The air buzzed with anticipation as I stood, tense and exhilarated, waiting for the jade to be cut open.
The hum of the blade filled the room, relentless and sharp, as the crack in the stone widened incrementally. My heart raced at the prospect of what lay ahead, the pulse of excitement almost unbearable.
I wasn't alone in this electrifying moment. Wei and Kun Sang were equally absorbed, their silence mirroring mine, each of us holding our breath, awaiting the revelation of the stone's secrets.
As the blade reached the final edge, sweat dripped from my forehead, trailing down my neck and soaking my face. It wasn't the heat of the room but the fire of exhilaration—the boiling rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins.
With a final grinding noise, the blade stopped. The cutter, moving with the reverence of one handling a fortune, carefully turned the jade over. His every gesture bespoke the gravity of the moment—this was no ordinary stone; it was worth billions.
The room fell silent as the slab was revealed. Unable to restrain my excitement, I burst out, "Damn it, it's flawless!"
The material was indeed full—a seamless, icy jade from top to bottom. Its spinach-green hue was intense, though not uniform, pooling in clusters with occasional larger white inclusions. These flaws, though minor, could easily be carved out during processing. What mattered most was the presence of bracelet-grade sections, ensuring the stone's immense value.
Wei and Kun Sang, each holding half of the jade, were ecstatic. Their hands trembled slightly under the weight—not of the stone but of the wealth it represented. Together, they now held a piece worth 1.2 billion yuan, and its value could only climb.
Wei laughed heartily. "We've struck gold—no, we've struck jade! Spinach-green icy material, premium Mu Na jade, and it's flawless! What a return on investment!"
Having invested four million euros, he was now looking at a near twelve-million-euro profit—a threefold return. Though shy of the coveted tenfold, the triumph was still monumental.
The two men inspected the jade with the fervor of victors savoring their spoils. Their earlier tension melted into visible relief, their faces now alight with satisfaction.
I, however, couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret. Though I had played a pivotal role, I had no share in the profits. My seven-million-yuan budget paled in comparison to the stakes at play here. If only I'd had thirty million to wager, my return would have doubled to sixty million by now. But alas, my capital was tied up elsewhere, leaving me sidelined in a game where gold lined the floor—but the entry fee was steep.
Nearby, Chen Xi and Smiling Monkey wore sour expressions. Their regret was almost palpable. I turned to them with a teasing smile. "Bad luck, huh? We were prepared to stop bidding at 7.5 million. If you'd gone a single yuan higher, this would have been yours. Imagine—a threefold return, just like that. What a pity!"
Smiling Monkey, incredulous, muttered, "This stuff is worth that much?"
Wei laughed. "Of course! This is icy Mu Na jade, and not just any kind—jelly-grade material. It's a rarity in the market, easily worth over 200 million yuan at first estimate."
Smiling Monkey cursed under his breath, his frustration evident.
Suppressing a laugh, I turned to Wei and Kun Sang. "Feel like trying your luck again?"
The two exchanged glances. Wei hesitated. "We've got some cash left, but it's probably not enough for another gamble…"
Kun Sang nodded. Between the two, their remaining funds were a little over a million euros—not enough for another open-jade purchase. But there was still the mystery bid option, though its results wouldn't be revealed until the following day.
Despite their hesitation, I wandered back to a previously dismissed stone. Running my hand over its surface, I smirked.
"You dismissed this one earlier," Wei said, puzzled. "What's brought you back?"
I smiled knowingly. "I'm not interested. But someone else might be."
Without elaborating further, I placed a bid of one million euros.
Wei and Kun Sang were baffled. "Zhao Fei, this stone doesn't seem worth it. Why the sudden gamble?"
Before I could answer, the screen updated. The bid had been raised to 1.5 million euros.
Looking across the room, I spotted Smiling Monkey. Approaching him with a wry grin, I asked, "You again? What's the meaning of this?"
Smiling Monkey scoffed. "What's it to you? Got money, can't I spend it how I like?"
Feigning disinterest, I upped the bid to 2 million euros.
The screen flickered again—3 million euros.
Satisfied, I stopped bidding. I turned to Wei and Kun Sang, saying loudly enough for all to hear, "Not enough budget, huh? Too bad. Let's call it quits then."
The screen finalized at 3 million euros. Smiling Monkey and Chen Xi swaggered over, sneering. "Don't play games if you can't afford to lose," Smiling Monkey taunted as they walked away.
I followed with a bemused smile. If they believed this stone was a jackpot, they were in for a rude awakening.
In the cutting room, we watched as the slab was split. As the jade was revealed, I suppressed a chuckle.
The core was hollow—a pitiful shell with only a thin green outer layer. A glorified ashtray.
Smiling Monkey's face turned a sickly green.
"Well, well," I said with mock admiration. "What a lovely ashtray. Decorative, at least. Worth a few tens of thousands, perhaps?"
"Damn it!" Smiling Monkey exploded, glaring at me. "You set me up!"
Wei and Kun Sang bristled, but I held them back. Calmly, I said, "This is the gamble, isn't it? Wins and losses. You chose to bid; what has that to do with me?"
Smiling Monkey hurled the jade in fury, his anger uncontained. But his tantrum only ended with security escorting him out, leaving the rest of us free to celebrate a well-earned victory.