After a fierce exchange, the final bid settled at 1.05 million yuan, offered by Qian Yiyou. Zhang Xinghui was somewhat unwilling to accept it, but if he raised the bid any further, there would not be much profit left for him, so hesitation showed on his face.
Among those present, they were not the only two who could afford this piece of jade rough. However, the others were not as capable as they were. A few had made bids earlier, but once the price reached one million, they had all thrown in the towel.
Chu Chen was already quite satisfied with the 1.05-million-yuan price. The price given by his supernatural ability was only around one million. Just as he was about to make the final decision, a familiar voice suddenly came from outside the crowd.
"Wait. I'll offer 1.1 million."
Chu Chen followed the voice and saw a chubby, kindly-looking old man squeezing through the crowd with a middle-aged man.
Chu Chen was familiar with both of them. The old man was Lu Changshun, the owner of Juyuan Pavilion. Despite his amiable appearance, he was highly skilled at doing business; otherwise, Juyuan Pavilion's business would not have been so good. The other man was Zhao Qirui, who had gone with him to search the old residence a few days ago. He had made the bid just now.
Seeing that it was the two of them, Chu Chen hurriedly greeted them. "So it's Manager Zhao and Boss Lu. What a pleasure to meet you!"
Zhao Qirui smiled and shook his hand. "I used to think you were only skilled in ancient porcelain. I didn't expect you to be so capable at gambling on stones, too. How about transferring this piece of jade to me?"
Chu Chen replied hesitantly, "Manager Zhao, you flatter me. I was merely lucky. As for the jade..." As he spoke, he looked toward Qian Yiyou.
Qian Yiyou had been somewhat annoyed when he first heard the bid, but once he saw that the bidder was Zhao Qirui, a billionaire, his anger vanished. Aside from Zhao's financial strength, he was also one of Qian's patrons. Moreover, if the price exceeded 1.1 million, he would basically have no profit left. He had no choice but to agree.
"Since Manager Zhao likes it, I'll let you have it."
However, the smile on his face looked rather stiff.
Zhang Xinghui had even less reason to object. He had already been hesitating earlier, and now that he saw his old rival take a loss, the schadenfreude on his face was obvious.
Zhao Qirui also vaguely remembered Qian Yiyou. After thinking for a moment, he finally recalled who he was and smiled. "You're Boss Qian from Qian's, right? I won't let you suffer a loss. In a few days, I'll introduce two clients to you."
Qian Yiyou was overjoyed and repeatedly thanked him. It was truly a case of losing something in one place and gaining something in another. Compared with the importance of those clients, this modest piece of glass-jadeite was nothing. For a moment, everyone was delighted—except Zhang Xinghui, who wore a mournful expression. How could he possibly be happy when his old rival had gained new clients?
Since Qian Yiyou had agreed, Chu Chen was naturally happy to sell the jade to Zhao Qirui. Besides, he was extremely satisfied with the price, which was 100,000 yuan more than his previous estimate.
Seeing that the deal was settled, Zhao Qirui was also delighted. He said to Chu Chen, "It's mealtime already. To save us the trouble, Little Chu, why don't we go eat together? We can transfer the money afterward. There's also something I'd like to ask you for help with."
Chu Chen readily agreed. "Manager Zhao, you're too polite. There's no need to worry about whether it's troublesome. If it's within my capabilities, I'll certainly handle it for you. And next time, if you don't mind, just call me Little Chu."
Lu Changshun cut in from the side. "Now it's my turn to speak. Little Chu, you don't mind me calling you that, do you?"
After Chu Chen indicated that he did not mind, Lu Changshun continued, "You found glass-jadeite. Should we set off some firecrackers?"
Chu Chen hurriedly waved his hands. "There's no need for that. Besides, this piece of jade isn't very large."
When a shop owner found high-quality jade, they would usually ask the owner of the jade before setting off firecrackers. Some people might not want too much publicity and would choose not to do it. Of course, that was somewhat like trying to hide one's ears while stealing a bell. The jadeite trade was not that large, and the slightest stir would spread in the blink of an eye.
Lu Changshun did not mind. After all, this bright-green glass-jadeite was not particularly valuable. It made little difference whether they set off firecrackers or not. If it had been worth more than five million yuan, he would have gone straight to set them off, and customers generally would not have minded such a thing.
However, if the purchase price of the rough material was included, the difference was a thousandfold. What other business could be so profitable? Yet compared with the young man's complete failure earlier, this also showed the essence of gambling on stones: one cut could make a person rich, while another could leave them penniless.
Before leaving, Chu Chen apologized to Liu Zhiqing. After all, he had also witnessed everything today. Chu Chen had originally intended to treat him to a meal, but under the circumstances, he could only arrange to meet him another time.
After Chu Chen left, the crowd immediately began discussing what had happened. A piece of rough material that nobody had thought highly of had skyrocketed in value in an instant and produced glass-jadeite. The impact was undoubtedly shocking to everyone present who gambled on stones.
Some people even forgot about eating and rushed straight to the thousand-yuan section to pick out jadeite they liked. Leading them was the very person who had leaped out like a clown when Chu Chen had been cutting the stone earlier.
Chu Chen was familiar with the place Zhao Qirui had chosen for the meal. It was the private restaurant where Zhao had treated him two days before.
Seeing that Chu Chen seemed familiar with the place, Zhao Qirui asked, "Little Chu, have you been here before?"
When Lu Changshun saw Chu Chen nod, he smiled. "Little Chu, you didn't know? This private restaurant is actually one of Manager Zhao's businesses. The head chef used to serve government leaders."
Hearing this, Chu Chen said in surprise, "No wonder the dishes here are so delicious. Manager Zhao, you really spared no expense."
Zhao Qirui laughed heartily. "What expense? It's just a small venture."
Chu Chen thought, It may be a small venture to you, but to people like us, it's a major undertaking. At the thought, the smugness he had felt after earning more than a million yuan instantly faded. The road ahead is long and arduous.
When everyone entered the restaurant, the lobby manager spotted Zhao Qirui at once and hurried over. "Manager Zhao, you're here. We've prepared your private room. Shall I take you there now?"
"All right. Everyone's here, so lead the way."
Zhao Qirui waved his hand grandly, and everyone followed the manager to an antique-style room. Once inside, Chu Chen could not help sighing inwardly. The place was truly full of charm.
The room resembled Zhu Dafu's reception room, but it had its own distinct style. Zhu Dafu's reception room was suited to tea and philosophical discussions, while this one was better for drinking and merrymaking. Yet both possessed a unique natural charm, and dining here could be considered one of life's pleasures.
After everyone took their seats, Zhao Qirui noticed Chu Chen's intoxicated expression and smiled. "Little Chu, is there anything you don't eat?"
Chu Chen replied self-deprecatingly, "I grew up in a mountainous area. Sometimes we couldn't even get enough to eat. What could I possibly be picky about?"
Zhao Qirui instructed the servers to bring out the dishes, then asked with some interest, "Little Chu, I've never known where you're from."
"Heh, I'm from the Shunde Mountain Area in Yan Province."
"Oh? Your accent doesn't give that away at all. Then how did you become Old Wu's nephew?" Zhao Qirui asked thoughtfully.
Chu Chen smiled. "It's nothing complicated. My father was from the capital. When he was young, he and Uncle Wu were as close as brothers. However, my family had a problematic class background at the time, so we were sent down there."
There were only four people at the table. The fourth was Zhao Qirui's bodyguard and driver, so they had ordered only four dishes and one soup. Since the food was served quickly, everything was already on the table by the time Chu Chen finished speaking.
After hearing Chu Chen's explanation, Zhao Qirui seemed somewhat disappointed. "I see. All right, let's eat first. We'll discuss the matter I need your help with after the meal."
Only then did Chu Chen turn his attention to the four dishes and one soup on the table. At a glance, he could tell that none of them were ordinary. Not to mention the taste, their appearance alone was already a feast for the eyes, while their fragrance filled the air.
The dishes Chu Chen had tasted here the previous few times had already been superb in color, aroma, and flavor. Yet the color and fragrance of these four dishes and one soup were even better than before. The taste would surely be extraordinary as well.
Seeing Chu Chen's eager expression, Lu Changshun smiled. "Little Chu, today we're benefiting from Manager Zhao's hospitality. These dishes were personally prepared by Chef Niu, who used to cook for government leaders. Ordinary people don't get to eat them."
Chu Chen suddenly understood. "No wonder, apart from the Jiuzhuan Dachang, I've never seen any of these dishes on the menu. Aside from what should be the renowned Kaisui Baicai in the middle, I don't even know the names of the other three dishes. I really am rather ignorant."
Zhao Qirui laughed. "There's no harm in not knowing. You'll know after tasting them, won't you? Come, let our well-informed Boss Lu introduce them to you."
Lu Changshun first humbly replied, "Manager Zhao, you flatter me. I've merely lived a few years longer than everyone else. I'm hardly well-informed. If I say anything wrong, I hope you'll all forgive me."
Then he continued, "No matter how famous a dish is, we have to taste it before we can form an impression. We'll eat and talk as we go, and I'm sure everyone will remember them more clearly. Come, let's start with this one."
The dish Lu Changshun pointed to appeared to be a vegetarian dish. It contained many ingredients, yet they were arranged in distinct layers and orderly fashion. The knife work was even more impressive: every piece was identical in size and uniform in thickness. At a glance, it was clear that the chef possessed tremendous skill. The entire dish was a feast for the eyes, making Chu Chen almost reluctant to eat it.
After inviting Zhao Qirui to take the first bite, Chu Chen picked up a morsel. Just as he brought it to his lips, its fragrance rushed into his nose. The instant he placed it in his mouth, before he had even begun chewing, a fresh, delicate aroma surged straight into his mind.
Before you continue