Mr. Yao, with his vast experience, took a marker and drew two lines on the raw material, then handed it to the worker, saying, “Cut along the lines I drew.”
“Alright.”
The worker took the material and started the cutting machine.
Zzz—zzz—zzz—
The sound of the cutting machine was piercing.
Nearby, the onlookers were buzzing with discussion.
“Do you think Mr. Yao’s material will yield jade?”
“Nonsense, when has Mr. Yao ever failed?”
“I’m just curious—what grade will the jade be this time?”
“Who cares about the grade? We’ll know soon enough.”
All jewellery, including jade, is divided into grades. Jade comes in colours like green, white, red, purple, and yellow, with green being the most common and valuable.
Different shades of jade vary in value and grade, roughly divided into levels one to six.
Level one is the most valuable, level six the least.
Two minutes later.
The worker’s excited shout rang out, “It’s green! It’s green!”
Instantly, a crowd surged forward.
“What grade is it?” someone asked eagerly.
The worker replied, “It’s apple green.”
Apple green is a level-three jade.
This jade is a rich green, and when held to the light, it shows a slight yellowish tint, like an unripe green apple.
The crowd erupted in praise.
“Mr. Yao is incredible, picking a material at random and cutting out apple green.”
“Worthy of the Jade King, with an eye like a hawk.”
“If I had even a tenth of Mr. Yao’s skill, I’d be set.”
“…”
Soon, the material was fully cut.
A piece of apple green jade the size of a bar of soap appeared before the crowd, crystal clear.
“Mr. Yao, are you selling this jade? I’ll offer five hundred thousand.”
“What, only five hundred thousand for such a big piece? I’ll offer one million.”
“I’ll give one million two hundred thousand…”
People on the scene started bidding.
In no time, the price reached two million.
Mr. Yao waved his hand, saying, “Thank you for your kindness, but I’m not planning to sell this jade.”
With that, he handed the jade to Ma Dong, saying, “Young Master Ma, it’s yours.”
Ma Dong’s face lit up, and he quickly thanked him, “Thank you, Mr. Yao.”
Mr. Yao’s gaze fell on Ye Qiu, “Your turn.”
Ye Qiu handed his material to the worker.
“Sir, how should I cut it?” the worker asked.
Without thinking, Ye Qiu said, “Cut it straight down the middle.”
What?
The worker’s expression turned odd.
Mr. Yao couldn’t help but mock, “No experience at all, yet you dare to gamble stones? Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at?”
The onlookers burst into laughter.
“This kid’s a newbie!”
“No experience and still gambling stones—brave, I’ll give him that!”
“He’s going to lose everything, even his underwear!”
Mu En explained to Ye Qiu, “Normally, cutting straight down the middle is the riskiest. Even if there’s jade inside, one cut could ruin it.”
“No matter, cut it as I said,” Ye Qiu, worried the worker might not understand, added, “Like you’d cut a watermelon.”
The worker immediately said, “Sir, if there’s jade inside and I ruin it, you can’t blame me.”
Before Ye Qiu could respond, Mr. Yao said to the worker, “Your worry is unnecessary. His material can’t possibly have jade. If it does, I’ll write my name backwards.”
Ye Qiu urged, “I won’t blame you, just cut it!”
The worker then started the cutting machine.
Ye Qiu’s material wasn’t large to begin with, and one cut split it in half, revealing nothing inside.
“See, I told you there’s no jade,” Mr. Yao said to Ye Qiu. “You lost this round.”
Ye Qiu ignored Mr. Yao, pointing to one of the halved pieces and telling the worker, “Take this piece and cut it in half again.”
The worker said, “Sir, your material is already small, and after one cut, it’s even smaller. Cutting again won’t yield jade.”
Ye Qiu’s face hardened, “Stop talking and do as I say.”
The worker, though displeased, followed Ye Qiu’s instructions.
The next second, a miracle happened—a flash of purple appeared in the worker’s sight.
“Holy crap, it’s violet!”
The worker was stunned.
Violet jade, named for its resemblance to violet flowers, is highly prized.
“Red jade, green jade, purple is precious” is a saying often heard among jade lovers. Violet jade is unique, exuding elegance and sophistication, like a refined maiden radiating charm.
Mr. Yao was slightly surprised. He hadn’t expected Ye Qiu to pick a random material and actually cut out jade.
“I told you, my luck’s always been good,” Ye Qiu smiled.
Mr. Yao sneered, “Violet is just a level-four jade, and yours is small. Its value can’t compare to apple green.”
“Not necessarily,” Ye Qiu smiled, took a marker, drew a few lines on the material, and told the worker, “Cut it again for me.”
The worker got to work.
A few minutes later, the cutting was complete.
Everyone present was shocked.
Though this piece of violet jade wasn’t large, it was exquisitely formed, like a cluster of purple grapes, emitting a captivating glow.
“My God, it’s too beautiful!”
“With a bit of polishing, it could be a priceless work of art.”
“Though violet is a lower grade, its lustre is warm, the colour vibrant, the texture fine, and the water content high. I estimate its value at around three million.”
“Nonsense, this piece is worth at least five million!”
“If a famous carver refines it, its value could increase five to ten times!”
“This kid’s struck it rich!”
Ma Dong was dumbfounded, “How is this possible?”
“Damn, this kid’s luck is unreal,” Gao Fei muttered, filled with envy and resentment.
Ye Qiu looked at Mr. Yao and said, “Who won this round?”
“Hmph, lucky you,” Mr. Yao’s face was grim.
He’d thought he had this round in the bag, but at the last moment, there was a twist.
Ye Qiu said, “Do you know why I won this round?”
Mr. Yao snorted, “Wasn’t it just your luck?”
“Wrong! Completely wrong!” Ye Qiu laughed. “It’s mainly because I’m good-looking, so I won.”
What’s that supposed to mean?
Are you saying I’m ugly?
You wait, you bastard!
Mr. Yao was so angry his nose nearly twisted.
But Ye Qiu’s next words almost made Mr. Yao explode with rage.
“Mr. Yao, earlier you said if my material yielded jade, you’d write your name backwards. So, shouldn’t you now…”
“Keep your word!”
