Crazy Stone

"Boss, how should we cut it?" asked the worker.

Ye Fei picked up a chalk and drew a line on the wool material, slightly off the stone heart and aligned with the edge of the jade in the middle.

After finishing the line, Ye Fei smiled and said, "Let's start cutting. If there is jade, we will make a fortune. If not, we'll take it as a lesson learned."

At this moment, General Meng had already caught up and said with a smile, "Little brother, you have a great attitude! I happened to have some free time, so I came over to join in the fun. I hope you don't mind."

Ye Fei knew that General Meng must have had ulterior motives, but as long as he didn't make it clear, he would pretend not to know and watch what he was up to. As for being praised for having a good attitude, that was nonsense. He wasn't in a good mood, but he was sure that there was jade in this wool material, so he remained calm.

The worker moved the wool material onto the stone cutting machine and aimed the blade at the line Ye Fei drew. Looking up, he asked, "Boss, are you ready? I'll turn on the machine now."

"Go ahead!" Ye Fei said decisively.

General Meng saw this confident demeanor and thought that it was a display of not caring about money. It seemed that he had chosen the right target as this young man was indeed wealthy.

The machine started, and the gears contacted the wool material, making a clattering sound. Stone chips flew everywhere. Ye Fei stepped back a few steps to avoid getting them in his eyes.

"It's changed, it's changed, it's green!" someone suddenly shouted in the crowd, attracting the attention and excitement of those around.

At the same time, some jade merchants desperately squeezed forward to see the quality of the jade. These people usually hung around the Lido Gambling Stone Company, waiting for the opportunity to buy jade.

As the jade market continued to rise, many people could not even buy raw materials with money, so the gambling stone company became their gathering place.

Fatty Liang smiled until his eyes became slits. He didn't expect that a young man he knew would actually gamble on jade. Perhaps he had a chance to buy it from him. Thinking of this, Fatty Liang squeezed forward with his big belly.

The security guards who received the news also rushed over and pulled ropes to stop the crowd from getting too close to prevent any danger or accidents, as the responsibility would be great.

The stone cutter turned off the machine, took out clean water, and washed the half of the wool material that revealed the green color. His eyes were filled with excitement.

For them, being able to personally cut the jade was a happy thing, and it also determined their future. Those who gambled on stones were very superstitious. A stone cutter who could cut jade would often be appointed by old customers, and their salary and bonuses would be greatly increased.

The stone cutter washed the wool material and handed it to Ye Fei, saying, "Boss, you're really lucky. If we went a little further, the jade would have been destroyed."

Ye Fei looked at the wool material in his hand and smiled, "This is my first time gambling on a stone, so having good luck should be expected."

Seeing the jade being cut out as he had expected, Ye Fei breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that his eyes would be attracted by the aura hidden in the jade, causing the jade to be destroyed and becoming worthless. But now he didn't have to worry anymore.

General Meng stood beside Ye Fei and carefully observed the jade in the wool material. He praised, "The water head is good, and the color is correct. This is good material. Little brother, you've made it big. You're really lucky!"

Thinking of this wool material he had helped to bargain for, General Meng felt some regret. If he had known there was jade inside, it would have been better. But this was also good. This kid would definitely sell the jade after gambling it out, and with the money, it would be more convenient for him.

At this moment, someone in the crowd shouted, "Friend, I'll buy this piece for 100,000 yuan."

"Fifteen thousand, I'll pay 150,000!"

"I'll pay 200,000. Sell it to me!"

Ye Fei looked puzzled and asked, "What are they doing? I haven't finished yet."

Mr. Meng smiled and said, "Even though you've uncovered the green, it's not completely revealed. No one knows how much jadeite is inside and there is a certain risk involved. Some people, to avoid the risk, sell it when they see something good."

At this moment, someone in the crowd shouted, "Zhang, it's me, Fat Liang!"

"Liang, let him come up. He's my friend," Ye Fei said.

Upon hearing Ye Fei's words, Mr. Meng's expression turned gloomy. Wasn't he a newcomer? How did he become friends with Fat Liang?

Fat Liang wiped his sweat and walked up, giving Ye Fei a thumbs-up and said, "Impressive, little brother. You uncovered jadeite on your first attempt."

"Liang, I thought you didn't gamble on stones. Why did you join in the fun?" Ye Fei asked curiously.

Fat Liang smiled and said, "I don't gamble on completely uncertain stones, but I occasionally take a look at these semi-gambling stones. Little brother, are you going to continue uncovering?"

Ye Fei decisively replied, "Of course I will. This is my first time gambling on stones, and I must uncover all of it. Even if I fail, I'll accept it. And today, my luck is so good, it won't fail."

"Good, little brother is courageous. If you don't mind, let me help you uncover it!" Fat Liang said.

Ye Fei asked in surprise, "Liang, you can also uncover stones?"

"Little brother, as I've told you before, since gambling on stones became popular in the capital, I've been playing with jadeite. Uncovering stones is not a problem for me. I see great potential in this piece of material. If I accidentally cut it wrong, the loss would be significant, wasting a good piece of material," Fat Liang explained.

Regardless of who uncovers the jadeite, Ye Fei doesn't mind. Upon hearing Fat Liang's words, Ye Fei agreed, "Liang, please do me the favor then."

Fat Liang smiled and said to the stone-cutting worker nearby, "Give me a hand and lift the rough stone up."

The stone-cutting worker nodded. Although he regretted not being able to personally uncover the jadeite, he had to obey as Fat Liang was the boss.

Seeing Fat Liang going up, many people thought that Ye Fei was going to sell it. Some shook their heads with regret. Little did they know, Ye Fei refused once again. As the stone was placed back on the table, everyone quieted down and waited patiently.

As long as it wasn't sold, there was still a chance. As for the friendship between Fat Liang and Ye Fei, it was none of their business.

For the sake of money, couples can turn against each other, as can fathers and sons, let alone friends!

Everyone calmed down and watched as the rough stone was being cut open.

Wang Jun, an experienced hand, wiped the surface of the cut with a cloth, rubbed about two to three centimeters inward, but didn't see any jadeite. He gestured and then made a line at one-third of the way inside.

Ye Fei asked curiously, "Liang, why cut here?"

It's understandable that Ye Fei was confused. This spot was still one-third away from where the jadeite would typically appear. Cutting here wouldn't reveal any jadeite.

Fat Liang explained, "We can't cut too deep at once, or the jadeite will be split in half, resulting in a significant loss. We have to gradually cut inward. Although it takes more time, the loss will be smaller."

Ye Fei initially wanted to say that Fat Liang didn't need to bother because there was no jadeite here. But then he thought, forget it. He already said to let Fat Liang do it, so let him try. If he fails, I'll step in.

Fat Liang was also a straightforward person. After drawing the line, he immediately started the machine and began cutting.

A piece of stone fell out from the cut, empty and devoid of jadeite.

"It failed. Ah, it's ruined," someone sighed.

The crowd began discussing, some sighing, some gloating, and others eager to try.

Someone below shouted, "Little brother, don't uncover anymore. I'll buy it for 30,000 yuan, how about that?"

"Brother, you're getting a bargain. With just that cut, it should be worth at least 40,000 yuan. Little brother, sell it to me for 40,000 yuan," another person said.

Fat Liang looked back at Ye Fei, and without hesitation, Ye Fei said, "Liang, keep uncovering. Cut as much as before."

Fat Liang also being an open-minded person, rearranged the rough stone, fixed its position, and once again started the machine, cutting into it.

Everyone's attention was fixed on the gears. If they didn't see green again, the price of this rough stone would drop further. It was highly likely that there was only a small amount of jadeite in the entire rough stone, which Ye Fei had just uncovered. Such a thing had happened before.

Life and death depended on this cut.

Mr. Meng nervously wiped his sweat, and Fat Liang was even more anxious. If it really failed, he would be miserable. Even if Ye Fei didn't say anything, rumors would spread.

Just as Fat Liang was lost in his thoughts, suddenly someone shouted, "Jadeite has appeared! The price is rising again! It's truly amazing."

Everyone saw the emergence of this piece of jadeite, and they all knew it wouldn't come cheap. Some people started to regret. If they had known at the beginning, they would've paid a little more to buy it. However, they failed to realize that even if they paid more, Ye Fei wouldn't have been willing to sell.

Fat Liang breathed a sigh of relief. After all, the rough stone wasn't ruined in his hands. He continued cutting the jadeite. With the roar of the machine, he finally stopped it, took out the jadeite, and started using tools to polish it until it became the size of a fist. He stopped, wiped the sweat from his forehead, picked up the jadeite, placed it on the table, and carefully examined it with a flashlight.

Then he smiled and said to Ye Fei, "Zhang, it's about ready. The water content is excellent, with minimal impurities. The texture is as pure as egg white, and the color is even. It's excellent material for making a jade bracelet. To sell or keep it, it's up to you."

For a moment, Ye Fei was stunned, thinking, Big brother, you should at least give me a price. How can I sell it otherwise? Wasn't it you who wanted to buy jadeite from the start? Now that the jadeite is uncovered, why aren't you giving a price?

"Little brother, one million, I'll pay right away, sell it to me, alright?" A short and chubby middle-aged man stepped forward.

"Old Xu, you already have a lot of jade in your shop. Little brother, I'll offer one hundred and ten thousand." Another middle-aged man spoke up.

Upon hearing their conversation, many people around began to offer prices. Soon, the price of the jade had risen to 1.4 million yuan.

Internally, Ye Fei was excited. A profit of forty times the original price, no wonder so many people gamble on stones. It turned out that there really was a chance to get rich overnight.

At this moment, Liang Pangzi, who had been silent all along, wiped his sweat and said, "Brother, how about 1.5 million yuan?"

"Liang Ge, what's going on?" Ye Fei pretended to be surprised and asked.

Liang Pangzi smiled and said, "Brother, you should understand that Big Brother came for this piece of jade from the beginning. Friendship is one thing, but business is business! There aren't many good items in my store, and I really need to purchase some jade. If you think the price is right, then sell it to me."

At this point, the short and fat man known as Lao Xu said, "1.6 million yuan, young man. Friendship is one thing, but you can't hesitate over a few thousand yuan. Sell to whoever offers the highest price. There's no need to hesitate."

Liang Pangzi frowned and said, "1.65 million yuan, brother. Big Brother is already struggling to come up with that much. I need to leave some profit for him!"

Before anyone else could speak, Ye Fei announced, "No problem, I'll sell it to Liang Ge."

Ye Fei wouldn't hesitate. He would sell to the highest bidder. But he also knew that he would have more opportunities to acquire jade in the future, and he needed a long-term partner. The price didn't necessarily have to be much higher, stability was more important, so as not to be unable to find a buyer after cutting the jade. As a newcomer, he still had a lot to learn, and needed someone to guide him. As for not making a profit, Ye Fei absolutely didn't believe that. It was just that this piece of rough jade seemed to be worth only this much, and there wasn't much room for it to rise in value.

Liang Pangzi was a passionate person. Regardless of whether their relationship was genuine or not, as long as it could benefit himself, that was good enough. As for losing a few thousand yuan in price, Ye Fei didn't care at all. He had long stopped caring about such small profits.

Upon hearing Ye Fei's answer, Liang Pangzi smiled with satisfaction. "Brother is sensible. Brother, do you want cash or bank transfer?"

Ye Fei held the jade and said, "Bank transfer. Once the money is in my account, I'll be at ease."

As for Meng Zong being ignored by the two of them, Ye Fei didn't feel disappointed. 1.65 million yuan, this kid had just made so much money in one go. But he wasn't in a hurry. This money would eventually be his.