Chapter Sixty-Four: Devouring All Three in One Bite!

Lu Yier waved his hand, and several staff members quickly stepped forward to place the rough stone on the cutting table. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the final outcome to be revealed. The surface of the stone was wrapped in a thick layer of earth and rough skin, revealing nothing to the naked eye, but I knew well that tremendous potential lay hidden within. The price tag I had written was already sealed away.

The stone-cutting master picked up his tools with practiced ease and began to cut with utmost care. Each stroke of the blade triggered a wave of hushed murmurs among the onlookers. I fixed my gaze on the stone, my heart pounding like a drum, my palms sweating.

With a sharp crack, a corner of the stone skin finally peeled away, revealing a glimmer of translucent green. Instantly, a gasp of astonishment swept through the crowd, and even Su Li’s expression shifted ever so slightly. I saw Sister Hong’s pupils visibly tremble!

“It’s Imperial Green!” someone whispered in awe.

My heart leapt, and I stared at that flash of green as if I had glimpsed hope itself.

The master continued cutting, gradually exposing more of the verdant hue. Each inch confirmed the extraordinary value of the stone. The atmosphere grew ever more tense; everyone held their breath, awaiting the final reveal.

The purity was extraordinary!

And the area covered by the emerald green was vast!

Utterly rare!

At last, the entire stone was fully cut open, revealing inside a mass of flawless, priceless jadeite. The scene fell silent; everyone was struck speechless by the astonishing result.

“Congratulations, Mr. Wang Hu,” Lu Yier broke the silence, his voice tinged with admiration. “You made the right bet this time. This piece of Imperial Green jadeite—I’d estimate its value at around six million!”

As the boss, Lu Yier seldom gave price estimates himself! Yet even he could not help but speak up now.

But Gao Youde sneered from the side, “Boss Lu, your estimate doesn’t count—we need to hear from the experts!”

With that, all eyes turned toward the appraisal staff. They studied the jadeite once, then again, unable to resist a third look! After the third careful examination, they solemnly wrote down the figure: five million.

My heart remained calm and unruffled. I knew this was only the first step; greater challenges awaited me ahead.

Su Li glanced at my impassive face and said coldly, “Did you get the price wrong?”

I smiled faintly and replied evenly, “You’ll know once it’s revealed.”

Su Li’s brows furrowed, as if displeased with my composure, but she said nothing more, merely watching me with a chill in her gaze. There was a trace of doubt in her eyes, but even more anticipation; she, too, wanted to see the result.

Lu Yier waved his hand, signaling the staff to open my sealed price tag. A few staff members quickly stepped forward and carefully unsealed the price tag bag. The crowd was utterly silent, every eye fixed on that tiny slip of paper.

When the tag was finally unfolded, everyone held their breath.

“Exactly five million!” a staff member announced loudly, with a hint of astonishment and respect in his voice.

The hall erupted in a clamor—everyone was shocked by the result. My appraisal matched the experts’ figure perfectly, not a penny off! This was not only proof of my keen judgment, but it also made everyone view my ability with newfound respect.

Su Li’s expression changed slightly, a complicated look flashing through her eyes. She had expected me to make a mistake, never imagining I would be so precise. The corners of her mouth twitched, as if she wanted to speak, but in the end she said nothing.

I looked at Lu Yier, who now wore a satisfied smile, his eyes full of admiration. “Mr. Wang Hu, your eye is truly extraordinary,” he said, nodding with a hint of respect in his tone. “According to the triple standard on the marked price,” Lu Yier continued, “you will receive three times one and a half million—making a total profit of forty-five million!”

At these words, the hall erupted once more in exclamations. Forty-five million—a sum that would be a fortune for anyone. And I had won such a windfall from a single rough stone.

My heart was serene.

Especially when I saw the look on Sister Hong’s face...

And the fury on Gao Youde’s!

“You sly fox, playing dumb all along!” Gao Youde shouted at me. “Those rounds you lost before—you were playing with me, weren’t you!”

I only glanced at Gao Youde indifferently, then turned away, ignoring his accusations. My gaze returned to the jadeite, but my mind was already planning the next step.

Lu Yier, seeing this, spoke in a grave tone, “Quiet, quiet! Win or lose, everyone must accept the outcome. If you can’t handle it, you’re free to leave!”

His words were a clear warning aimed at Gao Youde, whose face turned ashen with rage. Yet he managed to restrain himself.

Just then, in the crowd outside, Hu San caught my eye and gave me a knowing look. I understood his meaning.

This round, I’d just won forty-five million.

Adding in the fifteen million eight hundred thousand Su Li and I had together before, I now had about sixty million on hand. If I chose to quit now, even after returning Gao Youde’s principal, I would still have plenty left! At the very least, our accounts would be settled.

But there was one thing: if I took this sixty million and left, half would belong to Su Li—we’d each get thirty million, and after repaying some of the principal, I’d clear a profit of about ten million.

But Su Li would have made thirty million effortlessly.

It wasn’t that I begrudged her winnings, but in my heart, she had long ceased to be family—she was an enemy. Ever since she pressured me to give up part of my liver to save her father, I realized that in her eyes, I was never a relative, just a tool.

So, I couldn’t stop now. I had to go on.

However...

If I continued, any further winnings would still have to be shared with Su Li—unless I lost. But if I truly lost, I’d never recover. Gao Youde would surely ruin me.

With these thoughts, I glanced at the other three—Sister Hong, Gao Youde, and Old Leopard Chen.

Sister Hong’s expression remained cold and aloof as ever. Gao Youde, seeing me look his way, glared venomously, clearly furious that I’d taken his money. Only Old Leopard Chen remained placid throughout, even though he, too, had lost fifteen million this round.

Now, Su Li and I had sixty million—split as per the rules, that was thirty million each. Sister Hong had only four million nine hundred thousand left. Gao Youde had twenty million three hundred thousand. Old Leopard Chen had nearly ten million.

If things went on, the one most at risk was Sister Hong.

Just as Lu Yier was consulting us about starting the next round immediately, I raised my hand and said, “I request a fifteen-minute break.”