Xu Zhendong's personality, while highly supported within the family, has not been beneficial to the company's development, which is one of the reasons for the gradual decline of Xu's Jewelry in recent years.
"It's about that British jewelry designer."
Xu Wei whispered that the matter actually had nothing to do with Zhuang Rui, but Xu Wei held a grudge against everyone who was present that day.
"Let's go see if that kid's luck is really that good. If he finds jade, we can buy it."
Xu Zhendong narrowed his eyes and walked out of the shed. In his view, the conflict between Xu Wei and Zhuang Rui was nothing more than a child's fight, and both could be compromised in the face of interests.
"With this level of competence from the head of Xu's Jewelry, it seems their decline is not far off. By the way, Zhuang Rui, how did you come to have a grudge against them? This family is all petty."
Fatty Ma sidled up to Zhuang Rui and muttered something under his breath. It was rare for him to brave the sweltering heat and come out to watch Zhuang Rui polish the stone. Yanzi, who was beside him, held a flowery umbrella, but it could only cover about a third of Fatty Ma's body.
"It's alright, Brother Ma. I have no connection with them. How about I let you cut this rough stone so you can have a go at it?"
Zhuang Rui didn't want to talk about this and deliberately changed the subject.
"Well... never mind, you can do it yourself, brother."
Fatty Ma was initially somewhat tempted. However, after looking up at the blazing sun high in the sky, he backed down.
Zhuang Rui grinned and bent down to pick up the rough stone, securing it to the stone-cutting machine. He was just saying that, apart from Zhuang Rui himself, no matter who else tried to cut this rough stone, they would definitely gamble it away and fail.
Zhuang Rui picked up the grinder and was about to turn it on when he saw that Lao San had also put an umbrella over his head. He quickly waved his hand and said, "Third Brother, you don't need to use an umbrella. Go and take care of your sister-in-law."
As the sound of the grinding wheel turning rang out, the crowd gathered again. Although it was already noon, in Pingzhou, as long as it was stone cutting, there would always be an audience, no matter the time.
The rough stone that Zhuang Rui bought from Boss Yu was only so-so. Its grayish-white surface was pitted and uneven, and it didn't have any pine flower or python pattern. Several people who came up to take a look shook their heads and were not optimistic about this rough stone.
As everyone knows, "pine flower" refers to the traces left on the original green of jadeite raw material that have gradually faded due to weathering. Generally, the presence of pine flower traces on the surface indicates that the rough material was once jadeite. Experienced people can judge the depth, direction, size, and shape of the green inside the rough material based on the depth, shape, direction, quantity, and density of the pine flower color.
Raw jade stones without any moss-like patterns on the surface generally have a very low probability of yielding green jade, making this particular stone extremely risky to many.
Zhuang Rui was already very familiar with the characteristics of this rough jade. The green color appeared two or three centimeters below the inconspicuous surface, and it was a bright green of icy type, which was of excellent quality and could be considered a high-grade jade. Moreover, it was a continuous area that covered almost two-thirds of the entire rough jade. So no matter where you rub it, you can basically rub out the green color.
Out of the corner of his eye, Zhuang Rui saw Xu Zhendong and Xu Wei approaching, so he started polishing the stone. It must be said that Zhuang Rui's learning ability is really strong. Although he had only cut three rough stones before in Nanjing, including the one just now, his movements were very skillful, making him look like a veteran who had been immersed in this industry for decades.
Many people think of cutting stones as something mysterious, but to put it bluntly, it's actually very simple. You just need to be bold, meticulous, and have a steady hand. If you meet these requirements, anyone can come up and cut it. Moreover, Zhuang Rui knows exactly where the jadeite is in the rough stone, so he doesn't have any worries at all. If it weren't for so many people smelling and looking at it, he would have already picked out the thinnest part of the green and rubbed it.
The spot Zhuang Rui is currently rubbing is at the edge of the green area. The jadeite here has a linear shape. Zhuang Rui observed it with his spiritual energy. If you only look at this green line, which is about three fingers thick, the first impression is that the jadeite has penetrated into it, and penetrated very deeply. In the eyes of experts, this is a sign of a significant increase in value.
With the noise of the grinding wheel rubbing against the stone layer, Zhuang Rui quickly opened a small skylight in that spot. The beautiful greenery, under the sunlight, painted Zhuang Rui's face green as well.
"It went up, the betting went up again, this kid is really lucky."
The person who said this had obviously seen Zhuang Rui's first stone-cutting.
"He won the bet too? What quality of jade was it?"
The person who asked the question was naturally the one who came later.
"Hey, I said, isn't it my turn to look?"
"Hey buddy up ahead, make some space."
Zhuang Rui had gained experience in cutting stones by now. After rubbing out the small opening, he immediately stopped the grinding wheel, washed the green area with clean water, and then stood up and stepped aside. The jade merchants waiting nearby immediately swarmed forward, and more than a dozen people surrounded the rough stone, making it impossible to move. Those who couldn't squeeze in kept shouting.
After seeing that Master Zhao had also squeezed in, Zhuang Rui revealed a barely perceptible sneer, thinking, "I've been waiting for you to see this."
After those who had finished looking inside made way, people immediately squeezed in from outside. It took more than ten minutes before things finally calmed down. Zhuang Rui saw Master Zhao walk up to Xu Zhendong and whisper a few words to him. Then Xu Zhendong also squeezed in to take a look. After coming out, he kept talking to Master Zhao, his expression somewhat solemn.
What puzzled Zhuang Rui was that after everyone looked at the sunroof that had been cleaned, not a single person offered a price. This made him both confused and uneasy. "Could it be that someone has noticed something?"
However, Zhuang Rui immediately refuted this point. Although the green areas had good texture and clarity, it was simply impossible to see through the jadeite with just a magnifying glass and the naked eye.
Just as Zhuang Rui was puzzled, Boss Han, the same man who had lost to Old Man Qi in the previous bidding for the rough stone, spoke up: "Young man, the appearance of this window is not bad, but could you make another cut?"
Chapter 199 The Crazy Stone (9)
Seeing that Zhuang Rui seemed puzzled by his words, the boss, Mr. Han, explained, "Young man, as you know, we're in the jade business, and we only gamble on rough stones with low risk."
However, judging from the cut surface, the texture and color of this piece of rough jade are excellent. It's icy jade with a bright green hue, which is considered high-grade jade. Moreover, the green is even seeping into the jade. Based on this alone, this piece of jade is worth at least five million.
However, for us, the window of opportunity is still a bit small. Betting five million would be too risky. If you can make a cut and let us see how you perform, we can afford to pay ten million, let alone five million.
Everyone nodded in agreement with Boss Han's words, and Zhuang Rui finally understood what he meant. It turned out that even performing well after cleaning the skylight was a sin, which had actually made these people afraid to gamble.
Zhuang Rui hadn't been in this business for very long, so there was a saying he didn't know: "A price increase doesn't count as a price increase; a price increase only counts as a price increase when it's cut open."
The more valuable the raw jade, the more attention is paid to the appearance of the cut, because a single cut often cuts deep into the jade, making its quality immediately apparent. This is the origin of the saying "one cut makes you poor, one cut makes you rich." For example, the raw jade that Zhuang Rui picked up was judged as waste by others because it had been cut.
"Make another cut?"
Zhuang Rui hesitated, because he knew that if he made a cut, he would definitely ruin the piece. The jade inside the rough stone was concentrated under the surface and its distribution was extremely strange. No matter where he cut, the rough stone would be exposed. Zhuang Rui slowly shook his head at Boss Han's suggestion.
After thinking it over for a moment, Zhuang Rui announced loudly, "This rough stone is a full-scale gamble, but now that a window has been opened, it's already a semi-gamble. If you're not interested, I'll sell it through a sealed bid."
During his previous conversation with Yang Hao, Zhuang Rui learned about the rules of the sealed bid at the event. All booths registered at the event could add raw materials to the sealed bid at any time. They just needed to take a photo of the raw material to the event management office to register and get a number.
Zhuang Rui and Yang Hao have a good relationship, so Yang Hao would probably help with this, and Zhuang Rui's words were not unfounded.
"Young man, wait a little longer, let's observe further..."
After Zhuang Rui said this, several people couldn't hold back. They knew that although open bidding was also very competitive, it was still much less competitive than sealed bidding, especially for high-quality rough stones. There would definitely be many people bidding for sealed bidding, mostly investors and businessmen. These jade merchants knew that with their own strength, they would definitely be no match for those big players in the sealed bidding.
Watching Mr. Zhao squeeze into the crowd, Zhuang Rui thought to himself, "Should we wipe it again?"
After all, a price of five million is not very high for the current performance of this rough stone, and Zhuang Rui himself is not very satisfied.
"Everyone, please step aside. Since you're all unsure, I'll continue wiping. If this becomes transparent, you won't be at all risk."
Hearing Zhuang Rui's words, everyone felt a little embarrassed. Their suggestions were entirely from their own perspectives. If Zhuang Rui were to follow their advice and make the cut, then all the risks would fall on Zhuang Rui alone.
"Young man, there's no need to cut it into a clear piece. How about you make a small opening on the back of this rough stone?"
Boss Han leaned closer to Zhuang Rui, offered him a cigarette, and said awkwardly, "If this rough stone is fully cut open, the price will be hard to say. There are no fewer than dozens of jade merchants here, all eyeing it covetously. I, Han, dare not say that I can definitely get my hands on the cut stone."
The other onlookers shared the same sentiment as Boss Han: they wanted more of the green jade to be visible in the rough stone, which would reduce their gambling risk, but at the same time, they didn't want it to become a finished piece. If they did, even if they acquired the finished piece, the profit from processing it into jade artifacts would be very low.
"You guys have a good idea. What if the sunroof you open at the back doesn't allow for greenery? Then the price will have to be discounted, right?"
Zhuang Rui glanced at Boss Han and said irritably.
"Hehe, young man, even if you only sell it for five million based on the performance of this skylight, you wouldn't be satisfied, would you?"
Boss Han said nonchalantly, and seeing Zhuang Rui's thoughtful look, he thought he had guessed right.
"Alright, I'm on a winning streak today, so I'll clean another small door. Yang Hao, you'd better get the firecrackers ready."
Zhuang Rui tossed aside his half-smoked cigarette, adopting a posture of going all in and taking a gamble.
"Youngest brother, are you confident?"
The third brother had just witnessed someone else cut it down with a single stroke, and he was filled with worry as Zhuang Rui continued to wipe it.
"Hehe, Third Brother. Life and death are determined by fate, and wealth and honor are determined by heaven. If the price goes up again, this piece of rough jade will be enough for me to live on for a lifetime."
Zhuang Rui's behavior at this moment was exactly like that of a gambler.
What Zhuang Rui really wanted to say was that he was counting on this piece of rough jade to buy a house. Although he had made a lot of money here and there over the past few months, compared to people like Song Jun and Fatty Ma, Zhuang Rui felt that he was too poor.
After turning the rough stone over and securing it on the stone cutter, Zhuang Rui began polishing it. For others, polishing stone requires great care; how deep to polish, how thick to polish, and where to start are all matters of great importance. But for Zhuang Rui, he didn't pay any attention to these details at all. He simply picked up a grinder and started polishing the rough stone, leaving everyone shaking their heads in disbelief. This was truly a case of ignorance being bliss.
The jadeite beneath the rough stone was very shallow. In just three to five minutes, Zhuang Rui had created a small opening the size of a palm, revealing a crystal-clear jadeite radiating a faint green light to everyone.
"Prices have gone up! They've gone up a lot! Firecrackers, where are the firecrackers?"
Yang Hao shouted excitedly, quickly parted the crowd, ran back into the shed, took out another string of firecrackers, hung them on a corner of the shed, and said to Zhuang Rui, "Brother Zhuang, your luck is amazing, no doubt about it. Judging from this, I'll have to prepare a few more strings of firecrackers later."
For a bet to go up in price, the price of the raw jade must increase dramatically. It's not enough to just see green appear when you polish it. Take Zhuang Rui's piece of raw jade, for example. Both the front and back windows have green showing, and the texture and color are almost identical. It's very likely a whole piece of jade. As a result, the price of the raw jade, which was originally worth five million, is now hard to estimate.
Amidst the deafening sound of firecrackers, the jade gambling venue became noisy again. There were quite a few people cutting stones this morning, but only five firecrackers were heard, meaning that only five rough stones were successfully gambled on throughout the morning. Out of hundreds of stalls, Yang Hao had two successful gambles. How could he not be happy?
"Brother Yang, I can only say that your stall has good feng shui, and your bets keep going up. Hehe, I'm just a silly boy sleeping on a cold bed, relying entirely on my strong fire element. This piece of rough jade is probably enough for me to eat for the rest of my life."
As Zhuang Rui spoke, his eyes kept glancing at where Xu Zhendong was standing, and his voice was slightly louder. He believed that the Xu uncle and nephew had heard what he said.
Upon hearing this, Xu Wei looked indignant. Just as he was about to speak, Xu Zhendong stopped him. People from Guangdong are very superstitious about luck. In Xu Zhendong's view, Zhuang Rui's luck was at its peak at the moment, and if he went against him, he would definitely suffer a loss.
Now, Zhuang Rui, the owner of the rough jade, has been pushed aside by the many jade merchants. He is happy to take a break. Today's scene was indeed a bit too exciting, and Zhuang Rui is feeling a bit tired.
"Hey, Zhuang Rui, are you getting your stone cut at stall number 83? I saw someone outside who looks like you."
Just as he was drinking water and wiping his sweat, the phone in his pocket rang. Zhuang Rui answered it and heard that it was Song Jun calling. He had been looking at the raw jadeite with Master Peng and was a little late. He couldn't squeeze in at all.
"Yeah, Brother Song, I've unraveled the raw jade we bought from that house the other day, and it's worth a fortune! Come in and take a look."
Zhuang Rui said in a tone that sounded very excited.
"Damn it, I must have been out of my mind today. Why didn't I take you with me?"
At this moment, Song Jun was filled with regret. He knew that Zhuang Rui was wearing a Living Buddha Dzi bead bracelet and was having such good luck that he was practically burning with joy. Yet he had still gone off to select raw materials. After hanging up the phone, Song Jun and Master Peng desperately squeezed into the crowd.
"Zhuang Rui, you'd better help me pick out a rough stone later. Damn it, I really need to get an old dzi bead."
The first thing Song Jun said as he squeezed in was the same as what Fatty Ma said.
"And that young man? I'll offer twelve million for this rough stone, what do you think?"
Before Zhuang Rui could reply, Boss Han's voice rang out as he searched around for Zhuang Rui.
"Twelve million?"
Song Jun's eyes widened in disbelief. He had initially thought Zhuang Rui was joking when he said he would gamble away a villa, but it turned out to be true.
"Thirteen million, I'll offer thirteen million."
"Thirteen and a half million, young man, think it over."
Although Zhuang Rui was nowhere to be seen, it didn't stop the jade shop owners from bidding against each other. However, to Zhuang Rui's disappointment, Xu Zhendong was still whispering to Master Zhao and didn't join in.
"The performance is good. The windows on both sides are made of bright green icy jadeite with a very even color and high transparency. It is very likely to be a whole piece of jadeite material. It is worth a gamble."
After examining the raw jade, Master Peng walked over to Song Jun and held up two fingers to demonstrate to him.
"Brother, let me help you raise the price."
Song Jun smiled at Zhuang Rui and immediately shouted, "I'll offer eighteen million!"
Chapter 200 The Crazy Stone (10)