but now they are competing for the ice-type emerald..."

Under the informant's explanation, the manager understood the situation and couldn't help but feel a touch of surprise. "This shop's rough material is quite good, producing high-quality jadeite one after another."

"Manager, you misunderstood..." The informant's expression was strange. "It's not the stock from Boss Yang's shop, but rather that young man brought it himself, just borrowing this place to cut the stone."

"Hmm?" The manager paused, then asked no further questions, instead calling out loudly, "Our company bids one hundred and forty million."

Because the competition had reached a fever pitch, the manager feared someone else might snatch the ice-type jadeite, so he bypassed any detailed inquiries and plunged directly into the bidding.

Simultaneously, the other informants were not idle; they continued communicating with their superiors, reporting the latest developments on the scene. As colleagues and competitors, the informants recognized the bidding manager, and upon relaying the situation, their superiors reacted instantly.

Not satisfied with just one glass-type stone, they actually aimed to pocket the ice-type as well? Did they truly believe the capital had no formidable figures left?

In an instant, an informant loudly declared, "One hundred and fifty million!"

"One hundred and fifty-five million..."

After a flurry of exchanges, the price settled rigidly at one hundred and eighty-seven million. Wang Guan was quite satisfied with this figure and promptly handed the ice-type jadeite over to the informant who had placed the final bid.

Following that, it was time to settle the transaction with the manager. The two quickly signed the contract: you transfer the funds, I deliver the jadeite—a clean exchange, leaving everyone pleased.

Although the manager felt a pang of regret for not securing the ice-type jadeite, holding the glass-type stone gave him a solid, weighty feeling that brought a clear smile to his face. However, worried about any mishap concerning such a precious item, the manager immediately urged the informant to hurry back to the company and secure the jadeite in the safe to truly ease his mind.

Yet, the informant hesitated, whispering quietly, "Manager, wait a moment, look, he's about to cut another stone."

"Hmm?"

The manager stopped in his tracks. He finally understood: it was Wang Guan who had revealed two top-grade jadeites in succession. Such an event hadn't been heard of for years. Now, he was preparing to cut another, and even if the saying 'lightning doesn't strike thrice' held true, meaning the chances of striking it rich again were slim, staying to observe wouldn't hurt...

Under the gaze of the crowd, Wang Guan called upon two assistants of Boss Yang to help move a considerably large stone off the truck. However, the stone's appearance was poor; as it was being moved, chips of debris constantly fell away.

Everyone who glanced at it immediately frowned. The skin was so loose, scarred with visible fissures, and severely weathered. It didn't look promising for gambling; the chance of it being a total loss seemed high.

"Young man, you should switch to another stone," someone kindly advised the crowd. "Lest you ruin your luck."

"Exactly..." The others nodded in agreement. A stone this poor, even if blessed by the Great Red Hand, would likely meet a disastrous end. Why invite failure when disaster seemed certain?

However, Wang Guan offered no affirmation or denial to their advice. After setting the stone down, he immediately started the cutting machine and, almost carelessly, made another slice. Given the stone's size, this cut was naturally slow, taking a good seven or eight minutes to slice through the thick outer layer of stone skin.

Just as the manager was about to walk over and inspect the interior of the rough material, the informant stopped him.

"What is it?" The manager naturally felt curious.

The informant offered a wry smile and gestured. "Look, he shows no intention of stopping; he's going to keep cutting..."

"Oh?"

Prompted by the informant, the manager looked over and his expression immediately shifted to one of shock. He had certainly witnessed stone cutting many times, but never had anyone behaved like Wang Guan—so... "reckless."

Indeed, it was cutting haphazardly.

Normally, once a thick layer of the stone was cut away, one would pause to examine it closely. If color was visible, joy would ensue; if not, one would carefully inspect the surface to decide the optimal spot for the next cut. This was the usual process, whether performed by a green novice or a seasoned cutting master.

But Wang Guan broke protocol. After one cut, as if in a great hurry, he continued slicing into another corner of the stone without even stopping the cutting machine.

"What is he doing?" The manager frowned. "Is he just giving up on it?"

"I don't know," the informant sighed ruefully. "At this point, we can't figure out if he's a master gambler, or just a clueless greenhorn."

There were no fools present, or at least, no simpletons. The first success could be attributed to luck, but the second invited suspicion. Of course, it was only suspicion, because Wang Guan’s movements while cutting looked decidedly clumsy, clearly marking him as a beginner. Thus, to dispel any lingering doubts, everyone focused intently on watching Wang Guan’s third cut.

The process of cutting was tedious, made even more monotonous by Wang Guan’s uninterrupted continuation.

Fortunately, even the largest stones eventually yield. After a significant period, when Wang Guan finally turned off the machine, the crowd snapped out of their trance and surged forward like a tide. Without waiting for Wang Guan to speak, they began scooping clear water over the newly cut surfaces.

With a few splashes, the dust on the stone surface was washed away, revealing a clear, crystalline sheen.

"Ah!"

After a single glance, the onlookers seemed frozen by a spell, their faces slack with astonishment.

"Why did you all rush over?" Wang Guan asked, genuinely surprised. "I haven't even polished it yet."

At that moment, everyone seemed to awaken, and the way they looked at Wang Guan was completely different. The first time was luck, the second coincidence—what was the third? If three successes were just chance, then the crowd felt they were being blatantly misled.

If finding green in stone gambling happened frequently, it could still be explained by probability.

After all, stone gambling, like any gamble, involved odds, and if luck was exceptionally good, striking it rich three times in a row wasn't unheard of. To their knowledge, someone in Tengchong had successfully cut over a dozen stones in one day.

However, stone gambling and the actual process of cutting were two different arts.

It must be noted that the most skilled stone gambler might not be the best cutter, and the finest cutter might not be a master gambler. Therefore, anyone cutting stone—regardless of skill—would cautiously start by rubbing the stone before cutting, never treating it as Wang Guan did, carelessly and roughly slicing away, yet somehow managing to avoid damaging the colored material within the jadeite.

Such insight, such knife skill—it was nothing short of... miraculous!

Sensing the reverence in the crowd's gaze, Wang Guan vaguely felt he might have pushed things too far. He quickly tried to divert their attention, pointing at the stone at his feet and asking, "Who wants this piece of jadeite? Same rule applies: don't bother unless it's over ten million."

Under Wang Guan's guidance, the crowd's attention was redirected to the revealed jadeite.

It was clear that after Wang Guan's forceful cutting, most of the loose outer skin had been removed, leaving only a section about the size of a basketball. Since it hadn't been polished, the jadeite flesh still held a layer of milky white material.

Even so, everyone could clearly discern the jadeite's state. Under the sunlight, it emitted a pure, crystalline luster, indicating excellent quality. Most importantly, the color was not the standard emerald green, but a vibrant, brilliant red...

"Ice-type Red Jadeite!"

After a gasp of awe, the manager unhesitatingly bid, "One hundred and fifty million!"

"One hundred and sixty million!" Someone immediately raised the offer.

Jadeite, jadeite—red is fei (), green is cui (). The fact that red jadeite is mentioned alongside green speaks to its value. Especially a red jadeite of such high clarity and pure color, it was exceptionally rare. Since they had encountered one, they certainly couldn't let it pass.

The capital was inherently a place filled with high officials and wealthy tycoons. While the officials wouldn't frequent this spot, the tycoons certainly could come to join the spectacle. Everyone present had numerous friends, and upon hearing that glass-type jadeite had been revealed, many had rushed over. Although these newcomers arrived late and missed the glass-type and ice-type emeralds, they arrived just in time for the ice-type red jadeite, so it wasn't entirely a loss.

"Twenty million."

After carefully examining the red jadeite, a portly middle-aged man stated the high price without changing his expression.

Of course, this price didn't deter the others. After all, the red jadeite was roughly the size of a basketball, enough material to carve seven or eight bangles, plus several ring settings and pendants. Everyone present was an expert; with a quick estimation, they knew the red jadeite's value was certainly more than twenty million.

Therefore, after a moment of deliberation, someone else immediately continued to raise the bid. Following a fierce competition, the red jadeite was ultimately bought by a chubby, very wealthy man for twenty-six million.

Next came the contract signings. The manager who had purchased the ice-type jadeite also arrived, conveniently settling that payment as well. After a flurry of activity, two large sums were successively credited to the account. Wang Guan felt deeply satisfied, yet a hint of hesitation crept in as he quietly pondered. Since 'lightning strikes thrice' was a common saying, should he continue the process now?