Chapter 33

After listening to Jia Zhengjing's words, Zhang Tianyuan smiled. Originally, the two had no grudges or enmity, and he wasn't really interested in targeting this young man. However, this person kept pushing, and since this guy was so eager to lose money, would Zhang Tianyuan be polite?

He smiled and said, "It's simple. One party picks a stone, cuts it open, and the value of the jade inside is how much the other party has to pay. How about that?"

"Good! That's a great idea, I agree." Jia Zhengjing was no longer concerned about the four experts. He wanted to take this opportunity to teach Zhang Tianyuan a lesson and show him that his reputation as a jade gambler was not just for show.

Zhang Tianyuan looked at the four experts and bowed, saying, "I'm really sorry. In the heat of the moment, I forgot about the four seniors. How about you all join in?"

"That's not necessary. We won't join in. You two can gamble, and we four will be witnesses. Whoever loses must accept the loss without any regrets." Old Li set the tone before anyone else could speak. He was determined to teach Jia Zhengjing a lesson and had great confidence in Zhang Tianyuan, so he naturally agreed immediately.

Since he agreed, Boss Xiao and Boss Murong, as juniors, couldn't refuse. As for Old Dong, he was not an expert in jade gambling and was only a beginner, so he wouldn't compete with the young people. Since everyone was just there for the show, he nodded in agreement.

"Alright, then please help us witness this. I, Jia Zhengjing, have money and won't default, but Zhang Tianyuan, this country bumpkin, might. So, you four need to keep an eye on him." Jia Zhengjing smiled. He wasn't nervous at all and was very confident, so he dared to say anything without fear of embarrassing himself.

After speaking, Jia Zhengjing carefully picked a stone and asked, "Is there a master here who can cut the stone?"

"Don't worry, we've already arranged it." Boss Murong nodded. Since the jade gambling was planned yesterday, the stone-cutting master and the tools were already prepared.

When the master came with the tools, Jia Zhengjing hurriedly said, "Master, start cutting!"

While the master was preparing to cut the stone, Zhang Tianyuan also picked his first stone and placed it in front of him. He wasn't in a hurry; he would wait for Jia Zhengjing's stone to be cut first.

Cutting the stone is the most critical step in jade gambling. The conclusion of winning or losing can only be determined after the stone is cut open. Whether it's rubbing the stone or grinding it, if it's not cut open, no conclusion can be drawn. As the saying goes, one cut can make you poor, and one cut can make you rich.

The master's cutting technique was very skilled, but the first cut revealed no green. Jia Zhengjing became anxious, and cold sweat dripped from his forehead. After all, the stone belonged to Liu Mengxun. Even if nothing was cut out, he still had to pay Liu Mengxun. Each stone had a price, and this time, Liu Mengxun had specially selected the stones for the event, all priced at 100,000 yuan. If nothing was cut out, it would mean losing 100,000 yuan.

"Continue!" Jia Zhengjing swallowed hard and said nervously.

The master made another cut, but still no green appeared.

"Never mind, keep cutting! Cut until you see green. If there's no green, keep cutting." Jia Zhengjing wiped the sweat from his forehead and shouted loudly.

The master sighed and continued cutting, but even after cutting the entire stone into pieces, there was no trace of green.

Jia Zhengjing, who had been standing, fell into a chair, gritted his teeth, and said, "Zhang Tianyuan, you got lucky. It's your turn now! But just wait, this was a mistake. The next one will make you cry!"

Zhang Tianyuan ignored Jia Zhengjing's words and handed the stone he had chosen to the master to cut.

Perhaps out of annoyance, Jia Zhengjing glanced at Zhang Tianyuan's stone and said disdainfully, "Look at what you picked. It's just an ordinary stone. You won't get anything from it."

"Whether I get anything or not is my business. I don't need Jia Gongzi to worry about it. Jia Gongzi's eyesight is excellent, but he didn't get anything on the first try. The so-called jade gambler is just that." Zhang Tianyuan smiled calmly and ignored Jia Zhengjing.

"Haha, you're right, buddy. What kind of jade gambler is he? Just a show-off." Xu Gang also laughed.

While they were talking, the master had already started cutting the stone.

Coincidentally, the first cut stopped the master's hand.

Green appeared!

At this moment, Murong Ying clearly relaxed. She had never understood why Xu Gang was so confident in Zhang Tianyuan. She hadn't heard that Zhang Tianyuan was good at jade gambling when they were in school. If he were, wouldn't he have become rich long ago?

"Hmph, just because the first cut showed green doesn't mean the second will. If you want me to admit defeat, keep cutting!" The only one who wasn't convinced was Jia Zhengjing, but his words weren't entirely unreasonable.

The thickness of the skin depends on the degree of weathering. A high degree of weathering means a thicker skin. A piece of jade with color on the surface might show green on the first cut but not on the second, which is common.

"Master, please continue cutting, but be careful not to damage the good jade inside!" Zhang Tianyuan smiled and said to the master.

The master nodded and became even more cautious. On the second cut, green still appeared. Jia Zhengjing still didn't believe it, but when the outer skin was completely cut away, revealing a piece of jade the size of a baby's fist, completely green, he finally admitted defeat.

"Great job, Tianyuan! Now, the four experts and Miss Liu, please give an estimate!" Xu Gang rubbed his hands and said.

Boss Xiao and Boss Murong were experts in jade, and Liu Mengxun had been influenced by her family since childhood and also had knowledge of jade. Xu Gang was also a semi-expert and had the right to estimate the value of the jade.

Of course, Old Li couldn't see, so he didn't join in. Old Dong also came forward to observe. Although he wasn't an expert in jade, he had some knowledge and experience, so it was fine for him to take a look.

Finally, they unified their opinions, and Liu Mengxun spoke.

"This piece of jade is not small, but the color is not very good, and the transparency is lacking. It's not an excellent piece of jade. According to the current market price, we estimate it at 150,000 yuan! Of course, this is just the raw material. If it's made into jewelry, the price will be higher!"

"Haha, Jia Gongzi, did you hear that? 150,000 yuan! Pay up quickly!" Xu Gang laughed.

At this moment, Jia Zhengjing slumped in his chair like a deflated balloon. He wasn't so much worried about the money as he was embarrassed. Thinking about what he had said before, he had boasted so much, but the result was that he lost to Zhang Tianyuan, this scoundrel, on the first stone.

"Jia Gongzi, don't think too much and do something foolish. Our jade shop is short of a manager. Since you're a jade gambler, you must be skilled. Why don't you come and be a manager in our jade shop?" Xu Gang continued to mock him.

"Xu, don't push it too far! It's just 150,000 yuan. I'll transfer it to your bank account right away." Jia Zhengjing was provoked and very angry, but in his anger, he also lost his composure.

Zhang Tianyuan checked his phone message and nodded, saying, "Jia Gongzi is indeed wealthy, but jade gambling is indeed scary. I think we should stop here today. The remaining stones can be divided among everyone. Whoever has the best luck gets the best one!"

"Nonsense! You want to back out after winning? No way!" Jia Zhengjing was clearly provoked by Zhang Tianyuan's words and stood up, slamming the table.