"Uncle, I've had bad luck every time I run into him, how could I dare to be friends with him?"
Upon hearing Xu Zhendong's words, Xu Wei panicked. Could it be that Zhuang Rui knew about his revenge against him and was now using fake wool to retaliate against him?
Xu Wei wasn't stupid. After hearing Zhuang Rui's words that morning, he knew that Zhuang Rui already knew what he had done at the airport and would definitely not be so kind as to help Xu's Jewelry get the rough stone. However, the fact was that Zhuang Rui did help them get the rough stone. Could there really be something wrong with the rough stone?
Xu Wei was a little confused. According to Master Zhao, there was obviously nothing wrong with the rough stone, but Zhuang Rui's behavior could not be reasonably explained. Logically speaking, Zhuang Rui should have tried every means to prevent them from buying the rough stone.
However, Xu Wei had no idea that Zhuang Rui had brought out this rough stone to cut open specifically to target him. If that boss surnamed Han ruined things, Zhuang Rui wouldn't be happy even if he made money, which was why he had Lao Si pass on a message to Boss Han.
Although this matter might alert Xu Zhendong if it got out, Zhuang Rui couldn't care less at that moment. If Xu's Jewelry didn't manage to acquire the raw material, all of Zhuang Rui's efforts would be in vain.
"Uncle, when I came back from the airport, a friend of mine had a little conflict with that kid, but it has nothing to do with me."
Xu Wei dared not hide what had happened at the airport any longer and made up an excuse to tell the truth.
"You bastard, why didn't you answer when I asked you?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhendong's expression changed drastically.
"Brother Zhao, let's cut the stone right away."
Xu Zhendong couldn't care less about scolding Xu Wei at this moment. This piece of rough jade was like a malignant tumor growing next to his heart. He wouldn't feel at ease until he unearthed it.
“Alright, let’s go cut that rough stone now. But Mr. Xu, you don’t need to worry too much. As long as the rough stone is genuine, no matter what tricks that young man has, he can’t make it disappear. We won’t lose anything.”
Master Zhao's words reassured Xu Zhendong somewhat. He naturally would not have imagined that the jadeite rough stone, which was said to be impossible for any instrument in the world to see through, was as clear as a blank sheet of paper in Zhuang Rui's eyes. Even the slightest flaw could not escape the spiritual observation in his eyes.
The jadeite rough from the old mine is certainly not fake, but what they see may not be real.
The headquarters of Xu's Jewelry is right next to the Xu's Jewelry processing factory. The rough stone that was gambled on in the morning was placed in the headquarters warehouse. After Xu Zhendong gave the order, security guards and staff opened the warehouse and pushed the rough stone to the factory on a trolley.
The stone-cutting machines at Xu's Jewelry and Jade Processing Factory are much more sophisticated than those at the jade gambling venue. There are more than ten kinds of stone-rubbing machines of various sizes, and some precision instruments can even remove dust as small as dust particles from the surface of jade.
After the rough stone was brought over, the group didn't immediately start cutting it. Instead, Master Zhao personally cleaned the stone from top to bottom. At the window, he even used a brush made of pig bristles to carefully clean the dust and stone chips inside, his eyes fixed on the jade inside.
The rinsing took more than ten minutes. After standing up, Master Zhao, without bothering to wipe the dust off his face, said to Xu Zhendong, "Mr. Xu, there's no problem with this rough stone. It's a genuine old mine stone."
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhendong breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Are there any signs of tampering?"
It's important to know that even among rough jade from old mines, there are good and bad varieties. It's possible to piece together cut rough jade pieces; this has happened before.
"No, this is a whole piece of material, it should be from the Pak Kong factory, the color is very pure, it wasn't painted on later, there shouldn't be any problem, Mr. Xu, shall we still cut it today?"
Master Zhao decided to wait for an auspicious day to cut the stone. He was indeed quite tired today, and if he lost his temper and damaged the jade inside, the loss would be enormous.
"Solve it now!"
Xu Zhendong nodded heavily and continued, "Brother Zhao, I'll have to trouble you a bit more today. Once the jadeite is extracted from this rough stone, our company's supply of high-end jewelry will be secured. You can spend the next few days gambling on some mid- to low-grade rough stones. After you're done with these few days, I won't treat you badly. I'll give you a few days off."
"Okay, let's do it then."
Since the boss had made the request, Master Zhao had no choice but to comply. However, none of the three people present expected that, not long after today, Master Zhao would be permanently taken off from Xu's Jewelry.
Extracting jade from rough stones is different from cutting stones. Cutting stones is a one-cut process where you can immediately tell whether the jade will be a success or a failure. Both the person cutting and the person watching will find it very satisfying.
However, cutting stones is quite tedious, especially for high-grade jadeite. You have to use a grinding wheel to carefully remove the outer layer of the rough stone bit by bit. It can take several hours or even days to cut a stone weighing tens of kilograms.
Master Zhao was also very careful. He started polishing with a grinding wheel from the first window that Zhuang Rui had opened. Judging from the shape, the jade in that area seemed to have seeped into the stone. According to Master Zhao's experience, there shouldn't be any more green coming out next to it.
However, just over ten minutes later, Master Zhao actually managed to wipe out another door about the size of a palm next to the skylight. He immediately frowned, rinsed the door with clean water, but did not wipe it again. Instead, he squatted there to observe it.
Seeing the newly cleaned door, Xu Wei was puzzled by Master Zhao's long face and couldn't help but say, "Uncle Zhao, it seems this really is a whole piece of jade. The green is even showing on the sides. There should be more material than we estimated, right?"
"Young Master Xu, let's wait and see..."
Master Zhao waved his hand, his face very serious, and even Xu Zhendong sensed that something was wrong.
In the jade gambling circle, there is a saying: "Better to buy a line than a piece." The jade connected beneath the skin gave Master Zhao a bad feeling.
Chapter 204 How Close is Heaven and Hell?
When the green color on the surface of a jadeite rough stone, also known as "pine flower," appears in lines or clusters on the surface, especially when the green lines are symmetrically distributed, the green will extend inward and even penetrate the entire rough stone. Such rough stones are considered top-grade and usually yield significant profits.
This type of rough stone refers to a raw stone with a good outer skin. Through the appearance of the skin, the direction of the jade inside the stone can be observed. However, the rough stone that Xu Zhendong spent more than 30 million yuan to buy is now showing a very strange appearance.
The outer layer of this rough stone did not have obvious mottled patterns or veins, so the chances of it turning green were extremely low. However, both windows that were cut out revealed green, and it was a very high-quality, icy green. In addition, the two windows were symmetrical, which would lead people to mistakenly believe that the green would run through the entire stone.
However, based on his experience, Master Zhao sensed something was amiss. This rough stone seemed to have undergone secondary weathering. If that were the case, then it would be quite certain whether green could emerge from beneath this layer of jadeite.
"Brother Zhao, is something wrong?"
Xu Zhendong also knows how to identify jadeite rough stones, but he is not very professional. When he saw that Master Zhao had polished out green again, his first reaction was the same as Xu Wei's: this rough stone must have increased in value significantly.
"It's too early to say..."
Master Zhao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He wasn't sure what the raw material was like, so he could only continue cutting it open.
With the sound of grinding wheels and stones rubbing together, the rough stone was gradually revealed to everyone.
One-third of the rough stone's outer layer had been wiped away, and in this exposed third, jadeite was found. Under the incandescent lights in the processing workshop, it emitted an alluring and profound glow. What was most remarkable was that the colors of these pieces of jadeite were extremely uniform, and the quality and clarity were also similar, basically reaching the icy type.
"Consultant Zhao, you certainly have a good eye! Such a large piece of jade can probably yield at least thirty bracelets. Mr. Xu, you'll have to give us a bonus."
"Yes, with this piece of jade, we're going to be very busy. We definitely need to give them a bonus."
At this moment, some of the carving masters from the jade factory also gathered around. Among them, some of the more senior carving masters joked with Xu Zhendong and the others.
"No problem, no problem. It's quite hot here. I'll have someone install two more powerful air conditioners in the workshop later. Once this jade is cut, we'll be counting on you all."
Xu Zhendong smiled broadly and bowed to those around him. If the raw jadeite was the guarantee of the company's terminal sales business, then these carving masters were the cornerstone of a jewelry company. When there was less work, Xu Zhendong would treat these people with great care, and now he would be even less stingy.
It's important to understand that carving a piece of jade or emerald into an object involves a series of processing steps. A short process might take three to five days, while more intricate work could take three to five months to complete, which is quite normal.
Ancient China had a set of procedures. The jade carving process in the Qing Dynasty included steps such as pounding sand, grinding paste, opening jade, making a pot, rinsing the pot, grinding the pot, hollowing out the surface, applying patterns, drilling, piercing patterns, using wooden pots, and using leather pots. These procedures were much more sophisticated than those of today, as some of the techniques have been lost in modern times.
In modern times, the processing of jade artifacts is generally divided into four stages: material selection, design, carving, and polishing, each with its own specific content.
The selection of materials goes without saying; that's what Master Zhao is doing now. However, the design work must be carried out throughout the entire jade carving process. Because jade products are not mass-produced products, each piece has certain variations. Designers must design shapes based on the characteristics of the jade material to make the shapes comfortable, smooth, and pleasing to people.
However, it is ultimately these craftsmen who carve the jadeite. How to highlight the different characteristics of the jadeite material based on its texture, luster, color, transparency, etc., and bring out the warm and cool beauty of the jadeite is a task that designers cannot accomplish and must rely on these skilled jade carvers.
More importantly, in modern society, artisans are becoming increasingly rare. Therefore, in every jewelry company that integrates jade production and sales, carving masters are the most valued, and many companies even offer high salaries to poach them from each other.
The two men who were just speaking were the jade carving masters that Xu Zhendong had hired from Yangzhou at a high price. Their jade carving skills were superb, and once this rough stone was cut open, it would definitely be these two who would carve it.
In the past few months, due to the shortage of high-quality raw materials, these carving masters have been quite idle. However, Xu Zhendong still has to provide them with good food and drink, because once these carving masters leave, it will be difficult to invite them back.
As for this rough stone, Xu Zhendong no longer had any doubts. Sitting in his position, he had seen all kinds of rough stones. Judging from the appearance of this rough stone, it must be a whole piece of jadeite, and much larger than they had previously expected.
"Judging from the current situation, we can find at least 40 million worth of jadeite. There shouldn't be any problem with the supply of high-end jadeite for the next six months. Let's go to Myanmar to participate in jadeite gambling again in January next year."
Xu Zhendong watched as the raw jade stones, constantly yielding green hues under Master Zhao's hands. He felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction. The problem that had been troubling him for the past few months was finally resolved, and he could now focus his energy on the company's development.
Polishing high-grade rough stones requires extreme care. Even the slightest lapse in concentration can result in significant damage if the grinding wheel touches the jade's surface. Thus, after more than an hour, Master Zhao had only managed to cut out two-thirds of the stone. This stone, weighing over fifty kilograms, now resembled a beautiful woman draped in a veil, revealing its exceptionally beautiful form.
"Brother Zhao, take a rest first. Xu Wei, why don't you get some water for your Uncle Zhao?"
Seeing the sweat dripping from Zhao's forehead, Xu Zhendong quickly stopped him from continuing to cut the stone, and helped Zhao to a chair. Xu Wei then handed him a towel and a drink.
After Master Zhao had recovered for a while, Xu Zhendong asked, "Brother, can you basically figure it out now?"
"It seems there's no major problem. This piece of raw jade is worth significantly more than what we paid..."
Master Zhao was relieved. Two-thirds of the rough jade had been cut open, and it was almost entirely emerald green. Although there was a lot of white cotton mixed in at the joints, it did not affect the overall direction of the jade. Now, Master Zhao's concern was how to cut the jade open and how to maximize its profit.
Upon hearing Master Zhao's words, Xu Zhendong was in high spirits. He turned to Xu Wei, who was standing to the side, and said, "Xu Wei, you should visit that guy surnamed Zhuang later. It's better to resolve conflicts than to make them fester. He has given us such a great benefit, so we should be generous to him."
Xu Wei was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. Wasn't this asking him to apologize to Zhuang Rui?
"Uncle, this...this isn't quite appropriate, is it?"
Xu Wei was completely unwilling. That country bumpkin was just lucky; was he really worth befriending?
Xu Zhendong's face tightened, and he said unhappily, "Not suitable? What, do you think it's more suitable for an old man like me to go in person?"
"Okay, I'll go..."
Seeing Xu Zhendong get angry, Xu Wei nodded helplessly and agreed.
"You're just too arrogant and can't stand seeing others better than you. Xu Wei, you need to change this habit, or you'll suffer a great loss in the future."
Xu Zhendong had a relatively high opinion of his nephew. Although he had some of the common flaws of young people, he was still much better than the other young men in the family who only knew how to eat, drink, and play with women all day long.
Seeing that Master Zhao had started cutting the stone again, Xu Zhendong didn't say anything more and turned his attention to the rough stone.
"Hmm? White cotton has appeared?"
Master Zhao stopped the grinder in his hand, and Xu Zhendong and Xu Wei quickly went over to take a closer look. They both breathed a sigh of relief.
It's impossible for such a large piece of rough stone to be entirely jadeite. Even if the remaining areas are all crystalline, the impact wouldn't be significant.
"Mr. Xu, I think we should start from these areas where the white cotton has come out and work our way in. We can take out half of the material first, and then put the rest away."
After observing for a while, Master Zhao gave his opinion.
"Okay, bro, you're the expert, you can make the decisions about these things."
Xu Zhendong waved his hand. If he didn't want to see the final result, he would have left by now. After all, as the president of Xu's Jewelry, he had a lot to do.
Even though Master Zhao was tired, a hint of excitement appeared on his face. After all, it was a great honor for him to see a priceless piece of jade come to light.
Just over ten minutes later, as the scattered crystalline particles from the white cotton area of the rough stone continued to fall off, Master Zhao's expression gradually turned grim. You see, they had already dug out one-third of the rough stone, and there was still no jadeite, only those hateful grayish-white crystalline particles.
Xu Zhendong also noticed this. Ignoring the flying gravel, he stepped forward and stared intently at the raw material that was constantly shedding fragments. His face, which had been flushed from drinking a little alcohol at noon, gradually turned ashen.
Another half hour passed, and the rough stone that appeared in front of everyone had been completely hollowed out in the middle. It looked like a mortar and pestle with a large hole in the center, or like a big mouth, silently mocking everyone in the room.
In just half an hour, Xu Zhendong felt as if he had fallen from heaven to hell. The huge psychological gap made his heart ache. Countless stars seemed to be flashing before his eyes, and thunder was rumbling in his ears. His body, which had been squatting there, silently slid to the ground.
At this moment, Xu Wei was holding onto Master Zhao, who was almost slumped on the ground, and shouted hoarsely, "This is impossible, this is impossible! How could this happen? You, Zhao, didn't you say that this piece of rough jade would definitely be a huge investment?"
Chapter 205 A Great Satisfaction (Part 1)
Master Zhao's face seemed to age considerably in an instant. His once sharp, hawk-like eyes were now dull and lifeless, and he stared blankly at Xu Wei, who was clutching his clothes. He spoke like a walking corpse, "I don't know why this is happening. It doesn't make sense... Is it because we didn't pray to the gods?"
Master Zhao really couldn't understand how such a rough stone, which was almost half clear material, could be ruined. Having spent his whole life in the jade gambling business, Master Zhao had never encountered such a situation before. His first thought was that he had offended Guan Yu (a legendary figure known for his cunning and resourcefulness).
"What kind of god are you worshipping? You've just misjudged him, Uncle. What's wrong with you?"
Xu Wei completely forgot that he had also strongly advocated for buying the rough stone. His agitated behavior was simply an attempt to clear his name and prevent Xu Zhendong from blaming him.