Chapter 965 A Difficult Situation
"Am I fucking a smart aleck?"
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Boss Zhang felt so uncomfortable that he almost vomited blood. He originally wanted to hear Zhuang Rui say something conciliatory, but he didn't expect that the guy would stick to his opinion, which made the current sliced noodles somewhat useless.
It should be noted that Zhuang Rui initially stated that this rough stone was a patch of green. Now that one side has been cut open, revealing a palm-sized cut, it is indeed a patch of green, not a line of green. Therefore, it cannot be said that Zhuang Rui was wrong.
But this single patch of green can have a huge impact on the rough stone. If Zhuang Rui's prediction is correct, the price of this rough stone could immediately drop from seven million euros to seven million yuan, or even less.
The jewelers present were all shrewd and calculating. Even though they were optimistic about the material, Zhuang Rui's words could bring down the price, so they all shut their mouths and no one offered a price anymore.
Even if Zhang Yunhui makes another cut and proves Zhuang Rui wrong, it won't be a big loss for these jewelers. At most, the price will increase a bit, but it will prevent them from realizing that the material is entirely green.
Zhuang Rui hadn't intended to argue with this man, but the man's persistent pressure had finally gotten to him. Even after years of self-cultivation, Zhuang Rui was now agitated. Seeing Zhang Yunhui remain silent, he spoke up, "What's wrong, Mr. Zhang? If we cut it another slice, and we can see the green inside, the price could double..."
Zhuang Rui's words actually contained a hidden danger. If a cut can reveal green, it can indeed cause the price to skyrocket. However, if it cannot reveal green, then it will result in a complete loss with no chance of recovery.
"this……"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yunhui hesitated. He hadn't expected that his momentary impulse would lead him into such a dilemma, leaving him undecided whether to cut or not.
Zhang Yunhui was actually confident that he could make another cut, but for the sake of caution, since he was already making money, there was no need to take the risk. After all, in the jade gambling circle, it was common for the second cut to fail.
Honestly, Mr. Zhang didn't want to cut it again. The problem was that Zhuang Rui had said beforehand that the raw stone was entirely green, and the current situation after cutting it out was indeed similar to what Zhuang Rui had described.
The crowd was so excited about winning the bet that they forgot about this, but Zhuang Rui brought it up again, so it has to be taken seriously.
"Mr. Zhao, I'm in the jade gambling business. Now that the price has gone up, there's no need to cut any further. What do you think of this piece? If you like it, I'll sell it to you for eight million euros..."
After much deliberation, Zhang Yunhui still couldn't bring himself to cut his losses again. Earning a little less was fine, but losing money would be devastating, as over six million euros represented most of his fortune.
As Boss Zhang spoke, he glanced at Zhuang Rui and was immediately filled with anger. Zhuang Rui had already shut up and was acting as if what was happening in the room had nothing to do with him.
From Zhuang Rui's perspective, this matter had nothing to do with him. Whether Zhang Yunhui made a profit or a loss, Zhuang Rui would not lose or gain a single penny. If this guy hadn't provoked him several times, Zhuang Rui wouldn't have bothered to say such offensive things.
"Ahem, Lao Zhang, I think... you should just make another cut. No matter where you cut, as long as it still yields green, I'll offer a price and buy this piece of jade!"
Old Zhao, whose name was called, held up one finger. Although he spoke very boldly, he was politely declining Zhang Yunhui's offer. Zhang was very frustrated and cursed inwardly, "Damn it, if there were any more green ones, you think you can buy them for 100 million? Do you think I'm stupid?"
If Zhuang Rui hadn't said those words, this piece of jade would be worth over 100 million RMB based on its current performance. If it turns green again, the price would multiply.
"Alright, since Teacher Zhuang has said so, I'll make another cut!"
Zhang Yunhui waited for a long time, but no one offered a price. Helpless, he started circling the rough stone again. He needed to choose another place to make a cut. This cut was even more important than the first one, so he had to be careful.
"Those who reap what they sow will not live!"
Zhuang Rui shook his head and muttered to himself, "We had no grudges against each other. You can just gamble on your stones. Why did you have to drag me into this? Let's see if you'll get so angry you'll vomit blood later."
"Make way, Old Tang is coming..."
"Who? Old Tang? Isn't that two generations of jade kings going together?"
"You bet, there's going to be a good show later..."
Just as Zhang Yunhui was examining the rough stones, the crowd behind Zhuang Rui parted to make way for Qin Haoran and Old Tang, who had met sometime earlier and were chatting and laughing as they walked in.
"Zhuang Rui, I couldn't find you anywhere. What are you doing here looking at stone cutting?"
Qin Haoran walked into the crowd and immediately spotted Zhuang Rui. He quickly greeted him and then asked, "So, did you find any good materials?"
Qin Haoran is also in the business of finished jewelry. If there are good raw materials, he doesn't mind participating in the bidding.
Zhuang Rui shook his head and said honestly, "No, I'm not too optimistic about this piece of material. I'm just waiting for Boss Zhang to make the second cut..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Qin Haoran immediately lowered his voice and said, "You brat, how can you talk like that? You're just offending people."
Qin Haoran was well aware of Zhuang Rui's reputation in the jade gambling circle. Although it was not as prestigious as that of Old Tang beside him, a single word from Zhuang Rui could still influence many people.
"Dad, it's not that I wanted to say it, it's that others forced me to say it..."
Zhuang Rui smiled wryly upon hearing this. "Dude, I'm getting shot even when I'm standing still."
Zhuang Rui doesn't object to Zhang Yunhui wanting to rise to power, but if Zhang Yunhui wants to climb over Zhuang Rui's shoulders to get there, then sorry, Zhuang Rui's manners haven't reached the point where he can turn the other cheek after being slapped on the left.
"I see... Well, this isn't your fault. What young person doesn't have a temper? If you want to provoke others, you need to have the strength to back it up!"
After hearing Zhuang Rui recount the events, Qin Haoran naturally supported his son-in-law. However, he changed the subject and lowered his voice to ask, "Are you sure it's a patch of green?"
Zhuang Rui smiled and said, "Dad, although I haven't looked at rough stones for almost two years, my feeling is right, it's definitely all green..."
Upon hearing this, Qin Haoran was overjoyed and said, "Alright, if you still have the time, go and select some jadeite for me tomorrow. Once you sell your jadeite mine, we'll be cut off from our supply..."
After spending a day selecting rough stones, Qin Haoran was also a bit troubled. The price of the raw stones had almost quadrupled compared to the previous public auction, making him hesitant and afraid to make a move.
"Mr. Tang, could you please take a look at this piece of material and tell me where I should start cutting?"
Not to mention the whispered discussion between Zhuang Rui and his son-in-law, Zhang Yunhui, upon seeing Old Tang enter, rushed forward as if he had seen a savior, inviting Old Tang to the stone-cutting machine, hoping he could take a look.
Unlike his provocation of Zhuang Rui, this time Zhang Yunhui was truly sincere. No matter how arrogant he was, he dared not underestimate this old "Jade King" who had a huge reputation in the jade gambling industry!
Furthermore, Zhang Yunhui is now in a bit of a dilemma, because after looking at several cutting points, he is not confident that he can cut out the green, and he also wants to ask Tang Lao for some guidance.
"Okay, then I'll take a look..."
In the industry, Old Tang is known for his willingness to help others. Whenever someone asks him to look at materials, even if they are complete strangers, Old Tang will lend a hand. Right now, he put on his reading glasses and took out a powerful flashlight to examine the materials.
Instead of examining the cut surface first, Old Tang started by looking at the fissure with discolored spots, and he examined it very slowly, observing almost every inch of it for a long time.
While Mr. Tang was examining the rough stone, the room was completely silent. No one spoke or discussed anything at that moment. The jewelers had already made up their minds that if Mr. Tang said the stone was good, they would make a move to buy it before even making a second cut.
This is the benefit that fame can bring. Although Zhuang Rui has been in the industry for several years and has cut out many classic top-quality materials, in terms of experience, he is far inferior to Old Master Tang.
At least when Zhuang Rui said the material wasn't good, everyone was still ambiguous and remained on the sidelines. But if Old Tang said "good!"
If that's the case, then at least half of the onlookers will make a move.
More than half an hour passed before Mr. Tang finally put down the magnifying glass, took off his glasses, and wiped away his sweat expressionlessly.
"Mr. Tang...Mr. Tang, how is your diagnosis going?"
For Zhang Yunhui, the success or failure of this jadeite has a huge impact on both his financial and reputational standing.
Therefore, at this moment, Boss Zhang no longer had the smugness and arrogance he had shown when speaking to Zhuang Rui. When he asked Old Tang, his voice was already trembling.
"I'm not quite sure. This piece of jade has a rather long and shallow crack, and it also has some discoloration. Logically speaking, it should be possible to cut out a line of green, but since you cut out a patch of green, it's hard to say..."
Tang Lao's words immediately caused a stir among the onlookers, and their gazes toward Zhuang Rui were completely different from before.
Old Tang was unaware that Zhuang Rui had previously commented on this rough jade. What he was saying now was based on his own observations. Although he didn't make any definitive statements, his views were very similar to Zhuang Rui's.
Upon hearing Tang Lao's words, Zhang Yunhui's face turned somewhat pale, and he pressed for an answer: "Tang...Tang Lao, if we were to make another cut, where would be the best place to start?"
"Hmm? Why do you still need to cut it? If you weren't using it yourself, this piece of material would already be ready to be sold..."
Old Tang was a little puzzled by Zhang Yunhui's question. He knew Zhang Yunhui, and since he wasn't a jeweler, why would he take the risk of cutting again? Hadn't he won the bet now?
"This...this..."
Mr. Zhang stammered and couldn't speak. At this moment, he wished he could slap himself hard. Wasn't this just shooting himself in the foot?
Chapter 966 Betting Failure (Part 1)
"Mr. Tang, could you please take a look?"
Boss Zhang looked pleading. He was too embarrassed to admit that he had just provoked Zhuang Rui, and now he could only hope that Old Tang would give him some pointers so that the second cut wouldn't be too bad.
"Xiao Zhang, are you really going to make another cut?"
Old Tang was taken aback when he heard this. He had already made himself very clear. He didn't understand why Zhang Yunhui insisted on making another cut. However, he was always very good-natured, so he nodded, put his reading glasses back on, and continued to examine the crack.
"It seems that the young man had some merit..."
"Nonsense, back when Teacher Zhuang was a big shot in the jade gambling world, this guy surnamed Zhang was nowhere to be found."
"That's right, challenging Teacher Zhuang, you see? You shot yourself in the foot..."
Tang Lao's remarks just now were tantamount to indirectly acknowledging Zhuang Rui's evaluation of the rough stone. In an instant, those who had previously had some doubts about Zhuang Rui's jadeite rough stone appraisal skills changed their tune and began to praise him.
If we're talking about the person who's feeling the most upset right now, it has to be Boss Zhang Yunhui. He never expected that his provocative behavior would have such serious consequences. If the second cut fails, then not only will the 60 to 70 million RMB be wasted, but it will definitely be significantly reduced.
But now he was in a dilemma. If he didn't make a second cut, he was afraid that no one in the room would bid for this rough stone. Boss Zhang glanced at Zhuang Rui with a complicated look in his eyes.
He couldn't blame Zhuang Rui for this; Zhuang Rui had been yielding from the start, and he had taken advantage of the situation, forcing Zhuang Rui to comment. Boss Zhang was incredibly conflicted. After observing for a while, Old Tang beckoned to Zhang Yunhui and said, "Young Zhang, the crack in this piece is too long, I can't be sure. If we want to cut it, let's make another cut from the other end. If there's no green, let's keep this piece for now..."
The risk of gambling on cracks is too great. Even Master Tang usually wouldn't touch a piece of material with cracks. Although the outer skin of this piece looks good, Master Tang isn't very optimistic about it.
Generally speaking, the deeper the crack, the greater the damage to the jadeite inside the rough stone. However, if the crack is too long, it indicates that the crustal movement was very irregular when the jadeite was formed, and it is very likely that the jadeite that should have been formed was weathered onto the surface.
"Alright, Mr. Tang, I'll make the cut as you instructed..."
Zhang Yunhui found a few helpers, moved the raw stone a bit, and placed the other side under the gears of the stone cutting machine.
Although Boss Zhang was arrogant, he was very clear-headed. In terms of experience and skill in gambling on stones, he was no match for Old Tang. The reason he looked down on Zhuang Rui earlier was partly due to his age.
Zhuang Rui looked to be only twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Two years ago, he would have been twenty-three or twenty-four. As someone who had just graduated from university, he was naturally not taken seriously by these seasoned businessmen.
It wasn't just Zhang Yunhui who felt this way; even those in the room who had never seen Zhuang Rui gamble on stones before shared the same thought.
It's like people going to the hospital to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. If the doctor is an elderly man with white hair and beard, then the patients will generally trust the doctor's skills. On the contrary, if the doctor is a young man in his twenties or thirties, then probably nine out of ten patients will leave.
There are many unscrupulous private hospitals in society nowadays that hire old men with white beards to manage them. It's not just hospitals; some temples even openly recruit abbots, requiring them to have round faces, big ears, and a blessed appearance.
Therefore, judging people by their appearance has existed since ancient times and is common in all walks of life; it's not a rule unique to the jade gambling industry.
After finding the right cutting point, Zhang Yunhui gripped the handle of the stone cutter with both hands, his trembling slightly. This cut would determine the value of the rough stone and, more importantly, whether his trip to Myanmar would be a profit or a loss.
"Click...click click..."
The sound of alloy gears rubbing against the stone echoed throughout the entire stone-cutting area. White powder and stone fragments filled the air. Everyone in the area held their breath, watching Zhang Yunhui's stone-cutting movements with bated breath.
Although Mr. Zhang was nervous, his hands remained steady as he cut the stone. About three minutes later, a piece of edge material weighing more than 40 kilograms broke off from the original stone with a "snap" and fell to the ground.
"Quick, quick, check if it's turned green yet!"
"Get some water, get some water to rinse it off..."
"Make way, don't block the way, the water's coming..."
After the second cut was made, the jewelers watching were even more excited than Zhang Yunhui. Without being told, they all got busy, some fetching water, others washing things.