Chapter 27: If I Don’t Lose, My Surname Is Yours!

"Yes!" Lin Beifan nodded. "I'm not very familiar with this industry, so any stone I pick would be a gamble anyway. Why not let you give it a shot, Brother Ye? I believe you won't disappoint me!"

"But... what if I choose the wrong one?"

Lin Beifan smiled. "If it's wrong, it's wrong. We've already earned 90 million—losing a few million is nothing. It's just a game!"

He patted Ye Xingchen's shoulder encouragingly. "Brother, it's all on you!"

Ye Xingchen took a deep breath, his heart stirring.

You made tens of millions from my mistake... That makes me very unhappy.

But this time, I'll make you spit out at least 9 million! Otherwise, the hatred in my heart won't be appeased!

Gritting his teeth, Ye Xingchen scanned the stones and finally pointed at a massive one.

"Mr. Lin, what do you think of this stone? I've always had a feeling that something good is hidden inside!"

The stone had been overlooked before because of its price—9.6 million—far exceeding their initial budget. But now, with 10 million at their disposal, they could afford it.

"Why do you think this stone is special?" Lin Beifan asked.

Ye Xingchen confidently replied, "It's big, full, and whole... It has a mystical aura. There must be something precious inside!"

At that moment, an expert nearby frowned.

"This stone? I'm not optimistic about it," the expert said. "It's been here for five years. Countless experts have examined it but never made up their minds to buy it. The original price was 25 million, but since no one wanted it, the price dropped to 9.6 million—less than half. I wouldn't recommend betting on this one."

Several others chimed in.

"Indeed! The stone's texture isn't great—it's irregular and rough. In our experience, such stones rarely yield high-quality jade."

"Even if there's jade inside, it'll likely be bean jade, not worth much."

"Most likely, it's just an ordinary rock."

"Spending 9.6 million on this stone is practically throwing money away!"

…

Ye Xingchen's confidence wavered slightly as everyone voiced their doubts.

He thought Lin Beifan would back down—but to his surprise, Lin Beifan declared firmly, "No! I believe in Brother Ye! I'll take this stone! He won't let me down!"

"Sir, this stone really isn't worth it. You should choose another one," an elderly appraiser advised.

Lin Beifan shook his head. "I already promised to let Brother Ye choose—if I go back on my word, wouldn't that hurt his feelings?"

"But... you could lose millions..."

"It's just 9 million. I can afford it!" Lin Beifan's voice was bold and confident.

Ye Xingchen feigned gratitude.

"Thank you for your trust, President Lin!"

But inside, he was laughing coldly.

Trust me all you want—I'm going to make you lose everything this time!

Lin Beifan clapped Ye Xingchen on the shoulder and snapped his fingers.

"Mei Niang, pay for it! And—cut it open!"

Liu Rumei transferred the money without hesitation, and the stone was handed over to the cutter.

Ye Xingchen's heart was pounding with excitement.

Cut it! Cut it! This stone will definitely be a dud!

Let's see if your mouth is still that cocky when you lose everything!

If you don't lose money today... I'll change my surname to yours!

The cutter studied the stone carefully before slicing off the first layer.

Nothing.

The crowd sighed in disappointment.

The second slice—still nothing.

Disappointment grew.

Third slice... fourth slice...

After seven or eight cuts, there was still no sign of jade.

"I told you, nothing good would come from this stone!"

"At best, it's a low-grade rock!"

"Younger people always need to learn their lessons the hard way."

"If you don't listen to the elders, you'll suffer the consequences!"

…

Ye Xingchen put on a disappointed face—but inside, he was ecstatic.

Perfect! Keep cutting! Let the whole thing be worthless rubble!

But just as the cutter made another slice—

A vivid green hue shimmered from the stone's interior, glowing like emerald fire.

Gasps echoed through the crowd.

"Green! I see green!"

"This is... glass jadeite! The rarest and most valuable kind!"

"I've never seen such pure, flawless green jade!"

"The price is going to skyrocket!"

…

Ye Xingchen: "Pfft!"

He nearly spat out blood.

This stone—he had deliberately chosen it to make Lin Beifan lose money.

Yet not only had he failed—he had helped him make even more!

If he had known... he would have picked a different stone!

Lin Beifan patted him on the shoulder again, grinning ear to ear.

"Brother Ye, you really have an eye for treasure!"

Ye Xingchen: "...Pfft!"