Today's open auction was quite an eye-opener for the onlookers. The price of rough stones soared, with two major players vying for dominance and neither willing to give way. The prices kept rising in a thrilling and suspenseful manner.
"Mr. Han, may I speak to you in private for a moment..."
Just as Xu Zhendong was still calculating the gains and losses, the fourth brother, who was originally standing next to Zhuang Rui, walked behind Han Haowei, gently patted his shoulder, and then leaned in and whispered a few words in Han Haowei's ear.
At first, Han Haowei's face turned extremely ugly, and his eyes kept glancing at Xu Wei standing next to Xu Zhendong. However, after Lao Si said a few more words, Han's expression gradually improved, and he slowly nodded.
At that moment, Xu Zhendong also re-quoted the price for the rough stone: "33.8 million."
Adding 1.3 million to the original price of 32.5 million, it seems Xu Zhendong intends to achieve his goal in one fell swoop.
Xu Zhendong had no choice but to offer this price. Although Old Gu Tou did not explicitly say that he was optimistic about this rough stone, everyone could understand what he meant. He was supporting his nephew. If he did not offer a shocking price, the man surnamed Han would probably continue to entangle with him.
It seemed that his strategy had indeed worked. Xu Zhendong noticed that Han Haowei no longer had that confident look on his face. His eyes were slightly closed, as if he was thinking about something.
"Brother Han, what do you think? Have you made up your mind? I think you should let the old man off this time. I, Xu Zhendong, will definitely repay you next time."
Xu Zhendong was now getting a little nervous about the price of this rough stone. He was also afraid that this man surnamed Han would try to take it from him at all costs. His words were now tinged with a pleading tone. The "Little Han" he used to call him had now become "Brother Han".
After hearing Xu Zhendong's words, Han Haowei seemed to have made up his mind. He opened his half-closed eyes and looked at Xu Zhendong, saying, "Mr. Xu, you have such great courage. I am ashamed to say that this piece of raw jade belongs to Xu's Jewelry."
Han Haowei was a straightforward person. Since he had already backed down, he might as well flatter Xu's Jewelry. These words pleased Xu Zhendong, and his face was full of smiles.
Xu Zhendong was afraid that things might get complicated if he delayed. The rough stone wasn't even in his hands yet, and who knew if someone else would suddenly appear and cause trouble? As soon as Han withdrew from the competition, Xu Zhendong immediately said to Zhuang Rui, "Boss Zhuang is really lucky. This piece of rough stone has cost me almost everything. How about it, Boss Zhuang, shall we go and transfer the money now?"
"Mr. Xu, you didn't lose out either. After today's incident, who would dare to underestimate the strength of Xu's Jewelry? It's a win-win situation for both of us."
Zhuang Rui readily agreed with a smile, casually offering the kind words that didn't cost him anything, as if he had never had any unpleasant experiences with Xu Wei.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Xu Zhendong burst into laughter. Zhuang Rui's words had hit the nail on the head. Purchasing the raw material was only one aspect; his offer of a price higher than last year's top bidder for this piece of raw material was also intended to promote the Xu family jewelry brand.
At this moment, Zhuang Rui made a very good impression on Xu Zhendong. If there weren't so many people around, Xu Zhendong would have liked to teach Xu Wei a lesson. Look how polite this young man is. He's not as bad as you say.
After Zhuang Rui and Xu Zhendong completed the transaction, they transferred the money at the bank. The funds in Zhuang Rui's account instantly increased from more than nine million to more than forty million. Although Zhuang Rui had been mentally prepared at the beginning of the bidding for this rough stone, he still couldn't help but feel excited after receiving the money.
After the money was exchanged and the goods were exchanged, Xu Zhendong had someone move the rough stone away. What was puzzling was that Boss Han followed behind, as if he needed to confirm something.
Zhuang Rui and the others were pulled back into the shed by Yang Hao. Yang Hao ordered a lot of dishes from a restaurant outside and insisted on treating Zhuang Rui to a meal. Of course, Old Master Gu, Song Jun, and Fatty Ma had other places to go and did not eat here.
"Hey friend, what's up?"
Yang Hao saw a young man standing in front of the stone cutting machine. He looked to be in his early twenties, with a round face and a chubby appearance. He was also holding a DV camera.
"Oh, it's nothing, it's nothing."
The young man seemed to still be reeling from the thrilling experience of gambling on stones. After answering Yang Hao's question, he turned and left somewhat absentmindedly.
What Zhuang Rui and the others in the shed didn't expect was that, several years later, a low-budget film called "Crazy Stone" would be born from that young man's hands.
Chapter 202 Even Jade Gambling Has Counterfeits and Inferior Products
June in Guangdong is rather hot and dry. Although the venue for the jade gambling convention is outside the steel city and the space is made up of bamboo sheds, the midday sun shines down from above the sheds, making the air seem distorted and giving one a feeling of almost suffocating.
The two electric fans inside the bamboo shed were blowing out hot air. Wei Ge, with his chest exposed, pressed his face against the fan so hard that his small eyes were squinting into slits, but he still couldn't stand the heat and couldn't help but shout, "Youngest brother, I can't take it anymore! This damn weather is going to cook me alive! Let's go back to the hotel! I want to go back to the hotel!"
"Back to the hotel?"
Zhuang Rui was also somewhat tempted. After a morning of cutting and polishing stones, and scheming against the Xu uncle and nephew, Zhuang Rui was mentally exhausted. Seeing these guys looking as listless as wilted eggplants, it seemed pointless to stay any longer.
"Okay, let's go back to the hotel. I'm a little tired too. Let's get some rest today and come back tomorrow."
Zhuang Rui spoke up.
"Are you coming again tomorrow? Youngest brother, I'm telling you, you should quit while you're ahead. I've figured it out. This is no different from gambling. Money comes quickly and goes quickly. Don't be fooled by the fact that you made over 30 million today. You might lose it all tomorrow."
Brother Yue and Brother Wei have been arguing for years, and when they open their mouths, they never say anything nice; he's a real sharp-tongued person.
"Nonsense, how can you make money if you don't come? If you weren't the youngest, would you have been able to pocket 500,000? Without this 500,000, who knows when a corrupt official might have appeared."
Before Zhuang Rui could even speak, Wei Ge habitually picked up the conversation, making Yue Jing roll his eyes in exasperation.
"Youngest brother, didn't you tell that Boss Han to come back to you? Now that you've left, where is he going to find you?"
Lao Si's words reminded Zhuang Rui that he had indeed made an appointment with Boss Han, but an hour or so had passed and he still hadn't seen him. Zhuang Rui didn't want to wait any longer.
"Brothers, go back. Brother Yang, you know my phone number. If Boss Han comes looking for me later, give him my number."
Seeing the white lion lying listlessly on the ground, constantly sticking out its tongue, Zhuang Rui felt a little sorry for it. Tibetan mastiffs are meant to live in cold, high-altitude areas, and bringing it to Guangdong had indeed caused the white lion a lot of suffering.
"Okay, don't worry, I'll definitely pass on the message."
Yang Hao nodded in agreement. Zhuang Rui had really given him face today. Many jade business owners had mentioned that they would come over this afternoon to continue selecting raw materials when they were about to go out for lunch.
Zhuang Rui got up and called Fatty Ma and Song Jun again, wanting to tell them to continue selecting raw materials tomorrow. Unexpectedly, the two had already gone back to the hotel for a nap, leaving Zhuang Rui speechless.
Back at the hotel, Zhuang Rui turned the air conditioning on full blast, and the white lion finally perked up. After giving it a bath, Zhuang Rui could finally relax.
Taking out his ICBC gold card, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but get excited. It seemed that gambling on stones was still the fastest way to make money. In just one morning, after deducting the money he gave to Lao San and the others, he had made a total of 34.3 million RMB. Zhuang Rui majored in finance and accounting, so although this money was just a string of numbers at the moment, in Zhuang Rui's eyes, this wealth was incredibly real.
According to Song Jun, 18 million RMB would be enough for the villa in Pengcheng. This would leave Zhuang Rui with over 20 million RMB in cash. Holding the card, Zhuang Rui was somewhat worried. Given his major, he naturally wanted to invest the money.
However, with the stock market currently sluggish, Zhuang Rui dares not easily touch the futures market. After much thought, he still doesn't know which industry would be better to invest this money in.
Unable to come up with any solutions, Zhuang Rui simply put the card away, lay down on the bed, and prepared to take a nap to recover his energy. This mental fatigue could not be eliminated by the spiritual energy in his eyes.
"I wonder what kind of expressions those uncle and nephew will have after they untie the woolen cloth? Hehe..."
Lying in bed, Zhuang Rui imagined the expressions on Xu Zhendong and his nephew's faces after the stone was cut open, and couldn't help but laugh out loud. ...
"Brother Han, you've made me spend quite a bit of money today. Here, I'll punish you with a drink."
Just as Zhuang Rui and his group returned to the hotel, Xu Zhendong was hosting a dinner with Han Haowei and several other influential bosses in the jewelry industry.
"Hehe, Mr. Xu really has guts. I'm ashamed of myself. I'll drink this glass."
Now that the matter has been resolved, everyone is naturally happy and on good terms. As for the previous attempts to inflate prices and create obstacles, this is not the first time such incidents have occurred in this industry, nor will it be the last. Everyone tacitly understands this, and after Han Haowei praised Xu Zhendong a few times, the matter was glossed over lightly.
After five dishes and several rounds of drinks, Han Haowei, emboldened by the alcohol, asked Xu Zhendong, "By the way, Mr. Xu, there's something I've never understood. Since the owner of that raw material has a good relationship with your nephew, Mr. Xu, why couldn't they have discussed it privately? Why did they have to put it out there and make us compete for it? Isn't that just going to damage our relationship?"
"That kid and Xu Wei are on good terms?"
Xu Zhendong slowly withdrew his hand, which was outstretched to pick up food, and looked at Han Haowei with a surprised expression, saying, "Brother Han, who told you that the kid surnamed Zhuang has a good relationship with our Xu Wei?"
Xu Wei was not at the dinner table this time; given his age and status, he was not qualified to attend such a gathering.
"It was that guy surnamed Zhuang who said it, no, it was someone close to him who told me. He said he's an old friend of your nephew. He's telling me not to compete for this rough stone anymore, Mr. Xu. If the owner of the rough stone hadn't spoken up, do you think I would have given up so easily?"
Han Haowei's words were half true and half false. Lao Si did tell him that Zhuang Rui and Xu Wei had a good relationship and that he should stop raising the price. However, he also promised him a benefit. Lao Si clearly told Han Haowei that Zhuang Rui had a top-quality raw jade stone. If Han Haowei did this favor, Zhuang Rui would naturally repay him in the future.
At that time, Han Haowei was also considering backing down. After all, judging from the appearance of this rough stone, the price of more than 30 million was already a bit too high. After hearing what Lao Si told Zhuang Rui, he went with the flow, giving Zhuang Rui face and also accepting Xu Zhendong's favor.
However, Boss Han naturally wouldn't mention Zhuang Rui's promise at the dinner table. Even the fact that Zhuang Rui and Xu Wei were friends was just something he asked casually out of curiosity, without any intention of digging deeper.
Han Haowei's casual question shocked Xu Zhendong. Others might not know, but he knew perfectly well that Xu Wei and Zhuang Rui might not be mortal enemies, but no matter what, they had nothing to do with the word "friends".
At this point, Xu Zhendong had lost his appetite and was instead pondering Zhuang Rui's intentions.
"Could it be that this kid wants Xu's Jewelry to be repaired?"
Xu Zhendong immediately dismissed his idea. Although he hadn't had much contact with Zhuang Rui, he sensed that the young man was very opinionated and not the type to curry favor. Furthermore, given his financial resources, he had no need to curry favor with him.
That leaves only one answer: the raw jade is defective. Thinking of this, Xu Zhendong felt a chill run down his spine. Although the air conditioning in the hotel room was on full blast, Xu Zhendong could still feel sweat dripping down his back, almost forming a small stream.
It's important to understand that while gambling on rough stones is very risky, the profits can also be enormous. Just like in the antique trade, some unscrupulous merchants, in pursuit of huge profits, resort to any means necessary, meticulously setting traps and using unexpected methods to deceive and cheat many people, even causing them to lose everything.
In the jade gambling circle, there are several common tricks and fake rough stones. One of them is called "stealing the beam and replacing the pillar". This involves cutting a piece of jade with poor quality and transplanting a piece of jade with a similar size, excellent quality and beautiful color onto the cut. The good quality of the part is used to cover up the bad quality of the whole.
Another type involves a rough stone that looks good on the outside, but turns out to be unsatisfactory after being cut open. However, it is then pieced back together to restore its original appearance. The sand at the joint of this fake rough stone is usually finer and less granular than other parts. However, it is difficult to distinguish when it encounters a rusty outer layer. This kind of scam is known as "nine out of ten times out of ten" because it is very difficult to detect.
Another technique is "Fairy Scattering Flowers," which refers to a method where, on a well-grown but unblemished rough stone, glue is sprinkled on a chosen location, and then finely ground jadeite powder is applied to the surface. After repairing the stone and burying it in the soil for several days, the stone is then taken out and its surface is covered with pine flower patterns.
The most clumsy method is to pass off inferior goods as superior ones. This involves selecting a part of the rough stone, carving out a small groove, and then placing green glass, a green toothbrush handle, or even green toothpaste inside. After careful trimming, it can be passed off as superior. However, this method can only fool newcomers to the industry. For those who have been in the industry for decades, they can see through it at a glance.
At this moment, Xu Zhendong was wondering what method Zhuang Rui had used to deceive so many people. After thinking for a long time, Xu Zhendong gave up on the idea, because Zhuang Rui would not dare to defy the world in public, and besides, Old Gu, who arrived later, would definitely not be his accomplice.
Although Xu Zhendong comforted himself with this thought, he still felt uneasy, as if there was something fishy going on here.
After the banquet finally ended, Xu Zhendong rushed back to the company, leaving Master Zhao and Xu Wei to wait for him in the car.
As soon as he entered the company office, Xu Zhendong, with a stern face, said to Xu Wei who came up to him, "Xu Wei, what exactly is the conflict between you and Zhuang Rui? In particular, have there been any conflicts recently? Tell me honestly."
Chapter 203 I'd rather buy a line than a piece of land
Xu Zhendong didn't even bother to close the door when he was asking questions. This drew the attention of everyone outside the office, who all perked up their ears. Gossip really is everywhere.
"Uncle, what's wrong? I just arrived in Guangzhou yesterday, how could I possibly have any conflict with that kid?"
Seeing Xu Zhendong's unfriendly expression, Xu Wei didn't dare to reveal his actions at the airport. Besides, Da Biao was from the Northwest and was currently in the hospital. As long as he didn't say anything, no one would know about Da Biao teaching Zhuang Rui a lesson.
"That's good. Remember, don't provoke that person."
Xu Zhendong's expression softened, and he turned around and closed the office door. In his eyes, although his nephew had returned from studying abroad, he was still a bit arrogant and not as steady as Zhuang Rui.
Xu Wei nodded, but still didn't dare to ask what had happened that made Xu Zhendong seem so agitated.
"Mr. Xu, that piece of raw jade is in the warehouse. Is there a problem?"
Master Zhao was also a little puzzled. He was having dinner with Xu Wei when Xu Zhendong called him urgently, asking him to rush back to the company and inquiring whether the rough stone had been stored in the warehouse. Normally, these things are handled by others, and they don't need to ask about them personally.
"Old Zhao, you take a rest for a while. We'll start preparing to cut the stone this afternoon."
Xu Zhendong took a deep breath. For some reason, he had a lingering unease. He figured he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight until he got the jade out of that rough stone.
Master Zhao was taken aback when he heard this. He had already cut a piece of rough stone that morning. After all, he was nearly sixty years old and was tired both physically and mentally. He was not suitable to continue cutting stones. Moreover, that piece of rough stone was so precious that if there was any mistake, the loss would be heavy.
Thinking of this, Master Zhao said, "Mr. Xu, let's call it a day. Let's pick a good day, pay our respects to Guan Yu, and then we'll do the ritual. There's no rush."
People in Guangdong place great importance on auspicious dates. This applies not only to weddings and funerals, but even to ordinary outings like visiting friends. They always check if a date is suitable. This piece of rough jade is exceptionally precious; if it were up to Master Zhao, a ceremony would be held.
Xu Zhendong waved his hand irritably upon hearing this, and said, "No need to worry about that anymore. Let's check if this rough stone has been tampered with in any way..."
"You tampered with the rough stone? No way, Mr. Xu. Dozens of people have examined that rough stone, and we've checked it carefully. It should be a rough stone from an old mine in Myanmar. There's no mistake about that."
When Master Zhao heard Xu Zhendong's words, he was so surprised that his mouth dropped open. However, he had been in the jade gambling circle for decades and was confident that with his own eyesight, he was not so bad as to not be able to distinguish between real and fake rough stones.
As mentioned above, many people now use various methods to fake jadeite rough stones. However, these methods can generally only fool newcomers to the jadeite gambling circle, like Song Jun. If someone like Master Zhao, who has dealt with jadeite rough stones all his life, couldn't distinguish between real and fake, he wouldn't be able to become a jadeite gambling consultant at a jewelry company.
Xu Zhendong didn't want to hide it from them anymore. He sighed and said, "When we were eating earlier, the guy surnamed Han told me that the kid had someone tell him that Zhuang Rui and Xu Wei are good friends and that he shouldn't ask for more money. That's when I started to have some doubts. Xu Wei, tell me yourself, can you really call yourselves friends?"
Xu Zhendong finally got to say what he had been holding in for so long, and felt much better.