A knife is poor, a knife is rich, and a knife wears linen.

Standing beside Ye Fei was a middle-aged chubby man who couldn't help but burst out laughing when he saw Ye Fei's serious expression while looking at the jadeite rough stone.

"Brother, is this your first time gambling on stones?" The talkative man asked when Ye Fei didn't say anything.

"How do you know?" Ye Fei asked in surprise.

The chubby man squatted down and pointed to the jadeite rough stone, "Brother, I'm not guessing, just look at this rough stone. It looks ordinary, with a dull color and no particularly bright spots, and such a large piece is likely to be leftover inferior material from someone else. Experienced gamblers wouldn't choose such a rough stone, they prefer to gamble on smaller and more delicate materials. To see if jadeite can be carved out of it, it depends not on the size of the raw material, but on its external characteristics."

After listening, Ye Fei asked with a blank expression, "Does that mean I wasted my money?"

"Little brother, it's not that you wasted your money, but you chose the wrong raw stone. Even if the price is a bit high, as long as jadeite can be carved out of it, there is still a chance to make a profit. But choosing the wrong raw stone is just throwing money away. By the way, how much did you spend on this raw stone?" The chubby man asked.

Ye Fei replied unabashedly, "30,000 yuan. It's my first time gambling on stones and I don't really understand. If I had known, I would have haggled for a better price!"

Chubby was surprised and said, "30,000 yuan is not bad. You're lucky not to be ripped off too badly. Strange thing is, when most newcomers come here, they would be taken advantage of, unlike now!" Seeing Ye Fei's puzzled face, Chubby added, "Little brother, if this raw stone was in Myanmar, it might only be worth a few hundred yuan per pound. Once it enters the Chinese border, the price rises to 10,000 yuan. Plus shipping and other fees, the cost of sending it to Beijing is at least 15,000 or 16,000 yuan. With more and more people participating in gambling on stones, the market price has been soaring. Buying it for 30,000 yuan is actually very lucky. Of course, the price is also related to the poor external characteristics of this raw stone. Otherwise, they might charge 100,000 or even 200,000 yuan for it."

Ye Fei almost exclaimed, thinking that the profits in this business were too high. He had put in twice the effort but ended up giving others a discount? Gambling on stones was really a lucrative business! He thought of those seemingly insignificant stones in the warehouse that could be sold for 100,000 or even 200,000 yuan, and couldn't help but shudder. No wonder people say that those who gamble on stones are crazy!

"Hello, my name is Ye Fei. It's my first time trying to gamble on stones. Please teach me." Ye Fei greeted Chubby, who was enthusiastic.

"You can call me Chubby Liang. Everyone calls me that. Actually, I'm a novice too!" Chubby Liang replied with a smile.

Ye Fei looked at Chubby Liang in confusion.

"I only look but don't buy, or rather, I haven't seen a jadeite raw stone that I would easily buy," Chubby Liang explained.

"Are you in the jewelry industry?" Ye Fei asked.

Chubby Liang shook his head and said with a smile, "Not really. I just run a small shop that barely makes ends meet. I often come here to take a look. If someone solves a jadeite raw stone and wants to sell it, I will buy some."

"Chubby Liang, isn't this way reducing your profits? Why don't you participate in gambling on stones personally? If you solve the jadeite, won't you make more money?" Ye Fei asked.

Chubby Liang shook his head and said, "Just call me Chubby Liang. I'm not used to being called boss. I dare not gamble. You know the rules of gambling on stones. One knife can make you rich, one knife can make you poor, and one knife can even break the hemp bag. This kind of excitement is not good for my heart. Let's not talk about that. Brother, what do you usually do for a living? Why did you suddenly become interested in gambling on stones?"

Ye Fei smiled and thought that Chubby Liang was interesting. "I used to work in express delivery, but later felt that the future was uncertain, so I resigned. Coincidentally, a friend mentioned this place to me, so I came here to take a look. Oh, that guy over there is gesturing. Why hasn't he started solving the stone yet?"

Asking questions when you don't understand has always been Ye Fei's principle of dealing with things. He felt that it wasn't embarrassing at all, compared to pretending to be knowledgeable and being exposed. After all, he was a novice, and he preferred to be honest about his shortcomings. Gambling on stones was a business that made money, but he almost couldn't believe that stones which seemed insignificant could be sold for 100,000 or even 200,000 yuan.

Ye Fei almost couldn't help but sigh. He thought to himself, "The profit in this business is just too high. I put in double the effort, only to end up giving others a discount in the end? Gemstone gambling really is a lucrative business!" He couldn't help but shiver at the thought that those seemingly inconspicuous stones in the warehouse could be sold for tens or even hundreds of thousands. No wonder people say that those who gamble on stones are all crazy!

"Hello, my name is Ye Fei. This is my first time trying gemstone gambling. Please give me some guidance." Ye Fei took the initiative to greet the chubby man warmly.

The chubby man smiled and said, "You can just call me Fatty Liang. That's what everyone calls me. Actually, I'm also a beginner at this!"

Ye Fei looked at Fatty Liang with puzzled thoughts.

"I only look and don't buy. Or rather, I haven't seen the raw jadeite stone, so I won't easily make a move," Fatty Liang explained.

Suddenly, Ye Fei understood, "Are you in the jewelry industry?"

Fatty Liang shook his head with a smile, "Not exactly. I just run a small shop to make ends meet. I often come here. If someone manages to carve out jadeite and wants to sell it, I will buy some."

"Fatty Liang, wouldn't this mean much less profit? Why don't you personally participate in gemstone gambling? If you carve out jadeite, wouldn't you earn more?" Ye Fei asked.

Fatty Liang shook his head and said, "Just call me Fatty Liang. I'm not used to being called 'boss'. I dare not gamble. You know the rules of gemstone gambling—each cut may bring wealth or ruin. Such excitement isn't good for my heart. But let's not talk about this. Brother, what do you usually do? Why the sudden interest in gemstone gambling?"

Ye Fei smiled and found Fatty Liang quite interesting. He said, "I used to work in express delivery, but I felt uncertain about the future, so I quit. Coincidentally, a friend mentioned this place to me, so I came to take a look. By the way, why hasn't that person over there started carving the stone yet?"

Asking when in doubt had always been Ye Fei's principle. He didn't think it was embarrassing at all. Rather than pretending to know and being exposed, he preferred to honestly acknowledge his shortcomings. After all, he was a beginner, and pretending to be knowledgeable would only make others look down on him.

Fatty Liang smiled and said, "He's considering how to make his move. Experienced people usually choose a position to open a window. If they see a green mineral vein, they will carve along the direction of the vein to maintain the original shape of the stone. This is beneficial for the craftsmen, and if made into jewelry, the price will be higher. If no green is seen, or if the stone is too large, they will take other measures, such as cutting along a certain route to see what's inside. After all, with jadeite, you can only know if there's jadeite inside after it's carved. That's why it's called gemstone gambling."

After listening to Fatty Liang's explanation, Ye Fei looked down at his own piece of stone and had an idea. After confirming the position of the jadeite, he decided to make his cut there to avoid wasting time and resources.

Fatty Liang watched Ye Fei make his move and smiled. He didn't think the stone was worth much, but as long as it remained uncarved, there was hope. After all, over the years, he had seen stones that no one had high hopes for ultimately reveal jadeite.

After finding the right spot, Ye Fei looked up and coincidentally saw Fatty Liang smiling.

"Liang, sorry, it's my first time gambling on stones, so I'm a bit nervous," Ye Fei said.

Liang, chuckling, replied, "No worries. I'm a few years older than you, just call me Brother Liang. Don't keep calling me boss, I can't stand it!"

Ye Fei readily accepted Brother Liang's invitation, but he wouldn't underestimate him. After all, someone who could buy half-processed and processed jadeite was no ordinary character. Besides, they were in the capital city, where it's well known that without reaching the upper echelons, you won't know about the officials, and without going to the wealthy areas, you won't know about the lack of money. Brother Liang owned a jewelry store in the capital, so he definitely had several million or even more in funds. Making friends with such a person would certainly be helpful for entering the jade gambling industry.

"Brother Liang, you should come here often. Let me ask you, do you know a person named Mr. Meng?" Ye Fei mentioned Mr. Meng, trying to show goodwill.

"Who? Mr. Meng?" Brother Liang asked.

"Yeah, that Mr. Meng," Ye Fei said, and Brother Liang's expression subtly changed.

"How do you know him?" Brother Liang asked.

Ye Fei told Brother Liang about his previous experience, not hiding anything.

"Fei, you need to be careful. Although Mr. Meng occasionally participates in jade gambling, he runs an antique shop. I think he's eyeing your money. The antique business is much more complex than jade gambling. You must be cautious. Jade gambling has at least a one in a thousand chance, but if you don't have certain skills in antiques, you'll only end up losing money." Brother Liang cautioned.

Ye Fei inwardly sneered. It seemed his guess was right. This person must have seen him driving here and thought of him as a rich young master, wanting to deceive him.

"Thanks, Brother Liang. I'll be careful," Ye Fei said.

Brother Liang nodded, and suddenly, there was a commotion in the crowd. He quickly stood up and said, "It's time to process the stones."

Ye Fei stood next to his rough stone, looking up.

Sure enough, the gamblers finally marked the route on the stone, placed it on the machine, and stepped aside, watching the workers' every move intently.

As the machine buzzed, the previously chattering crowd fell silent, nervously watching the machine. This process would determine whether they would win or lose, all hanging on this one moment.

Following the route designated by the customer, the worker started the machine, slowly cutting from the side. As the gears spun rapidly, pieces of stone continuously fell off the rough stone. Finally, with a "whoosh," one-third of the rough stone dropped to the ground.

The scene fell into silence, devoid of any trace of green.

The onlookers couldn't help but sigh, as if the rough stone belonged to each of them, disappointment evident on everyone's faces.

Brother Liang sighed and shook his head, saying, "Looks like it's over."

"But there's still so much left unprocessed," Ye Fei asked, somewhat puzzled.

Brother Liang explained, "Did you see the line he drew? Based on the appearance, that's the easiest place to find jadeite, so he started cutting from there. But now, he's got nothing. It's either his judgment was wrong, or this rough stone has no potential. In my experience, it's likely to be the latter."

Ye Fei stared at the rough stone on the machine, which was larger than his own. It collapsed in an instant, meaning the rough stone he had spent tens of thousands on had now become a worthless rock.

With a clear mind, Ye Fei smirked inwardly. Thankfully, he had his special ability; otherwise, he might have ended up like that man, surrounded by darkness. He had seen so many stones in the warehouse, and only this one contained jadeite. How many people would lose everything?

With a pale face, the man stabilized his emotions slightly, gritted his teeth, picked up the chalk, and drew another line on the remaining rough stone. He told the workers, "Start processing from here. I don't believe this rough stone shows such good performance, it's impossible to have no gain inside!"

The workers remained silent, rearranging the rough stone according to the customer's request. They were accustomed to such situations; if every rough stone yielded jadeite, the value of jadeite wouldn't be so high.

The man stared intently at the area where the gears were cutting, and the onlookers also became tense. If there was no green yet, then it was truly over. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. The stone was split in two, remaining completely white, without a hint of green.

"It's completely over," Brother Liang sighed.

Watching the man leave dejectedly, Ye Fei couldn't help feeling some sympathy for him. Just earlier, the man had paid before him, Ye Fei clearly remembered; the man had spent eighteen thousand on the rough stone, and now it seemed he had lost every cent.

Brother Liang sighed again, "That's how jade gambling is. One moment wealthy, the next poor. If it's not processed, no one knows what's inside!"

As the man left dispiritedly, Ye Fei felt disheartened.

"Young man, this is the risk of jade gambling. It's okay to play, but don't get too deeply involved," Brother Liang advised.

Ye Fei silently nodded, seeing no one else approaching, and moved his own rough stone over. He knew deep down that this stone would one day yield jadeite, and he firmly believed that his stone harbored this precious green. He was eager to know the value of jadeite and whether his spiritual energy could change the fate of this rough stone.

Watching Ye Fei eagerly step forward, Brother Liang silently praised the young man's mental resilience. Most people, faced with the earlier situation, would need some time to calm down before daring to process another rough stone, but this kid not only didn't feel discouraged, he seemed a bit impatient. Truly, a newcomer isn't afraid of tigers.