Chapter Forty-Seven: One Slash for Poverty, One Slash for Wealth!

The total loss amounted to 2.8 million.

Gao Youde was instantly furious! He roared, “This rule makes no sense at all! Why should I lose so much?” His face flushed bright red, fists clenched, as if he might explode at any moment.

Truth be told, his loss was indeed substantial! He had won seven hundred thousand from the first three stones, but with this round, not only did he lose it all, he ended up two million in the hole! But that was the reality of jade gambling. This was the rule of the game. One cut for poverty, one for riches, one for sackcloth.

On the side, the others only sneered, their eyes tinged with mockery.

Old Leopard Chen looked at Gao Youde coldly, his tone full of disdain. “Funny, you didn’t complain about the rules when you were winning just now. Now you lose and this is how you act?”

“Besides, you cut open that stone yourself—it’s yours now... and you haven’t lost all that much, have you?”

“Gao Youde, after all these years, you still can’t take a loss? If you can’t afford to lose, don’t play!”

Stung by these words, Gao Youde grew even angrier, but he knew he was in the wrong. All he could do was glare at Old Leopard Chen, grinding his teeth.

Old Leopard Chen continued, “This place has its own rules. We all agreed to them earlier. Accepting wins and losses is the basic principle. If you keep making a scene, don’t blame us for being rude.”

Gao Youde took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He knew that arguing further would only make him look worse.

The staff came over and distributed all four portions of the seventy thousand loss to the other participants.

Gao Youde was seething, but said nothing more.

After all, there was still one piece of raw jade left uncut.

He sneered, glancing at everyone. “The last one is my chance. Just you wait and see!”

Taking a deep breath, he fixed his gaze on that final stone. His hands trembled slightly, but the gambler’s urge burning in his heart would not let him retreat.

He signaled the staff to approach the cutting machine, gently placed the stone down, and a glint of madness flashed in his eyes.

“Cut it!” he ordered coldly.

The machine whirred to life, its harsh sound echoing through the room. Every eye was glued to that rough stone, the air thick with tension.

Gao Youde’s heart pounded, sweat beading on his forehead.

With a sharp crack, the first cut revealed a streak of emerald green.

A gasp rippled through the crowd. Gao Youde’s eyes lit up instantly.

“Cut again!” he urged eagerly.

The second cut, then the third; more and more vibrant green emerged, deeper and richer with each slice.

A smile finally broke across Gao Youde’s face—he knew luck was on his side this time.

“Heavens, that’s Imperial Jade—top quality!” someone exclaimed.

Old Leopard Chen’s face turned ashen. He never expected Gao Youde to turn the tables with the very last stone.

Gao Youde looked at Old Leopard Chen with smug satisfaction, sneering, “Well? This is the thrill of jade gambling!”

Old Leopard Chen ground his teeth but had nothing to say.

The stone was quickly appraised at a staggering three million.

And Gao Youde’s estimate? Precisely three million.

He had guessed the exact price.

That was a bullseye.

According to the payout rules—if you guess within the fluctuation, you get the difference; if you hit the exact price, you get triple; if you overshoot, you get double the difference.

This time, Gao Youde nailed the exact price.

Three million, tripled, and split among the four of us—Gao Youde pocketed a cool nine million.

In that moment, the rest of us were stunned.

None of us could have imagined that after this round, Gao Youde would earn so much.

Old Leopard Chen’s face was so dark it seemed it might drip water. He glared at the Imperial Jade as if trying to pierce it with his eyes. The others whispered among themselves, unable to believe what had just happened.

Gao Youde swept his gaze across the room, a cold smirk curling at his lips. He knew he’d finally turned the tables.

The thrill of victory washed away all his earlier anger and disappointment.

“Well, Old Leopard Chen, have you nothing to say this time?” Gao Youde taunted him.

“Didn’t you just say the rules were set from the start? Ha! You four, pay up!”

Old Leopard Chen clenched his jaw, struggling to contain his fury. “You got lucky this time, but don’t get too cocky. The path of jade gambling is still long.”

Gao Youde merely chuckled. “Luck? This is real skill. You’d better have your money ready!”

The staff promptly handed over nine million to Gao Youde, the whole process solemn and ceremonial. Gao Youde took the money, satisfied, stacking bundle after bundle in front of him.

Moments ago, after losing 2.8 million, his funds had dropped from 8.7 million to 5.9 million. But now, with a single stroke, he’d leapt from 5.9 million to 14.9 million!

Meanwhile, my own five million had dwindled to just 3.3 million.

Gao Youde was a high-stakes gambler, and with this luck, he’d nearly doubled his profits in one round.

As I pondered everyone’s winning chances, Gao Youde suddenly turned to Lu Yier and asked, “Manager, let me ask you: if someone runs out of money, what happens?”

I was momentarily taken aback—and suddenly thought of Su Li.

At that moment, Su Li’s expression became very tense.

She’d started with just three million. Now, after this round, only one point three million remained.

If she came up against someone like Gao Youde again, she might not make it through the next round.

Lu Yier walked over to Su Li. “Miss Su, as a participant in the jade gambling competition, we can provide you with additional funds. You simply need to offer some collateral or a suitable guarantor, and we’ll be happy to inject more capital for you, up to a maximum of ten million.”

Su Li frowned and was about to reply, but Gao Youde interrupted her, turning to Lu Yier. “Manager Lu, I have a question. If I’m interested in staking her, can you act as a witness?”

Lu Yier hesitated for a moment, then forced a smile. “We’ve never had such a rule here, but as long as you’re willing, we won’t prevent you from lending to each other. Our mission is to promote jade culture, not to profit from the proceedings.”

Gao Youde chuckled. “Listen to you, going on about principles. Are you trying to be a role model?”

Lu Yier only smiled, saying no more.

Su Li’s face grew even more complicated. The look she gave Gao Youde was filled with suspicion and unease.

She knew Gao Youde was not one to give freely; every move of his hid a deeper purpose.

“What are you getting at, Gao Youde?” Su Li asked coldly.

A meaningful smile played across Gao Youde’s lips. “Miss Su, I just think you haven’t reached the end of your rope yet—I’m giving you a chance, that’s all. We’re all enthusiasts here; I want to see if you can stage a comeback.”

“Besides, we only played halfway last night. We haven’t had enough yet, wouldn’t you agree?”