Chapter 374 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Xia Zhining looked at the dusty stones on the ground, and then at the people around her shining flashlights and knocking on them.
Curious, she leaned closer to Gu Huaiye and whispered, "Dr. Gu, how exactly does this jade gambling game work? I saw that they seem to... pick first, then pay?"
Seeing her earnest expression as she sought guidance, Gu Huaiye slowed down his speech and patiently explained it to her: "Yes, the process is very simple, just four steps."
As he spoke, he gestured with his eyes to the surrounding stalls:
"The first step is to choose stones."
"What you see now is customers selecting the rough stones they like based on their eyesight, experience, or... intuition. They can look at the appearance of the skin, weigh it, or gently tap it to listen to the sound."
"The second step is to negotiate the price and make payment."
"If you see something you like, negotiate the price with the stall owner. Once you agree on the price, the money and goods are exchanged. Then the stone is yours."
He emphasized, "Once you've paid, you can't back out, no matter what happens, good or bad."
"So picking stones is also called gambling on stones, which is gambling on your vision and luck at the moment of paying for them."
"The third step is to decide how to cut it."
"The stone is yours now, and the next step is to cut it. You can decide where to make the first cut yourself, or you can ask the stall owner or a professional stone cutter for advice."
"The placement of the cut is crucial. A single cut can either dramatically increase the value or ruin the best material inside, resulting in a huge difference in worth. Therefore, this step is often the most nerve-wracking."
*The fourth step: cut it open and the results will be revealed.*
"The master craftsman will cut it open with the stone-cutting machine at the location you specify. Everyone will gather around to watch—"
"Whether this cut brings profit and good goods, or it leads to losses, the outcome will be immediately clear. This is what is known as 'one cut to poverty, one cut to wealth.'"
Xia Zhining's eyes lit up after hearing this: "So, the most crucial steps are choosing the stone and deciding where to cut?"
“That’s right.” Gu Huaiye nodded. “Choosing a stone is a gamble on vision, while cutting it is a gamble on courage and judgment. Many people choose the right stone but cut it in the wrong place, and still lose everything.”
The crow's head was buzzing: [What are you babbling about, Xiaxia? Hurry up and buy me some stones!! I want to get rich quick!]
"Understood." Xia Zhining nodded knowingly to Gu Huaiye, a hint of eagerness flashing in her eyes. "Ya Ya, don't be in such a hurry!"
She already had a brilliant plan in mind.
Since human eyes and ears are prone to error, she used some "unconventional" helpers.
"Crow, use your eyes to scan the whole area for us first. See which stones have a shiny outer layer and look pleasing to the eye."
"Caw!" The crow boss perked up and immediately flew over the stall and began to circle.
Crows' eyes can detect differences in ultraviolet light reflection.
Boss Ya's eye for talent is undeniable; he immediately picked out five stones from the elevated stone quarry, each priced between tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of yuan.
"Okay, we've narrowed it down to these five areas."
Xia Zhining noted down the location, knowing that vision was only the first hurdle.
"Next, let's bring out the precision instruments~ Crow, please send out the Wasp Squad."
[Please have the bee come and listen to the patient's heartbeat immediately!]
The crow owner hurriedly accepted the order and left, soon returning with several wasps.
The wasps hovered silently above the five rocks, entering "listening mode".
They can detect subtle differences in the vibrations of sound waves transmitted within the stone when struck, thus determining the uniformity of the structure and hidden cracks.
Next, the snowball was placed on the stone.
The little weasel carefully probed with its soft paws and sharp whiskers.
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