Chapter 658: It's rising
As soon as he finished speaking, a young sales assistant came over and asked with a polite smile, "Sir/Madam, is there anything you like? All the raw stones in our store are mined from legitimate mines. After you make your selection, you can choose to take it home directly or have it cleaned on the spot. We have experienced master craftsmen in our store who will clean the stones for you free of charge, without charging any handling fees."
Ye Wanxi turned and exchanged a glance with Feng Tianyu, then asked bluntly, "How much is this stone?"
The sales assistant's eyes lit up when she asked about the price, and her expression became even more enthusiastic: "Are you interested in buying this rough stone? This rough stone weighs seventy kilograms and would cost around three million according to the market price."
"Three million..."
This price wasn't too high for Ye Wanxi, but to others it was shockingly high, since no one could say for sure whether this broken stone could actually yield some valuable treasure.
Spending the price of a house to gamble on a possibility that no one can predict is undoubtedly a high-stakes gamble.
The man in blue who happened to be standing next to Ye Wanxi and her companion earlier finally managed to squeeze through the crowd and into the store, only to overhear their conversation.
His expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly stepped forward to stop the two, saying, "You want to buy this stone?"
Ye Wanxi looked at him questioningly: "Is something wrong?"
"Of course not!" The enthusiastic older brother completely mistook the two for wealthy young men and women who had come out to see the world and, on a whim, wanted to spend money on some impractical things to join in the fun when they saw something new and interesting.
He immediately began to patiently explain, "This stone has been sitting here for almost three or four years without anyone touching it. One reason is that it's large and expensive, so few people are willing to spend that much money. Another reason is that there's a saying in the industry: 'Better to buy a line than a large area.' It's not that a large stone will necessarily yield a treasure."
"The cracks on the outside of this stone are so messy, and the pieces are all jagged and twisted. Don't be fooled by the moss-like patches on this corner; it's very likely just a layer of water hyacinth. Even if it's cut open, it won't be a good quality specimen."
The man in the blue shirt was clearly an expert. He pointed at the large rock and talked about it for a long time, making the sales assistant next to him almost lose her composure and smile.
In summary, big doesn't necessarily mean good. There's a reason why this big rock has been sitting here for so many years without anyone paying attention to it. You won't find anything good in this rock, so don't be a sucker.
Ye Wanxi could tell that the man meant well, but the sales assistant's icy gaze was no joke either.
To prevent her elder brother from getting himself killed, Ye Wanxi couldn't help but cough lightly, interrupting his long-winded speech.
"Well, I don't know anything about these things, I just feel that this stone is pleasing to the eye."
The man in blue had so much to say, but his words caught in his throat. His face turned red, then black, then white, as if he had choked on his words.
The sales assistant, who had been patiently waiting, stepped forward and pushed him aside, smiling slightly. "This lady is right. When it comes to gambling on stones, it's all about first impressions. If you find something you like, you might just get a pleasant surprise. All those so-called techniques and experiences are just for show. If you could really learn something and judge so accurately, wouldn't it be easier for us to find treasures behind closed doors? Why would we even need to open this shop?"
The man in blue clearly understood that the sales assistant was putting him down. His face flushed red, and he immediately tried to leave, but Feng Tianyu held him back.
Ye Wanxi smiled slightly at him and said, "I know you're doing this for our own good, brother, and you're worried that we'll lose money on our first gamble. But my intuition tells me there must be some treasure inside. Brother, please don't leave yet. We want to have the stone cut open on the spot. If there really is treasure inside, I'll give you a piece as a thank you for sharing so many things we didn't know today."
The man in blue's expression softened a bit after hearing her words, but he still said awkwardly, "Who cares about your treasure? It's not even opened yet. Who knows if it's just an ordinary big rock? Be careful not to lose too much money and get scolded by your elders at home."
Ye Wanxi smiled but remained silent, while the sales assistant rolled her eyes at him.
After confirming that Ye Wanxi and her companion truly wanted this long-stocked prized item, the sales assistant processed their order as quickly as possible.
The moment the money was deposited, Ye Wanxi and her companion clearly saw the sales assistant breathe a sigh of relief, as if she had completed a particularly important and difficult task.
Having already purchased the stones, Ye Wanxi and her companion intended to have them cut open on the spot.
Considering the size of the stone, the sales assistant arranged for Ye Wanxi and her companion to work separately with a skilled master craftsman, instead of having them work with the same master craftsman who had cut the stone for the older man.
It has to be said that the area outside this raw stone shop is always packed with onlookers, and news of it spreads very quickly.
Upon learning that the giant rough stone that had been unsold in the store for years had been bought by two young people from out of town who wanted to have it cut open on the spot, the already large crowd of onlookers surged again, crowding together in a noisy, chaotic mass, making the people in the store worry that a stampede might occur.
The person in charge of cutting the stone was a master craftsman in his fifties or sixties, who was said to be the most skilled in the shop. Although he usually sat in the shop, he rarely did his own work.
"This piece is quite large. Would you two like to wipe it first or cut it directly?"
Neither Ye Wanxi nor Ye Wanxi had any experience in this area. Although they were certain that the jadeite content inside was not low, they still needed an expert to figure out how to completely extract it.
Thinking this, the two of them looked at the man in blue almost simultaneously.
The older brother was startled and asked in confusion, "Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"Brother, do you think we should wipe it first or cut it directly?"
"You bought the stones, and you're asking me?"
"Um!"
The two nodded so readily that the older man in blue twitched at the corner of his mouth and said helplessly, "Let's wipe it first, start wiping from this spot."
The man in blue was referring to the moss-covered edge of the rock: "It's gone up! It's gone up!"
"Do as he says."
The experienced craftsman had no objections and immediately got to work. After brushing off the outer layer with an iron brush, a small patch of emerald green stone surface emerged.
“It’s going up!”
The onlookers outside gasped in surprise, seemingly even more excited than Ye Wanxi and the other party involved.
The man in blue didn't react much. Instead, he whispered to Ye Wanxi and the other woman, "Don't be happy yet. A price increase from rubbing doesn't count as a price increase. A price increase from cutting it doesn't count as a price increase. This is just the beginning. The thickness of the jade inside and the purity of its texture are the key factors."
Ye Wanxi and her companion nodded. The lesson of the middle-aged man's tragic downfall was all too clear, and they certainly wouldn't let this little spectacle make them lose their heads.
Moreover, this wasn't what they cared about in the first place.
Upon seeing this layer of green, the experienced craftsman abandoned his previous nonchalance and became even more cautious. He used a dental drill to cut a window, then shone a flashlight inside the stone to confirm the quality of the jade and the direction of the cracks. He then carefully asked, "Shall we cut it this way?"
(End of this chapter)
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