The Bet

Xu Bo was momentarily stunned. "A bet?"

Lin Yue also became interested and asked, "Huo Xuan, what are you betting on?"

Huo Xuan held the stone in his hand, smiling. "Doesn't Manager Xu say he's very professional? I'm just wondering if he's willing to bet with someone like me, who's not a professional, and see whose judgment is more accurate."

Huo Xuan's earlier sharp words had already made Xu Bo dislike him. Now, seeing that the other man still dared to bet with him on their ability to judge the stones, Xu Bo couldn't help but feel even angrier. He sneered coldly. "Heh, young man, when you decide to do something, you better think it through, or you'll regret it easily."

Huo Xuan responded, "That's none of your concern. Do you dare to bet or not?"

"Since you're so interested, I have no problem. But how do you want to bet?" Xu Bo was truly irritated now and thought to himself, I'll teach this brat a lesson today and make him understand what regret feels like!

Huo Xuan said, "I say this stone will appreciate. If I'm right, it means my judgment is good, and you lose."

"And if you're wrong, I win?" Xu Bo asked.

"Exactly. And if I win, then all my expenses at the Stone Gambling Festival today will be on you," Huo Xuan immediately proposed the terms of the bet.

Xu Bo's eyes flashed, and he calmly asked, "What if you lose?"

Huo Xuan chuckled. "If I lose, the two million and seventy thousand in this card will be yours." As he spoke, he took out a bank card and showed it to Xu Bo. The more than two million he had won yesterday at the club was already deposited in this card.

Xu Bo's eyelid twitched slightly, and he asked, word by word, "Are you sure?"

Lin Yue was taken aback. Over two million was no small amount. This money could change an ordinary person's life. Seeing how bold Huo Xuan was, she couldn't help but feel anxious. "Huo Xuan, what are you doing?"

Huo Xuan glanced at Lin Yue and said confidently, "Senior, you have to trust me."

At that moment, the look in Huo Xuan's eyes made Lin Yue's heart skip a beat. Suddenly, she felt enough trust in him. She looked at him deeply and sighed, "Alright, I hope you won't regret it."

At this point, Xu Bo, instead of being confident, was worried that Huo Xuan might back out, so he deliberately provoked him, saying, "Kid, if you're scared, it's not too late to back out now."

Huo Xuan raised an eyebrow and said, "Unless you're too scared to bet, I'm not worried."

Xu Bo laughed loudly. He took the stone from Huo Xuan's hand, turning it over and examining it a few times. As he looked, he commented, "Let me teach you some basic knowledge." He pointed to the surface of the stone and said, "This is a common raw material for gambling. It was originally gravel from the riverbed, and after being weathered twice, it formed this outer skin."

He then carefully examined the stone again and smiled. "In my experience, based on both weight and appearance, the possibility of this raw material appreciating is no more than ten percent."

Huo Xuan calmly waited for his judgment and then said, "You're so confident. It looks like our bet is valid now."

Xu Bo thought to himself, This kid is completely a rookie, and he has such a reckless attitude. I've already won this two million! With that thought, a smile appeared on his face as he said, "According to what you said, if you win, you can pick any raw material at the Stone Gambling Festival, as long as the total doesn't exceed three million. I'll cover everything. What do you think?"

Huo Xuan's eyes lit up. "Good, it's a deal!"

Xu Bo saw his confidence and felt a twinge of unease. He thought, This kid is obviously a beginner. How can he be so confident? Does he have some other backing?

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, he shook his head. A young kid like this, what could he possibly have to back him up?

Shaking off his doubts, Xu Bo nodded at Lin Yue and took the raw stone to the cutting machine, instructing the technician to start.

The technician was an experienced master. He quickly adjusted the machine and began using a grinding wheel to polish one side of the stone. For small stones like this, it's common to start by polishing one side to see if any jade green shows up.

The technician polished while observing closely, fully focused. A crowd had gathered nearby, chatting and discussing the situation.

"A stone this small can't possibly contain jadeite. What a waste of money," a plump woman scoffed.

"Not necessarily," a bystander countered. "Even tiny roughs can sometimes yield something valuable."

Xu Bo, grinning, turned to Lin Yue. "After claiming this 2 million, how about dinner on me tonight?"

Lin Yue forced a smile, uneasy about Huo Xuan's reckless bet but feeling compelled by loyalty.

The grinding machine suddenly stopped. The technician lifted the stone and revealed a vibrant imperial green window—pure hue, ice-grade clarity.

"It's greening out!"

The crowd erupted in excitement.

"Whose lot is this? I'll bid 1 million!" shouted a middle-aged man.

"Near-ice grade with this saturation? If the core exceeds an egg's size, it could be worth 1.5 million!" an expert assessed loudly.

Xu Bo's smile froze. "Grind windows on all four sides—the core might be fragmented," he ordered hoarsely.

Twenty minutes later, after polishing all four sides, the jadeite's integrity was confirmed—an impeccable 8cm sphere of premium quality.

Lin Yue exhaled, visibly relieved. "Four-sided green!"

Huo Xuan turned to her. "Need jadeite, Senior? This piece suits your requirements?"

"2.2 million yuan. Fair?" Lin Yue quoted the market price precisely.

The stone's ice-grade emerald core gleamed under the LED lights. The 2.2 million price tag was conservative yet profitable.

As soon as she spoke, the middle-aged man immediately countered, "I'll offer 2.4 million. Will you sell to me, brother?"

Lin Yue shrugged playfully and smiled. "Huo Xuan, 2.4 million is a solid profit, you should consider it."

Huo Xuan replied calmly, "It's 2 million now, and it belongs to Senior."

Lin Yue's smile lit up the room. "Thank you, then."

Huo Xuan turned to Xu Bo. "Apologies, Manager Xu. It looks like I've won. I'll be choosing raw materials under 3 million yuan next—prepare to open your wallet."

Xu Bo, unable to restrain himself, nearly lunged at Huo Xuan in frustration. But, as someone with experience in dealing with such situations, he took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth, "It seems luck is on your side. I'll accept defeat. Go ahead and choose your stones."

Huo Xuan turned to Lin Yue with a smile. "Senior, care to join me?"

Lin Yue walked toward him gracefully, her every step exuding charm. "Let's see if your luck is still holding. I'm curious to see if I can catch some of that fortune too."