According to the rules we agreed on, it was a best-of-three showdown. The loser had to buy drinks for the winner. No one expected Wang Cong to want to continue competing.
"How about we settle this in one round? Are you game?"
At that moment, his focus was solely on Ling Feng, disregarding everyone else, even Zhang Pengpeng. He was not willing to lose to some unknown poor kid. He couldn't believe Ling Feng's luck would hold out forever. This time, he was determined to win!
Just give him one more chance, and he would turn the tables.
People around were surprised by Wang Cong's demand, sensing that he couldn't handle the loss.
"Sure, I accept!"
To everyone's astonishment, Ling Feng nodded and agreed to Wang Cong's challenge. This time, the rules remained the same: no tools allowed. Each would select three raw stones, and the one with the higher value of jade would win. The loser wouldn't just have to pay for the stones but also hand over all the jade they cut from them.
Ling Feng had no objections to this. The crowd continued to grow, and even the media, who had been interviewing various celebrities, began setting up their cameras for the event. They had already thought up a catchy headline: "The Ultimate Clash of Luck and Skill!"
Wang Cong took longer than before, spending a full half hour selecting his stones. In contrast, Ling Feng casually picked three raw stones, as if he were just picking up trash.
"I'll go first this time!" Wang Cong declared.
"Go for it!" Ling Feng replied with a nod.
The cutter started working on Wang Cong's stones. The first one revealed a transparent ice type. The second was also transparent ice. The third was a top-quality ice type, incredibly close to glass quality. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out to be a true glass type.
But in terms of both quality and size, Wang Cong's stones were a level above Ling Feng's previous picks. The crowd was stunned!
A smile broke across Wang Cong's face as he turned to Ling Feng. Zhang Pengpeng was gripping Ling Feng's sleeve, her palms slick with sweat. Yet, Ling Feng remained unfazed, waving for the cutter to start on his stones. The cutter was sweating bullets, nervously trying to get it right under all the pressure.
The first stone was a glass type.
The second stone? Another glass type.
The crowd erupted with excitement.
"Do you want to keep going?" Ling Feng asked Wang Cong, looking unfazed.
Wang Cong's face fell. He knew he had lost. The moment the first glass type was revealed, it was over for him. But he couldn't accept it; he had to see it through.
"No way! Let's open the last one!"
As he spoke, the room fell silent. With a crowd of nearly a hundred people holding their breath, the sound of the cutter filled the air.
The third stone was… another glass type!
"How is this even possible?" someone gasped.
"It's incredible!"
"Oh my gosh, this is amazing!"
"To witness something like this? My life is complete!"
The crowd went wild, their cheers threatening to shake the venue apart. Wang Cong slumped down in despair, the anger and frustration he felt turning to cold sweat as he realized his defeat.
"I lost…" he murmured, but with the crowd cheering for Ling Feng, his words went unheard.
After a long pause, he took a deep breath and walked out of the venue. Just as he stepped outside, Ling Feng, surrounded by fans, glanced back at Wang Cong's retreating figure. Three glass types in a row had thrown Ling Feng back into the spotlight.
Countless people were trying to hand him business cards, eager to get his attention. The media rushed to get their first interview with him.
Just then, Yu Tiansheng arrived with an older man.
"Make way!" the security yelled, parting the crowd as Yu Tiansheng and the old man approached Ling Feng.
"Congratulations, brother Ling! You've cut a top-tier stone!" Yu Tiansheng exclaimed.
"This is Master Yan, a leading figure in jewelry design and production!" he introduced.
"Truly a young hero, hidden away until now, and your skills have left the world in awe!" Master Yan nodded, appraising Ling Feng.
"I'd be honored to create a pair of jade pendants for you, if you'd accept," he offered.
"Thank you, Master Yan!"
Ling Feng was happy to accept. He handed one of the glass types over to Master Yan. There were various masters on-site creating jewelry, and Master Yan hurried back to his workstation, eager to start designing. After all, such high-quality jade wasn't something you came across every day.
In no time, he sketched out a beautiful pair of dragon and phoenix pendants. Then, he gathered his tools, ready to start crafting.
"Wait a second!"
Just as he picked up his carving knife and had begun working, Ling Feng called him to a halt.
"Huh?"
Master Yan frowned, looking up at Ling Feng. For him, creating jewelry was an artistic process that demanded complete immersion. Interruptions were the last thing he wanted. He was understandably frustrated.
Even if he had begged Ling Feng for the stone, it was still a courtesy owed to the exquisite jade and to Yu Tiansheng.
"Master Yan, I took a look at your design sketch, and with your technique…"
"I don't think it'll suit this jade stone. The final product might end up flawed!"
Ling Feng was indifferent to Master Yan's irritation and spoke bluntly.
Although he had never studied jewelry making, he had learned a lot about refining tools and herbs through his martial arts training. Those techniques were incredibly advanced and far beyond what Ling Feng could currently use. However, some of the methods had universal applications.
Even when it came to making jewelry, the principles still held true. Earlier, he had thought about making a set of jewelry for Zheng Miaoyi himself, but he had hesitated since he had never done it before.
Now, seeing Master Yan's methods, he compared them with his martial arts knowledge and raised his concerns.
"This kid must be crazy!"
"Does he not realize who Master Yan is? He's actually saying Master Yan's technique has flaws?"
"He's gotten too cocky, hasn't he?"
"Unappreciative!"
The crowd erupted with criticism, believing Ling Feng's luck with those jade stones had gone to his head.
Master Yan's expression darkened. If Ling Feng had objections to the design sketch, he could tweak it. But he never expected Ling Feng to imply his skills were lacking!
"Ridiculous!"
With a cold snort, Master Yan shot back, "If my technique is so bad, then why don't you do it yourself?"