The essence of the difference between bidding and bargaining lies in the amount of money involved. In bidding, if someone inflates the price of the material you want, you have no choice but to compete with them to the end. Unlike bargaining, where you can negotiate with the owner of the raw jade to lower the price, it's akin to buying vegetables at a market where you can haggle. But in a specialty store, the price is fixed, and there's no room for negotiation—on the contrary, the seller may even raise the price at any time.
Boss Wei went to settle the payment, retrieved the raw jade with the receipt, and led me to the cutting room. Once there, I asked, "Can I bring in my own cutter to process it?"
Kunsang shook his head and replied, "The specifications for this jade gambling event are very high. The organizers have brought in military personnel to ensure everyone's safety. No external security or private personnel are allowed inside."
Hearing this left me feeling a bit helpless. I had grown accustomed to having Wang Gui handle my jade cutting. Without him, I felt somewhat uneasy, and communicating with a new cutter seemed like it could be a challenge. Suddenly, the cutter turned to me and asked, "How should we cut this material?"
I was surprised to hear him speak Chinese. Smiling, I replied, "Cut off a slice from the base with the visible window and let's see if there's any surprise."
He examined the back of the jade piece, which had seven or eight windows, and without asking further questions, began to cut. I stood anxiously on the side, watching. If this gamble didn't pay off, Kunsang's opinion of me might worsen. While he had a favorable impression of me, he didn't trust me as completely as Boss Wei did. In jade gambling, luck plays a significant role, and perhaps Kunsang wanted to observe me further before fully trusting my judgment.
As I watched the jade being carefully sliced open, I knew that the window cut would reveal the most about the material's interior. If this slice yielded no surprises, it wouldn't just be disappointing—it would be disastrous. If even the window area showed no color, then the rest of the material would likely be even less promising. In this sense, this cut was a make-or-break moment.
My heart raced with excitement—I hadn't felt this kind of thrill in a long time. Jade gambling always carried this exhilarating risk. I cracked my neck, the popping sound breaking the tension, and glanced at Boss Wei. His brows were tightly furrowed, his expression serious. If he could double his investment—or even see a fivefold profit—he stood to make forty million. It was a high-stakes gamble, but the potential rewards were equally massive.
Finally, the cutter sliced off a piece of the jade. Water was sprayed on the surface, and the cutter handed me the slice. My heart pounded as I took a careful look. Joy surged through me as I exclaimed, "Look! Yellow! It didn't turn green, but there's some floating patterning. Ha! The quality has improved—it's translucent, likely reaching the icy-glutinous grade."
Boss Wei inspected the slice with excitement and said, "Yellow is good, yellow is good—it's yellow jadeite. Although it's somewhat patterned, that's not an issue. The key is the quality of the material. Icy-glutinous and glutinous-icy are worlds apart in value—it's a full grade higher. Truly, where the dragon is, water follows. The only pity is this crack—it's a bit troublesome."
I smiled. Boss Wei was right—this piece had significantly increased in quality, which meant its value had doubled. We wouldn't be losing money on this gamble.
The phrase "where the dragon is, water follows" is a common saying in the jadeite trade, though its meaning isn't widely understood. In this context, "dragon" refers to the green hue in jadeite, while "water" refers to its translucency and texture. The saying implies that wherever there is green, the material's base and water content are typically superior.
Good translucency gives jadeite a vibrant and lively appearance, as light refracts through countless tiny crystals within the stone. Conversely, if the material lacks translucency, its color appears dull, lifeless, and unappealing—what the trade calls "dry" or "water-deficient."
In most cases, areas with green hues tend to have better translucency and finer texture. However, there are exceptions, such as the saying, "A dung-like base produces high-quality green," which highlights the occasional stark contrast between poor-quality bases and vibrant green hues.
Although this piece didn't produce green, the combination of its translucency and yellow hue meant we had already won the gamble. If the yellow had been green, we would have struck the jackpot—a case of "dung-like base produces high-quality green."
I examined the jade and said, "Generally, when green areas have good translucency, the surrounding base isn't too bad either. That's why I chose this piece. The cracks aren't a big issue—they're large fissures, like deep ravines, and we can cut them away. Now it's a matter of betting on how much of the yellow remains versus how much is affected by the cracks. If we can salvage a section of yellow, this gamble will be significant. Even if the cracks dominate, we still won't lose."
Boss Wei laughed heartily and said, "Exactly. This piece could sell for at least three million euros now. But I still want to take a bigger gamble—it's my first time betting on yellow jadeite from a carded piece. Let's see if I have the luck."
I chuckled and said, "Alright, let's keep gambling."
I handed the jade to the cutter and instructed, "Cut along this large central fissure."
The cutter nodded. By following the fissure, the resulting pieces would have fewer cracks. If we cut away from the fissure, we'd end up with additional cracks, requiring further polishing—which wastes material. Given that this jade now costs tens of thousands per kilogram, every bit saved counts.
The cutter placed the jade on the cutting machine and began slicing along the fissure. Suddenly, I thought of Kunsang and glanced back at him. His face was grim, his hands clasped behind his back, and his lips tightly pressed together. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.
I smiled faintly and turned away. Ultimately, whether we profit or not is his choice. Whether he trusts me or not is also up to him. Whatever the outcome, he must bear the consequences himself.
As the cutter worked, I felt confident and exhilarated. Winning this gamble in such a high-stakes setting was more satisfying than any previous victory. The prestige of the occasion elevated the significance of the win. If I could adapt to this level of jade gambling, I'd be well-prepared to participate in future auctions.
I yearned to compete in auctions. That's where the true ocean lies, a vast expanse where one can truly revel in the trade…
The cutting machine roared, slowly slicing through the jade. We all waited intently. I swallowed nervously, startled as two unfamiliar figures entered the room. At first, I thought I had mistaken them for someone else, but upon closer inspection, I was surprised—it was them.
"Damn it, what bad luck! That brat chopped off my hand, and now I'm stuck fighting with those island bastards. There are so many people after me that I've had to hide in Myanmar. Luckily, you're here with me, brother…"
"Stop talking nonsense. You've caused such a mess. Seventh Master is after you, and that means I'm implicated too. I had no choice but to hide as well. Let's just lay low…"
Hearing their conversation, I frowned. They suddenly noticed me and stared for a moment, clearly stunned. The skinny one spat on the ground, muttering, "What the hell? Talk about a narrow road—we meet again, you bastard…"
I ignored his hostility, but both Kunsang and Boss Wei turned to look at them. The pair approached us, their expressions unfriendly.
"Oh, Boss Wei, gambling on jade today?" Chen Xi said nonchalantly.
Boss Wei nodded indifferently. "Yes. Is Boss Chen here to have some fun as well?"
Chen Xi nodded. The skinny man, clearly holding a grudge, stepped toward me. I had broken his hand, and it was obvious that he hated me deeply. Encountering me here in Myanmar, he likely wouldn't let me off easily. But I wasn't afraid—he clearly hadn't considered where we were.
Chen Xi pulled him back, scolding, "What are you doing? This isn't the mainland—are you trying to get yourself killed?"
The skinny man looked frustrated but glanced around at the armed guards and reluctantly backed off. Glaring at me, he said, "Zhao Fei, my hand…"
"You brought it on yourself," I said coldly. "I have a jade gamble to attend to, and neither Kunsang nor Boss Wei nor I want you disturbing us."
"You little bastard…" the skinny man cursed.
"What did you say?" Kunsang interjected angrily. "Why are you insulting my friend?"
I could sense Kunsang's anger. Perhaps he was frustrated from not joining the previous wager and was now venting his displeasure. The skinny man had picked the worst possible moment to provoke him. I found the situation amusing—if someone else could deal with him, all the better.
"My apologies. My friend got a little carried away," Chen Xi said quickly, pulling the skinny man aside.
I watched Chen Xi. He wasn't a reckless thug; he knew how to read the room. Seeing that the situation wasn't in his favor, he immediately backed down.
Meanwhile, the cutter finished splitting the jade. My heart raced as I saw the two halves. This was a 15-million-yuan piece of jade, and I had a 40% stake. If this gamble paid off, I could earn at least 40 million!
The cutter handed me one half. I sprayed water over it to wash away the debris and examined it with Boss Wei.
My excitement grew as I saw the results—the crack extended toward the edge of the skin but didn't penetrate the middle. This was good news. However, the translucency remained unchanged at the icy-glutinous grade, and the yellow hue was still scattered rather than concentrated.
It was icy-glutinous yellow jadeite with floating patterns. While it didn't yield the tenfold profit I had hoped for, it was still a win.
I said, "The base has a bluish tinge, with floating yellow flowers. There's some cotton and a large crack, but it's not a problem. It's enough to make bangles. Boss Wei, you didn't make a mistake following me, did you?"
Boss Wei smiled and nodded repeatedly, clearly satisfied. Kunsang, however, looked far less pleased…