Chapter 12: Tiger-Striped Jadeite, Worth Only 600,000?

“Mu... Sister Tang, what are you doing here?” Shen Sining exclaimed in surprise, smiling warmly as she walked toward the young woman.

Everyone around wore expressions of astonishment.

Others hadn’t caught the words clearly, but Jiang Cheng, standing closest to Shen Sining, had heard her say “Mu” first! He heard it distinctly; the “Sister Tang” part was added afterward!

In other words, this woman was none other than Murong Xue, someone he had seen before.

But why was she hiding her true identity?

Jiang Cheng didn’t dwell on it. If Murong Xue chose to conceal her identity, she must have her reasons.

Seeing Shen Sining approach, Murong Xue’s usually cold and aloof face softened into a smile.

That smile was so radiant it felt like a breath of spring breeze to everyone present.

Some even thought it rivaled the legendary beauty of Bao Si from ancient times, who once played with the fate of lords amidst the flames of war.

Murong Xue said, “Sining, what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to gamble on stones! Sister Tang, are you here to buy rough jade?” Shen Sining replied.

“Gambling on stones? Sining, why would you leave your real estate business to meddle in the raw jade circle? Isn’t that reckless? Gambling on stones isn’t as simple as you think!” Murong Xue tapped Shen Sining’s head with a finger in mild reproach, then smiled helplessly.

Shen Sining grinned broadly, flashing her perfect white teeth with pride. “Hehe! Sister Tang, I think it’s pretty simple! I cut three pieces, all three appreciated, and I’ve already sold them for 2.3 million!”

Murong Xue was momentarily stunned and exchanged a look of disbelief with Liu Ruiming.

“Sining, you mean you opened three pieces, and all three appreciated?”

“Yes! I was so lucky! No, actually, Brother Cheng was the lucky one! He picked four pieces for me, and three of them shot up!” Shen Sining linked her arm with Murong Xue’s, beaming with pride.

“Brother Cheng?”

“That guy over there!” Shen Sining pointed at Jiang Cheng.

Murong Xue and Liu Ruiming scrutinized Jiang Cheng for a long time but couldn’t recognize him.

Could his luck really be that extraordinary?

Still, they nodded politely in his direction.

Murong Xue smiled gently. “Sining, so that means you still have one piece unopened? Why don’t you sell it to me? I happen to need some jade material!”

A month later, Murong Xue’s independently founded jewelry brand was about to open.

She was anxiously searching for exquisite raw material, hoping to craft a perfect masterpiece as the store’s crown jewel, to dazzle on opening day and make her brand instantly famous.

“To be honest, Sister Tang, I think I’ll cut the last piece myself! It’s just one piece left anyway!” Shen Sining giggled, her smile like a crescent moon.

Seeing her insistence, Murong Xue said nothing more.

Two beauties—one pure and adorable, the other cold and noble—linked arms and walked together, instantly causing another stir.

“Master, let’s cut the last piece too!” Shen Sining took a deep breath and said calmly.

To be honest, even after having earned two million from three pieces all appreciating, Shen Sining couldn’t help but feel nervous.

That’s the allure of gambling on stones.

As the worker carefully placed the last yellow sandy-skinned rough jade onto the cutting machine, Shen Sining’s heart tightened once again.

Jiang Cheng appeared calm on the surface but was equally anxious inside.

What would this last piece reveal?

A 4.3 million-yuan jadeite.

Would it be top-grade red jade, icy, glassy, or a small patch of imperial green?

The worker spent a long time drawing guidelines before deciding to start cutting.

The first cut made a small window.

After stopping the machine, the worker flipped open the cut surface.

Another worker brought a bucket of clean water and rinsed the freshly cut side.

All eyes were glued, not daring to look away.

Shen Sining’s nerves tightened; she gripped Murong Xue’s arm so hard her small hand trembled.

“There’s nothing inside!” the worker muttered quietly.

The crowd’s anticipation instantly deflated.

“I told you! No one can have that much luck—cutting and getting lucky every time!”

“Exactly. This piece is barely the size of a cabbage. They just opened such a big window and found nothing. There’s probably nothing inside!”

“Don’t be so quick to judge. It’s not fully cut yet. Maybe there’s something deeper inside?”

Seeing the first cut revealed nothing, Shen Sining felt a slight disappointment.

But it was just a flicker of disappointment.

She’d already earned two million tonight, more than enough.

She wasn’t greedy; her luck had been more than enough.

Zheng Wanfeng chuckled wickedly at the misfortune, pleased.

“If Shen Sining doesn’t make money, I’m happy.”

He never considered that she had already made plenty.

But would things really go as Zheng Wanfeng wished?

Of course not.

Jiang Cheng stared at the cut surface, puzzled.

Could his ability have failed?

Impossible. The previous three cuts had been nearly perfect. His eyes were fine.

This piece was only cabbage-sized but valued at 4.3 million, meaning the material was precious.

The fact that the window showed nothing meant the jadeite was still inside.

If it was still inside, that meant the jade core was even smaller.

But if it was smaller, would it still be worth 4.3 million?

His mind grew troubled.

“Cut it again in the middle!” Jiang Cheng said, curiosity rising.

What exactly was in this piece?

The worker gritted his teeth and cut again.

Seven or eight minutes later, everyone was stunned.

“What... is this?”

When the cut surface was fully revealed, the crowd’s expressions grew strange.

“Is this an appreciation or just waste material?”

“Why is no one speaking?”

Shen Sining was the most anxious.

The cut surface was large, but most of it was white meat, with only a patch about the size of a cantaloupe near the edge showing pale green.

It was green, but not imperial green—the vivid emerald of royalty—but a dark green, almost black.

It looked dull and unattractive.

Moreover, the meat was riddled with black specks.

It was as if ink had been spilled inside the green ice-like jade.

Plain and unremarkable.

Many present were jade connoisseurs, familiar with jadeite qualities.

They judged jade by four criteria: texture, color, foundation, and cracks.

Each determined the quality and value.

Texture ranked from highest to lowest as: glassy, icy, glutinous, bean, jelly, and the inferior types like hibiscus.

There were also intermediate types, like high icy or glutinous icy.

The better the texture, the higher the price.

Water referred to transparency; the clearer, the more valuable.

Texture and water quality usually corresponded.

Color was next, with imperial green as the most prized.

Imperial green meant fully green glassy jade.

Other precious colors included red and purple jade.

Foundation meant the purity of the base material; fewer impurities meant higher value.

Finally, cracks: hidden cracks dramatically reduced value.

Jiang Cheng stared at the cut, utterly confused.

The exposed jade patch seemed too small.

Could such a tiny piece be worth 4.3 million?

And that dark ink-like pattern—what was it?

It resembled tiger stripes.

Could it be hidden cracks?

Jiang Cheng knew well how much cracks could damage the value of top-grade jade.

Everyone was uncertain.

This looked ordinary at best; no one thought it was valuable.

Murong Xue frowned, unable to discern the truth, and turned to look at Liu Ruiming behind her.

Liu Ruiming nodded, pushing through the crowd toward the cutting machine.

Everyone followed but dared not interrupt.

Liu Ruiming pulled out a flashlight and shone a strong beam onto the cut surface.

After a long moment, he suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

“This... this is...”

Everyone exchanged confused glances.

Liu Ruiming made no explanation, the initial shock in his eyes quickly fading.

He picked up a marker and began drawing lines on the cut surface.

After five full minutes, he put down the pen and let out a long sigh, sweat dripping from his forehead.

“Master, cut along the lines I’ve drawn. Be careful grinding the outer edges. From here to here—remember, be cautious!” Liu Ruiming instructed in a solemn voice.

His serious demeanor immediately intimidated the master worker, who dared not move.

The worker looked pleadingly at boss Zheng Wanfeng, unsure what to do.

Zheng Wanfeng nodded. “Master Li, follow Liu’s instructions. Be careful!”

Wiping sweat from his brow, the worker nodded and cautiously resumed cutting as instructed.

Shen Sining was baffled, looking at Murong Xue with a puzzled expression.

“Sister Tang, what does Liu’s reaction mean? Did I make a profit or a loss on this piece?”

Murong Xue glanced at Liu Ruiming, waiting for his explanation.

Among everyone present, Liu Ruiming held the most authority.

Liu Ruiming smiled lightly at Shen Sining.

“Miss Sining, how much did you pay for this rough stone?”

“100,000,” she replied.

Liu Ruiming’s eyes flickered as he glanced at Murong Xue, who gave him a meaningful look in return.

Then Liu Ruiming smiled at Shen Sining again.

“Miss Sining, though the value isn’t huge, you did make a small profit!”

“This piece has a low yield; the jade core is very small. By my rough estimate, this jade should be worth around 600,000.”

The onlookers whispered among themselves.

“The jade core is so tiny, just a small patch that looks dull grayish, and it’s worth 600,000? Is Liu not mistaken?”

“This girl spent 100,000 and got 600,000 back—that’s a 500,000 profit. What more could she want?”

“But that jade looks ordinary, with black spots inside. Could those be hidden cracks? Is it really worth 600,000?”

“It must be right! Who dares challenge Liu’s authority? Can he be wrong?”