Volume One, Chapter 12: The Beginning of Stone Unraveling

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After his brief excitement faded, Zhang Wenxuan did not forget the real purpose of the day. He placed the rough stone in his hands onto a small cart and continued making his selections.

At this stone-appraisal convention, each appraiser was allowed to choose thirty rough stones.

Zhang Wenxuan made a rough calculation. To avoid attracting too much attention, a success rate of one in three would be sufficient.

With a faint smile, he secretly observed the progress of the others while searching for the special jade stones that contained spiritual energy.

After observing them carefully, he discovered that not every jade stone contained spiritual energy. In general, only the finest jade stones possessed it.

“So it seems that only the very best jade can give birth to spiritual energy.” Zhang Wenxuan narrowed his eyes.

The many stone appraisers each selected the rough stones they favored from the piles. At times, two appraisers took a liking to the same piece, and arguments were inevitable.

“I chose this rough stone first.”

“What do you mean, you chose it? I was the first to touch it, so naturally it belongs to me!”

Two appraisers from different companies began arguing on the spot. If they had not been mindful of the people around them, they might well have come to blows.

In the end, the organizers stepped in to resolve the dispute, though such incidents were relatively rare.

Most of the appraisers continued to sort through the rough stones with furrowed brows, each concentrating intently on the task.

Watching them, Zhang Wenxuan could not help smiling to himself. With his Heaven’s Eye, he could see precisely what lay inside every rough stone. As long as he chose carefully, there was no chance of making a mistake.

Nevertheless, to avoid standing out too much, Zhang Wenxuan continued to pretend that he was just like everyone else.

The entire selection process lasted a full hour.

At last, another bell rang, followed by the voice of the middle-aged man.

“Everyone, the stone-appraisal period is over. All appraisers, please stop. We will now begin cutting the stones.”

Hearing the middle-aged man’s announcement, the crowd reluctantly set down the rough stones in their hands and pushed their carts back to their respective positions.

Each small cart was piled high with the rough stones its owner had chosen, and everyone appeared to have gained a great deal.

Mixed in with the crowd, Zhang Wenxuan returned to Sun Ya’s side together with Huang Ming and Zhou Yunshan.

“How did things go?” Sun Ya asked anxiously.

A smile spread across Huang Ming’s aged face. “Rest assured, Boss. This year’s harvest should be quite good!”

“That’s right. I managed to choose several superior stones. We should be able to cut out some fine jade.” Zhou Yunshan nodded as well.

Both men wore confident expressions before turning, almost in unison, to look at Zhang Wenxuan.

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Of the three, Zhang Wenxuan was the newcomer. Zhou Yunshan and Huang Ming clearly had no faith whatsoever in his abilities.

Facing their gazes, Zhang Wenxuan wore a confident smile as well.

“Miss Sun, you can rest assured. I won’t hold everyone back.” Zhang Wenxuan smiled faintly.

He had already examined the stones with his Heaven’s Eye. Among all the appraisers present, there was absolutely no one whose harvest was better than his own.

Seeing how confident Zhang Wenxuan was, Zhou Yunshan and Huang Ming both frowned slightly.

“It’s good for young people to have confidence, but too much confidence becomes arrogance,” Zhou Yunshan could not help remarking.

Zhang Wenxuan did not argue with him. It was perfectly normal that the two men did not believe in him. Let the results speak for themselves.

Sun Ya nodded. “Then let’s begin cutting.”

They pushed the rough stones over to the cutting area. More than twenty master cutters were already waiting there, each accompanied by two apprentices.

These stone cutters were all seasoned veterans, most of them brought in by the various companies themselves.

Sun Ya brought the rough stones before a cutter. “Master Liu, I’ll be counting on you.”

“No problem.” Master Liu nodded.

“I’ll go first.” Zhou Yunshan pushed his cart forward.

His cart was filled with rough stones of all shapes and sizes. The largest weighed at least three hundred pounds.

Two apprentices came forward, lifted the rough stone, and placed it onto the machine.

Master Liu started the stone-cutting machine. The grinding wheel spun as it slowly bit into the rough stone.

Bzzzzzz!

A long series of cutting sounds rang out. One apprentice held a small hose, wetting the grinding wheel as muddy water streamed down over the stone.

Their cutting officially began, and the other companies were not willing to fall behind. One after another, they started as well.

Before long, the entire venue resounded with the countless screeches of grinding wheels cutting into stone.

Each company had an event staff member stationed nearby to record the results of that day’s appraisal. Once the cutting was over, the companies would be ranked.

Those that achieved the highest rankings would naturally gain greater prestige.

The grinding sounds continued without pause. Soon, a cry of astonishment rang out.

“It’s green! This is a huge gain!”

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“It’s jadeite! Look at the color and quality—this is unquestionably top grade!”

The exclamations instantly drew the attention of many people present.

Everyone turned to look. At Cheng Yuhang’s station, a rough stone roughly a meter long had already been cut open.

On the smooth cut surface, a crystal-clear piece of jadeite was clearly visible within. Its vivid color shimmered beneath the lights, making it truly eye-catching.

“What a magnificent piece of top-grade jadeite. Boss Cheng has gotten off to an excellent start.”

“Indeed. This piece alone is worth a fortune—at least a million.”

A succession of admiring voices came from nearby.

Listening to their praise, Cheng Yuhang’s lips curled into a smile.

He looked toward Sun Ya and gave her a provocative glance.

“Xiaoya, I’ve already cut out a piece of top-grade jadeite. I wonder how your harvest is coming along?” The provocation in Cheng Yuhang’s words was unmistakable.

At that moment, the rough stone Zhou Yunshan had chosen was cut open as well.

The stone had been split in two, revealing its true contents.

The crowd looked closely and saw an entirely ordinary piece of mixed jade inside. Although it was fairly large, both its color and quality were remarkably mediocre.

Everyone gasped.

Zhou Yunshan’s expression changed, and a trace of astonishment flashed through his eyes.

“That’s impossible. I selected this rough stone with great care. It should have produced fine jade!”

“Hahahaha!”

Cheng Yuhang burst out laughing. “Xiaoya, it seems the people working under you don’t have much of an eye for stones. This is only the first rough stone, and they’ve already fallen flat on their faces. I’m afraid you’ll be going home defeated today!”

Sun Ya’s expression remained unchanged. She showed no sign of anger.

“It’s only the first rough stone. What can that prove?”

“I believe in Master Zhou and the others,” Sun Ya replied calmly.

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