In the middle of the hall is an artificial rockery that divides the entire hall. The pond below the rockery has flowing water and fish swimming around, which has a unique charm. Zhuang Rui can tell that the owner of this place has put a lot of effort into it.
However, Zhuang Rui was somewhat disappointed as soon as he entered. He was a well-known figure in the jade gambling circle. Although he hadn't participated in many public auctions, he had seen tens of thousands of jadeite rough stones at each one. He really didn't care about the few dozen pieces of material scattered around in front of him.
The clubhouse lobby was already quite full of people, who were gathered in several groups, discussing and debating the stones displayed in the hall. They were all talking loudly and seemed to be experts in the stone gambling circle. However, Zhuang Rui looked around but did not see a single familiar face in the circle.
"Xiao Zhuang, you're here! Over here... over here..."
Just as Zhuang Rui took out his phone to call Old Tang, Old Tang's voice came from a crowd. The old man was not tall to begin with, and with everyone crowding around him, Zhuang Rui couldn't see him from the outside.
"Mr. Tang, you've arrived! Let me introduce you. This is my cousin, Ouyang Jun, and this is Mr. Tang, the renowned 'Jade King' in the jade industry..."
Zhuang Rui led Ouyang Jun over. He knew that his cousin was always arrogant and conceited, and fearing that Ouyang Jun might do something foolish and offend the old man, he quickly introduced him to Old Tang.
"Hey, Xiao Zhuang, the younger generation surpasses the older generation. You've already swept me off my feet. Why say all that? The fact that you even came... is already giving this old man a lot of face..."
Old Tang waved his hand repeatedly. He had been in the jade gambling circle for decades. To be honest, when it came to the identification and appreciation of jade, the old man had never been convinced by anyone. But he just couldn't figure out Zhuang Rui. He didn't know what kind of method this young man used to identify raw stones. His eye for stones was even better than his own.
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this and said, "Grandpa, you're really flattering me! I can't accept such praise. If people in the industry find out, they'll definitely say I'm arrogant..."
Zhuang Rui truly admired Tang Lao's ability to identify raw jade stones. No one else had his cheating eyes. Over the decades, he had basically never lost money gambling on jade. Based on this alone, the title of Jade King was well-deserved.
"Alright, let's stop flattering each other. Xiao Zhuang, come here, let me introduce you..."
Old Tang waved his hand. In the world of jade gambling, it's all about winning and losing. This level of skill isn't something to brag about. Zhuang Rui's record in various jade gambling venues is obvious to all. His crowning as the King of Myanmar is well-deserved. If you're not convinced, fine, you can also cut out a piece of imperial green jade.
"This is General Manager Wang from Norinco Group, this is General Manager Zhao from Haidu Investment, and this is General Manager Liu from Sinopec..."
Old Tang turned around and introduced to Zhuang Rui. Most of the people surrounding Old Tang were bosses of major companies, and judging from the names of those companies, a considerable number of them were large state-owned enterprises. Zhuang Rui sighed inwardly, thinking that these people were just using the country's money to have fun under the guise of investment. How much knowledge could they possibly have about jade gambling?
Of course, although he wasn't feeling very comfortable, Zhuang Rui wasn't a greenhorn anymore. He immediately shook hands and greeted the bosses one by one. However, he could also tell that the bosses weren't very interested in him. Their greetings were perfunctory. This was partly because Zhuang Rui looked young; he was thirty years old, but he still looked like he was twenty-four or twenty-five.
As for Ouyang Jun, Old Tang didn't know him, so he introduced him to everyone. Ouyang Jun was long past the age of arrogance, and he didn't know these so-called big bosses either. He didn't say anything and found a place to sit down.
"Are you kidding me? He's the one known as the 'Jade King of the North'!"
Zhuang Rui?
"Yes, that's way too young. How much can a kid this age know about jade?"
"Hehe, everyone, please don't say that. Old Tang likes to mentor younger generations, it's understandable, it's understandable..."
Old Tang's introduction surprised everyone in the hall, and they began to whisper among themselves. Zhuang Rui listened, smiled, and remained silent. Facts speak louder than words; his reputation in the antique and jade industry was well-deserved, and he didn't care much about these people's opinions.
"I've long heard of Mr. Zhuang's reputation. It's quite an event for our jade gambling club to have Mr. Zhuang and Mr. Tang here today. Mr. Zhuang, you'll have to show off your skills later..."
Mr. Wang seemed to be the organizer of this jade gambling event. He was quite prestigious among these people. When he spoke, he glared at those who were commenting on Zhuang Rui, and the chatter immediately quieted down. However, their gazes toward Zhuang Rui still carried a hint of doubt.
It's no wonder that those bosses viewed people with prejudice. The people who came today were either self-made and created hundreds of millions of dollars, or they had worked hard in state-owned enterprises for many years and sat on the throne of the boss. They were basically all over forty years old. The hardships of starting a business made them particularly concerned about age and seniority. Moreover, none of them were from the antique and jade industry. They only heard Tang Lao's introduction and did not think much of Zhuang Rui, this young man.
"Hehe, you flatter me, Mr. Wang. You are all leaders in the business world. I'm just here to learn..."
Zhuang Rui regretted coming here. They were all laymen who didn't know anything about jade gambling. Luckily, these people only played around in China. If they went to Myanmar, they would just be making money for the people of Myanmar.
"Mr. Tang, please go ahead with your work. I'll go sit down for a bit and take a look at today's schedule..."
Zhuang Rui could tell that these bosses weren't interested in him. After Tang Lao finished his introduction, they surrounded him again. He didn't pay any attention to it, greeted Tang Lao, and walked to the sofa in the corner, where Ouyang Sige was drinking tea with a look of impatience.
"Oh, Xiao Zhuang, I'm so sorry for neglecting you. Let's talk again tonight..."
Old Tang could also see that these bosses didn't seem to like Zhuang Rui very much, but he couldn't say much. He repeatedly cupped his hands to Zhuang Rui, looking helpless. These people were his bread and butter, and Old Tang couldn't leave them to chat with Zhuang Rui.
"Brother, you're making a stone gambling convention out of just a few broken stones? And a grand event at that?"
After Zhuang Rui sat down, Ouyang Jun said with a disdainful look. Although he was not in the jade gambling circle, he had at least witnessed the grand occasion of the Myanmar jade auction. These few rough stones were not only unappealing to Zhuang Rui, but even Ouyang Jun felt they were a bit shabby.
Before Zhuang Rui could answer, a man sitting on the sofa next to them frowned after hearing Ouyang Jun's words and said, "Sir, the stones displayed here have all been carefully selected by everyone. There are also many rough stones in the back. This is the largest jade gambling venue in the north. You two don't even know that?"
Zhuang Rui and Ouyang Jun looked in the direction of the voice and saw that the guy who was speaking was in his early forties, but he was slightly balding, probably due to overwork. He was holding a little girl who looked no more than eighteen or nineteen years old.
The man had been whispering sweet nothings to the girl in his arms and hadn't paid attention to Old Tang's introduction of Zhuang Rui. So when he heard Ouyang Jun's words, he felt somewhat dissatisfied. In addition, Zhuang Rui and Ouyang Jun were dressed very casually, which didn't quite match the environment where everyone was dressed in suits and ties, so he wasn't very polite in his speech.
"Well... I'm not in the jade gambling circle, so I really don't know. Alright, then I'll have to see for myself today..."
Having had a child in recent years, Ouyang Jun's composure had improved considerably. He didn't argue with the man, shook his head, glanced at the girl in the man's arms, and looked at Zhuang Rui, saying, "Brother, how about I find you a couple of girls to keep you company?"
Ouyang Jun had just taken a look around and realized that he didn't recognize any of the so-called entrepreneurs here. He immediately felt a bit bored and cursed the owner for having no taste, letting anyone, regardless of their social standing, into membership. He thought he would find some time to return the membership card himself; it was too low-class.
It's important to know that Ouyang Jun's club in the suburbs of Beijing was so prestigious that many wealthy people in China couldn't even get in. Even high-ranking officials of state-owned enterprises, at the very least, had to be at the vice-ministerial level or above to enter. The people who frequented this place were simply not on the same level.
"Come on, Fourth Brother, just shut up for a bit..."
Zhuang Rui gave Ouyang Jun a disapproving look, then turned to the man who had spoken earlier and asked, "Sir, what's the program today? Is it just about having Old Tang appraise the rough stones?"
Zhuang Rui is starting to consider quitting. He might as well spend his free time going to Panjiayuan or Liulichang. If he's lucky, he might find something interesting. It's better than sitting here drinking tea.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, the man straightened his expression and sat up straight, saying, "Brother, you don't seem like someone who gambles on stones. You're probably just here to watch the fun from somewhere else, right? Let me tell you about stone gambling... Of course, stone gambling involves betting. Later, everyone will select the ten best stones, and each person can place bets on the rough stones they like. After they're cut open, whoever's bet on the most valuable rough stone wins. That's what stone gambling is all about..."
"Pfft...cough cough, I'm sorry, are you...are you sure this is jade gambling?"
Before the man could finish speaking, Zhuang Rui spat out the mineral water he had just drunk. He had been involved in jade gambling since 2004, and this was the first time he had heard someone interpret jade gambling in this way.
Chapter 1069 Black Sand
Seeing the man's confident tone, Zhuang Rui felt a bit confused. Could it be that all the jade gambling he had encountered before was substandard? The man's explanation of jade gambling did indeed overturn Zhuang Rui's understanding of it.
Zhuang Rui has learned a lot today that jade gambling can be interpreted in this way. He is wondering if he should suggest that the fourth wife of the Macau resident add such a novel gambling method to her new company.
"Hey, I'm telling you... do you even know anything about jade gambling? Do you know Old Master Tang over there? He's a big shot in the jade gambling world..."
The man was very dissatisfied with Zhuang Rui's performance. Pointing to Old Tang in the distance, he gave Zhuang Rui a thumbs up and continued, "The people who came here to gamble on jade today are all very famous in the industry. Brother, to be able to get into this club, you must have some wealth. Follow me and place a few bets later, I guarantee you'll win money. Here, this is my card..."
The man carefully examined Zhuang Rui and Ouyang Jun. Seeing that although they were dressed casually, the fabric of their clothes was of good quality, he didn't say anything harsh. You see, people who can enter this club are all people of some importance. This kind of place is not only a place to entertain the rich in the country, but also a social circle. Many business deals can be made in such places.
"Huang Weiqiang, General Manager of Lianhai Group. Oh, it's General Manager Huang. Please take good care of me in the future..."
Zhuang Rui glanced at the business card, suppressed a laugh, and exchanged a few polite words with the man. He never imagined that, under the manipulation of these people, jade gambling had actually become a form of gambling, and they even claimed to be insiders. Anyone with a little knowledge of the jade industry would probably laugh their head off at this situation.
At the end of Mr. Jin Yong's novel "The Return of the Condor Heroes", he wrote that a few ignorant and arrogant young martial arts practitioners gathered at Mount Hua and imitated the legendary swordsmanship competition between the Eastern Heretic, Western Poison, Southern Emperor and Northern Beggar. The situation today is somewhat similar, which makes Zhuang Rui both amused and exasperated.
Seeing that Zhuang Rui was quite cooperative, General Manager Huang smiled and said, "No problem, what industry are you in, brother? Come on, I'll introduce you to some people in the industry..."
Although Mr. Huang is very powerful in his city, with his wealth, he can barely get into this circle and doesn't know many people. At this moment, in order to show off his abilities, he also thought of learning from Old Master Tang and mentoring the younger generation.
"Thank you, Mr. Huang. I got up early today and am a little sleepy. You go ahead with your work. I'll ask you for advice when we start gambling on stones..."
Upon hearing what General Manager Huang said, Zhuang Rui waved his hands repeatedly. What a joke! If Zhuang Rui were to have any further conversations with these "insiders," he would probably go crazy. He now admired Old Tang quite a bit; the old man was outspoken and could adapt to any circle.
"Young people don't care about quality of life at all. Well, when it's time to place your bets, just come find me, Old Huang..."
Mr. Huang shook his head, stood up with his female companion, and moved towards a crowded area.
"Hey kid, come up with a better excuse, being sleepy?"
While listening to Zhuang Rui and General Manager Huang's conversation, Ouyang Jun was secretly amused. Although he didn't know much about jade gambling, he knew that the gamble was on whether there was jade inside the rough stone and what quality of jade it was, rather than the peripheral bets.
"What a load of nonsense, what does this even mean..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head helplessly and said, "Fourth Brother, how about I say hello to Old Tang and we head over to Panjiayuan for a stroll?"
After Zhuang Rui understood the nature of this "stone gambling," he lost interest in the rough stones altogether. What good material could such a bunch of idiots possibly buy? He estimated that nine out of ten pieces would be fake, just painted with some pigment and sold as imperial green.
"Hey, this is so interesting, why are you leaving? You've come all the way to Beijing to show off. We should take a good look later..."
Ouyang Jun realized that this was a group of wealthy people indulging in highbrow entertainment. Ouyang Si Shao had been staying at home for the past two years, taking care of his wife and children, and hadn't seen such a lively scene in a long time, so of course he was unwilling to leave.
"Come on, Fourth Brother, it would be too embarrassing if your acquaintances recognized you..."
Zhuang Rui was also a little surprised. Ouyang Jun was quite famous in Beijing, and most of the older generation of playboys knew him. He had been sitting here for half a day, but not a single person had come up to greet him.
“My acquaintances don’t come here, brother. Let me tell you, these kinds of clubs are mostly frequented by locals…”
Ouyang Jun curled his lip. People in his circle rarely go to clubs anymore. Even if they organize a party, they usually hold it in their own villas or estates, or go out to sea on a yacht to play, so that their privacy can be guaranteed.
However, there are quite a few such clubs in Beijing. In a sense, they have replaced the numerous reception offices in the capital city back then. Most of the people who come here are local officials or "successful people" from all over the country. Over time, it has evolved into a place for the rich to compete in wealth and for officials to run for promotion. Apart from showing up once when the club opened, this is Ouyang Jun's first time here, so he naturally does not recognize the "successful people" here.
Zhuang Rui shook his head, chatting idly with Ouyang Jun while turning his gaze to a few pieces of material not far from him, which surprised him somewhat.
On a shelf about seven or eight meters away from Zhuang Rui, there was a rough stone weighing about four or five kilograms. It was completely black with a frosted surface, and it was an old mine material from the Ma Meng mine in Myanmar.
Ma Meng jade, also known as black wusha, is the most risky type of rough stone in the gambling industry. Not to mention novices, even veterans who have been in the gambling industry for many years often make mistakes. However, the same principle applies: the greater the risk, the higher the profit. Therefore, wusha jade is also the most widely used in gambling.
Seeing this piece of jade, Zhuang Rui was slightly surprised. You know, the old mines of jade in Myanmar have basically been exhausted. Even the old mine jade that appears at the public auction are old pieces that are in the stock of some mine owners in Myanmar. They are not very common and the price is extremely high. Zhuang Rui did not expect that the items these laymen brought out were quite professional. He stood up and walked to the side of the rough jade.
"Brother, is this material of interest?"
Ouyang Jun followed behind Zhuang Rui, frowning as he looked at the dark stone. In his brother's eyes, only those pieces that had been cut and had windows opened could be called jadeite rough.
"I don't know. It's hard to say with a completely gambled piece of jade. Although the jade from the Ma Meng mine has a poor water content and often has a bluish tinge in its green, it has also produced quite a few top-quality jadeites in the past..."
Zhuang Rui once acquired a piece of black jadeite at the Pingzhou public auction, which contained a piece of imperial green material. As a result, he paid special attention to the rough stones from the Ma Meng field in the subsequent public auctions. However, since then, no good material has appeared again.
"It's more than just bad. This piece of jade was brought by Old Wu from Nanjing. He said it was an old mine jade passed down in his family for decades. However, this piece is colorless and has no flaws. It doesn't even look like a raw stone. I really don't know what Old Wu was thinking..."
A middle-aged man standing not far from Zhuang Rui overheard their conversation and stepped forward to interject. However, the fact that this man could utter the words "skin disease" was much better than what Boss Wu had said earlier. But compared to Old Wu, it was still a case of the pot calling the kettle black. He was clearly an old scumbag from the Ma Mengchang, but in this guy's mouth, he was just a worthless rock.
"Hehe, you have a good point, brother..."
Zhuang Rui smiled and didn't say much. Most of the people here today were jade ignoramuses, and it would be better for him to talk too much. Didn't you see that Old Tang over there was also keeping his mouth shut, only nodding or shaking his head when he was really asked too many questions?
Of course, this group of "insiders" probably thought that this was how a jade gambling expert should act, but they didn't know that Old Tang was too lazy to educate them. The more knowledgeable these people were, the more they were the main consumers of jade. Old Tang didn't want to offend them, but he occasionally looked at Zhuang Rui with a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
"Hmm? You've got some substance..."
As Zhuang Rui spoke to that person, a wisp of spiritual energy overflowed from his eyes, peeling away the layers of the black sand. When the spiritual energy penetrated to about two centimeters, a hint of green appeared in Zhuang Rui's eyes.
The jadeite has a viscous texture, similar to glutinous rice, and is basically of the icy variety. The green color is quite nice and evenly distributed. Although the jadeite is not large, only slightly larger than an egg, given the current market price for jadeite, if this icy jadeite were broken down and made into jewelry, it would be worth around two to three million yuan.
Although the rough stone was not bad, Zhuang Rui didn't think much of it. Any piece of jadeite in the basement of his courtyard house was of far superior quality. So after seeing the quality of the jadeite inside, Zhuang Rui turned around and prepared to leave.
"Xiao Zhuang, so, have you picked out any rough stones you like? I've picked out six raw stones for gambling, you can point to one too..."
Just as Zhuang Rui was thinking of wandering around the hall a bit more, Old Tang walked over surrounded by a group of people.
"Me? I guess I'll pass..."
Zhuang Rui smiled and shook his head. It was obvious that no one here took him seriously, and Zhuang Rui didn't want to show off. As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. Once he left the club, Zhuang Rui would never have any more contact with these people.
"Young Zhuang, please give this old man some face, otherwise... if word gets out, I'll have nowhere to hide my face..."
Old Tang's face was indeed burning with embarrassment. He regretted inviting Zhuang Rui over. He had originally wanted to introduce Zhuang Rui to some connections, but he hadn't expected that these self-important guys didn't take Zhuang Rui seriously at all.
Zhuang Rui scratched his head. Not wanting to refuse Old Tang's request, he casually pointed to the black sand in front of him and said, "Alright, then... this one will do. I think it's pretty good..."
Although Zhuang Rui hadn't looked at the other materials yet, the icy green jadeite in this piece of black jadeite was already of very good quality. Even at some large jadeite auctions, it would be a rare and top-grade jadeite. Therefore, Zhuang Rui thought that there should be no problem in including this piece of material among the ten rough stones today.