Chapter 88

The fat man's words put Wu Di on high alert. Indeed, this piece of mountain jade was unique, and if it were cut incorrectly, not only would there be tears, but the thought of death might even cross one's mind. However, using a laser cutter was relatively simple, so he could buy one to try it out.

Wu Di saw the fat man back to the store and then had a conversation with Wen Yajiu. What shocked Wen Yajiu was how fast Wu Di had progressed! Fortunately, he had been cautious at the time and did not take Wu Di as a disciple; otherwise, within two months, Wu Di would have learned everything, and how could he bear to lose face? He believed that Old Chang would soon also find it a headache to have such a talented disciple, as it seemed that having a very capable disciple was not necessarily a good thing!

The next day, Wu Di spent the whole morning at the quadrangle courtyard. The basement had already been dug, and there were three large rooms. One was a regular storage room, one was a utility room, and the entire quadrangle would be equipped with a central air conditioning system. The third room was a treasure room.

The entrance to the treasure room was set in Wu Di's future master bedroom, and it was said that the security standards exceeded those of a bank vault. The garage was almost complete, and Wu Di, thinking that he would definitely process jade at home in the future, asked for a separate compartment to be left in the garage, which should be dust-proof, pollution-proof, have good ventilation, and the best soundproofing.

After lunch, Wu Di drove to Old Tang's place. The sixteen-panel screen had already been completed and was neatly arranged on the long table in the living room. As soon as Wu Di saw it, he was immediately captivated and couldn't take his eyes off it!

The jade plaques had no decoration, only the edges were polished smooth, and they were nearly half as thin as before. After polishing, the jade plaques exuded a transparent, lustrous, and almost dripping effect, making it easy to distinguish them from glass at a glance.

"Pure and natural, like a lotus emerging from clear water! Truly top-notch!"

Wu Di sighed after a while and thanked Old Tang again.

"What are you thanking me for? We didn't do any processing; it's your material that's too good! This isn't finished yet; I've already had a stand made, which will be delivered tomorrow, and it will look even more beautiful then. The remaining material is also here; there's too much of it. I kept three pieces and some scraps and asked Jiang Jialang to make some bracelets and pendants for you. Although they're not as valuable as those with green jade, they are still rare and valuable."

Wu Di glanced at the jade plaques and saw that they were supported by the material behind them to stand on the table. He picked one up, felt its texture, and examined it from all sides, suddenly noticing a problem and asked:

"Old Tang, why don't I see your signature?"

"Did you really want me to sign it? I didn't contribute much to this!"

"Come on, the material came from your hands, and it wouldn't be right not to sign it. I'm counting on your signature to increase its value!"

"Good kid, I'll do it for you, but you'll have to come back tomorrow afternoon."

"No problem, Old Tang, I have another favor to ask, and I hope you'll grant it."

"Brat, coming here to show off your knowledge, what's the problem?"

"I want to keep a few more pieces of the remaining jade and ask you to have Brother Jiang make them into various pieces of jewelry. My mother will be coming to Beijing in the future, and I'll need a lot of gifts."

"Alright, that's easy. However, Xiao Wu, I also have something to ask, which is hard to say..."

"You're one of us, and as long as I can do it, I won't refuse!"

"Do you think you could give me one of those dragon plaques?"

"No problem, even if you hadn't asked, I was planning to give you one. I already found out that you're a dragon."

"Great! Do you think this price is fair?"

Old Tang handed over a check, and Wu Di saw it was for five million. He smiled and handed it back:

"Old man, that's not right. I said I would give you one, not sell it. Besides, I've been bothering you all this time; have I ever mentioned fees?"

Old Tang was taken aback and laughed:

"Disciple of Old Youxue, what a grand spirit! In the future, whenever you have something, just bring it to me. This jade plaque will cover all future fees! However, the old rule still applies: no carving unless it's top-notch!"

Wu Di was overjoyed and quickly thanked him. He had quite a few top-notch pieces in his batch of jade. Moreover, this was just the beginning, and he hoped that when he brought more things, it wouldn't shock the old man. Wu Di even thought that if he participated in more auctions and worked harder, Old Tang might become his exclusive jade carver, and it would be completely free!

After playing with Yang Yanzi and Zhong Qi all day, the birthday celebration for Old Chang finally arrived. A high-ranking official from the central government personally came to congratulate him, chatted for a few minutes, and then left, knowing that everyone would be uncomfortable with his presence. The ceremony quickly moved to the part where the younger generation presented their gifts. It was the first time Wu Di met Chang Linlin's parents: her father, Chang Hongbin, a high-ranking official in the cultural sector, and her mother, Mu Qin, a bureau-level official and a descendant of a famous family.

The couple presented a large steamed bun shaped like a peach, almost identical to a real one but several times larger. Chang Linlin presented an oil painting she had painted, which showed a certain level of skill. The other family members also presented small items, making Wu Di worry that his gift might be too expensive.

The eldest disciple, Yang Linxue, presented a Ru porcelain pen washer, and the second disciple, Song Hongyan, presented a set of early Qing dynasty purple clay teapots, both rare and valuable, which made Wu Di feel relieved.

When it was Wu Di's turn, he brought a large box and placed it under the table where the gifts were displayed. He then started to take out the bases, arranging twelve of them in a row.

"The eldest and second disciples presented antiques, so I have to rely on quantity with my modern items."

Wu Di placed the screens on the bases. After all twelve screens were placed, the audience was speechless. What was this kid doing with glass? What was there to show off?

Old Chang suddenly stood up from his seat, walked to the table, bent over, and carefully examined them for a while before asking:

"Xiao Wu, don't tell me these are all natural!"

Before Wu Di could speak, Old Tang came out from the crowd and said with a smile:

"Finally, I see Old Youxue moved! Yes, I can attest that these are absolutely natural old pit glass-type jade screens of the twelve zodiac signs!"

The crowd was in an uproar. It was unbelievable that natural jade could form such vivid patterns. Zhong Qi, unable to contain his excitement, grabbed Wu Di and whispered:

"Nice, you little brat, you've been missing for a few days, and you were working on this? Tell me, is it the thunderstruck stone from the hotel?"

"That's the one!"

"Then there must be more. If you don't prepare one for me, we're not done!"

Wu Di smiled bitterly. There was more, but only a pair of dragon and tiger screens. If it came to that, he would just say there was only so much. No, he needed to take out the cigarette jade immediately; he wouldn't let this kid talk!

Some people in the crowd still didn't believe it was real and came forward to examine the screens closely, even touching them. Old Chang's face showed a hint of displeasure, and Old Tang said with a smile:

"Go ahead, go ahead. If I hadn't cut them myself, I wouldn't believe it either. Something formed hundreds of thousands of years ago to have our twelve zodiac signs, what could be more absurd?"

Old Chang laughed:

"Good, you all put a lot of effort into this. Xiao Wu's gift is the most precious, but it's not an antique. Considering that you've only been learning for a short time, I'll count it as passing. As usual, the gifts will stay with me for a year, and then you can take them back."

Wu Di saw that the other two had no objections and realized there was a rule. No wonder the gifts were all so valuable; they were for the teacher to check their progress.

The ceremony was over, and it was already noon. Old Chang suddenly signaled for everyone to be quiet and then announced a major piece of news:

"Today, with all our friends and family present, I have a big announcement to make. Our Linlin and the fourth son of the Zhong family, Zhong Qi, are deeply in love. After discussions between our families, we plan to hold their wedding on October 12th this year!"

The announcement caused a stir, especially among the Chang and Zhong families. This news meant the formation of another powerful alliance. The people present were mostly old friends of Old Chang, many of whom had retired from various sectors. Their families were part of Old Chang's alliance, and the confirmation of the Zhong family's joining would certainly shock Beijing! Many people would be up all night.

Seeing the excited and thrilled expressions of the crowd, Old Chang shook his head slightly. It was just a wedding between two young people in love, but it had to be given significant political meaning. These children from red families carried too much on their shoulders. However, once they reached a certain position, they were no longer just themselves; they had to be responsible for their families and allies. Wasn't this also a part of life in the world?

People with keen senses had guessed this trend since Old Chang took Wu Di as a disciple, but the formal confirmation today still shocked them. Wu Di didn't see anything, but he knew he had to stay away during the meal, preferably disappear. He saw the wolfish glint in the eyes of the Chang family's younger generation; the third-generation's only princess wasn't that easy to marry off.

The rest of the celebration was similar to other grand birthdays. Despite Old Chang's efforts to control it, nearly ten tables were set up to accommodate all the guests. Wu Di, seeing the Chang family's younger generation subtly surrounding Zhong Qi, shamelessly didn't join the table. He turned off his phone, said hello to Song Hongyan, and went to the kitchen to avoid trouble.

Not long after, Song Hongyan dragged Wu Di out of the kitchen and said:

"Come on, it's time to toast the teacher. Zhong Qi has already been taken down! I tell you, being your friend is tough. At such a critical moment, you actually sold Zhong Qi out. You should have seen how aggrieved he looked. Hehe, there will be a good show tomorrow."

Wu Di smiled:

"No worries, I have a nuclear weapon. As soon as I bring it out, his anger will vanish!"