Complete Failure

After using his ability, Chu Chen's first action was to tighten his grip on the rough stone in his hand. Then, with a faint smile, he prepared to head to the counter to pay for it.

At the same time, a young man in his early twenties rushed over, heading straight for the black tungsten sand in the ten-thousand-yuan section that Chu Chen had just abandoned. Seeing that the rough stone was still there, the young man was ecstatic. He immediately picked it up and dashed to the counter, beating Chu Chen to it and purchasing the stone first.

Watching this scene, Chu Chen shook his head and chuckled, thinking, Is there any need to be in such a hurry? If this rough stone were really that exceptional, would it still be sitting there waiting for you to buy it?

After his musings, Chu Chen paid no mind to the other man. After settling his own bill, he took his rough stone back to the backyard, preparing to cut it open on the stone cutting machine.

Perhaps the rough stone had been sitting for a long time. During checkout, Chu Chen haggled for a few minutes and managed to knock off another hundred yuan, putting him in a great mood. Furthermore, when he paid, no one around seemed to have high hopes for the stone. He wondered what expressions they would have if it turned out to be a big win later.

Thinking of this, Chu Chen felt incredibly happy, relishing the feeling of his own joy stemming from others' disappointment.

As soon as he entered the backyard, he ran into Liu Zhiqing, who was preparing to leave. Seeing the rough stone in Chu Chen's hand, Liu Zhiqing frowned and asked, "Isn't that the one with the fly dung blemish that's been sitting here for ages? Why did you choose this rough stone?"

Chu Chen didn't answer immediately. Instead, he handed the rough stone to Liu Zhiqing and pointed to the python pattern, saying, "Brother Liu, look here, and you'll understand why I chose it."

Liu Zhiqing took the rough stone. He didn't see it clearly at first, but upon bringing it closer, he exclaimed in surprise, "A single-stroke python pattern! And it's a single-stroke python pattern on the edge of a pine flower patch!"

In reality, many people are not very familiar with the patterns on stones. They look for python patterns but are still searching for python patterns. Identifying a python pattern requires careful and patient observation and exploration over a long period to recognize it at a glance.

A single-stroke python pattern is one of the most difficult types to observe, especially the one on this rough stone, which is very faint. It can be said that the vast majority of people would not notice it. Of course, if it weren't so hard to find, it wouldn't have been left here for so long without anyone taking interest.

"Although this greatly increases the possibility of this rough stone yielding a high-quality green, aren't you afraid of it being ruined by the fly dung blemish?"

Chu Chen smiled and said, "Brother Liu, take another look at the location of the fly dung blemish."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhiqing immediately observed it again. Then, he slapped his thigh and said, "Hey, the fly dung blemish is only on the patch of green. Alright, this stone is worth gambling on, and it's likely to be a big win. Little Chu, your eyesight is indeed good, and your mind works fast."

Chu Chen waved his hand modestly, saying, "It's just my good luck. I happened to see this single-stroke python pattern, and that's what made me think of it."

"Alright, alright, Little Chu, don't be so modest. If you didn't have good eyesight, how could you have found such an inconspicuous spot? Let's hurry, I can't wait to know the result." As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Zhiqing pulled Chu Chen towards the stone cutting machine. Anyone who didn't know better would think the rough stone belonged to him.

Since two other people were waiting to have their stones cut, it would take a while for Chu Chen's turn. The young man from earlier had already secured a spot and was starting to cut his stone.

The young man initially chose not to cut the stone but to rub it. Rubbing is a common practice in the stone gambling industry. It involves using a tool to rub off a layer of the outer skin in areas where green is likely to appear, making it easier to observe. This method has one advantage over cutting: it's safer.

After all, as Chu Chen experienced yesterday with the brick material, if one is not careful and cuts it wrong, the loss can be significant. Why didn't he choose to rub the stone yesterday? Because it was brick material. Being careful with the cut was understandable. If he had chosen to rub it, it would have been too exaggerated. Did he know beforehand that there was jade inside?

"It revealed green!"

After only a short while, the young man let out a cheer, looking ecstatic. The people nearby heard his shout and gathered around.

It must be said that this young man was indeed quite lucky. The spot he chose was precisely where a sleeping blemish was located. As soon as a small part of the rough stone's outer skin was rubbed off, green appeared. Although the color was good, when examined with a flashlight, the clarity (water head) was a bit short. This is a common characteristic of rough stones from Mowanjie.

"Sir, I'll offer eighty thousand. How about selling this rough stone to me?" a voice called out from the crowd.

Chu Chen turned his head and saw a familiar face – the elder who had traded with Liu Zhiqing yesterday, the owner of Qian Ji Jewelry Store, Qian Yiyou.

"It's strange, this Boss Qian. Why do we always run into him whenever a stone shows a profit?"

Liu Zhiqing smiled faintly and replied, "For those in the jade business, raw materials are a major issue. Lower and mid-grade materials are easier to come by, but high-grade ones are harder to find. Boss Qian's Qian Ji Jewelry is quite well-known in Beijing, so he has to keep a close eye on the market, striving not to miss any high-grade or mid-grade stones."

Chu Chen nodded in understanding, sighing inwardly that no one has it easy. For these big bosses, despite their outward success, who knows how much sweat they've poured into achieving their current status.

At this moment, Qian Yiyou squeezed through the crowd. Seeing Liu Zhiqing nearby, he greeted him warmly and then waited for the young man's reply.

The price of this rough stone was sixty thousand yuan. Chu Chen guessed that given the young man's hurried demeanor, he probably didn't even haggle. Earning twenty thousand in just a few minutes should be quite good. However, judging by the young man's conflicted expression, he was unwilling to part with it. He also recognized Qian Yiyou and said to him, "Boss Qian, I'm sorry, but I choose to continue rubbing."

When a jade rough stone is first chosen for rubbing, if the results are satisfactory, the owner can choose to continue rubbing or sell it immediately. Conversely, they can only continue rubbing or choose to cut the stone.

This time, the young man chose to rub the stone on the other side. Chu Chen's lips curved slightly as he watched. Seeing this, Liu Zhiqing quietly asked, "What? Is there something wrong with this black tungsten sand?"

Chu Chen smiled faintly and said, "I looked at this rough stone before. Although it looks good, there are still some minor issues. I can't say for sure what the result will be. Brother Liu, you'll know when you see it."

The machine continued to turn, and the sand skin on the rough stone was gradually peeled away by the grinding wheel. At first, it looked the same as the previous section, and the young man's face was filled with a triumphant smile. But reality can change in an instant. Immediately after, the smile froze on his face.

"It revealed a blemish!" the crowd exclaimed in an uproar.

At this point, a black blemish appeared on the green color revealed on the rough stone, like an ugly scar on an originally beautiful face. Correspondingly, the value of such jade would plummet. If the interior was also like this, it would be a complete failure.

Seeing Liu Zhiqing looking at him in astonishment, Chu Chen quietly explained, "I was quite optimistic about this black tungsten sand before, but I later discovered that hidden within those sleeping blemishes were straight blemishes. And only the side he initially rubbed was free of them. If he had sold it just now, he could have still made a little profit. Now..."

After hearing Chu Chen's explanation, Liu Zhiqing nodded in understanding but didn't say much, merely patting his shoulder in praise.

The young man examined the rough stone and lowered his head dejectedly, lost in thought. After a while, he looked up and said to Qian Yiyou with a smile, "Boss Qian, are you still interested in this rough stone? I'll sell it for just sixty thousand."

Qian Yiyou looked at the young man's hopeful eyes, feeling speechless inwardly. Do I look like a sucker? he thought. However, out of a businessman's desire for harmonious wealth, he replied kindly, "I'm truly sorry, sir. This rough stone no longer meets our company's acquisition requirements."

Qian Yiyou's response was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the young man. He looked around in despair. However, with this kind of performance, no one would be willing to take the rough stone now.

At this point, the young man's forehead was covered in cold sweat. After waiting for a while and seeing that no one was taking it, he gritted his teeth and said to the stone cutting master, "Cut it. Cut it all open for me."

In this situation, the stone cutting master couldn't say much and could only silently continue cutting. However, the result was not beyond Chu Chen's expectations; instead, it was like adding insult to injury for the young man.

As the rough stone was cut open, the interior jade was not intact at all. There were either large patches of black blemishes or small, scattered black blemishes, completely covering the entire piece of jade.

The only area without a blemish was the spot where the stone was initially polished. However, that piece of jade was only a thin layer and very small, completely lacking any value for utilization. All of this meant that this rough stone of black tungsten sand, a gamble on stones, was a complete failure. This also reflected the "nature" of black tungsten sand: either a huge win or a complete failure.

"How is this possible? How is this possible!"

The young man squatted on the ground, constantly looking through the pile of worthless jade. He had lost all his spirit. Finally, perhaps accepting this reality, he stood up, his face blank, and walked out step by step with stiff movements.

Seeing this, the onlookers couldn't help but sigh inwardly. The world of gambling on stones was just this realistic. Since there are wins, there must also be losses. People often only see the winning side, selectively ignoring those who lose their fortunes.

The young man's experience was not an isolated case. Not to mention anyone else, Liu Zhiqing, who was standing next to Chu Chen, was a prime example. His previous experience could be said to be much more tragic than the young man's. Chu Chen could only silently bless the young man, hoping he could overcome the shadow of this complete failure.