Chapter 31: Master of Stone Betting

The stone cutting began, but Zhou Ming's approach was completely different from the bald man's. This time, the cutting master followed Zhou Ming's request and carefully removed the outer layers of the stone, layer by layer. Compared to the one-cut method, this "rubbing" method is more cautious and less likely to damage the jade inside. However, it is also more time-consuming and labor-intensive. Usually, rubbing is only done after confirming jade with a single cut, so Zhou Ming's choice was quite unusual.

Because of this, many people nearby were impatient and complained, "Why bother rubbing? Just cut it in one go and see what's inside. Rubbing the stone is just a waste of time. Do you think you can turn a stone into jade by rubbing it? Are you trying to perform magic like Sun Wukong?"

"Nobody asked you to come watch. You're the one who's bothering yourself," Zhou Ming said irritably. As the crowd's agitation grew, he shouted, "Open your eyes and witness the miracle!"

"Get out of here! Are you Liu Qian or something? Witnessing a miracle?" 

Zhou Ming was taken aback by the angry comments. Liu Qian? What was that about? Was this guy also a reincarnate?

But the murmurs ceased abruptly as the cutting master suddenly exclaimed, "It's fogging up?"

The jade shop staff took a look and gave Zhou Ming a thumbs up, saying, "Boss, you're in luck. It looks like there's definitely jade inside!"

Zhou Ming nodded expressionlessly. According to the jade tycoon's biography, he knew that "fogging" was a term used in stone betting. Generally, when the outer skin of the stone develops many white spots resembling fog, it indicates a high probability of jade inside. While not all foggy stones have jade, the chances are quite high.

This situation left the onlookers stunned. No one expected such a worthless stone to produce fog, suggesting there might be jade inside.

"Fogging doesn't guarantee jade. Maybe it's just a trick from the heavens?"

Someone muttered this, and others agreed, thinking that such a mainlander couldn't possibly be lucky enough to find jade. They believed it was just a cosmic joke.

However, the reality dealt a harsh blow to these skeptics. As the cutting master carefully removed the foggy outer layers, a green area, about two fingers wide, appeared before everyone's eyes.

The crowd was dumbfounded: Jade really did appear? Did this mainlander really find a treasure from scrap?

Even the jade shop staff was surprised but didn't forget their duty. They said to Zhou Ming, "Boss, considering the jade's quality, we can offer 30,000 Hong Kong dollars to buy it now, or you can sell it to others on-site, just like before."

Zhou Ming understood their offer was based on the fact that the jade's full size and quality were still uncertain. Selling it now would mean lower risk but also less profit. If he waited to see the full extent of the jade, he might either end up with a small or less valuable piece, or make a larger profit if it was valuable. 

Zhou Ming smiled slightly, "No thanks. Let's wait until the jade is fully revealed before discussing the price."

The staff realized Zhou Ming, having bet on scrap, would not give up halfway. Thus, they didn't press further.

As the cutting master continued to peel away the layers, revealing more and more green, a large piece of jade, roughly the size of a baby's fist, emerged. The jade was exceptionally vivid in color, and even someone unfamiliar with jade could tell its value was significant.

Seeing the freshly revealed jade, everyone was speechless, unable to believe that such a valuable piece had come from what was considered scrap.

It felt like a dream or a hallucination. How could a mainlander find such a good piece of jade from seemingly useless material?

The middle-aged man who had previously berated Zhou Ming was now filled with regret. He wished he could slap himself, realizing that he had previously told Zhou Ming that the stone might contain jade but had not dared to buy it. Meanwhile, Zhou Ming had seized the opportunity and found jade. The bald man, who had already left with his money, would likely have been furious had he seen this.

"Now that the jade is fully revealed, how much will your shop pay for it?" Zhou Ming asked.

The jade shop staff finally snapped back to reality and said, "We'll buy it for 80,000 Hong Kong dollars!"

This offer caused a ripple of astonishment in the crowd. 

"This mainlander must have found some incredible luck, buying a piece of scrap and turning it into an 80,000 Hong Kong dollar jade. Is there no justice in this world? Is turning scrap into treasure the new trend?"

"Actually, it's not that surprising. The previous person was just foolish; the stone was likely to have jade, but he cut the wrong side. If he had continued, he might have found jade too. This mainlander was just smart and brave enough to spend 6,000 Hong Kong dollars on the scrap."

Zhou Ming ignored the crowd's comments and told the staff, "80,000 Hong Kong dollars is a bit low. Given the jade's quality, it should be worth at least 100,000 Hong Kong dollars. I believe you can make that decision."

The staff was taken aback but then smiled awkwardly, "It seems you really know your stuff! Alright, 100,000 Hong Kong dollars it is. I can authorize the purchase."

The staff then arranged for the 100,000 Hong Kong dollars to be paid to Zhou Ming on the spot. At that moment, the crowd realized, "This mainlander is a master of appraisal!"

Someone shouted this, and soon everyone crowded around Zhou Ming, eager to ask for his guidance, "Master, I didn't expect you to be a true jade appraiser who creates miracles. How did you determine there was valuable jade in that scrap? Do you have any unique techniques? Can you help me check if there's other good material here?"

"Get out of here! This is a master, of course he has unique skills. Why would he help you, who doesn't even understand jade? Master, I'm willing to pay you 8,000 Hong Kong dollars to appraise other materials. Just give your opinion, no need to judge quality."

"8,000 to hire a master? I'll offer 10,000 Hong Kong dollars, master, you must help me."

"I'll offer 20,000..."

Seeing how those who had previously scorned Zhou Ming were now so eager, Lin Muqing felt disgusted. She said, "Weren't you all saying that mainlanders are ignorant and greedy? Why are you now asking us for advice? Doesn't that make you look even more ignorant?"

Lin Muqing's words were a direct slap in the face, but the crowd just laughed, "Miss, don't say that. We didn't recognize the master's skill earlier. It was a misunderstanding."

Seeing the crowd's eager expressions, Zhou Ming thought for a moment and said, "If you trust me so much, are you not afraid I might deceive you?"

Everyone shook their heads in unison, "No way! You're a master who turns scrap into treasure. Earning 100,000 Hong Kong dollars from a piece of scrap shows you're a great master. Why would you care about our small change?"

"Alright then. Since you trust me, each of you give me 1,000 Hong Kong dollars, and I'll tell you my thoughts."

Without hesitation, the crowd took out their money and handed it to Zhou Ming. The scene was very lively, like refugees begging for food, except this time they were eagerly giving Zhou Ming money.

Lin Muqing, having seen Zhou Ming's previous feats, knew he had extraordinary abilities. It was no surprise that he could turn 6,000 Hong Kong dollars into 100,000. Now, it was no wonder that he was performing another trick of having people willingly give him money.

After collecting the money, Zhou Ming called the gamblers who had paid him over and said, "I've looked at all the materials here. I didn't buy them because I didn't have enough money. If you have enough, the materials from Exhibit No. 1 to No. 8 all have good potential."

The gamblers, eager to learn, took notes like school children, and someone asked, "Master, are there any other good materials?"

"Actually, the materials from Exhibit No. 11 and No. 13 are also good. As for the others, while they might have jade, their quality is much lower compared to what I've mentioned. Since I've taken your money, I won't mislead you," Zhou Ming said.

Upon hearing this, the gamblers looked at Zhou Ming with great respect, praising him, "Master, you truly are a master. Your knowledge and standards are exceptional. You are my idol, and I will make sure to educate my children to follow your example."