"Boss Zhuang, why don't you look at a few more pieces and choose one again? This one doesn't look like a jadeite rough at all..."
"Yeah, yeah, it would be strange if jade could come out of this dark, unremarkable thing..."
"I think we should let Old Tang make the choice. As the saying goes, 'A young man with no experience is unreliable.' How can young people be so dependable?"
Zhuang Rui hadn't expected that his casual pointing to a stone would be met with unanimous opposition from everyone in the room. These laymen had no idea what "Ma Meng Chang" or "Hei Wu Sha" meant. In their eyes, all jadeite rough stones had to have green in them, and many of them couldn't even distinguish between a "full gambling stone" and a "half gambling stone."
It's also because this piece of material is so ugly that the surface layer has the color of soot from the bottom of a pot, and it's pitted and uneven, much like the broken, weathered stones that could be seen everywhere at the foot of the mountain in the past. It would be really hard for the average person to associate such a stone with priceless jade. This is what the industry says: experts see the details, while laymen just watch the show.
These influential figures within their companies already looked down on Zhuang Rui, believing him to be nothing more than a figurehead. Now, seeing him select such a rough stone, they uttered all sorts of sarcastic remarks.
Although Zhuang Rui was young, he had cultivated a remarkable composure. Too lazy to explain to these laymen what "Ma Meng Chang" rough stones were, he waved his hand and said, "No need to look anymore. I'll choose this piece. If you disagree, then forget it..."
Since Zhuang Rui debuted, countless people have questioned his age. However, those people are experts, and Zhuang Rui will eventually win them over with his performance. But as for these laymen, Zhuang Rui is too lazy to explain. "It's good that they all disagree with choosing this piece of material. I'll go back and find the owner. Maybe I can even find a bargain. Even a small mosquito is still meat."
Just as someone was about to refute Zhuang Rui, General Manager Wang from Norinco coughed and said, "Ahem, everyone, let's keep quiet. Zhuang Rui has his reasons for choosing this piece of material. Or... Mr. Tang, what do you think of this piece? Is it a raw jadeite?"
Previously, Mr. Wang had heard of Zhuang Rui's reputation in the jade industry and had sent him an invitation. Mr. Tang also highly praised Zhuang Rui. As the organizer of this event, Mr. Wang had to give Mr. Tang some face, so he spoke up to smooth things over for Zhuang Rui.
"Xiao Zhuang, you...you see, this...I'm really sorry..."
Old Tang never expected that Zhuang Rui would be looked down upon so much for pointing out a piece of jade. He was so ashamed that he almost had nowhere to hide. If this got out into the jade circle, he would be laughed at. Old Tang was also a little angry at the moment. He would never participate in such an event again, even if it meant offending those big clients.
In reality, when someone becomes famous, such things are inevitable. Not to mention Mr. Tang, even Mr. Gu, although he has completely withdrawn from the Jade Association, still receives stacks of invitations to various events every year.
"Hehe, Mr. Tang, it's alright. I'll choose this spot. If everyone disagrees, that's fine too. I'll go take a look over there first..."
As the saying goes, "A thousand cups of wine are not enough when drinking with a bosom friend, but even half a sentence is too much when talking to someone you don't get along with." Zhuang Rui's patience with these people also had its limits. He greeted Old Tang with a smile and pulled Ouyang Jun aside. Zhuang Rui was afraid that if he heard those "grand talk" again, he would not be able to help but laugh out loud in public.
"Xiao Zhuang, sigh, alright..."
Old Tang knew that keeping Zhuang Rui here was torture. After Zhuang Rui left, he addressed the crowd, "Everyone, this piece is indeed a jadeite rough, specifically from the Ma Meng mine in the old mines of Myanmar. It's commonly known as 'black jadeite,' or sometimes called 'black sand jade.' Its characteristics include a dark, uneven surface, but the chances of finding jadeite inside are quite high… As you all know, there aren't many old mine jadeites left. Compared to jadeite rough from new mines, the quality of old mine jadeite is undoubtedly better. Therefore, it's perfectly reasonable for Zhuang to choose this rough as today's gambler's stone…"
Old Tang gave everyone a basic introduction to the industry. Of course, the shrewd and experienced Old Tang wouldn't say anything too extreme. You see, the prosperity of the jade market was largely driven by these outsiders.
However, Tang Lao's words made those who had just mocked Zhuang Rui feel ashamed. It turned out that it wasn't others who were incompetent, but they themselves who were ignorant. These bosses were all people who cared about their reputation, and for a moment they were all embarrassed and speechless.
Looking at Zhuang Rui's back standing twenty or thirty meters away, everyone's opinion of this young man changed somewhat. Perhaps those rumors about Zhuang Rui were true? A person who can build a large and powerful company cannot be without brains. Many people were thinking about how to ease the tension with Zhuang Rui later.
"Hey, Old Zhao, I told you, why would my grandpa collect a broken rock? Well, what do you think? Old Tang said it's a jadeite rough from an old mine..."
Suddenly, a voice rang out from inside the room. The speaker was the owner of the jade piece. He was not very old, only about thirty-four or thirty-five years old. He looked very proud, as if the jade piece had already been cut open and had grown significantly.
Old Zhao, who was being looked down upon by the owner of the black jade stone, retorted, "You're just lucky, kid. Whether there's jade inside is another matter entirely. Who knows what it'll look like when it's cut open? Don't get too cocky..."
"Yeah, you didn't know this was from an old mine, did you..."
"Maybe your old man really did collect a broken stone for decades..."
"Hey, so what if we know this is old mine material? It's still hard to say whether there's any jade inside..."
After the two interrupted, the others also started making jokes, which relieved the embarrassment Zhuang Rui had just caused. However, they felt uncomfortable, as if they had swallowed flies. These people also realized that Zhuang Rui's failure to explain earlier meant that he didn't take them seriously at all.
This made the usually arrogant entrepreneurs very uncomfortable. Some of them, who were not sophisticated enough to keep quiet, intentionally or unintentionally linked Zhuang Rui to their words.
Despite their outward respect for Old Tang, these people are actually quite arrogant. Deep down, they probably don't take those who gamble on stones seriously at all; to them, gambling on stones is just a means of gambling.
"Alright, since both Teacher Zhuang and Old Master Tang say this piece is good, let's select it. We'll know when we cut the stone this afternoon..."
Mr. Wang interrupted everyone. He did know a bit about the jade gambling industry and knew that at major auctions, a single stone could fetch hundreds of millions of yuan. Not to mention, there was Mr. Tang, the "Jade King" in front of him!
His net worth is probably much greater than that of many of the bosses in this event.
Following this logic, it seems that the young "Jade King"...
Given his wealth, he shouldn't be just a small antique shop owner as he claimed. So, Mr. Wang changed his address for Zhuang Rui from "Mr. Zhuang - Little Zhuang" to "Teacher Zhuang." In the business world, who doesn't know how to change their tune?
Although Zhuang Rui is now a top expert in the antique and jade industry, these two industries are relatively closed and not well known to people outside the circle. Moreover, Zhuang Rui's status as the owner of Dingguang Museum has hardly appeared in the public news except by people in the circle. His business card is under the name of the owner of "Xuanrui Zhai" antique shop in Panjiayuan.
Therefore, it's perfectly normal for these bosses, who judge success by wealth and status, to look down on a small antique shop owner like this. It's like a beggar sneaking into a white-collar gathering; the fact that no one speaks ill of him is already a testament to their high level of civility. ...
"Hey bro, what are you arguing about with this bunch of old men? I don't think they know as much about jade as I do..."
Zhuang Rui didn't say anything about what had just happened, but Ouyang Si Shao couldn't stand it. Back in the day, he was an absolute big shot among the playboys in Beijing, and he was always the one being flattered wherever he went. When had he ever experienced such a scene of being ridiculed?
Although he wasn't talking about himself, Ouyang Jun still felt very embarrassed. When Ouyang Jun said "Hat Master," it was an insult, meaning that the group of people were all idiots.
"Hehe, Fourth Brother, why are you arguing with these people? We're just here to watch the show. None of them even know you. How high can their social standing be? I'm not even angry, so why are you?"
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this. It was good that they all looked down on him. When it came time to place bets in the afternoon, he wouldn't mind making a small profit. So what if they had too much money and were a bit arrogant? He would help them spend some of it and donate the winnings to his charity fund to do good deeds for them.
"A bunch of pretentious bastards, bro, tell me later which piece of material is better, and I'll beat those bastards green with envy..."
Ouyang Jun's eyes lit up. He realized that he had the same idea as Zhuang Rui. He knew about Zhuang Rui's rise to wealth. In the four or five years since he debuted, he had almost never made a mistake in dealing with jade, gemstones, or antiques. So, handling this small scene was a piece of cake for him.
Chapter 1071 I've learned something new
The morning passed quickly as the "stone gambling experts" selected rough stones. Zhuang Rui seemed to be wandering around, but he actually looked at all the stones available for selection in the entire club. After looking at them, Zhuang Rui felt both amused and exasperated.
Putting everything else aside, most of these materials are semi-rough rough stones that have been windowed or have had their surfaces polished, and they all look pretty good. But that's all. Zhuang Rui looked at more than ten windowed rough stones and found that nearly half of them were fake rough stones.
Generally speaking, the faking of jadeite rough stones can be manifested in three aspects. The first is the fake color, the most common of which are artificial dyeing or color stimulation, artificial pine flower or python skin, barbecued jadeite color, dyed jasmine color; making iron shells, drilling holes and injecting color.
The main methods for dyeing raw stones include plating, dyeing, or burning. In many ways, the identification process is the same as that for jewelry. However, there are some signs that jewelry does not have. For example, the green color in raw stones is absorbed from the surface inwards. The green hue always has a bluish or yellowish tint. In addition, some burn marks of varying sizes can be seen on the surface. These burn marks are caused by corrosion from acids and alkalis.
The second method is to use fake skin. Inferior materials, waste stones, and fake goods are glued with the skin of high-quality jadeite, and then buried in soil that has been soaked in acid and alkali to make them resemble "genuine skin" and cover up the artificial traces.
When identifying a stone, first clean it with water, then examine every point and surface of the skin, paying attention to even the smallest holes, seams, and pores, and compare the color and grain size changes. It is difficult to judge fake skin by sight alone, and this is also the most common method used by unscrupulous raw stone merchants in the market.
The third type is to create a fake appearance. Skilled craftsmen can fake the cut of jadeite without polishing the parts outside the cut. Because there are cracks, black spots, and damage in the raw stone, the purpose of creating a fake appearance is to distract the appraiser or cover up its defects. The methods are mostly to apply ink, write words, apply tape or paper, apply mud, peel off the skin without polishing, or make small openings in large pieces.
The three types mentioned above are the most common. Other counterfeit techniques include mixing real and fake colors, inlaying and patching, hollowing out and coloring, covering with a window, probing and filling holes, faking weathering, hollowing out to increase transparency, etc. As jadeite has become increasingly popular with consumers in recent years, a large number of counterfeit raw stones have appeared in the supply chain.
Apart from the Pingzhou auction, the other two jade auctions that Zhuang Rui participated in were official national auctions in Myanmar. Almost everyone who could go there was a veteran in the industry, so the raw stone merchants didn't do anything shady. Although Zhuang Rui was very clear about these counterfeiting methods, he never had the opportunity to see them with his own eyes.
However, today truly broadened Zhuang Rui's horizons. Of the few dozen rough stones in the venue, almost half had been artificially treated. All the aforementioned methods of faking them were present. While somewhat amused and bewildered, Zhuang Rui felt the trip was worthwhile and he had gained valuable knowledge. ...
"Damn it, no wonder those foreign companies are desperately trying to expand into the domestic market. It turns out there are just too many suckers in our country..."
Ouyang Jun had been following Zhuang Rui closely. When he saw that Zhuang Rui's expression was strange, he asked what was going on and found out that he was also at a loss for words. The social structure of China determines that those who became rich early on are indeed a bit like what was said in the movie "Big Shot's Funeral": they only buy expensive things, not the right things.
These business owners all thought that only raw stones with a clear green hue when opened were good quality, but they didn't know that these things could be faked. For example, a furniture manufacturer in Guangdong, China, became an agent for a very famous foreign furniture brand and claimed that all its raw materials were imported. In reality, however, it was a deception that the materials it used were all processed domestically, which fooled a large number of wealthy people.
Zhuang Rui gently nudged Ouyang Jun and said, "Fourth Brother, do you know anyone here? Let's find someone to place bets; we might as well make money off these people..."
In fact, Zhuang Rui and Ouyang Jun can also place bets, but if the bets are large, since he is a professional, once the mystery is revealed, those people will definitely have a problem with him. His behavior is too ugly.
Although Zhuang Rui disliked these people, he didn't want to offend them needlessly. If he found an outsider to place the bets, those people would have to swallow their anger and suffer losses, and probably wouldn't even think about getting revenge.
"This is easy to handle..."
Ouyang Jun was incredibly clever. Hearing Zhuang Rui's words, he immediately understood. He took out his phone, dialed a number, and after a few words in a low voice, looked at Zhuang Rui and smiled, "Qi Zi isn't at the club, but he'll definitely be here within 40 minutes. Uh, Qi Zi is the owner of this club..."
The person Ouyang Jun was talking about had an elder in his family working in the Ministry of Finance. In terms of background, he was far inferior to Ouyang Jun and much younger than him. He belonged to the new generation of troublemakers, so after receiving Ouyang Jun's call, he would probably run a red light to come over.
"Yeah, make it clear to that guy, don't act like you're really close..."
Zhuang Rui laughed upon hearing this. Rather than letting these suckers be fleeced by the fake jade merchants, he might as well strike first and let them know how deep the water is in the jade industry.
Ouyang Jun waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, Qi Zi is much more experienced in these matters than either of us..."
No matter where you are, there are always some capable people who specialize in helping others build connections and smooth things over. There are especially many of these people in Beijing. They specialize in helping people with project applications and approvals, and they are also responsible for things like lobbying for official positions and giving gifts. In the eyes of those people from other places who come to Beijing, they are all capable people.
Of course, most of those who claim to be the nephew of a certain minister or the nephew of a certain chairman are just "talking big shots" who take money but don't do anything. However, there are also quite a few people who do things for money, but the things they do are usually discounted.
Qi Zi's club has these functions, and as the boss, he is naturally very clear about this kind of collusion to deceive people.
About 10 minutes later, all ten stones to be gambled on in the afternoon had been selected. It was noon, so Old Tang called Zhuang Rui and the group went to the clubhouse restaurant for lunch.
Although this club is not one of the top private clubs in Beijing, it is still quite well-known. The restaurant provides food and drinks to members 24 hours a day. Today, perhaps because Mr. Wang gave prior notice, most of the people dining in the restaurant were those who participated in the jade gambling event.
"Teacher Zhuang, do you think there's any jade inside my piece of jade? This is an old item that my grandfather kept for thirty or forty years. Back when my father was in business, my grandfather wouldn't let him sell it..."
During the meal, Mr. Wu, holding a glass of wine, walked to Zhuang Rui's seat. Apart from Mr. Wang, the organizer of this jade gambling event, he was the first person to address Zhuang Rui as "teacher." Mr. Wu was only four or five years older than Zhuang Rui, unlike those old guys who acted like they were superior because of their age.
"Hehe, well... it's hard to say..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head helplessly. Anyone who could ask such a question was an amateur among amateurs. As the saying goes, even a god cannot judge a piece of jade. This piece of raw jade with no indication of anything was so rough that even if Old Tang were to judge it, he would not dare to make a false statement.
However, seeing that Mr. Wu's attitude was good, Zhuang Rui thought for a moment and then lowered his voice and said, "Be careful when you polish the stone later. Don't cut it. If there's jade inside, you'll damage it..."
Cutting jade is a delicate task. A piece of jade worth 10 million might only be worth 5 million if not cut properly. Zhuang Rui was subtly hinting at this to Mr. Wu. That was all he could say. As for whether Mr. Wu understood, Zhuang Rui couldn't say for sure.
"Hmm? Thank you, thank you, Teacher Zhuang. Please put all your expenses at the club tonight on my tab..."
Which businessperson isn't shrewd and calculating? Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Boss Wu's eyes lit up.
This guy just loves to hear nice things. Zhuang Rui said his raw stone was good, and Boss Wu believed him and treated Zhuang Rui as an expert. But if Zhuang Rui had said it was a broken stone, Boss Wu would probably have said that Zhuang Rui was a naive and unreliable person.
During the meal, Ouyang Jun received a phone call and went out briefly. When he returned, he winked at Zhuang Rui. ...
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are honored to have with us today at our jade gambling club event the renowned Burmese jadeite master, Mr. Tang, and... Mr. Zhuang Rui as well. Thank you both for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this event. Now, I will explain the rules of jade gambling..."
After the meal, everyone returned to the clubhouse. Mr. Wang took a microphone and explained the rules of today's jade gambling. There were three bookmakers handling the bets, and each piece of rough stone had a payout based on its appearance. Once the rough stones were cut open, the money would be paid out to everyone according to the various payouts.
For this reason, Mr. Wang specially invited two jade appraisal experts from the Jade Association. However, those two were only responsible for the appraisal after the stone was cut, so they would arrive here a little later.
"Alright, everyone can place their bets now. Club members just need to fill out a betting form, while non-members will need to pay in cash or by check..."
Not all participants in this event were members of the so-called jade gambling club; many were friends brought by members to broaden their horizons, which is why Mr. Wang made the following statement.
"Hey, Mr. Wang, timing is everything. I've come to join the fun too..."
As soon as Mr. Wang finished speaking, a man in his thirties with a crew cut walked in.
"Hello, Mr. Qi..."
"Mr. Qi, what brings you here..."
"Welcome, welcome! It's an honor for our club to have Mr. Qi here..."
The man with the buzz cut seemed to be very popular. After entering the club, everyone greeted him. Although this guy was about the same age as Zhuang Rui, he received much better treatment than Zhuang Rui.
Chapter 1072 A Powerful Background
Mr. Wang seemed particularly interested in this man with the buzz cut. He went over to him as soon as he entered the room, extending his hands from three or four meters away. However, the man seemed somewhat perfunctory, only extending one hand and lightly touching Mr. Wang's hands together.
"Mr. Qi, your presence amidst your busy schedule truly adds luster to today's jade gambling event..."
Mr. Wang didn't care about Xiaopingtou's arrogance. He knew that Xiaopingtou had the ability. Mr. Wang was very clear about Xiaopingtou's family background. Although they were not in the core circle of the capital, they were still in charge of a department. If they were placed in a local area, they would be a regional governor in ancient times.