Volume One, Chapter 16: The Final Piece

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The crowd erupted once again.

“The fourth piece! This is already the fourth top-grade jade stone. This exquisite icy jade alone is worth at least 1.5 million!”

The venue buzzed with excitement, many people widening their eyes in astonishment.

Previously, people from other companies were drawn here by the commotion and put down their work to come over.

Around this area, six layers of people had gathered, and soon the entire venue was crowded around.

“The twenty-first jade stone: exquisite icy jade, estimated value 1.5 million. The total value so far is 6.5 million.”

A sharp intake of breath.

Hearing this figure, many of the jade appraisers present couldn’t help but gasp, their expressions turning awkward in an instant.

“My total so far is only six million!”

“Mine is only 6.5 million; after all these years of appraisal, I never expected to lose to a young man barely in his twenties!”

“The new wave pushes the old along—this young man’s eye for jade is truly terrifying!”

The atmosphere heated up, with many expert appraisers whispering among themselves.

Surprise, envy, jealousy, sighs, and astonishment—all manner of emotions flashed across their faces, reflecting the full spectrum of human feelings.

Among them was Zhou Yunshan, whose total was only 5.3 million; Zhang Wenxuan had now completely surpassed him.

Sun Ya’s face was beaming with joy. Any displeasure she had felt earlier when Zhang Wenxuan rashly proposed the wager had vanished completely.

A bold idea quietly took root in her heart.

This time, Zhang Wenxuan might really break the ten-million mark!

Not far away, Cheng Yuhang’s expression darkened noticeably.

At some point, he had clenched his fists, his face growing increasingly sullen.

Zhang Wenxuan was radiant, smiling as he looked at Cheng Yuhang.

“Boss Cheng, I’ve already reached 6.5 million!”

“I still have nine raw jade stones left. I’m only 3.5 million away from the ten-million mark!”

“Do you think I can break that barrier?” Zhang Wenxuan’s smile carried a hint of playful challenge.

Cheng Yuhang’s face darkened further at the provocation.

Maintaining his composure, he said in a low voice, “Don’t get ahead of yourself. Let’s speak with facts.”

“You still have nine raw stones left—I want to see how you’ll gather that last 3.5 million!”

Zhang Wenxuan chuckled lightly, “Since Boss Cheng says that, I won’t disappoint you.”

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“Carry on!”

Zhang Wenxuan was now brimming with confidence. With a wave of his hand, the twenty-second raw jade stone was brought forward.

At this moment, the atmosphere had undergone a dramatic shift.

Everyone had originally thought Zhang Wenxuan was arrogant beyond reason, but now they were severely proven wrong.

This young man truly had genuine skill!

Twenty-second: mixed type.

Twenty-third: icy type.

Twenty-fourth: glass type.

One by one, the raw jade stones were placed on the stone-cutting machine, and the jade inside was carefully extracted.

The staff at the appraisal event tallied the value of each jade piece.

The total value of Zhang Wenxuan’s jade kept rising.

6.5 million, 6.6 million, 6.8 million, 7 million...

By the time the twenty-ninth raw stone was cut open, the total value had reached exactly 8.2 million.

Only one raw stone remained!

Brush! Brush! Brush!

Everyone’s gaze fixed on the small cart beside Zhang Wenxuan, where a roughly 200-pound raw jade stone rested quietly.

“Hahaha!”

Cheng Yuhang’s loud laughter suddenly rang out.

“Zhang Wenxuan, you’re only missing the last raw stone, but your current total is just 8.2 million!”

“If you want to break ten million, that last stone has to produce jade worth 1.8 million!”

“That’s impossible for you. Give up now!” Cheng Yuhang laughed excitedly, the gloom on his face completely gone.

With Cheng’s laughter echoing, all eyes turned toward Zhang Wenxuan.

Zhou Yunshan and Huang Ming sighed involuntarily.

“A raw jade stone worth 1.8 million without any carving... unless it’s enormous, that’s simply impossible!”

Huang Ming nodded in agreement, “Yeah, it looks like he’s definitely going to lose this time.”

Sun Ya’s expression also darkened. She took a deep breath to suppress her gloom and walked up to Zhang Wenxuan to comfort him.

“Mr. Zhang, one failure is no big deal. You’ve only just started in this field and already achieved so much. I don’t think anyone will blame you.”

“Next year’s appraisal conference will be your chance for redemption.”

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The crowd around them murmured in discussion—some with mocking expressions, others with regret.

“What a shame, just a little more. If this young man really breaks the ten-million mark, it would be nothing short of a legend!”

Listening to the crowd, Zhang Wenxuan maintained a smile.

A faint curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“Everyone, the final raw stone’s result hasn’t been revealed yet. It may be too early to declare me the loser!”

Ah!

Zhou Yunshan and Huang Ming shook their heads involuntarily.

“Mr. Zhang, no matter what, that stone can’t produce jade worth 1.8 million!”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wenxuan smiled faintly.

“Is that so? We’ll see about that!”

“Someone come help me lift this raw stone onto the machine!” he called.

Two apprentices immediately stepped forward, and together the three of them lifted the nearly 200-pound stone onto the cutting machine.

Zhang Wenxuan carefully drew a line on the stone with chalk.

“Master Liu, start!”

Whirrrr!

The machine hummed as the grinding wheel began to cut into the raw jade.

The crowd fell into a hushed silence.

“Zhang Wenxuan, give up—you can’t break ten million!” Cheng Yuhang taunted.

Zhang Wenxuan glanced at him. “If I were you, I’d keep quiet—otherwise, you might end up looking foolish.”

Cheng Yuhang sneered. “Such arrogance! Looks like you won’t admit defeat until it’s too late.”

“Well then, let’s wait and see. I want to see how you break that ten-million barrier!”

The sound of the grinding wheel continued. Suddenly, a shout rang out.

“Jade is appearing! It looks like top-grade jade!”

What?

Those words hit the crowd like a deep-water bomb thrown into a lake, stirring up towering waves.

Everyone turned their gaze.

In the cut opening of the stone, a gleaming, translucent patch of emerald green was clearly visible.

That green shimmered like a fresh bud sprouting on a spring branch—full of life and vitality—its crystal-clear hue instantly capturing everyone’s attention.