Falling Behind

After choosing the rough stones, Chu Chen paid for them as they had agreed. Delun also gave Chu Chen a substantial discount, just as promised. The two rough stones had a market value of roughly RMB 500,000, but Delun charged him only RMB 200,000.

As for the rough stone that was like a stepping stone, Delun simply waved his hand and said he would give it to Chu Chen. Of course, the two conducted their transaction in U.S. dollars.

Chu Chen did not agree to accept Delun's gift and still paid him a token amount. He was being cautious because wealth could tempt the heart. If the jade was cut out and Delun later tried to go back on his word, it would be difficult to deal with.

Although Xu Youhai was there and the likelihood of that happening was small, there was an old saying: one must not harbor the intention of harming others, but one must always guard against others. Chu Chen felt it was better to take precautions in advance.

Actually, Delun was not being excessively generous. He had acted this way because he wanted to do Xu Youhai a favor. He did not want to be blamed if Chu Chen lost later, so this was also a way of paying to avoid trouble. Besides, these rough stones had all been mined from his family's mines, so their cost was minimal. Naturally, he did not mind using them to win favor.

After everyone enjoyed the sumptuous lunch arranged by Delun, they walked together into the courtyard. Two stone-cutting machines and some equipment for rubbing stones had already been set up there.

However, one thing left Chu Chen utterly speechless. When they reached the stone-cutting machines and set down the rough stones they were using for the wager,