As Lin Chang searched through the jadetite rocks, she suddenly sensed a jadetite with an emerald nestled inside. Though she couldn't discern the exact type of jadetite, she knew it was her first find. "Uncle, we must buy this," Lin exclaimed with a smile.
Before Lin Bao could respond, a boisterous laughter echoed behind them. Lin Bao turned to see his friend, Wang Hai, approaching them. "Little girl, this is my friend Wang Hai, the one who gifted me this jadetite rock. And Hai, this is my niece, Lin Chang," Lin Bao introduced.
Lin Chang couldn't help but notice Wang Hai's impeccable attire and deduced that he hailed from a well-to-do family. "Mr. Hai," she greeted him.
At first Wang Hai was taken aback by Lin Chang's stunning beauty, but his amusement was turned to blague when she excitedly showed the low-quality jadetite rock and claimed it had an emerald inside. He couldn't help but chuckle at her naivety.
'How old is she, 18? 19?' he thought.
"Hey kiddo, you're new here, right? Let me give you the lowdown - those rocks on the floor are total garbage. You won't find any emeralds in there, trust me," Wang Hai chuckled. He'd been hanging around this gambling street for over a decade, and he'd never seen anyone waste their time on those crappy rocks.
Lin Chang, however, paid no attention to Wang Hai's words. Instead, she turned to the shop owner and asked, "How much for this, sir?"
Wang Hai's temper began to simmer as he watched the young girl ignore him. He fixed her with a withering glare. "Hey, brat, are you ignoring me?" he snapped.
Lin Bao, sensing the tension between his best friend and his niece, stepped in to defuse the situation. "Come on, man, she's just a kid. Don't get all worked up," he said.
"I've got a feeling there's an emerald in there uncle," Lin Chang insisted.
Wang Hai rolled his eyes. "Gambling on gut feelings? That's not how it works, little one. Listen to me and save your money." he said.
Despite his gruff exterior, Wang Hai had a soft spot for his best friend Lin Bao and his family. He had known them for over a decade and had often wanted to help them out, but Lin Bao was too proud to accept his assistance.
Although he may not have been as wealthy as the Yun family or other elites, his family was still has a successful business with several supermarkets across the country. And yet, Lin Bao refused to take any handouts from Wang Hai, determined to make it on his own.
"Did you gift my uncle with that jadetite rock worth 8000 yuan this morning?" Lin Chang inquired, her eyes fixed on Wang Hai.
"Absolutely," Wang Hai replied, his chest puffed with pride.
"How long have you been dabbling on gambling street?" Lin Chang probed further.
"12 years," Wang Hai responded, his voice oozing with confidence.
"And are you certain that there's an emerald inside the rock you bestowed upon my uncle?" Lin Chang asked, taking her time.
"Without a doubt. My expertise and experience leave no room for doubt," Wang Hai scoffed.
"Alright then. My uncle has brought the rock here," Lin Chang said, eyeing the jadetite rock in Lin Bao's hands. "Let's cut it open together and see whose gamble pays off." Lin Chang said, her tone provocative as she stared down Wang Hai.
Wang Hai's fury was ablaze, his eyes narrowed into slits as he heard Lin Chang's audacious challenge. "If I lose, I'll call you daddy. But if you lose, you'll have to do the same," she taunted.
Lin Chang had only wanted to test her wits, but now that the stakes had been raised, she refused to back down. "I'm in," she declared, her voice steady.
News of the wager spread like wildfire through the gambling street. Wang Hai was a well-known figure, a seasoned veteran who had earned the respect of many. Lin Chang, on the other hand, was just a mere 18-year-old girl. People scoffed at the idea of her being an expert.
"What does she know? She's just a child,"
"Kids these days are so arrogant,"
"She's in for a rude awakening if she thinks she can make it big here,"
"She's got some nerve challenging Brother Hai."
But despite the doubts and jeers, Lin Chang stood her ground. The air was thick with anticipation as the two faced off, their eyes locked in a fierce battle of wills.
Tonight, the gambling street would bear witness to a showdown unlike any other.
A middle aged sat poised before the whirring blades of a rotary tool, his voice unwavering. "Rub or Cut?" he inquired, his eyes fixed on the two individuals before him.
"Cut," they replied in unison, their voices ringing out with confidence.
"Are you drawing the line?" the middle-aged man pressed.
"I will make it," Wang Hai declared, his skilled hands deftly maneuvering the jadetite rock into position. He knew the art of precision like the back of his hand.
"I'll cut directly," Lin Chang chimed in, her voice betraying a hint of uncertainty. She was not quite sure what drawing the line entailed.
The others looked at her skeptically, their eyes filled with doubt. Even Wang Hai regarded her with a challenging stare, but Lin Chang remained stoic and unmoved.
Lin Bao, who had been trying his best to mediate the situation between his niece and best friend, could do nothing but stand there helplessly as the tension mounted.
So, the shop owner got two machines and two workers to cut the stone. And then, both the machines started working. People kept coming to the shop to watch the showdown between Lin Chang and Wang Hai.
Amidst the throngs of curious onlookers, two figures stood out - Lin Chang and Wang Hai, locked in a silent battle of wills. The tension was palpable, as each man sought to outdo the other in this high-stakes game of jadeite extraction.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the crowded street, the worker who was meticulously cutting the jadetite rock of Wang Hai suddenly exclaimed, "There's the green window!"
The mere utterance of those words sent shockwaves through the air, causing a commotion among the onlookers and passersby. It was a rare sight to witness the extraction of jadeite in the midst of the bustling shops and gambling dens, with such an scene happening only about ten times a week at most.
The owner of the rock, Wang Hai, could hardly contain his excitement, his eyes darting towards Lin Chang, who in turn looked at her stone.
And then, as if on cue, another voice boomed, "There is green!"