At the same time, sensing Wang Guan's hesitation, others urged him on.

Spectators never mind a commotion; moreover, many already regarded Wang Guan as a master of stone gambling and cutting. Inciting him to continue wasn't just idle curiosity; they hoped to learn a trick or two.

As for the jade merchants and managers of jewelry companies, they were the ones shouting the loudest. After all, watching a competitor successfully walk away with fine jade left them deeply unsatisfied.

Amidst the crowd's clamor, Wang Guan suddenly smiled. Since everyone was so supportive, he decided to play for a much higher stake.

Wang Guan glanced toward the back of the truck, then directly reached out and hauled over a rough stone. The crowd examined it closely and noticed the cut surface was a mottled, dark red, showing only faint threads of green luster. Unspoken was the fact that it was another piece of 'brick material.'

At this point, someone hesitated: "With material like this, there's no way it'll increase in value, right?"

"The skin has too much black moss; the gambling potential is low." Many experienced stone gamblers present frowned after careful inspection, not optimistic about this rough.

"Can it cut for profit? If not, maybe switch to another stone?" Someone ventured to advise, but was stopped by others, as they were keen to see if Wang Guan could once again turn dross into treasure.

Under everyone's watchful gaze, Wang Guan powered up the cutting machine again. Practice makes perfect; even if three consecutive cuts hadn't made him an expert, he had certainly grasped a certain technique.

Adjusting the angle, Wang Guan made a smooth, easy cut, slicing diagonally along the edge of the rough.

The crowd watched with intense focus. Even with the stone dust obscuring the cut, they could vaguely make out that the exposed surface was still a dull, dark mass—a clear sign of a loss.

"Ah, just as expected..."

"It's a flop, a definite flop."

"I told you so. Three strikes, and you're out. This is the fourth time. It was inauspicious to begin with, and picking this brick material, it would be a miracle if it didn't flop."

Instantly, several backseat drivers emerged, pointing fingers and offering unsolicited opinions. Wang Guan ignored them, repositioned the rough, and prepared to cut again.

The 'Zhuge Liangs' temporarily ceased their commentary and continued to observe. Soon after, Wang Guan successfully peeled away another layer of stone. The cut surface remained a dreary gray.

In that instant, the Zhuge Liangs decisively declared the material completely ruined, beyond salvation.

Wang Guan remained composed amidst the chatter, continuing his cutting. After two or three more slices, the result was a piece shaped like a trapezoid. It could only be described as a 'thing,' because while it might be jade, it retained a dull, ashen hue. If it wasn't jade, Wang Guan paid it unusual attention; even after cutting it into a block, he didn't stop, proceeding instead to polish it.

"It’s already a loss, why waste energy on polishing?" Seeing this, one Zhuge Liang couldn't hide his confusion and sighed, shaking his head: "Young people are all the same, unwilling to accept reality... What is it?"

Just then, this man felt someone tugging his sleeve from behind and turned back, bewildered: "What’s up? What is it?"

"Say less," his friend whispered, nudging him. "Haven't you realized? What he cut out might be Mocui (Black Jadeite)."

"What, Mocui!" The man was startled and couldn't help but exclaim in shock.

Mocui was no simple matter. While some might know of black jade or black agate, few were truly familiar with Black Jadeite. Among jadeites, red, green, and lavender are the most famous, but Mocui is rarely mentioned.

In reality, jadeite comes not only in colors like red, green, purple, and yellow, but also black and white. White jadeite is called 'white dry jadeite,' which is extremely common as it lacks color, whereas true Mocui is rare and exceptionally precious.

The scarcity of Mocui is partly due to limited reserves, but primarily because, initially, people did not accept this color in jadeite. Even when mined, it was treated as waste material and disregarded. Black or near-black jadeite was long considered a sign of evil or misfortune, so naturally, no one wanted it.

However, this perception changed as raw jadeite became scarce, societal views evolved, and jade merchants began promoting it. Mocui gradually gained market acceptance.

In Myanmar, Mocui is referred to as the 'Shadow of a Lover' or the 'Shadow of a Successful Man.' Burmese officials and business elites highly appreciate Mocui, believing it symbolizes infinite wealth and glorious status.

This concept gradually became popular domestically as well. Furthermore, according to traditional Yin-Yang Five Elements theory, black belongs to Water, and Water gathers wealth. Coupled with the ancient Chinese belief that black wards off evil and protects the wearer, its extreme rarity naturally led to it being highly sought after.

The reason for its scarcity is evident: some surveys have shown that out of a million rough stones mined from Burmese jadeite deposits, only one high-grade Mocui rough meeting standards for integrity and clarity can be obtained.

From this, one can gauge just how invaluable Mocui is.

"Is it really Mocui?"

Yet, precisely because they knew how precious Mocui was, everyone hesitated to be certain.

While the crowd remained doubtful, Wang Guan had already roughly polished the jadeite and washed it with water. Under the sunlight, the jadeite displayed a pure, deep black, its surface emitting a crystalline luster, indicating very fine texture.

"Ice Grade again, or maybe even Glass Grade."

The crowd surged forward, a mix of surprise and joy on their faces, and someone urgently pressed him, "Little brother, is this piece Mocui?"

"We'll know once we verify it," someone suggested, immediately feeling around in their pocket for a strong-beam flashlight. Switching it on, they aimed the intense light directly at the pitch-black, translucent jadeite in Wang Guan's hand.

In that instant, everyone clearly saw the dark jadeite erupting with a (jade-green) brilliance under the strong beam.

"It truly is Mocui!"

At that moment, every last trace of doubt vanished.

Mocui—the Mo refers to the color of the jadeite, but the Cui (jade-green) character is the key. Otherwise, they would simply call it Black Jadeite. Everyone knew that Chinese terminology is highly nuanced, especially when naming specific objects; names are never assigned arbitrarily. Thus, the name Mocui isn't just for elegance; it subtly hints at its intrinsic property.

The Burmese calling Mocui the 'Shadow of a Lover' also had a basis in fact. In reality, Mocui is not black jadeite, but rather a very deep green—or rather, Mocui appears black due to the extreme concentration of green saturation. Put simply, Mocui only looks black on the surface; under transmitted light, it reveals a profound inky green or dark green.

This characteristic aligns perfectly with Burmese myth and legend. According to Burmese Buddhist scriptures, the dark, lustrous hair of celestial nymphs appears jet black under normal light, but reveals a magical deep green under strong illumination. This dreamy color was thus likened to the beautiful vision that fills a man's heart—the shadow of a lover.

Whether this legend is truly recorded or a benevolent fabrication created to market Mocui, people couldn't be sure, but the characteristic was undeniable and easily verified.

At this moment, the astonishment on everyone’s faces went without saying. It wasn't just awe at the Mocui; it was overwhelming shock and admiration for Wang Guan. Cutting four winning stones wasn't merely skill; cutting four stones that all turned out to be top-tier jadeite demanded genuine respect and reverence.

Simultaneously, Wang Guan smiled faintly and asked, "Does anyone want this piece of Mocui?"

The crowd exchanged glances, and someone reacted instantly, raising a hand to offer a bid. While Mocui might be mystically described, its price would inevitably rank below red or green jadeite of the same quality. After a brief scramble, the price for the Mocui surpassed twenty million and then stabilized.

Wang Guan was quite satisfied with this outcome and promptly completed the transaction with the final bidding jewelry company.

The manager of the jewelry company beamed, convinced the deal was an absolute bargain. Because his company had overseas connections, they could have the Mocui carved into auspicious pendants like Guanyin statues, have them consecrated by high-ranking monks, and then sell them in places like Hong Kong and Macau, guaranteeing a handsome profit above cost.

However, at that moment, no one was concerned with the manager’s plans. Instead, everyone turned to Wang Guan, hoping he would continue cutting. Having achieved four consecutive wins, were they not close to achieving the 'Five Blessings Descend'?

"Little brother, don't hesitate, keep cutting."

"Strike while the iron is hot; don't waste this moment of supreme luck, lest the opportunity passes."

"What luck? Young Master... Master, this is skill, extraordinarily perceptive eyesight..."

Under the barrage of enthusiastic persuasion, Wang Guan graciously accepted and hauled another stone from the truck. However, this piece could hardly be called a 'stone,' as it was already a finished slab (Mingliao).

"Huh!"

The crowd was momentarily surprised. Mingliao referred to jadeite that had already been cut open; unless it was intended for carving into an object, there was no reason to bring out a blade. Everyone was confused as to why Wang Guan would present a finished slab, especially since he seemed to intend to cut into it.

In their confusion, they closely examined the slab. They found the jadeite's texture was not superb—it was only Bean Grade, an oily green color, classifying it as mid-grade jadeite. Furthermore, this piece exhibited a severe case of 'python consuming green' (mang chi lü), which significantly diminished its value.

'Python' (Mang) is one of the primary indicators jadeite merchants use to judge the presence, intensity, and saturation of green inside the stone. Areas with a 'python' are prone to color, but if the python is severe, it can disrupt the jadeite’s internal structure. For instance, the python on the current piece wrapped around the center like a knotted rope, effectively dividing the jadeite into two parts.

"What a pity."

After a brief appraisal, someone sighed, "If it didn't have this python, it would be worth at least three to five million. But with the python, it's probably only worth a million."

Everyone nodded in agreement. This million was only offered because the jadeite was sufficiently large; otherwise, no one would have been willing to take it.

While the murmurs continued, Wang Guan had already activated the cutting machine, set his angle, and plunged the blade directly along the python band running through the center of the jadeite...