Chapter Eight: Impossible

The wealthy businessmen felt an inexplicable chill run down their spines under Qin Feng’s gaze, goosebumps rising all over them.

“What are you staring at? I’m waiting for you to kneel and call me ancestor!” the businessman surnamed Guo spat out venomously.

Qin Feng had achieved his aim and could not be bothered to argue further; striding purposefully, he walked over to Old Yan.

Seeing Qin Feng finally approach, Li Pengcheng, who had already selected his stone and was hovering attentively by Old Yan’s side, straightened up at once.

“Ha! It’s just picking a stone, yet you took so long. Trash is trash after all!” he sneered.

Qin Feng was unfazed by the malicious taunt; he preferred to let the results speak for themselves. He placed the raw jade stone from his arms onto the rosewood table before Old Yan.

With polite deference, he addressed the elder, “Master Yan, I’ve made my choice—this is the one.”

In an instant, all eyes converged upon the stone Qin Feng had selected.

Everyone present was knowledgeable in this field.

And in that moment, a heavy silence fell.

The rough stone Qin Feng had chosen was thick-skinned and heavily fractured, the cracks running deep and obvious. Even a novice to jade trading would not have picked such a stone.

Even Old Yan was taken aback. He glanced up at Qin Feng, asking with some uncertainty, “Are you sure this is the one you want?”

Qin Feng nodded without the slightest hesitation.

Old Yan fell silent. His eyes swept over Qin Feng’s tattered and shabby clothing, and, rare for him, he offered a gentle, well-meaning suggestion: “Actually, I think you could take another look and choose again.”

“No need. This one will do,” Qin Feng replied a second time, just as calmly and decisively.

So be it—a kind word cannot persuade the stubborn.

“Xiao Cang, fetch someone to cut the stones,” Old Yan instructed his assistant.

The assistant gave a light clap, and two employees from the jade shop hurried over, each carrying the raw stones chosen by Qin Feng and Li Pengcheng, and took them inside for cutting.

As they waited, the crowd watched Qin Feng with mocking eyes.

“Haha! Qin Feng, you’re doomed to lose this time!” Li Pengcheng laughed triumphantly, head thrown back.

The others gathered around him, eager to fawn.

“That’s right! Such a fool thinks he can beat you, Young Master Li? He doesn’t even know his own worth!”

“Exactly! Young Master Pengcheng’s stone is genuine Mo Xisha, thin skinned and lustrous. When you shine a light through it—guess what? It’s all green! I’d wager it’s Imperial Green!”

At the mention of Imperial Green, everyone involuntarily drew a sharp breath, their eyes shining with excitement.

Li Pengcheng’s stone was sizable; if it really yielded Imperial Green, even a few pendants or cabochons would fetch a fortune.

“Qin Feng, are you ready to kneel and admit your defeat?” Li Pengcheng jabbed Qin Feng in the shoulder.

Qin Feng deftly avoided him, wearing an inscrutable smile.

“What are you smiling at?” The expression instantly made Li Pengcheng grit his teeth in displeasure.

“I’m smiling at those who boast before seeing the final result, only to risk making fools of themselves,” Qin Feng replied lightly, stepping back to avoid any sudden outburst.

Sure enough, Li Pengcheng’s anger flared and his fist shot up—only to find Qin Feng had retreated right beside Old Yan.

Old Yan’s steady eyes, calm and indifferent, rested on him.

Damn! In his anger, he’d forgotten to restrain himself. Would Old Yan now bear a grudge against him?

At that moment, the assistant came over to Old Yan, discreetly glancing at Qin Feng before quietly reporting, “Master Yan, both stones have been cut. Shall we bring them out?”

Old Yan nodded.

Soon, the two employees returned, each carrying a lacquered red tray draped with a red cloth.

Old Yan stood and walked to the two employees. He smiled kindly at the crowd and said, “I believe everyone is eager to know the outcome. Allow me to reveal the answer. Why don’t you guess, which jade belongs to Qin Feng, and which to Li Pengcheng?”

The crowd all nodded and pressed forward, eyes hungrily fixed on the trays.

Li Pengcheng glanced at Qin Feng, certain of his victory.

But Qin Feng’s expression remained as calm as ever.

With a lifting gesture from Old Yan, the red cloth on one tray was removed, and at once the jade was revealed to all.

The stone was a deep green, not highly translucent but of fine clarity and water, with all the cotton dissolved. Its old, mature texture imparted a pleasing, gentle luster.

“This jade is excellent!” the Guo businessman nodded repeatedly.

The Yu businessman could not help but sigh, “Indeed, excellent! This piece could easily fetch around seven million. If luck favors, perhaps it could even reach ten million!”

The others nodded their agreement in succession.

Their gazes then shifted to the still-covered jade on the second tray.

“Master Yan, don’t keep us in suspense! Hurry and reveal it!” the crowd urged impatiently.

Old Yan smiled at their anticipation and lifted the red cloth.

In the next instant, silence fell. One could have heard a pin drop.

A pure, icy green radiance seemed to pierce straight into the hearts of all, as though everyone was plunged into the depths of a deep, still lake.

“My god—am I seeing things?” Guo grabbed Yu’s arm in shock.

“It’s Imperial Green! Genuine, full Imperial Green! In the past decade, stones of this quality have appeared maybe once or twice!”

“Not once or twice—exactly once!” Yu replied instinctively as the initial shock wore off. “That time, a stone of this size and quality appeared at the Sully Group’s auction!”

After the stunned silence came a surging undercurrent of excitement. Outwardly, everyone maintained composure, but inside, veins pulsed with barely contained exhilaration.

Such a large piece of Imperial Green, and fully saturated at that—if there were no cracks inside, it could be carved into two twisted bangles.

“A single bangle would be worth over a hundred million!” Guo muttered, his head suddenly swimming.

Yu hurried to steady him, but in the next moment, Guo pushed Yu aside, rushed to Li Pengcheng, seized his arm, and exclaimed with wild excitement, “Young Master Li, our Guo Jade Shop wants this Imperial Green!”