Chapter Ten: Scrap

Qin Feng's gaze swept across the faces of those present, finally settling on Li Pengcheng. In his eyes, there was a calmness borne of victory, and a trace of chilling indifference that was not easily discerned.

"Li Pengcheng, according to our previous agreement, you lost. Not only must you apologize to me in front of everyone, but you also need to honor your wager, correct?"

Li Pengcheng's expression was bleak; he had never imagined he would stumble before this insignificant figure, let alone suffer public humiliation. Yet the sharp, scrutinizing stares from those around forced him to suppress his rage.

"Hmph, I, Li Pengcheng, keep my word. An apology it is!" He turned reluctantly, squeezing out a smile more painful than a grimace as he faced Qin Feng. "I'm sorry. I failed to see your worth and underestimated you." Though his voice was barely audible, the humiliation was enough to etch itself into Li Pengcheng’s memory for a lifetime.

Qin Feng paid him no mind and instead turned towards the crowd, seeking out a woman—Lin Wanting. He had noticed her earlier, but the crowd and the ongoing stone-cutting had delayed their conversation. Now that matters were settled, she was naturally the first person he thought of.

"Miss Lin, are you interested in acquiring this jade stone?" Qin Feng’s tone was courteous, even gentle, a stark contrast to his demeanor moments before. Yet his action drew jeers from the crowd, who clearly believed he was bewitched by Lin Wanting’s beauty.

A glimmer of delight flashed in Lin Wanting’s eyes, and she nodded. "Of course, I’ll take it!" Upon hearing this, Qin Feng turned to those who had just wagered against him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the total sum is fourteen million. Will you be paying by check or transferring directly?" As he spoke, his gaze lingered on the seven wealthy businessmen who had been the most vocal, his lips curled in a cold, indifferent smile.

The seven exchanged glances, reluctant but bound by their promise and the presence of so many respectable witnesses. There was no room for regret now; one after another, they produced their checkbooks and began writing.

As the checks were handed over to Qin Feng, the atmosphere in the hall subtly relaxed. Qin Feng collected each check with satisfaction glinting in his eyes.

Lin Wanting watched him quietly, her initial joy mingling with more complex emotions. She had never expected the person she brought along would deliver such a stunning surprise. This quality made her increasingly intrigued by Qin Feng.

"Let’s settle on the market price for the jade stone—fifteen million. Give me your account number later, and I’ll transfer it directly," Lin Wanting interjected at the right moment, revealing a sharpness and decisiveness befitting a merchant. Her family owned antique and jewelry stores; cultivating a good relationship with Qin Feng could only be advantageous.

At this point, Li Pengcheng, seeing that no one was paying him any attention, slipped away quietly, anxious that Qin Feng might cause him further trouble. The others, upon seeing Qin Feng intent on selling the jade to Lin Wanting, also dispersed—there was nothing left for them here.

"Very well. And please, would you mind handling these checks for me? It’d be much easier if you could deposit them directly into this account," Qin Feng said without pretension, sparing himself a trip to the bank.

Old Yan had somehow found his way to their side. "Ha ha, Lin girl, so this young man was brought by you? Well, won’t you introduce him?"

Qin Feng turned to see Old Yan smiling amiably before him. He immediately understood that the elder must have arrived some time ago.

"This is Qin Feng. He’s here today at my invitation," Lin Wanting replied obediently, her demeanor very respectful.

"Qin Feng, a pleasure to meet you," Old Yan greeted him with a friendly gesture.

"You flatter me," Qin Feng responded politely.

"Heh, to possess such skill at your age is truly admirable," Old Yan praised.

"You overrate me, sir. I am merely fortunate. It’s your expertise in jade that commands genuine respect," Qin Feng replied humbly, knowing from the conversations earlier that Old Yan’s reputation in the jade world was that of a venerable master.

"By the way, Miss Lin, have your troubles been resolved?" Qin Feng asked, noticing the lingering look of disappointment on her face.

Lin Wanting shook her head, smiling bitterly. "I was swindled by a rough jade trader. He claimed it was from an old mine, but it was all just scraps."

She glanced again at the pile of waste stones in the distance, her brows furrowed.

Old Yan had intended to inquire as well, but seeing Qin Feng take the initiative, he listened along, surprised to hear she had been deceived.

"May I take a look?" Qin Feng asked after a brief pause.

Lin Wanting was taken aback, then quickly replied, "Of course, but..." She had wanted to say that it was all just worthless debris, and there was little point in looking. Yet observing Qin Feng’s keen interest, she did not wish to dampen his enthusiasm—especially since he had just supplied her with an imperial green jade. Setting aside costs and labor, she could earn tens of millions at minimum, and if she found the right buyers, even hundreds of millions.

"Let’s go have a look. I’m not busy anyway," Old Yan waved his hand, indicating he had no objections, and Lin Wanting nodded.

The three of them made their way toward the pile of rough stones. Lin Wanting led the way, and soon they arrived at the heap. As these were scraps, there was no special equipment, just a protective cloth covering them.

Qin Feng examined the rough stones, his gaze sweeping over their surfaces before finally stopping at the center—a jadeite stone that had been sliced two-thirds of the way through.

"Are these all waste?" Qin Feng pointed at the pile.

Lin Wanting murmured her confirmation, a little disappointed.

Old Yan, for reasons he could not explain, sensed there was more to Qin Feng’s words and watched him with growing interest.

"I’ll offer one million. Will you sell these stones to me?"

"What?" Lin Wanting was stunned, never expecting Qin Feng would suddenly make such an offer. One million for a heap of waste—how could he even think of that?

Seeing her hesitate, Qin Feng spoke calmly, "Is my offer too low? If so, let’s say two million."

"No, you misunderstood. If you want them, I’ll just give them to you. I’m simply curious—what do you want with all this waste?" Lin Wanting recovered and quickly replied, unable to fathom Qin Feng’s motives.

Qin Feng smiled lightly. "You needn’t worry yourself about that, Miss Lin." With that, he turned and walked to the side, picked up a branch, and began to select from the stones.