Chapter Forty-Six: Forcing Su Li to Her Death?

We were all left speechless. The first stone was nothing but waste material. It was as if no one had gained or lost anything. Gao Youde, too, had neither profit nor loss, but it proved his skill, for he had marked the price as waste. Gao Youde seemed exhilarated, turning to Lu Yier, “Bring me some tea. I want to savor this moment.”

Lu Yier quickly served him an old tree tea from Yunnan. The fragrance of the tea filled the room. Gao Youde lifted his cup, took a delicate sip, and nodded in satisfaction. “This tea is excellent, indeed from Yunnan's old trees,” he praised, his eyes reflecting a tranquil delight.

He set the cup down and turned his gaze to the second rough stone on the table, smiling slightly. “Now, let’s see about this one.” Everyone held their breath as two staff members meticulously examined every corner of the stone before placing it on the cutting machine.

I closed my eyes. “This stone should have some material,” Gao Youde said, his voice low and resolute. I had judged as well: the jade inside should fetch around three hundred thousand.

The blade sliced cleanly across the stone, ringing out with a sharp sound. As it dug deeper, a streak of vibrant green emerged from within, like the tender shoots of early spring, bursting with life and promise.

“It’s jadeite, just as I thought!” Gao Youde exclaimed in natural astonishment. He gazed at the result with satisfaction, a confident smile blooming on his face. “Looks like luck is on my side today. Everyone, get ready for accounting.”

After another careful inspection, the staff estimated the value at three hundred and fifty thousand. Then they opened Gao Youde’s price slip—three hundred thousand.

A difference of fifty thousand… A downward deviation meant a payout, a correct price meant triple reward, and an upward deviation meant double payout. This stone had a downward deviation of fifty thousand; each of us owed him fifty thousand, netting him two hundred thousand in profit.

Gao Youde could not help but feel pleased; two stones in, he had already made over two hundred thousand. Excitement still lingered in his demeanor. “Today truly is a good day!” Gao Youde said with a bright, excited look in his eyes. He glanced around with a hint of challenge.

He lifted his cup, took a sip, and nodded. “This is only the beginning. There are three stones left, and I believe even greater surprises await.”

Gao Youde rose and approached the third rough stone, examining it closely. It seemed unremarkable, its surface a bit coarse, but his experience told him that it might conceal a treasure within.

“This stone has material too,” Gao Youde declared with confidence. The staff, hearing his command, immediately began processing it. The cutting machine’s hum filled the air; everyone held their breath, eyes fixed on the stone’s cut surface.

As the blade delved deeper, a richer green slowly revealed itself, even more vivid than before. Gao Youde’s eyes lit up; he knew that the jade hidden inside was worth a fortune.

“This is top-grade jadeite!” he shouted, unable to hide his joy. The staff carefully inspected it and gave a staggering estimate—five hundred thousand.

Gao Youde took out his price slip and showed it to the crowd—five hundred and fifty thousand.

“Another fifty thousand upward deviation…” I calculated silently. This time, Gao Youde netted four hundred thousand.

“Luck has truly arrived—nothing can stand in its way!” His smile grew even brighter; he knew his fortune today was extraordinary. Three stones in, he had already earned seven hundred thousand, bringing his funds to eight million seven hundred thousand.

“There are two stones left. Let’s hope luck holds,” Gao Youde said, overflowing with confidence. I observed the others’ eyes; everyone’s expressions had begun to shift.

Especially Su Li—she never had much capital to begin with, and if the next two stones proved as extravagant as the previous, she might not even get another turn. At this moment, I realized Gao Youde had made a ruthless move. Since he held first place, he could risk it all, snatching away everyone’s chances.

He would leave them defeated, without even understanding how it happened. A sinister smile curled at the corner of Gao Youde’s mouth. He then strode toward the fourth rough stone.

“I bet this one will yield as well!”

“And it’ll be even more expensive—at least seven figures!”

As Gao Youde voiced his prediction, I saw Su Li’s expression change. If the stone really turned out to be worth seven figures, with her meager capital, she’d be eliminated next round. There were two stones left—if she lost this one, that’s a million gone. What of the last stone?

Next round, her starting funds would be barely over a hundred thousand. If she couldn’t seize first place, it would spell disaster.

Now, Su Li faced the toughest situation. Gao Youde watched her with an amused look, a cold smile hidden in his eyes. He waved his hand, signaling the staff to begin work on the fourth stone.

“Su Li, this time, watch closely and see what real luck looks like,” Gao Youde taunted, as if he already foresaw her downfall.

Su Li forced herself to appear calm, but her clenched fists and trembling lips betrayed her anxiety. She knew that if this stone was truly worth a million, she’d be in dire straits.

The staff began operating the cutting machine; the blade again rang out as it sliced through the stone. Everyone’s eyes locked onto it, tension thick in the air.

As the blade went deeper, a bold green began to show, even brighter than the previous jadeite. Gao Youde’s smile became radiant; he knew he’d won again.

“This is supreme jadeite!” he shouted, brimming with pride. The staff inspected it and announced a staggering estimate—one million eight hundred thousand.

But when the staff revealed this figure, Gao Youde’s face darkened.

“What’s this? Such quality, and you quote this price?” The rest of us looked at him in confusion. Only then did we realize Gao Youde had stumbled.

Sure enough, the staff opened his box. Gao Youde’s bid—

Two million five hundred thousand!

A deviation of fifty thousand was normal, but this time he’d overshot by seven hundred thousand!

According to the rules…

A downward deviation of seven hundred thousand meant he had to pay each of us seventy thousand in compensation.

I watched as his face turned pale with shock.