Yan Kai strode arrogantly to the stone-cutting machine. Behind Zhuang Rui and the others, the two bodyguards were unloading stones from the car. The stones they were carrying were the very ones that Young Master Yan had bought for 600,000 yuan yesterday.
"You little brat, do you want a beating?"
With Peng Fei backing him up, Wei Ge's eyes widened. This man from Zhonghai suddenly transformed into a tough guy from Northeast China. He actually rolled up his sleeves and took a step forward. You know, Wei Ge used to always say, "You guys fight, I'll handle the cleanup."
Zhuang Rui grabbed Yang Wei and whispered in his ear, "Brother Wei, let him go and cut it. He spent hundreds of thousands on a piece of junk, what's he so smug about? Let's just watch the show..."
After Zhuang Rui tricked Young Master Yan into buying this stone yesterday, he was still regretting that he wouldn't be able to see what Yan Kai would look like after cutting it open. He never expected that the kid would be so foolish as to run into him again.
"Three stones, 600. Keep them safe. Let me tell you, don't associate with these penniless people. They whine over a few hundred dollars..."
Looking at Yan Kai's smug expression, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but laugh and cry. At this moment, he wondered if he had done the right thing or the wrong thing to argue with this idiot brother yesterday. This guy's IQ was obviously a bit off, and he had too damn high an opinion of himself.
Moreover, being with Yan Kai makes it easy for people to feel that their IQ has dropped.
"Old Cao, come on over..."
After the stone was loaded onto the stone-cutting machine, Yan Kai circled around it a few times, seemingly wanting to cut it himself. However, Young Master Yan was unsure of himself and worried about cutting into the chicken blood inside and losing face. In the end, he called Lao Cao to cut the stone.
As for the presence of chicken blood in the stone, this was the conclusion Lao Cao reached after carefully observing the material yesterday, which is why Yan Kai was so confident. However, encountering Zhuang Rui and the others here was truly a coincidence.
Old Cao was clearly a veteran in the chicken-blood stone business, having spent many years in the industry. After stepping forward, his movements were very skillful. He first took a piece of chalk and began to draw along the direction of the blood streaks seeping from both ends of the stone. These lines were not to be touched.
After drawing the direction of the blood streaks, Lao Cao carefully drew dotted lines on both sides. Although this piece of material weighed more than 30 kilograms, it was just a slightly larger stone. Lao Cao did not plan to cut the stone, so he had to do a thorough job of preparation.
"Old Cao, why aren't you cutting it?"
Young Master Yan was incredibly generous just now. Using a grinding wheel only costs 300 yuan, but he just threw out 600. Of course, Young Master Yan wouldn't care about that amount of money, especially in front of Zhuang Rui and the others.
"Young Master Yan, wipe it first. If it bleeds from the edges, then this piece of material can't be cut..."
A good seven or eight minutes passed, until Zhuang Rui started to yawn, before Lao Cao finished his preparations and picked up the grinder beside him.
"Even if you grind this entire piece of material into powder, you still won't see any chicken-blood stone..."
Zhuang Rui curled his lip and sneered. This piece of material was obviously assimilated by other bloodstones during its formation over hundreds of millions of years, which resulted in the blood streaks at both ends. But inside it was just a piece of kaolinite, not even Changhua stone. Six hundred thousand? In Zhuang Rui's eyes, it wasn't even worth sixty yuan.
At this moment, the grinding wheel started to whir and whir. Old Cao's hands were steady as he slowly began to grind along the dotted lines he had drawn.
The structure of dickite is relatively soft. The bloodstone formed from dickite has a very low hardness and a specific gravity of only about 2.6. Biting its surface with your teeth or scratching it with a carving knife will leave marks. Therefore, using a grinding wheel to polish the stone is very fast, and in no time, the ground will be covered with a layer of white powder.
At this point, sweat was already beading on Lao Cao's forehead. According to his original estimate, if he rubbed two centimeters inward from the dotted line, there should be a blood color, or at the very least, a base color. But now he had rubbed in about three centimeters, and what was falling to the ground was still white powder.
Old Cao gritted his teeth and started polishing the other side again. The material was originally rectangular, but now it was polished so much that the middle was even narrower. Even if the material had a chicken-blood-like appearance, it couldn't be made into an ornament; it could only be cut up and used to make seals.
However, if the red color inside isn't top-quality, then the 600,000 yuan investment will be wasted. Although this is Young Master Yan's private savings, Lao Cao still feels a lot of pressure. 600,000 yuan is equivalent to five years of his annual salary.
"Excellent, excellent, it really hits the mark!"
Old Cao's hands were no longer so steady as he rubbed the stone, and his prayers had no effect. After rubbing three centimeters into the stone from the other side of the dotted line, the stone was still just a stone, with no change except for the faint red streaks at both ends that had not been used.
"Old Cao, why isn't there any red?"
Even if Yan Kai were an idiot, he would know that bloodstone is red, but after circling around the face to apply it, he didn't see any red color appear.
"Young Master Yan, this piece of material is very likely waste. Although it was formed in a chicken-blood stone mine, there is a high probability that there is no chicken-blood stone inside. I suggest cutting it directly in the middle to see if there is any material inside..."
Old Cao was quite experienced. After polishing two surfaces, he had a pretty good idea of what the stone was like. Even if the base color was revealed, the stone could only be used as a seal stone. Cutting it in the middle wouldn't affect its value.
"No way? This...this is a stone?"
Yan Kai was dumbfounded when he heard this. If it wasn't chicken-blood stone, then it was just a stone. He actually spent 600,000 yuan to buy a stone? At this moment, Yan Kai's brain was a little overwhelmed.
"It's hard to say. We'll have to cut it open to see. If it turns bright red, even just a small piece is enough to make three or five seals, which would be worth 600,000 RMB..."
Old Cao himself didn't quite believe what he was saying. Based on his experience, he was certain that this stone was going to be a gamble that backfired.
Chapter 589 I'm Not Serving You Anymore
Yan Kai is now a minor celebrity at this chicken-blood stone trade fair. The reason is simple: he set the record for the highest price ever paid for a single piece of stone this year. Although he may not be able to maintain that record until the end of the fair, at least many people now recognize him.
The synonym for celebrities is the gorilla in the zoo. After the news of Yan Kai's stone cutting spread, people who were originally selecting stones in the market also came out to watch. Everyone wanted to see what kind of performance this 600,000 yuan chicken blood stone would have.
From the moment Lao Cao started polishing the stone until now, only about ten minutes have passed. Centered around Zhuang Rui and others, the stone-cutting area has been surrounded by layers of people, and more and more onlookers are squeezing into the crowd. It's even more lively than the chicken-blood stone trading market.
This reminded Zhuang Rui of a joke. There was a guy who loved watching a spectacle. Whenever there was a crowd, he would always squeeze in. Once, there was a car accident on the street, and there were several layers of people around. The guy couldn't squeeze in, so he got impatient and shouted, "The person who was hit inside is my dad! Everyone, make way..."
Upon hearing this, the crowd made way for him, but once inside, the man was dumbfounded. It turned out that the thing lying in the pool of blood was a mule that had been pulling a cart.
"No color came out even after rubbing both sides of the stone, it's hopeless!"
"Yes, judging from this, it looks like it's going to collapse..."
"Probably not. Teacher Zhuang also took a liking to this piece of jade yesterday. As long as we lose a little bit, we can still make it back..."
There was much discussion and differing opinions among the crowd, but the last person to speak clearly did not know that Zhuang Rui's bidding yesterday was just a trap set for Young Master Yan.
Old Cao's forehead was already covered in cold sweat. Although the stone was not purchased with company funds, Old Cao was confident that once they arrived in Zhonghai, those unreasonable old women would definitely shift the blame onto him.
"Old Cao, hurry up and cut it..."
Young Master Yan, that heartless fellow, couldn't understand Old Cao's feelings; he had already adjusted his mindset.
The stone was ruined, but for Young Master Yan, it was just a loss of 600,000 RMB. He figured if he made a scene when he got home, someone would give him the money. He never imagined that this matter would affect Old Cao's livelihood.
"Damn it, I'm so unlucky to have run into this idiot..."
After hearing Yan Kai's urging, Lao Cao cursed inwardly, walked to the stone cutting machine, turned on the power, and the alloy gears immediately began to spin rapidly, flashing dazzling light.
"Click...click click..."
The ear-piercing sound of gears rubbing against stone echoed in everyone's ears. As the gears gradually sank into the stone, white powder floated up, blurring people's vision.
"Snap... snap snap... crack!"
The sound of the alloy gears spinning freely followed by the sound of stones hitting the ground reached everyone's ears, causing them to hold their breath and wait anxiously for the dust and debris to dissipate.
"It's collapsed, no red, no color, nothing at all..."
"600,000 yuan, gone down the drain..."
"Sigh, even Teacher Zhuang makes mistakes sometimes, huh? But he was lucky; someone else took the fall for him..."
"That's normal. Teacher Zhuang specializes in appraising antiques and gambling on jadeite, so it's understandable that he's not an expert on chicken-blood stone..."
Those who were closer to the stone-cutting machine reported the results immediately. Not only did they not get any blood-red color, but they didn't even get any other base color. In other words, the stone they bought for 600,000 yuan was no different from the ones piled up on the side of the road. They had completely gambled away their money.
"Old Cao, didn't you say this piece of jade would definitely have chicken blood-like inclusions? Why didn't it? What's the point of having an appraiser like you?"
Yan Kai is the kind of person who is best suited to be a leader. When there is a problem, he can just push it away and not take any responsibility for himself. That's exactly what's happening now. He only remembers that Lao Cao said this piece of material would produce chicken blood, but he selectively forgets that Lao Cao told him that this piece of material is not even worth 10 yuan.
"Young Master Yan, you bought this piece of material, didn't you? I didn't tell you to buy it..."
Everyone has a temper, and in front of so many people, under everyone's watchful eyes, Lao Cao was really losing face because of what Yan Kai said. If he continued to hold back, he would probably become a laughing stock in the industry.
"What...what did you say? Say it again!"
Yan Kai's face turned green with anger after hearing Lao Cao's words. How could Lao Cao, who always obeyed him so obsequiously, speak to him in such a tone? And how dare he speak to him in such a tone?
"I'll say it again, Young Master Yan, if you don't understand bloodstone, don't play with this. You can cut the rest of the stones yourself. I still need to help President Lan select some bloodstone, so I'm not serving you anymore..."
After Lao Cao straightened his back and said those words, he felt incredibly relieved. He knew he had a skill, and even if he didn't work for Blue Ocean Bay's company, he wouldn't starve.
Once he understood this, Lao Cao's attitude immediately hardened. What right did this clueless idiot have to point fingers at him?
After saying this, Lao Cao squeezed into the crowd and walked away without looking back.
Old Cao has worked at Blue Ocean Shell's company for many years. He has been in charge of the chicken blood stone project since the company started it. He knows that President Lan's background is quite complicated, and he is powerless to do many things. Now that he has offended the Yan family's darling, President Lan will probably fire him to appease the anger of some old women under the pressure of the Yan family.
So after squeezing out of the crowd, Lao Cao immediately took out his phone and called Boss Lan, making it clear that he would resign from the company after completing the task of purchasing the bloodstone.
"Cancel tonight's meeting, get the car ready, and head to Changhua immediately..."
After pressing the phone, Lan Haibei's face showed an undisguised weariness. Outsiders saw him as incredibly successful, but who knew that the Yan family's power was gradually weakening and his business was becoming increasingly difficult?
The rise of emerging forces inevitably means a redistribution of interests. The current situation in Zhonghai is no longer what it was when the old master Yan was in power. Even if others still give the old master some face, once interests are involved, face is no longer so valuable.
Lan Haibei's current projects are facing obstruction from certain forces, leaving him almost exhausted. And now, at this critical juncture, Yan Kai has stirred up trouble. The fact that a veteran of over a decade in the company is resigning shows the matter is serious. Lan Haibei must handle it personally, otherwise, it will alienate many of his original co-founders. ...
"Good riddance! An amateur leading professionals, it would be strange if it didn't collapse..."
"Yeah, that kid's an idiot. He spent 600,000 on this piece of material, what a show-off..."
"Hehe, maybe Teacher Zhuang deliberately set a trap for him yesterday..."
Old Cao's actions drew cheers from the crowd, which was also due to Yan Kai's poor interpersonal relationships and the fact that few people liked him.
"Old Cao, I'm firing you. Damn it, pack your bags and get out of here..."
Yan Kai was trembling with anger. He shouted into the crowd where Lao Cao was no longer in sight. Of course, Lao Cao wouldn't care even if he heard it, as he had already decided to resign.
"Hey, boss, are you still cutting stones? If not, let someone else have it..."
The stall owner who rented out the stone-cutting machine, oblivious to the situation, stepped forward and asked a question. He also wanted to take advantage of the large crowd to advertise his business. Although he wasn't in the jade gambling circle, this villager knew that losing money on a gamble would be detrimental to his business.
"Solve it, why wouldn't we? We've already given you the money, why don't you give it back?"
Yan Kai immediately vented his anger on this person, stormed over to the stone cutting machine, and personally placed the remaining piece of rough stone on it.
The villager shrank back and remained silent. Pay back the money? No way! Once it's in your pocket, it's yours.
Yan Kai wasn't stupid. After watching Lao Cao operate it once, he knew how to use the stone cutter. After turning on the power, he didn't care about anything else and started cutting into the middle of the stone.
The result is self-evident: when Zhuang Rui was trying to persuade Yan Kai to buy stone yesterday, the rough stones he selected all had a few blood streaks on the outer skin, but the inside was all rotten material.
There might be a hint of blood in the stone, but the color is scattered and dull. Even if it's polished into a seal, it's just an ordinary item worth three to five hundred yuan.
After ruining one piece of material, Yan Kai placed another one on the table. His eyes were bloodshot as he gripped the stone cutter and slashed down hard, as if the stone underneath wasn't chicken-blood stone, but Zhuang Rui and Lao Cao.
It must be said that Young Master Yan has quite a talent for slicing stones. In just two or three minutes, he had cut open the remaining four pieces of material, and some of them were even cut twice. However, the result was the same: all of them were a complete failure. This also shows that Young Master Yan's more than 700,000 yuan had completely gone down the drain.
"Hey, can you move aside a bit?"
Yan Kai, who was in a daze, did not feel that his body had been pushed away. He couldn't understand why he had spent six or seven hundred thousand yuan in this place where chicken blood stone was produced, but he had not bought a single piece of chicken blood stone.
The person who pushed Yan Kai away was Zhuang Rui. It wasn't that Zhuang Rui intended to provoke him; he just wanted to finish cutting the stone quickly and leave. Although Yuyan Mountain was beautiful, Zhuang Rui couldn't stand the fact that he couldn't take a shower.
What's more, Zhuang Rui was even more unhappy about having to pretend to be a virtuous man while sleeping with his wife.
"You little punk, you're no better than me!"
When Yan Kai realized that Zhuang Rui had pushed him away, he cursed and spat at Zhuang Rui's feet.
"Sir, you only paid for three stones, but you cut them five times. You still owe me 400 yuan..."