The chubby man who had initially made the first offer was the first to call out a price again. However, before Zhuang Rui could reply, several merchants who had just finished examining the rough stones also called out their prices. The last man's bid caused a burst of laughter from the crowd.
Chapter 195 The Crazy Stone (5)
Hearing the price being shouted like it was for buying cabbages, the third brother was completely dumbfounded. He stared blankly at Zhang Rong beside him and said, "Wife, are you sure they're shouting 2.55 million and not 255 yuan? No, this feels like a dream. Honey, pinch me..."
"Ouch, be gentler on your pinch..."
The third brother felt a sharp pain in his arm, which brought him back to his senses.
"I didn't pinch him."
Zhang Rong was also stunned by the scene and had no time to pay attention to the third brother.
Standing behind the third brother, Wei Ge grinned mischievously and said, "Hehe, third brother, want me to pinch you again?"
"No, I'm easily swayed, okay?"
The third brother shoved away Viagra's outstretched hand.
Among Zhuang Rui's classmates, Wei Ge's family background is undoubtedly the best. Although his family is very strict, millions of dollars wouldn't be a concern for him. As for Lao Si, he drives a Ferrari, so he certainly wouldn't care about this amount of money either. It's Yue Jing and Lao San who are a bit tight on money, and they are the ones most affected.
Yue Jing's performance was much better than that of the third brother. Although he was quite shocked by the number, he also had relatives and elders in his family who were in business, and he had never lacked money since he was a child. He was just very curious about how this worthless stone had suddenly become so valuable.
The firecrackers set off by Yang Hao attracted more jade merchants, and the bidding became even more intense.
Although this piece of jadeite is of average quality and not considered high-end, the first impression Chinese people have of jadeite is its green color. Therefore, jadeite with a pure color is the most popular in the market. This piece has a rich and evenly distributed green color, making it a mainstay in the current market, whether for making bracelets or pendants. So, none of these jade merchants are willing to give it up, and the prices they are asking for are rising steadily.
"Two million nine hundred and fifty thousand!"
The previously refined-looking, fair-skinned, chubby man now resembled a gambler blinded by greed, shouting out the highest bid in the room with a flushed face.
In terms of the intrinsic value of this piece of jadeite, the price is already close to its peak. After all, dry green jadeite is only considered mid-range. Although the green color is excellent, allowing it to fetch a slightly higher price, it primarily targets ordinary people with limited purchasing power.
After the plump merchant called out the price, the room fell silent. Everyone who was interested in getting their hands on this piece of jade was calculating the gains and losses in their minds. It didn't matter if they made a little less profit by buying the jade, but if they lost money, no one would want to make a move.
There are about twenty people bidding in the room. After 2.6 million, the price has been increasing by 10,000 at a time. However, this chubby businessman has raised the price from 2.9 million to 2.95 million in one go, and it seems that he is determined to get this jade.
Seeing that no one else was willing to bid, just as Zhuang Rui was about to agree, suddenly, Old Man Qi, who had been squatting on the ground examining the jade, stood up, held up three fingers, and said calmly, "I bid three million!"
Upon hearing Old Qi's offer, the plump, fair-skinned merchant's wrinkle-free face immediately turned sour. He said to Old Qi, "Brother Qi, your price is a bit too high. Can't you give me a break this time?"
“Brother Han, I just examined it carefully. If I were to make it myself, I could make about thirty bracelets from this piece of jade. Adding in the cabochons, pendants, and other small items, it would be worth about three million. You know I don’t have much stock left in my shop.”
Old Qi had been squatting on the ground, calculating how many objects could be carved from this piece of jade. With his skills, he should be able to make a slight profit after buying it for three million, but the profit margin would be quite thin.
"Alright, brother, I won't argue with you anymore. I'll buy it for 2.95 million, and I might even lose a little money. Forget it, this material is yours."
Mr. Han gave a wry smile and didn't bid any further.
"Youngest brother, didn't that old man say this jade could be sold for over three million? How come this guy surnamed Han says he'll lose money if it's only two million nine hundred and fifty thousand?"
Viagra touched Zhuang Rui with his hand and asked in a low voice.
"Brother Wei, why don't you ask that old man? I don't know either."
Zhuang Rui had no idea what was going on. For him, as long as the goods were sold and the price was right, that was enough.
Yang Hao, who was standing to the side, replied, "That Boss Qi is a famous craftsman, a true successor of Yangzhou carving. Only a carving master like him can maximize the profit from this piece of jade. If an ordinary craftsman were to carve this piece of jade, some of it would probably be wasted."
Mr. Qi's offer of three million shocked the many jade merchants in the room. They had all seen the jadeite and thought that if they bought it, they would probably have a hard time selling it for three million after it was made into a finished product. So, for a good three to five minutes, no one else in the room made a bid.
The stone gamble paid off, and the cut stones were sold. While Zhuang Rui and Boss Qi went to transfer the money, the crowd surrounding Yang Hao's stall gradually dispersed, and many people went to Yang Hao's stall to select raw stones. This was the popularity brought about by the successful gamble.
However, two people were still standing where the stone had just been cut. One was the thin, middle-aged man who had initially spent 850,000 yuan to buy the rough, uncut jade. His face showed an indescribable expression, it was hard to tell whether he was crying or laughing. The other was the jade merchant who had bought the box and returned the pearl. Both of them stood in the center of the area, and only left after a long while.
From the moment Zhuang Rui made his bargain purchase to the moment the jade was unearthed, Zhang Rong, who had been present the whole time, saw the two men's dejected expressions and said with some heartache, "Honey, do you think those two will go crazy after such a blow?"
"Probably not?"
The third brother answered uncertainly, saying that if this happened to him, he didn't know if he would go crazy from the shock.
Yang Hao went to greet the merchants who were selecting raw materials. He knew that these people were all Zhuang Rui's friends, so he left his cousin Yang Jun to accompany them.
Upon hearing Zhang Rong's words, Yang Jun, who was standing next to her, curled his lip and said nonchalantly, "Definitely not. It's only a little over 800,000 yuan. As long as that person wins once, he'll make it all back. Gambling on stones is all about winning and losing. It's normal to have bad eyesight or bad luck."
Although young, Yang Jun, who comes from a family of jade enthusiasts, has a very high level of vision. In the jade gambling circle, people always report good news and not bad news. However, Yang Jun knows that there are far more people who have gone bankrupt because of gambling on jade than those who have become rich overnight.
Yang Jun was now convinced by Zhuang Rui. His older brother was right; this was definitely a lucky charm. Even buying a piece of material that was considered scrap could yield a three-million-yuan jade. It seemed that the story of him making thirty million yuan from eight thousand yuan in Nanjing was indeed true.
"Hey guys, you're all standing here like telephone poles, aren't you afraid of the heat?"
Zhuang Rui returned alone, swaying slightly. The jade he had been carrying was nowhere to be seen; it must have been taken away by Boss Qi after the transfer of funds.
"Hey kid, time to split the money, brothers, let's grab it!"
At Wei Ge's command, the four brothers surrounded Zhuang Rui like wolves and tigers, and their eight hands instantly searched all of Zhuang Rui's pockets.
"Damn it, don't touch it. Who hid the money there...?"
Someone's hand slipped into Zhuang Rui's pants pocket, and with a bit too much force, it went straight for Zhuang Rui's genitals.
"Go inside the shed, isn't it hot here?"
After joking around for a while, Zhuang Rui led the way into the shed. Yang Jun pulled out another watermelon from somewhere and cut it open. The guys had been baking in the sun for most of the day and were quite thirsty, so they each picked up a slice and started eating.
"Three million, split among six people, five hundred thousand each. Here, one card per person, the password is 123456, anonymous. You can transfer the money to your own cards at the bank when you have time."
He wiped the watermelon juice from his mouth, then took out six ICBC savings cards from his handbag and threw them on the table.
Although the guys were all quite excited, none of them reached for the cards on the table because they all felt that this distribution was a bit unfair. After all, the fact that they were able to solve the jade problem was all thanks to Zhuang Rui.
The third brother was silent for a moment before speaking, "Youngest brother, aren't there five of us? Why did you get six cards? But it's fine this way, you can take double the money, and the rest of us brothers can each take one."
Wei Ge and the others nodded in agreement. The so-called jade gambling fund they mentioned earlier was just a joke among the guys. No one took it seriously. A few million might not seem like a lot, but it wasn't a small amount either. Some ordinary families might not earn that much in their entire lives. Wei Ge and the others didn't want to let this money ruin their relationship.
Zhuang Rui ignored the third brother and looked at Zhang Rong instead, saying, "Sister-in-law, you should teach your third brother a lesson when you get back. He doesn't take you seriously at all. There are six of us, and he deliberately left you out. Tsk tsk, this matter..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, the third brother immediately understood his meaning and hurriedly said, "Zhuang Rui, this is not appropriate, it's really not appropriate. We already feel ashamed to accept this money. No, absolutely not."
"Third brother, don't refuse. This is what we agreed on before. Besides, if you and your wife are better off financially, you won't make mistakes at work in the future. And second brother, I'll need your help when I go to Beijing."
Before the third brother could speak, Zhuang Rui picked up two cards and stuffed them into his hand, along with a jadeite rough stone transaction contract. With these, the one million in the third brother's hands would be legitimate.
Chapter 196 The Crazy Stone (6)
Although the two bank cards were light and weightless, they felt incredibly heavy in Lao San's hands, making it hard for him to breathe. He knew Zhuang Rui was intentionally taking care of him, but this kindness was simply too heavy a burden.
"Alright, third brother, just take it. Stop being so fussy. The youngest brother is a capitalist now. I heard he even owns a mastiff kennel and a car repair shop. Don't be polite with him. If he has a big, healthy son, all of us brothers will be his godfathers."
When Yue Jing saw that Lao San's eyes were a little red, as if he had been moved by something, he quickly reached for a bank card on the table, exaggeratedly put it into his wallet, and then looked around as if he were guarding against a thief, which made everyone burst into laughter. The originally somewhat tense atmosphere immediately became lighthearted.
It's no wonder the third brother was excited. When Zhuang Rui received his first 3.8 million, his performance wasn't much better than the third brother's. It felt like winning the lottery, like being hit by a pie falling from the sky.
"Brother Zhuang, what are you doing sitting here?"
Zhuang Rui and his friends were chatting and eating watermelon when a voice broke in.
"Hey Ma, you're here too! How's it going, how's your haul?"
Zhuang Rui turned around and saw that Fatty Ma, covered in sweat, had just entered the shed with the girl. His T-shirt was already soaked with sweat.
Fatty Ma didn't stand on ceremony when he came in. He grabbed a watermelon from the table and started eating. He even handed a piece to Yanzi next to him. After finishing, he wiped his mouth and said, "Don't even mention it. Today was incredibly unlucky. My jade gambling master must have eaten something bad last night. He's been vomiting and having diarrhea since early this morning. I had no choice but to take him to the hospital for an IV drip. I'm just here to wander around by myself."
Good rough stones are usually reserved for sealed bids, and the jade gambling convention won't open sealed bids for another three days. Fatty Ma isn't in a hurry; there are still two days left. His main focus is on the sealed bids, because they mostly feature rough stones that have already been exposed and show good potential, making them ideal for stockpiling.
"With your eyesight, brother, what need do you have for 'eyes'? Just look for yourself..."
Zhuang Rui knew that Fatty Ma had an exceptionally sharp eye, which is why he said that.
"Brother, everyone has their own expertise. Someone like me, who is only half-full of knowledge and can't hold a sip, is the easiest to misjudge and suffer losses."
Fatty Ma is right. When he used to collect antiques, he could tell whether an antique was real or fake from the seller's demeanor. But with jadeite rough, even the seller didn't know if there was jadeite inside. So Fatty Ma was helpless.
"By the way, bro, is this stall number 83? I just came in and heard people saying that the betting here is booming, so I rushed over to check it out. What's going on? Tell me about it."
As Fatty Ma spoke, his eyes swept over the remaining cards on the table. Then, seeing Zhuang Rui's expression, his eyes widened in surprise as he asked, "Brother Zhuang, this...this...the person who was gambling on the stones just now, you weren't one of them, were you?"
Zhuang Rui gave a wry smile and said, "It really is me, but I didn't make much money, only three million in total. It's not worth your time, brother."
"Hey kid... how come you're so lucky? You'd better pick out a rough stone for me later."
Fatty Ma sized Zhuang Rui up and down with his eyes, making him feel a little uneasy. No matter who it is, if they have secrets, they are always afraid of being found out. Zhuang Rui quickly said, "Brother Ma, I have no problem choosing the raw materials for you. But if you lose money, I won't be responsible."
"I'll accept the loss, but with that string of Living Buddha dzi beads in your hand, it'll be hard for you to lose money even if you want to."
Fatty Ma's words relieved Zhuang Rui. It seemed that everyone who knew him attributed his good fortune to this string of old dzi beads.
While Zhuang Rui was chatting with Fatty Ma, he didn't notice that not far from the stall, a pair of vicious eyes were fixed on him, filled with resentment and seemingly a hint of confusion.
Xu Wei had only arrived because he heard the firecrackers. Although he was a little late, he just happened to see Zhuang Rui and Boss Qi complete the transaction of the jadeite rough. After asking around, he learned that Zhuang Rui had only spent 10,000 yuan and had actually won the bet. This reminded Xu Wei of the 3 million yuan he had lost gambling in Nanjing last time, and he became even more resentful towards Zhuang Rui.
"Damn it, that kid Da Biao isn't reliable either. Wasn't it said that Zhuang Rui would be bedridden for at least a month after taking that slap from him...?"
Seeing Zhuang Rui chatting and laughing so easily, without a trace of injury, Xu Wei couldn't help but think bitterly to himself.
Beside Xu Wei stood two other people. One was an elderly man in his early sixties, the jade gambling master from his family who was participating in the Pingzhou Jade Gambling Conference. The other was also gray-haired, around sixty years old. He was dressed in a white training uniform, and his eyes darted around with an indescribable air of authority, suggesting he was someone who had long held a high position.
"Let's go check out that betting stall where the winning numbers are. Master Zhao, I'm counting on you this time."
The old man in the white training clothes said something indifferently and walked towards where Zhuang Rui was.
This elderly man is Xu Zhendong, the current head of Xu's Jewelry. Xu's Jewelry is headquartered in Guangzhou. Originally, someone else was supposed to attend the Pingzhou Jadeite Gambling Conference, but yesterday Xu Zhendong suddenly received calls from several of his most important jadeite suppliers, demanding that they terminate the supply of jadeite raw materials without giving a reason.
Just a few months ago at the Myanmar jade auction, Xu's Jewelry also suffered a setback. They spent more than 80 million yuan on bidding for raw jade, but only recovered more than 10 million yuan of their costs. This was a huge blow to Xu's Jewelry. Compared to the more than 3 million yuan that Xu Wei lost in Nanjing, it was nothing.
Having suffered heavy losses in Myanmar, and with domestic suppliers terminating their contracts, Xu's Jewelry is about to face a shortage of raw materials. That's why Xu Zhendong personally stepped in, hoping to buy some better jadeite rough in Pingzhou to alleviate the immediate crisis.
Xu Wei is Xu Zhendong's nephew. Although some things have happened to this nephew who returned from studying abroad in the past six months, Xu Zhendong still has high hopes for him. He transferred him to the Northwest Branch, which was also intended to temper him. So at this jade gambling conference, Xu Zhendong kept Xu Wei by his side, wanting him to have more contact with professional knowledge and colleagues in the jade industry.
"Huh? Xu Wei, why aren't you leaving yet?"
Xu Zhendong had walked seven or eight meters away when he looked back and saw Xu Wei still standing there. He couldn't help but frown.
"Oh, you're here, Uncle."
Xu Wei didn't want to go to stall number 83 at all, because that would definitely mean running into Zhuang Rui. Although Da Biao wasn't with him right now, and Xu Wei was absolutely certain that Zhuang Rui didn't know he was behind what happened at the airport, as the saying goes, a guilty conscience needs no accuser, and Xu Wei still didn't want to have any direct contact with Zhuang Rui.
Zhuang Rui, who was chatting with Fatty Ma and the others, suddenly felt a gaze fixed on him. He turned around and looked outside the shed. His eyes met Xu Wei's, and the suppressed anger within Zhuang Rui instantly ignited. He abruptly stood up and shouted, "Xu Wei!"
Hearing the shout, Xu Zhendong, who was walking in front, glanced at Zhuang Rui and said to Xu Wei behind him, "Xu Wei, is that you? If it's your friend, go and say hello. Master Zhao and I will go check on the raw materials first."