Chapter Thirty-One: The Allure of Stone Gambling

“Mister, you really have a sharp eye. This is a piece I just got in today—at least seven kilograms. If you want it, I can give you a discount, just one million!” The man spoke with a cheerful grin.

Qin Feng frowned. “One million?”

“Heh, yes. When I first bought it, I paid one and a half million, but unfortunately, I only got this small bit out of it. Sigh... To tell you the truth, this was the savings of most of my life.”

Qin Feng nodded. “Well, since it’s so expensive, I’ll look elsewhere.”

With that, Qin Feng was about to turn and leave.

“Wait, you seem to know your stuff. How about I give you a better deal? Eight hundred thousand—take it for eight hundred thousand!”

“Eight hundred thousand? I’ll buy it for five hundred thousand,” Qin Feng replied.

“Uh... Brother, how about this? Six hundred thousand. I’ve already cut my profit in half. This is an honest deal!” the man gritted his teeth.

Qin Feng shook his head. “Five hundred thousand. If you won’t sell, I’ll just keep looking.”

He could clearly see that these stones weren’t selling well, and he believed the man’s words. Still, Qin Feng was no saint; when it came to bargaining, he was not about to relent.

The man hesitated for a moment, then agreed through clenched teeth.

In the end, Qin Feng successfully acquired the stone for half a million.

Qin Feng wasn’t in a rush to select another rough stone; instead, he wandered around the area with Ahu at his side.

Ahu followed, increasingly puzzled.

“Brother Qin, what are you doing? Shouldn’t we be getting someone to cut the stone?”

Qin Feng smiled faintly. “No need for that yet. Let’s keep strolling around, maybe pick up a couple more stones for fun. Just watch.”

This time, Qin Feng was determined to pick up every overlooked treasure at once. The prices here were generally low, and any stone that revealed green could easily be worth two or three million at least. He didn’t mind making several profits in one go.

Besides, he had his clairvoyant eye—that was his real confidence in buying these stones.

As Qin Feng walked, he passed many rough stones left behind by gamblers who had lost everything.

Suddenly, he stopped, his gaze falling on a stone not far from him.

Inside, it was almost entirely green, though the surface was marred by cracks.

Qin Feng’s heart skipped a beat. This was on par with the imperial jade he had once revealed, and even larger in size.

Normally, seasoned experts wouldn’t touch a stone like this. The extensive surface cracks meant even if there was green inside, it would likely be riddled with flaws. Such stones were usually sold off as scrap.

“Hello, how much for this stone?”

Qin Feng addressed a bald man nearby, the owner of the stall.

“Uh, young man, maybe you should pick another one,” the stall owner replied, perhaps out of kindness or something else.

Hearing this, Qin Feng immediately felt a bit more favorably toward the man.

“It’s fine, I want this one. Name your price.”

The man looked at him, then shook his head in resignation, as if witnessing a gambler teetering on the edge.

“If you really want it, I’ll give it to you for a hundred thousand. That’s a fair price—I paid a hundred and thirty thousand myself.”

The bald stall owner sighed.

“But I have to warn you, young man, the cracks on the surface are too many. The odds are high you’ll end up with a worthless stone.”

Qin Feng smiled slightly, already having done his calculations.

His clairvoyant eye was no mere ornament; he had seen the inside of this stone with perfect clarity.

That lush, vivid green—its astonishing value could not be hidden, not even by the cracks.

“Alright, a hundred thousand. I’ll take it.”

Qin Feng agreed without hesitation, pulling a bank card from his pocket and handing it over. “Swipe the card, please.”

The stall owner was momentarily stunned by Qin Feng’s decisiveness, but then completed the transaction and handed over both the stone and the receipt.

Qin Feng nodded with a smile, thinking to himself: it’s not clear who’s really at a loss here.

Once the owner had the stone sent to the cutting area, Ahu finally couldn’t help asking,

“Brother Qin, what are you doing? Buying all these stones that look so ordinary.”

Qin Feng offered a mysterious smile. “Don’t worry, you’ll see soon enough. For now, let’s find someone to cut the stone.”

The two came to a stone-cutting stall, and Qin Feng handed the cracked stone to an experienced old craftsman.

The craftsman took it, examined it carefully, and shook his head.

“Son, with all these cracks, I doubt there’s anything worthwhile inside.”

Qin Feng just smiled. “Go slowly when you cut, and follow the lines I mark.”

Seeing his confidence, the old man said nothing more. After Qin Feng marked the cutting lines, the craftsman set to work.

As the machine roared, the stone was slowly sliced open.

To the surprise of everyone watching, a vivid green shimmered on the freshly cut surface. Even the cracks could not conceal its breathtaking beauty.

“My God, it’s all green!” the old man exclaimed, briefly pausing his work.

The onlookers gasped in astonishment. No one had expected a stone that looked like scrap could reveal jadeite of such high quality.

The green was rich and brilliant, seeming almost to drip with moisture. Not even the cracks could dull its dazzling luster.

“How could this be?” the craftsman muttered, clearly shaken by the sight.

Qin Feng smiled to himself, inwardly pleased.

The value of this stone easily exceeded ten million.

“Keep cutting, just as I marked,” Qin Feng instructed, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

The old man nodded and continued as directed.

With each pass of the blade, the stone revealed more of that stunning green.

“There’s even more!” someone cried.

“This is a miracle!”

The crowd buzzed with excitement, marveling at the wonder before them.

Qin Feng, however, only smiled calmly, as if all of this had been within his expectations.

At last, the stone was completely cut open, and what lay revealed before everyone’s eyes was a masterpiece of nature—green, vibrant, and utterly flawless.

“This is imperial jade... How much could this possibly be worth?” the craftsman murmured, awestruck by the jade’s value.

“Brother Qin, is this... is this real?” Ahu’s eyes were wide, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Qin Feng nodded and smiled. “Of course it’s real. This is the magic of stone gambling—sometimes, the most unremarkable stone holds the greatest surprise.”