"Go, bet 50,000 yuan on a winning bet..."
Standing in the crowd, Xu Zhendong said calmly to his son beside him, "That kid Da D tasted success yesterday, so today he's set the maximum bet at 50,000."
"Dad, if we're going to buy, we should buy into his gambling failure, not buy into his rising fortune."
Xu Qi thought his father had lost his mind. Xu's Jewelry had suffered such a huge setback under Zhuang Rui's management. Why would his own father still want him to profit?
"Just go because we tell you to. Why wouldn't you make money?"
Xu Zhendong was too lazy to explain to his son. It was true he had a grudge against Zhuang Rui, but he had no grudge against money. To put it more bluntly, he wasn't after that little bit of money; he just wanted to share in Zhuang Rui's luck and hope for smooth sailing in the upcoming jade gambling. ...
Zhuang Rui seemed oblivious to the noise around him; his mind was entirely focused on the enormous piece of raw jade.
Finding the red jadeite is easy; you don't even need to painstakingly cut the stone. Just dig in about ten or twenty centimeters from the polished surface, and you'll see the red jadeite.
However, Zhuang Rui felt that doing it that way would be too easy. Since he was going to do something spectacular today, he might as well do it in a thrilling way.
"Mr. Zhuang, is there anything you would like to say?"
The Myanmar organizing committee official who helped Zhuang Rui with the bidding process yesterday came in person today to organize the on-site stone cutting. After rambling on and on, he shoved the microphone in Zhuang Rui's mouth.
"No……"
Zhuang Rui uttered two words, then turned and beckoned the forklift to place the raw material onto the stone cutting machine.
Because the raw stone is so large, two loaders are needed to work on it at the same time. After it is placed on the stone cutting machine, the loaders also need to support it from below to prevent the raw stone from becoming unstable and falling to the ground during the cutting process.
"Is he going to cut the stone?"
"Probably. That young man is really energetic. He didn't even polish the stone; he just started cutting right away..."
"Reckless. Too reckless. Such a large piece of rough jade should at least be rubbed on a few sides first to check the inside before deciding how to cut it. It seems this young man has been relying on luck all along..."
When everyone saw Zhuang Rui holding the long, grotesque hair upside down, they knew he was about to cut it open. This was the most common way to cut stone; one cut and the difference between heaven and hell would be clear.
Generally speaking, rough stones with cracks have a higher chance of yielding jadeite. However, if the cracks are deep, they will damage the structure of the jadeite inside the rough stone. The well-known "crash gambling" is based on the assumption that the cracks will not penetrate the rough stone deeply enough to affect the jadeite inside.
However, the so-called "bad cracks" often run through the entire rough stone. If it were a slightly smaller rough stone, the people present probably wouldn't even be interested in looking at it, and it would definitely be a failure.
After taking the chalk, Zhuang Rui pretended to draw on the rough stone, then threw away the chalk, clapped his hands, and directly turned on the power of the stone cutter, cutting downwards towards the bad crack.
Since it was originally a crevice, and the crystals inside had already weathered, although the crevice wasn't straight, it was still easy to cut through. With the "crackling" sound of the huge alloy grinding wheel rubbing against the stone, fragments of stone dust filled the air around Zhuang Rui.
"Peng Fei, fetch a basin of water..."
After cutting a notch about 30 to 40 centimeters in size under the alloy grinding wheel, Zhuang Rui stopped, because moving the stone required two loading loader trucks to move simultaneously.
After enlarging the crack in the raw stone, Zhuang Rui washed it with water, and the inside was already visible. The result was predictable: no green jade emerged.
After the two forklifts re-secured the raw material, Zhuang Rui cut down along the seam three times before he could cut this half open. Because the raw material was quite thick, he had to turn it over and cut it three more times from the other side before he could unravel the whole piece of raw material.
The rubbing was done near the top of the flawed area behind the flaw. The rough material was cut in the middle without touching the rubbing. After Zhuang Rui drew the line with chalk, a "click-click" sound rang out, and he continued cutting.
"The bet might go wrong..."
"Yes, judging from that young man's expression just now, there was no jade on one half of the cut surface..."
"This is a deep-seated problem; it seems unlikely that she'll become a cuckold..."
A buzzing discussion arose from the crowd nearby. It wasn't that the crowd was opportunistic, but rather that facts spoke louder than words. After cutting open half of the stone, experienced jade gamblers could tell from the stone fragments brought out by the alloy gear whether there was any green inside. However, as of now, there was not a single sign of green.
"Xiao Rui, take a break before you cut..."
Qin Haoran, who had been standing to the side, now had a very serious expression. Unlike the people who were watching the excitement from the outside, he had noticed when Zhuang Rui was cleaning up the rubble that the flaws on this piece of material were not only almost the same length as the whole rough stone, but also almost the entire length of the stone. This was different from what Zhuang Rui had imagined.
"It's alright, Uncle Qin, I'll rest after I cut it open..."
Although he had been cutting for almost an hour, Zhuang Rui's forehead was covered in sweat, but his hands were still very steady. He continued to cut along the white line he had drawn, and for nearly a meter, the cut on the other side had already connected. There were only about 20 centimeters left before he could split the rough stone in two.
"Crackling..."
After the bulldozer moved for the third time, Zhuang Rui lifted the stone cutter. The sound of the alloy grinding wheel spinning in the air was like a drumbeat, striking the hearts of everyone present. Zhuang Rui's method of cutting stones was like hitting the nail on the head; whether there was jade or not would be known immediately.
Two bulldozers, each carrying half a piece of raw material, slowly drove backward, and instantly, two smooth cut surfaces appeared before everyone's eyes.
The black python pattern, yellow crystals, red misty streaks, and white stone fragments were all visible on the cut surface, but the most important element—the jadeite—was nowhere to be found.
Chapter 463 Blind Bidding (7)
Sigh, another bet has failed...
"This year's public auction is a bit strange..."
"Yes, those two rough stones cost over 100 million, and they just bought two worthless rocks..."
What's happening before our eyes seems to need no further explanation. Anyone who understands what gambling on stones means will naturally understand what this cut signifies.
There are few resources on Earth, but there are plenty of stones all over the mountains. Gambling on stones is not about gambling on the stones themselves, but on the jade inside. Even if you cut it open and find green jade, you can't say whether it's a good or bad investment, because you have to take into account the price of the raw material.
But when this cut was made, there was nothing there. Even the most novice could see that the cut had failed.
The reason it's described as a "single cut" that ruined the entire rough stone, rather than the whole stone, is because in the world of jade gambling, it's not uncommon for the first cut to not yield green jade, followed by a significant price increase. However, overall, the likelihood of a failed gamble is still higher.
A huge sigh rang out from the crowd, but most of them were worried. The two consecutive failed gambles on the stones had immediately reduced their confidence in the rough stones at this Myanmar jade auction by several tens of percentage points.
Although Zhuang Rui's poorly gambled rough jade failed, it's psychologically easier to accept than the one a few days ago that seemed like a sure thing. But the thought of the nearly 80 million RMB price tag still weighs heavily on everyone's mind. Now it's Zhuang Rui's turn to fail, and perhaps it will be their turn next.
"You little brat, I've lost 80 million to you. Let's see if you can turn things around this time..."
There were naturally happy people in the crowd. Xu Zhendong had already forgotten that he had just bet 50,000 yuan on Zhuang Rui's bet. However, compared to what he saw now, he would be willing to throw out another 500,000 yuan. It was a typical case of harming others without benefiting himself. At this moment, Xu Zhendong was extremely pleased with himself and was already laughing so hard that he developed osteoporosis.
The organizing committee official who was in charge of the on-site stone cutting was now standing there, feeling awkward and uneasy. Zhuang Rui's decisive move had ruined everything. His heart sank to the bottom, and he was now considering whether to report to his superiors and ask them to open the venue a little earlier today. ...
Big D, who had been wandering around in the crowd, squeezed next to Fatty Ma and said with a sly grin, "Mr. Ma, the 100 million bet you mentioned earlier, I'm still accepting it. Are you still willing to place a bet? I'll just take 80 million from you..."
"Get out of here! You should just call yourself Dai the Scoundrel, who gave you a gentleman's name anyway..."
Although Fatty Ma knew that Big D was joking, he was still furious. In Fatty Ma's opinion, Zhuang Rui was taking the blame for him. If Zhuang Rui hadn't intervened, he would be the one with a long face now.
"Xiao Rui, the chances of this piece of jade turning green are slim..."
Qin Haoran squatted on the ground and carefully examined the cut surfaces of the two halves of the rough jade. He couldn't help but shake his head. Judging from its current appearance, this piece, which had been auctioned for 80 million, was not even as good as the piece from Jixiang Jewelry the day before yesterday. No matter what, that piece of rough jade yielded several million worth of jadeite.
"That's not necessarily true, Uncle Qin. Look, the cracks haven't produced any jadeite, so it can't even be called 'damaged.' But it is indeed an old mine rough stone from the Dakanmu Mine, where the chance of finding jadeite is generally over 70%. So, I'm still very optimistic about this rough stone..."
After experiencing gambling on and cutting stones many times, Zhuang Rui not only gained a lot of hands-on experience, but also spoke fluently about theoretical knowledge. Qin Haoran nodded repeatedly as he listened, and his previous depressed expression vanished.
"That young man was very composed; he didn't even flinch and was still drinking water..."
"Don't talk about keeping your composure, that's just feigning calmness. 80 million RMB, even if you put it in a sack, you couldn't carry it..."
"Quiet down, that young man is about to cut the stone again..."
Among the onlookers, some were genuinely impressed by Zhuang Rui's expressionless face, while others feigned disdain. However, because the rough stone was so large, and there might be more to see, they didn't disperse after the first cut, unlike last time.
Zhuang Rui walked to the stone-cutting machine, then suddenly changed his mind. He beckoned Peng Fei over and said, "Peng Fei, you cut it. Let you have a go. One cut can be worth tens of millions, hahaha..."
"Brother Zhuang, let me do it?"
Peng Fei pointed at himself with an incredulous expression.
"Alright, I'll do it. You tell me how to cut it?"
Peng Fei, a native of Beijing, was naturally straightforward. Seeing Zhuang Rui nod, he didn't stand on ceremony, rolled up his sleeves, and stood next to the stone-cutting machine. The machine was very easy to operate; Peng Fei had already seen Zhuang Rui use it once and understood it perfectly.
"Use this gear to cut downwards, and cut this piece of material into three sections..."
Although the remaining two rough stones were only half, they were still too heavy for Zhuang Rui to move. Zhuang Rui called to the driver of the bulldozer and, with gestures and words, put the half of the stone that did not contain jade back onto the stone cutting machine.
Zhuang Rui's actions drew shakes of the eyes from the onlookers. This young man was incredibly unreliable, hiring an amateur to cut the stone. What if there was jade inside? Wouldn't that damage the jade?
Cutting stone is actually hard work. Pressing down on the handle of the stone cutter to cut is not easy. Although Peng Fei is physically strong, he was sweating profusely after cutting the half of the rough stone into three sections.
As everyone expected, the stone was empty, but it did produce a lot of red mist, which is supposed to be a sign of jadeite. However, the cut surface of the stone, which was divided into three pieces, did not show what everyone wanted to see.
"Let's go, there's nothing more to see..."
"Yes, this piece of material is definitely worthless. Luckily, I didn't chase after it..."
"You don't have the money to chase after him, do you? Haha, let's go, maybe we can get in early again today..."
Upon seeing this, the onlookers finally began to disperse. This piece of rough jade was split in the middle. Logically speaking, the environments formed on both sides underground were similar. If no jade was produced on one side, the other side would be similar as well.
"Alright, you're tired too, let me untie the rest..."
Zhuang Rui checked the time; the jade trading center would open in half an hour. He didn't want to keep up the act any longer. From the four consecutive failed cuts to the surge in price, he was sure he would give these people an unforgettable experience today.
"You left because you missed out on the good fortune..."
Zhuang Rui glanced at the people who had turned and left, then silently instructed the bulldozer driver to place the other half of the rough stone onto the stone cutter, and to place the end of the rough stone with the polished surface under the gears of the stone cutter.
To those people, Zhuang Rui's actions were nothing more than a desperate, last-ditch effort. Meanwhile, Big D was already doing the math; with the odds of losing one bet and paying out one, it seemed he would have to put a lot of money into it himself today.
"Click-clack..."
The sound of alloy gears rubbing against the stone rang out again, but now the number of people still paying attention to this piece of material had dwindled from over a thousand to just Qin Haoran and his wife, and Fatty Ma and Song Jun. Even Qin Haoran, upon seeing that there was nothing inside the half of the rough stone, had already prepared for the worst.
The group was now thinking about how to comfort Zhuang Rui. They told him not to be so upset about such a big blow to the young man, as they all knew Zhuang Rui's wealth; the nearly 80 million yuan was enough to cripple him.
Following the cut of the window, Zhuang Rui used his right hand to forcefully cut the alloy gear into it. The stone structure here seemed somewhat loose, and the vibration after the gear cut in caused palm-sized pieces of stone to fall to the ground. It was more like he was magnifying the act of cleaning a window than cutting stone.
"Xiao Rui, stop! Quick! Stop it now..."
Suddenly, Qin Haoran's urgent voice rang out, startling Zhuang Rui so much that he trembled all over. We haven't even reached the part where the jade flesh is coming out yet, why are you so excited, old man?
However, upon hearing Qin Haoran's words, Zhuang Rui reflexively raised the alloy gear high with his right hand, and the spinning alloy gear made a completely different sound than when cutting stone.
"It's gone up! The betting is going up! It's gone up big! Xiao Rui, it's gone up big!"
Qin Haoran tugged at his tie, no longer caring about his perfect image as a middle-aged man, and rushed towards the piece of wool. Zhuang Rui was so frightened that he quickly turned off the alloy gear, because Qin Haoran's head was only a few centimeters away from the rotating gear. If his hand had shaken even slightly, he would have cracked his father-in-law's head open.
"Hey, they actually came out..."
Zhuang Rui looked down and discovered that there was a palm-sized rock on the side that had been knocked down by the stone-cutting machine, and it was facing Qin Haoran. So Zhuang Rui, who had been looking down, hadn't noticed it as early as Qin Haoran.
"You won the bet?"
Those who had already walked dozens of meters away turned around in astonishment after hearing Qin Haoran's joyful cheers, looking at the few lonely people standing in the stone-cutting area.
After a moment of stunned silence, the fat, big-eared bosses seemed to realize something and sprinted towards Zhuang Rui and the others.
"Glassy red jadeite! Top-grade red jadeite! It's gone up in price, it's gone up a lot..."
In the early morning sunlight, around eight o'clock, the red jade, still half-hidden behind a pipa, shyly revealed its palm-sized face, radiating an alluring glow.