Gambling on Stones (Part 2)

Chu Chen was first surprised that such "raw" stones could contain jadeite inside; it was truly astonishing. He was also delighted and excited that his special ability could actually be applied to appraising jadeite, to the point where he almost couldn't help but laugh out loud.

After stabilizing his emotions, Chu Chen secretly observed Li Guodong again. Fortunately, he was still focused on picking through the "raw" stones and likely hadn't noticed him. This allowed Chu Chen to breathe a sigh of relief, as it would have been difficult to explain if he actually managed to reveal jadeite later.

Next, he carefully examined the raw stone in his hand again. This stone was slightly larger than two adult fists, completely gray and indistinguishable from an ordinary rock, let alone showing any signs of python patterns or pine flower marks.

Chu Chen shook his head inwardly. As the saying goes, you can't judge a book by its cover, and this applied equally to gambling on stones and "raw" stones. Who would normally think that a brick-like stone like this could yield jadeite?

Then, he immediately activated his special ability, ready to experience whether the spirit energy in jadeite differed from that in antiques. After absorbing the spirit energy from the "raw" stone with his left hand, he indeed discovered a few differences.

Firstly, there was the time factor. The spirit energy from jadeite seemed to be absorbed in exactly one second, which differed from the time patterns Chu Chen had previously found in antiques. He guessed that this time frame for jadeite might be fixed.

Secondly, there was the manifestation of the spirit energy. The spirit energy in jadeite seemed more refined than that in antiques. Chu Chen pondered, thinking that "dense" could be a good description. Perhaps the spirit energy in jadeite was of higher quality than that in antiques.

This point was actually somewhat similar to the spirit energy he had absorbed from the Jade Ruyi previously. The spirit energy from the Jade Ruyi was gentle and exquisite. At the time, Chu Chen had thought he was mistaken, but now it seemed that this was a unique phenomenon of natural treasures, and the quality of such spirit energy should be better.

As for the intensity of the spirit energy, it was the same as his previous calculations, representing the value. The intensity of the spirit energy in this piece of jadeite was similar to that of the three-fruit pattern bowl he had seen at Uncle Wu's place, with an estimated value of sixty to seventy thousand.

Savoring the lingering spirit energy, Chu Chen felt as sweet as if he had drunk honey. He quickly crouched down and began sifting through the pile of "raw" stones again, thinking that if he could find such a piece of jadeite here, perhaps there were more.

Perhaps it was his good luck today, but after only a few minutes, he felt the reaction of spirit energy from another "raw" stone. He impatiently activated his special ability again, but the result caused his expression to freeze.

At this moment, Chu Chen's mood was like a flock of crows flying over his head. The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. The spirit energy within this "raw" stone was actually inferior to what he had first absorbed from the copper coin, leaving him extremely disappointed. However, after the disappointment, he quickly came to his senses.

He realized he had been blinded by profit just now. Finding a valuable piece of jadeite in this pile of scrap was already incredibly fortunate. He shouldn't have fantasized about such good luck. Not only was the result disappointing, but he had also wasted an opportunity to use his special ability.

Although luck plays a role in revealing jadeite through gambling on stones, most "raw" stones that yield jadeite have some characteristics. A brick-like stone like the one Chu Chen held, which had no characteristics at all, had a minuscule chance of yielding high-value jadeite.

His special ability had daily limitations. Although "raw" stones with poor performance could yield immense profits, the chance of finding high-priced jadeite within them was too slim. Instead of wasting time like this, it was better to use his special ability on "raw" stones with good performance to maximize its effectiveness.

If he used his special ability like he just did every time, it would be better to use it on antiques, where the chances of finding hidden gems were much greater.

After reflecting on his recent behavior, Chu Chen casually picked a few more "raw" stones and placed them in the cart beside him. Then, he said to Li Guodong, "Brother Li, how's your picking going? Found anything good?"

Li Guodong pointed to the "raw" stones at his feet and said, "Only these few feel promising. The others are really not worth looking at. Forget it, I'll just take these. Picking any further would be a waste of time."

Zhang Guosheng's shop had two stone cutting machines, both located in the backyard. After settling the bill, the two of them brought the "raw" stones to the backyard to prepare for cutting.

A shed was built on the east and west sides of the yard, with a stone cutting machine placed inside each. Since a new batch of goods had just arrived, both stone cutting machines were in operation. A middle-aged man in his thirties or forties and a young man in his twenties wearing glasses were cutting "raw" stones on the two machines, respectively.

Several people were also gathered around the stone cutting machines. Zhang Guosheng and three others were on the east side, while there were two people on the west side. At this moment, they were all nervously watching the results from the stone cutting machines, their expressions solemn.

"It's green!"

Suddenly, a cheer erupted from the side of the stone cutting machine on the west. The two onlookers danced with joy, hugging each other in a display of ecstatic surprise.

Among the four people watching on the east side, only one cast an envious glance at the other side before continuing to stare at the stone cutting machine. The other three immediately rushed over upon hearing the shout. Leading the charge was Zhang Guosheng, who, while running, shouted, "What type? What type?"

Chu Chen and Li Guodong also quickly joined the crowd.

After the roughly volleyball-sized raw stone was rinsed with water, a faint trace of green could be vaguely seen on its cut surface. The owner of the raw stone shone a strong flashlight on it, and the green instantly became vibrant.

Seeing this, the owner's hands began to tremble slightly. With a voice hoarse from excitement, he said, "Glass type!"

After speaking, he covered his face with his hands and sobbed, while his companion patted him on the back, offering comfort.

Glass type jadeite, as the name suggests, is as transparent as glass. Its quality is very fine, with dense crystalline grains, making it a top-grade jadeite. This type of jadeite usually has a glassy luster, its texture is fine, pure, and flawless, and its color is pure, bright, rich, and uniform emerald green.

Generally, glass type jadeite originates from old pits, so it is often referred to as "old pit glass type" in the industry.

Chu Chen asked Zhang Guosheng about the owner's reaction. Zhang Guosheng quietly explained the reason next to him.

This person's surname was Liu, and he was also an experienced gambler on stones. However, he used to gamble on stones at "Juyuan Pavilion," another jadeite shop on the antique street. That place was unlike Zhang Guosheng's small-scale operation; stones worth tens of thousands of yuan were commonplace. Gambling big meant a greater chance of sudden wealth or utter ruin.

Mr. Liu belonged to the latter category. He originally had a small company and a stable family life with a wife and children. However, a few years ago, after hearing about the gambling on stones trade, he plunged into it without any prior knowledge, thinking he could strike it rich purely on luck.

The outcome was predictable. Although he had wins and losses, he won less and lost more, eventually losing everything. His wife and children even left him. Even so, he wasn't deterred. However, without money, he had to come to Zhang Guosheng's place to gamble on stones.

After hearing Mr. Liu's story, Chu Chen thought it was no wonder people often said that the gambling on stones trade was for "madmen to buy, madmen to sell, and madmen still waiting," and it was indeed true.

After Mr. Liu calmed down, an old gentleman from the crowd stepped forward and asked, "Mr. Liu, are you interested in selling this jadeite? I'll offer sixty thousand."

Chu Chen recognized this old gentleman; he was the owner of a jewelry store on the antique street called "Qian Ji Jewelry Store," Qian Yiyou. His name alone indicated the considerable strength of Qian Ji Jewelry Store.

Seeing this, Chu Chen asked Zhang Guosheng curiously, "Brother Zhang, why aren't you bidding? Judging by the size of the raw stone, this piece of glass type jadeite shouldn't be too big. You should be able to afford it, right?"

Zhang Guosheng smiled and said, "Little Chen, you don't understand. It would be a lie to say I'm not tempted by such high-grade jadeite. However, good jadeite needs a good craftsman to carve it, and I happen to not have one. The cost of hiring someone to carve it later would be considerable, and my participation in the bidding would definitely drive up the price. It's really not cost-effective."

Chu Chen scoffed at this. Zhang Guosheng was being a bit petty. If it were him, as long as he wouldn't lose money, he would find every way possible to acquire this piece of jadeite. With glass type jadeite in the store, its reputation would surely increase, and then, using this as an opportunity, he could bring in more mid-range jadeite, elevating the entire store's taste.

After all, in the jadeite industry, only high-end products can generate significant profits. Didn't you see how jadeite prices have risen in recent years? Only top-tier jadeite has seen the biggest increase, followed by mid-range, while low-end jadeite has barely increased in price. Since he was in business, profit was the guiding principle. When an opportunity arose, why wouldn't he go for it?

Of course, Chu Chen only thought these things to himself. Zhang Guosheng was not related to him, so he wouldn't voice such thoughts.

Mr. Liu, the owner of the jadeite, had calmed down by this point. Hearing Qian Yiyou's offer, he smiled and shook his head, saying, "Thank you for your kind offer, Old Qian, but I'd like to cut a bit more to see."

Qian Yiyou nodded and said nothing. Although cutting it might mean paying more later, his risk would be eliminated. This was, after all, a business worth hundreds of thousands, so it was better to be cautious.

Mr. Liu discussed the cutting surface with his friend and also asked for the opinion of the stone cutting master. Then, he drew a line on the raw stone and had the master begin cutting.

Amidst the "sizzling" mechanical sound, everyone present waited with solemn expressions for the result of this cut. At this moment, Chu Chen noticed that the stone cutting machine on the east side had stopped. The owner of that raw stone was looking dejectedly at the cut surface of his raw stone, and by all indications, he had lost the gamble.