After cleaning the rough stone, Director Yu shook his head. Although he was biased towards Zhuang Rui, he didn't dare to speak carelessly. If he took advantage of the fact that the people in the room didn't know anything about jade and it was exposed later, those dealers would probably tear him apart.
Director Yu's words delighted President Wang. More than half of the jadeite had been cut open, which was enough to prove that the jadeite inside was of the lychee variety, which was of slightly lower quality than the previous piece. That meant that they wouldn't have to lose 500 million yuan in gambling money.
"Hehe, let me take a look..."
Zhuang Rui walked to the stone-cutting machine, squatted down, and pretended to examine it for a while before saying, "Teacher Yu, give me the grinding wheel. I want to polish it a bit more..."
"All right……"
Director Yu shook his head slightly. He didn't think his eyes were wrong, and handed the grinder to Zhuang Rui.
"Click-clack..."
After Zhuang Rui turned on the power switch of the grinding wheel machine, he immediately brought the rotating grinding wheel to the raw stone.
"Ah, why...why are you polishing jade?"
Zhuang Rui's actions caused Director Qin to exclaim in surprise.
"Yeah, Professor Zhuang... what are you doing?"
Director Yu was also very puzzled, because Zhuang Rui did not take out the whole piece of jade first, as he had imagined, but instead directly used a grinding wheel to polish the surface of the jade.
"Xiao Zhuang, you, sigh..."
Old Tang shook his head repeatedly as he looked at it. There is a saying that jadeite is of good quality inside and inferior quality outside during its formation process, but that means that good and bad jadeite are overlapped and intertwined, not like this piece of jadeite where the quality of the entire layer is the same. Generally, it is difficult to find good material inside this kind of jadeite.
Therefore, even Old Tang wasn't very optimistic about this piece of material at the moment. He knew that Zhuang Rui had placed a heavy bet of 100 million yuan, and he couldn't help but feel guilty. If he hadn't invited Zhuang Rui here, he wouldn't have let him lose so much money for nothing.
"Wait, something's not right, Xiao Zhuang, stop, stop right now..."
Just as Old Tang was blaming himself, he suddenly felt a glimmer of light. The jadeite polished in the sunlight seemed different from before. It wasn't that Old Tang had a good eye, but rather that his decades of experience in cutting stones gave him an innate sense when he found good jadeite.
Without Tang Lao saying anything more, Zhuang Rui, who had already rubbed the surface of the icy jadeite, stopped before Tang Lao could finish speaking and began to wash the rubbed surface with clean water.
"Hehe, stone within stone, jade within jade, jade within stone, and jade within jade, Mr. Tang, I was right about you..."
After washing and wiping his face, Zhuang Rui smiled. With his current reputation in the jade industry at its peak, he no longer needed to hide his abilities as before. Since his last trip to Myanmar, no matter what legends Zhuang Rui created in the jade gambling circle, they would all belong to him as the "Jade King!"
Add another dazzling brilliance to the title.
As Zhuang Rui spoke, his hands began to work again. He changed the grinding wheel and continued polishing the rough stone. However, this time he was not polishing the surface of the jadeite, but the outer layer of the rough stone on the back.
"Mr. Tang, what... what quality of jade did Teacher Zhuang just polish?
Zhuang Rui did not take out the jade for everyone to appreciate, but this made President Wang feel like he was being scratched by a cat's claws, and he was extremely worried.
"I don't know, but I feel that the jade inside is a bit different from the jade outside. Mr. Wang, you should be prepared for the stakes in this bet. This Xiao Zhuang is really not simple. I wonder what he bases his identification techniques on?"
Old Tang's reaction was purely based on a feeling. He was still a meter or two away from the jade on the stone-cutting machine, so it was impossible for him to see the type of jade. However, seeing Zhuang Rui's confident demeanor, Old Tang knew that Boss Wang was in grave danger this time.
Old Tang had studied Zhuang Rui's jade-cutting experience and found that this young man was almost always successful in his bets on rough stones, producing miracles every time. In recent years, almost all the top-quality jadeite found in the jade gambling circle came from Zhuang Rui's hands. It seems that Zhuang Rui's previous decision to have his friend place a bet of 100 million RMB was not without reason.
Thinking of this, Old Tang couldn't help but feel a sense of the younger generation surpassing the older. If it were that Myanmar lost its bet with Zhuang Rui, Old Tang could still use luck as an excuse. But after identifying this piece of black jadeite today, Old Tang knew that he was far inferior to this young man in his ability to appraise raw stones. ...
"We're going to lose? Are we really going to lose?"
Standing next to Mr. Tang, Mr. Wang was stunned when he heard Mr. Tang say "be prepared." Although he didn't open this jade gambling club with the intention of making money, it didn't mean he was willing to lose hundreds of millions of yuan. After all, this was money that others had won through their own hard work. Even if Zhuang Rui got the money, he probably wouldn't appreciate it.
"Snap... snap snap..."
Just as Mr. Wang was filled with mixed feelings, he heard the sound of a grinding wheel spinning. When he looked at the grinding machine again, the rough stone, which was slightly larger than a fist, had disappeared. In its place, a piece of jade the size of an egg, emitting a faint green light, appeared in Zhuang Rui's palm.
Although this piece of jade was uncarved and unpolished, and although none of the people present were jade connoisseurs, the alluring luster of the jade under the sunlight made them unconsciously feel that its quality was far superior to the previous piece of egg-white jade.
"Teacher Yu, could you, Teacher Qin, and Professor Tang help us with the evaluation?"
Zhuang Rui rubbed the jadeite, whose edges were still covered with white crystals, in his hand a few times before handing it to Director Yu with a smile. Although this piece of jadeite was slightly smaller than the egg-white jadeite that had just been cut, its value was far beyond that of the other piece.
"This... this is icy jadeite, and it's completely green! This... this is worth a fortune..."
After carefully taking the jadeite, Director Yu gave his answer after a brief examination. The entire piece was as transparent as water, with evenly distributed green color. It radiated endless luster even before polishing. Even a layman could see its extraordinary quality, let alone Director Yu, who studied jadeite all day long.
"That's right, Teacher Zhuang, your reputation is well-deserved. This piece of jade is worth at least five million..."
After taking the jadeite, Director Qin gave his appraisal results. However, the price he quoted was somewhat beyond Zhuang Rui's expectations. Zhuang Rui had originally estimated that the jadeite was worth about two or three million.
Chapter 1081 Abundant Profits
"It can't be that expensive, can it? Such a large piece of icy jadeite should only be worth around two or three million, right?"
Zhuang Rui wasn't intentionally trying to lower the price of this jadeite, but he had just done some research at his jewelry store before the new year. Even though the green color was good, it would be difficult to sell this quality material at the price Director Yu mentioned.
Given Zhuang Rui and Tang Lao's reputation in the jade industry, their words will have a certain influence on the price of jade. If Zhuang Rui and Tang Lao agree with Director Qin's statement today, the price of jade will likely continue to rise after the news gets out.
Although Zhuang Rui owns a jewelry store, he doesn't want to add fuel to the already hot jade market, as that would ultimately harm consumers.
“Xiao Zhuang, that’s last year’s price. Right now, this kind of full-green jadeite is extremely sought after in the market. Even if the texture and clarity are a little worse, it can still almost match the price of glass-type jadeite six or seven years ago. Xiao Yu didn’t say it was high. 5 million is a low estimate. If it were for me, I would buy it for 6 million…”
Zhuang Rui didn't expect that as soon as he finished speaking, he was refuted by Old Master Tang, who was playing with the jade. The old man repeatedly rubbed the jade with his hands, his eyes full of affection.
Jadeite is prized for its green color. Ever since the third young lady of the Song family over a hundred years ago, it has been highly sought after. The price difference between jadeite with and without green, and between light and dark green, is huge. Especially in recent years, old mine jadeite has almost disappeared, while the quality of new mine jadeite is uneven. The price of high-quality green jadeite has been soaring.
"Ahem, I've always been rather ignorant about market information, I'm ashamed, truly ashamed..."
Zhuang Rui felt a little embarrassed by what Old Tang said, his face flushed with shame. As the boss of a well-known jewelry store in China, he didn't even understand the most basic market conditions. It was probably only Zhuang Rui who was a boss who did this. If Huangfu Yun were here, he would probably scold Zhuang Rui for being a hands-off boss.
"Not at all, Professor Zhuang is focused on his studies. Putting everything else aside, his skill in identifying rough stones is something none of us can match..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, the usually taciturn Director Yu actually flattered Zhuang Rui. Of course, Zhuang Rui deserved it. Besides Directors Yu and Qin, Old Tang, who had been renowned in the jade industry for decades, was also present. However, even Old Tang made a wrong judgment about this piece of jade.
"Teachers...may I ask you a question?"
Just as Directors Yu and Qin were praising Zhuang Rui's skill in appraising the rough stone, a weak voice rang out. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that the owner of the rough stone, Boss Wu, was looking at the jade in Old Tang's hand with shining eyes.
The jade had been cut out for a while, but as its owner, Mr. Wu hadn't even touched the edge of it, which made him itchy to get a piece. He couldn't help but interrupt the conversation of the others.
"What's the problem?"
"That's what Old Tang replied."
"Today... in this jade gambling game, which piece of jade won? Was it mine?"
Mr. Wu asked hesitantly, noting that his age and assets were not particularly impressive in this setting, hence his lack of confidence.
"Little Wu, I think you're just being smug after getting a good deal..."
"That's right, even though I don't know much about jade, I can tell that yours is the best..."
"Mr. Wu, go home and search again. See if there are any leftover rough stones. This one alone could sell for five or six million..."
As soon as Mr. Wu finished speaking, the crowd inside started making a fuss. All the jade pieces that had been cut open were placed on the table. Even those who didn't know much about jade could tell who won and who lost just by looking at them. Didn't you see the three dealers who were hosting the game? This one was already pale and swaying there, looking like he was about to collapse.
"No...it's not about that..."
Mr. Wu's voice became even softer, "I've placed three million bets on this piece of jade. If I win, then... that's a five-to-one payout..."
Mr. Wu's words shocked everyone present. It turned out that this guy wasn't being smug after getting a good deal, but was actually thinking about his bet. However, everyone was indeed envious of Mr. Wu's luck. Not only did he inherit a top-quality raw stone from his family, but the bet of three million alone made him incredibly wealthy.
None of the bosses present won their bets on the rough stones. They were all regretting not acknowledging Zhuang Rui, the young expert, at the beginning. Otherwise, if they had followed Zhuang Rui and placed a heavy bet on this piece of black jadeite, it would have been an extremely profitable business.
"Ahem, Lao Wang, you...you keep an eye on things for me, I...I need to go rest for a bit..."
Upon hearing Mr. Wu's words, Mr. Zhao, one of the bookmakers, took out the betting sheet and looked at it. Immediately, his body swayed even more violently. Mr. Wu was right. Under the betting column for this rough stone, there was indeed 103 million RMB. This also meant that the bookmakers would have to pay out an extra 15 million RMB.
Although Mr. Wang wasn't much better off than Mr. Zhao, he still forced himself to say, "Mr. Tang... Mr. Tang, please... please announce the result of today's bet..."
Mr. Wang's words made everyone in the room prick up their ears. Although everyone already knew who would win and who would lose, they still wanted to hear the experts announce it. In particular, Mr. Wang and others, who had already turned pale, were still hoping for a miracle and hoping that the final winner would not be this piece of jade.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the winning jadeite in today's jade gambling is this piece of high-quality icy green jadeite cut from black jadeite." After saying this, Old Tang couldn't bear to look at his old friend, Boss Wang. He knew that Zhuang Rui had placed a heavy bet of 100 million RMB on this piece, which meant that Boss Wang and others would have to put up 500 million... no, 515 million, not counting Boss Wu's 3 million.
Others looked at Zhuang Rui and Ouyang Jun with envy. In just one day, they had won over 100 million RMB without paying taxes. This showed them the true allure of jade gambling. Although they lost everything, it led many to eventually enter the jade gambling circle.
As for Mr. Wang and the other dealer, they were completely dumbfounded. They had worked hard all their lives, and in the blink of an eye, half of their fortune had become someone else's. Even the most composed person would find it hard to accept this.
After Mr. Tang announced the results of the betting, the room fell silent. Everyone's eyes conveyed a mixture of envy, jealousy, excitement, and despair. "Hmm, Fourth Brother, is that all? Brother Zhuang, Fourth Brother, don't leave tonight, I'll take care of the arrangements..."
Just as the atmosphere in the room was becoming somewhat strange, President Qi's voice rang out, which startled the people in the hall who were holding various thoughts and President Wang who was thinking about how to raise the funds.
"Mr. Ou... Mr. Ouyang, please... please wait a moment. We'll discuss it, and we estimate the money will be transferred to your account within three days at the latest..."
Upon hearing Mr. Qi's words, Mr. Wang suddenly realized that although this money would be a significant financial blow, if he didn't pay it all back, he would likely be bankrupt. This Mr. Ouyang, whose background he didn't know, was someone even Mr. Qi couldn't afford to offend. If he wanted to crush a small businessman like himself, it would probably be a piece of cake.
"Huh? What's going on, Mr. Wang? What kind of bet is this that needs to last three days? There's never been a precedent for delaying gambling debts in my club!"
When President Qi first came in, he didn't know what was going on, but he could tell that it seemed that President Wang, who was the bookmaker, owed money to Ouyang Jun. Of course, he wouldn't side with someone outside the company, so he put some pressure on President Wang.
"Mr. Qi... Mr. Qi, please... please don't misunderstand, that's not what I meant. Even if you gave me the guts, I wouldn't dare to cause a scene in front of you. It's just... the amount of money is too large, and I need several days to raise it..."
Qi Zi's words sent a chill down Mr. Wang's spine. He knew all too well what kind of background this club owner in his thirties had. He was able to gamble on dogfighting in Beijing. Let alone any legitimate connections, he could probably have the underworld wrapped around his little finger.
Trembling with fear, Mr. Wang remembered that besides Ouyang Jun's 100 million, he had also received bets of over 130 million. He quickly pulled out the checks and stammered, "Oh, right, here's 100 million. Mr. Ouyang, please take this first. I'll transfer the rest to you within three days, no... within two days..."
Mr. Wang had already planned it out in his mind. He would use his real estate project to borrow more than 100 million yuan from the bank to pay off Ouyang Jun's debts. He would rather owe the bank money than offend these powerful and influential playboys in Beijing.
As for Lao Zhao and the other shareholder, they had no room to speak. Their wealth was already less than that of President Wang, and this was a real blow. They didn't know when they would recover.
"Um, how much is it?"
Qi Zi noticed the surprise on Boss Wang's face. He took the betting slip from Boss Wang, glanced at the numbers casually, and his mouth dropped open in disbelief. He looked at Ouyang Jun and asked, "Fourth...Fourth Brother, you bet 100 million to 50/100?"
"Yeah, I haven't been having much cash flow lately, so I'm just betting a hundred million for fun..."
Ouyang Jun was originally an flamboyant person, but he had toned it down a lot after having children in recent years. However, upon seeing Qi Zi's appearance, he couldn't help but revert to his old ways, displaying the pretentious style of an old playboy from the capital.
"Fourth Brother, no doubt about it, you are this..."
Qi Zi readily gave a thumbs-up. He was genuinely impressed. After deducting all the bribes and kickbacks, what he earned in a year of hard work at his club was less than what Ouyang Jun could casually "play around" with.
Chapter 1082 Zhuang Rui's Ideal
"Brother, this is fucking awesome! Why are we even bothering with real estate? I'll just stick with you and go jade gambling from now on..."
After politely declining Qi Zi's offer to stay, and agreeing to a small gathering with Old Tang the next day at noon, Ouyang Jun drove Zhuang Rui back to the courtyard house. This guy kept talking non-stop the whole way, and even after entering the courtyard house, he still couldn't quite believe what had happened that day.
It's true that Ouyang Jun is rich, but most of that money is just numbers sitting in banks. It's not that the banks owe him, but that he owes the banks. Plus, he's been developing real estate all over the country in recent years, expanding his business quite a bit. Otherwise, given Ouyang Jun's character, he wouldn't have only pulled out 100 million RMB in cash today.
In just one day, he won 500 million RMB, and it came so easily that even the fourth brother, who had seen many big occasions, lost his composure. He now understood why Zhuang Rui was able to become rich in just a few years. If he had that ability, Ouyang Jun would dare to dream of building a villa opposite Tiananmen Square.
"Come on, Fourth Brother, do you think you'll encounter such a high-stakes gamble every time?"