Chapter 57

"Seven stones, I'll take them all!"

Gambling on jade is all about the thrill, the satisfaction of hitting the jackpot with a single stone. If someone were to do as Zhou Ci did, it wouldn't be gambling anymore; it would be buying everything, taking the risk of losing it all. This kind of bold move is only possible for someone with deep pockets.

"Really?" Duan Zhuo's eyes lit up. If anyone was the happiest to hear this, it would be him. Selling everything meant he was guaranteed a profit this time.

"Why? Do you think I'm joking?" Zhou Ci smiled lightly.

"No, how could I think that? Everyone knows that you, Mr. Zhou, love gambling on jade the most. It's not just seven stones; even seventy would be a piece of cake for you." Duan Zhuo hurriedly said.

"Name your price, and remember, don't try to fool me!" Zhou Ci said casually.

"Mr. Zhou, you're making me feel like an outsider. How could I fool you? For these six stones, just give me the cost price, a total of 400,000 yuan. As for this one, a bit cheaper, 30,000 yuan will do. I'm giving you a fair price, no extra charge, just the transportation fee." Duan Zhuo smiled.

"Deal!" Zhou Ci said decisively.

Listening to their conversation, the onlookers all showed envious expressions. This wasn't just a few ten thousand yuan; it was a total of 430,000 yuan. And she didn't even flinch, taking it all in stride. This kind of confidence wasn't something everyone could have.

"Tsk tsk..."

Su Mu shook his head slightly. Although he hadn't touched the seventh stone, he knew the other six were likely a waste. This much money was destined to be thrown away.

But this is gambling on jade, a game of thrills. If you have the money to buy everything, you must be prepared to face the possibility of losing it all. Since they were strangers, Su Mu had no reason to step in and advise. Even if he did, who would believe him? Just because he said a stone was worthless, it didn't mean it was.

After the transaction was complete, Duan Zhuo's smile was radiant. In one go, he had made a net profit of 200,000 yuan!

"Mr. Zhou, as usual, shall we cut them now?"

"Cut!" Zhou Ci said calmly.

"Alright! Master Lu, please." Duan Zhuo called out with a smile. As the largest store in Langya Garden, Li Cai had its own dedicated master.

Su Mu stood curiously by the side, watching Master Lu cut the stones with great care. Even though he already knew the outcome, his heart still raced. Each cut wasn't just stone chips falling; it was stacks of heavy RMB.

"First stone, loss!"

Not long after, Master Lu shouted loudly. The cut stone revealed only white fragments, not a hint of green. This stone was a loss.

"Tsk tsk, tens of thousands of yuan gone just like that. Even with a lot of money, you can't afford to be so wasteful."

Hearing this, Zhou Ci's expression didn't change at all. She seemed to be used to this game of thrills, not even blinking.

"Mr. Zhou, look at the second stone, maybe the second one will have something good!" Duan Zhuo said with a forced smile.

Su Mu sneered, unimpressed. He had figured out the game by now. Zhou Ci probably wasn't skilled at gambling on jade; she was just hoping for luck. As for Duan Zhuo, if he hadn't studied these stones beforehand, that would be a joke.

Studying them but not revealing it, Duan Zhuo was a true businessman.

"Second stone, loss!"

"Third stone, loss!"

"Fourth stone, loss!"

"Fifth stone, loss!"

"Sixth stone, loss!"

As Master Lu cut, the sounds of disappointment echoed with each cut. Each time, the crowd murmured in shock. Out of seven stones, six had already been declared worthless, not a single valuable piece found.

What did this mean? 400,000 yuan down the drain!

Even with her wealth, Zhou Ci's face darkened slightly. Today's luck was really bad; not a single stone had turned out right.

It was truly unlucky. She had come to gamble on jade to lift her spirits, but it only made things worse, adding to her frustration.

But despite her frustration, Zhou Ci maintained her composure in front of everyone, not showing any panic or fear.

"Hey, who is this Mr. Zhou?"

"From out of town?"

"Yeah, from a neighboring city."

"From your question, I can tell you're a novice. In Qinglin City, if you pay attention, you should know who this Mr. Zhou is. Not just the owner of Yajuzhu, her father is the city's discipline inspection commission secretary, and her in-laws are the former city party secretary."

"Really? That impressive!"

"Do you think otherwise? How else could she afford such a big gamble? But today, she's really unlucky, losing hundreds of thousands of yuan. Even with her wealth, this is a significant loss."

Hmm!

Hearing the whispers around him, Su Mu, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped. What did this mean? This woman had such a strong background? If that was true, he couldn't just leave. If he wanted to make it in Qinglin City, he needed to build a good relationship with her.

Wait, today's incident was actually an opportunity.

As everyone's attention was on the seventh stone, Su Mu walked into Li Cai, casually touching the other stones in the corner, pretending to be an expert while actually using his abilities to appraise them.

"Mr. Zhou, this... I think..."

Duan Zhuo felt a bit embarrassed. With any other buyer, he wouldn't be so uneasy. But this was Zhou Ci, and offending her in Qinglin City would mean the end of his business.

"Mr. Duan, gambling on jade is all about luck. I accept the loss on these six stones. You don't need to feel guilty; it's not your fault." Zhou Ci said calmly.

"Yes, it's all about luck. Maybe the seventh stone will turn out well. Master Lu, hurry up." Duan Zhuo said quickly.

"Alright!"

Master Lu, composed and calm, adjusted to his best state and began cutting. However, the seventh stone was even worse than the others. As soon as he touched it, it crumbled into fragments. No one expected it to be this bad.

"Seventh stone, loss!"

Master Lu called out helplessly. He had hoped to find something good, as those who got good stones would tip him for good luck. Now, all seven stones were losses, truly unlucky.

The entire scene was silent; no one dared to make a loud noise. Even Duan Zhuo looked anxious. If they offended Zhou Ci, the beautiful widow, they wouldn't be able to stay in Qinglin City.

Bang bang!

Suddenly, a few crisp knocks came from inside Li Cai. Everyone's gaze turned to Su Mu, who appeared in everyone's line of sight.

"What are you doing? Don't knock around, you might break it and can't afford to pay!" Duan Zhuo said hurriedly, seizing the opportunity to break the silence. If he remained silent, he might go crazy.

"Knocking can break it? Mr. Duan, if that were true, why would you need a master to cut it? You could just hire someone to knock." Su Mu said with a smile.

Laughter erupted around them, the tense atmosphere dissipating. Even Zhou Ci smiled slightly.

"Brother, you're quite humorous. What do you mean? Are you thinking of gambling on a couple of stones too?" Duan Zhuo said with a smile.

"Gambling on jade? I'm afraid you'll turn red-eyed, and end up crying and begging me not to buy." Su Mu said casually.

"Tsk!"

Duan Zhuo scoffed, "Brother, is this your first time in Langya Garden? Do you know what kind of reputation I, Duan Zhuo, have here? Even if you get a high-quality stone worth a million, I won't blink. I'll let you take it away. That's the brand of Li Cai!"

Duan Zhuo wasn't exaggerating. If he were dishonest, Zhou Ci wouldn't patronize his store, and Li Cai wouldn't have such a good reputation.

Moreover, the better the stones, the more famous Li Cai would become. It's like buying a lottery ticket; if a store sells a winning ticket, more people will come to buy from there, hoping for good luck.

"In that case..."

Su Mu walked past Duan Zhuo and stood in front of Zhou Ci, smiling. "I know this might seem abrupt, but would you trust me once?"

"Tsk! Who does he think he is?"

"Right, daring to speak to Miss Zhou like that, he's just a fool!"

"Trust you? Do you think you're a gambling god?"

The onlookers sneered at Su Mu's boldness. You're just a pretty face, trying to get close to Zhou Ci for recognition. You're just dreaming; everyone knows Zhou Ci has high standards. Give up on that idea!

"This guy is really confident!" Duan Zhuo thought, about to step forward to stop Su Mu. If Zhou Ci was bothered here, it would be a big problem for him.

However, to everyone's surprise, the moment Su Mu spoke, Zhou Ci's face lit up with a charming smile.

"I trust you, why not?"

Feeling that this wasn't enough to shock everyone, Zhou Ci continued, instantly igniting the atmosphere.

"Go ahead, today whatever you choose, I'll buy. If we lose, it's on me. If we win, we split it fifty-fifty!"

Instantly, Su Mu became the center of attention.