Chapter 133: The Strange Stone

Since the two bosses have entrusted me with the responsibility, I must be forthright and clear from the outset. Otherwise, when the time comes for a decision, they will easily sway me.

I said to the two of them, "Boss Wei, Boss Kun, if you're asking me to take charge, I hope you'll stand firm with my judgment."

Boss Wei smiled and replied, "Of course, haven't I learned my lesson from spending 700,000 euros on a useless stone?"

Boss Kun nodded as well. I could sense their sincerity and felt reassured by their attitude.

Both Boss Kun and Boss Wei could be considered billionaires, their wealth placing them among the upper echelons of Myanmar's financial elite. However, Boss Wei still had to hustle daily for money, while Boss Kun ran a modest shoe shop in the mountains, dabbling in jade gambling. Their wealth, though substantial, was still at the lower end of the wealthy spectrum. And me? I was their golden goose—if they could profit by following my lead, they had no reason to oppose me.

I glanced around at the stones. The prices were high here, with most starting at around 100,000 euros, and there was competition for nearly every piece. As I walked, I thought through my strategy. Gambling on jade is a matter of the mind—one cannot simply bet recklessly. Doing so would only lead to ruin.

Though the banquet hall wasn't overly crowded, there were still dozens of people, most of whom huddled together in groups to inspect stones. Wherever there were people, there was competition, so I headed toward an area that seemed quieter. However, everyone here was likely a seasoned player. Stones that were overlooked by the crowd were either undesirable or unaffordable. To strike gold in this environment required both courage and skill.

I approached a section where no one was bidding or inspecting, and my eyes fell upon a stone that had a small scratch on its surface. I didn't immediately look at the cut; I always checked the venue first. If the venue was poor, I wouldn't bother to look further. But this stone caught my attention—it had two spots of green. I was taken aback and quickly took a closer look.

The stone was an irregular hexagon, weighing approximately 30 kilograms. I pulled out my flashlight and examined it closely. The skin was thin, and two hints of water could be seen beneath the surface. The skin itself showed a rusty hue, which indicated secondary formation—a classic trait of stones with a red-brown skin, often difficult to gamble on.

The venue was favorable, and with stones like this, the potential rewards could be astronomical if the gamble paid off.

I instructed the staff to flip the stone over. They handled it with gloves, turning it over for me to inspect. The color was more pronounced on the back than on the front, but there were cracks. That was unfortunate. If not for the cracks, this stone would be a perfect gamble.

But overall, it still looked promising. The skin was thin, the water beneath the surface was evident, and it showed classic traits of a stone that could potentially yield great results. The back had several scratches, suggesting that it had been handled multiple times. The moss flower didn't display any brilliance, and the distribution of color on both sides was irregular, pointing to internal inconsistencies—faint colors, irregular hues.

The surface wasn't tightly packed, and the stone's base appeared clean. If the color was good, this could be a great find. The main concern was the cracks. If the cracks were to spread inside like branches, the situation could get complicated.

But if the cracks could be avoided, this stone's potential was strong. Its moss flower, clean base, and favorable traits made it a risky yet potentially lucrative gamble. Betting on the cracks and the color changes would be the key.

"Zhao Fei, the stone has cracks, and several of them. We all know that it's better to buy an intact stone worth millions than to gamble on one with cracks. Cracked stones are tough to work with and often end up as waste," said Boss Wei.

I knew this well, but I still needed to assess the scratch. If the stone showed promise despite the cracks, it could still be worth the risk. I bent down to inspect the scratch. From the surface, it appeared to be a type of 'mutton fat' jade, with slightly finer crystals, better water content, and a decent gloss. What surprised me, though, was the yellowish hue of the base.

It's rare for a stone with a moss flower to yield yellow jade, but it wasn't impossible. The base of this stone was yellowish, which might explain why so many windows had been scratched without cutting. There was a risk of color change, and yellow jade can be valuable, but with the moss flower, the stone was better suited for green. Yellow would likely cause it to scatter.

As I observed the color, I noticed a subtle change, confirming my suspicion that the color was shifting. If the stone turned into genuine yellow jade, it could be a big win with a tenfold price difference. However, if it shifted to green, the stone would be ruined. The jade, being scattered, would lose its potential. A multi-colored stone could be valuable, but only if the colors gathered into a usable form for a finished piece. This one was too scattered.

I gestured with my hand, noticing that there was a bracelet slot, but I didn't dare gamble on it. The risk of the color scattering was too high. So, I would bet on a pendant or a ring. A piece with drifting color would still be valuable if it was free of cracks and had good craftsmanship. The market value of such a piece could reach 100,000 euros.

I took a deep breath. There was much at stake with this stone—gambling on cracks, color changes, no impurities, and color concentration. If I won all of those bets, it could be worth enough to create a bracelet, with at least ten times the price difference.

I said, "Bosses, I believe this stone is worth considering."

The two of them exchanged uncertain glances, though neither rejected the idea outright. Boss Wei rubbed his chin, a bit hesitant, "I've been burned twice on stones like this before—thrills and disappointments. The more you rub, the higher the stakes, the more you cut, the more it risks. This one has been scratched so much, it's clear the seller is afraid to cut it. Do we really want to be the ones to take the bait?"

Boss Kun nodded. "The stone isn't ideal. It has cracks, and the base is yellow. If it were a true green, I'd consider it, but if it turns from yellow to green, the stone will fall apart. Nothing will be suitable for cutting."

I shook my head, "Gambling on jade is all about the thrill. The stones with the least potential are often the most exciting. If we win, it could be a tenfold profit. That's a high return on investment."

The two of them thought for a moment. The price wasn't too high—just 800,000 euros, which was 100,000 euros more than the previous one. But that was just the starting price; the final bid would depend on the auction.

Boss Wei looked at Boss Kun. Kun shook his head. I, feeling a bit impatient, said, "Boss Wei, you said you'd follow my lead, but now that I've set my sights on this stone, you're not participating?"

"I'm waiting for Kun's decision. We're a team, right?" Boss Wei replied.

Kun smiled slightly. "I don't like stones with cracks. I'm not betting on this one."

I felt a bit deflated. After winning so many bets, I hadn't expected him to doubt me. But I didn't press the issue. After all, jade gambling is a game of risk—there are wins and losses, and no one can win 100% of the time. If I forced him to join in and we lost, the blame would fall on me.

I turned to Boss Wei, who was silent for a moment before finally saying, "Zhao Fei, I'll bet on it."

I smiled, relieved. At least Boss Wei and I were more familiar. He took the bidding card and wrote down the price. "Let's start with 900,000 and test the waters."

Boss Wei nodded and quickly wrote down the price. Ten minutes later, we were bidding on the stone, but the price quickly jumped to a million euros. It was clear the seller was inflating the price. I was frustrated—this stone could have been mine for 900,000, but now I was forced to pay 1.1 million.

"Bid again," I said.

Boss Wei nodded and raised the bid to 1.2 million euros. "If it goes any higher, we're out."

Before I could finish my sentence, the price was raised again—1.4 million euros. I was furious. This seller was clearly trying to take advantage of us.

Boss Wei looked at me, asking, "Zhao Fei, what should we do?"

I stared at the stone, "We go all in. We can't back down now. If they raise the price again, we walk away."

Boss Wei nodded and raised the bid to 1.5 million. We watched the screen anxiously. If the stone turned out to be a loss, we'd have overpaid by a substantial amount. But if we won, it could still be a great deal.

Three minutes later, the bidding timer ran out. The stone was ours at 1.5 million. I clenched my fists. There was no room for negotiation in this kind of auction. If you had the money, you could get the goods. The auction had become a playground for the rich.

Boss Wei looked at me. "Zhao Fei, how are we splitting this?"

I thought about it for a moment. 1.5 million euros, or 15 million in local currency—an amount far beyond my current budget. "I only have 700,000," I admitted.

Boss Wei frowned, then said, "I'll put in 800,000, and I'll cover the tax. We'll divide the profit 60-40. How does that sound?"

I was touched by Boss Wei's generosity. "Alright, that works."

He nodded, and we proceeded with the payment. I was excited and nervous. This was my first time gambling in such a high-stakes environment, and I had no idea what the outcome would be. The pressure was immense, but I had no choice but to hope for a win.