Chapter 620: The Forgotten King of Stones
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The huge black stone was dark brown and 1.5 meters in diameter. It was almost as tall as Ling Yun. It was neither circular nor squarish. The top half seemed to be cut off, revealing a very smooth face. It seemed to be a huge drum and a huge snowman whose head was cut off and dyed black.
This black giant was left alone not far away from the Green Dragon Out at Sea. It seemed to be sighing at its lonely destiny.
The staff member from Yu Ding Xuan was irked at Ling Yun’s sudden stop. He copied Ling Yun’s movement.
The best place for the staff member to train and gain experience was at the stone gambling event. He had to accompany this rookie, which was Ling Yun, in picking such garbage. It was no wonder he was irked.
Only, this irritation was to be buried deep in his heart. There was no way he could express his feelings. Firstly, Ling Yun was a customer, which was also the G.o.d of Fortune. Secondly, Ling Yun was brought here by Song Zhengyang. He couldn’t afford to offend him.
It was fine, the masters would need at least two hours to choose the raw stones, and only half an hour had pa.s.sed.
This black rock didn’t attract Ling Yun because of its size or because it released any spiritual energy. He stopped because he saw what it had inside with his Yin-Yang Eye!
Ling Yun could only see one side of the black stone. Its interior was filled with green!
“Oh my G.o.d, how much would this be worth?” Ling Yun groaned secretly.
Ling Yun could only see three centimeters into the stone. However, for all its opacity, the green inside was crystal clear, like a searchlight s.h.i.+ning into a turquoise ocean!
His face betrayed no emotion as he walked casually to the other side. The result was the same, all green!
I can open a jewelry shop with this stone alone… Ling Yun thought to himself.
“S-sir, you wouldn’t be thinking about buying this rock, would you?” The staff member couldn’t help but ask, seeing the great interest Ling Yun showed towards it.
“Why? Are you not selling it?” Ling Yun asked in an estranged tone.
F*ck, you aren’t selling the Green Dragon Out at Sea, and you aren’t selling this stone either. What kind of business is the Yu Ding Xuan doing then?
“No, we are selling it, but I just want to give you a word of caution…” the staff member replied.
“Yes…” This guy has a good heart, Ling Yun thought.
He came two steps closer to Ling Yun and lowered his voice. “Sir, I’ve never seen you before, this should be your first time to Yu Ding Xuan, right?”
“I’ll tell you the truth. Don’t be fooled by the rocks in the courtyard…”
“Why?” Ling Yun asked strangely.
“Do you see those men over there? Not all of them are here for the stone gambling event…” He pointed towards the crowd.
“Most of them are representatives of jade merchants and jewelry companies. Some are gambling fanatics. Only a handful of the remaining people are here to watch the fun.”
“I know, I’m here to watch the fun as well…” Ling Yun replied casually.
That staff member was vexed by Ling Yun’s carefree att.i.tude. “Sir, why do you think those people aren’t choosing the stones here?”
“Why?”
He nearly exploded at Ling Yun’s dumba.s.s att.i.tude. “Because they come to Yu Ding Xuan often. They know that the stones on display are the stones that no one wanted over the past seven to eight years…”
“The newly purchased stones of this week are all being picked at the stone gambling event there…”
Ling Yun looked around. It was true. Other than the owners of the stalls, everyone else was gathered at the stone gambling event.
“Don’t be shocked by the ma.s.sive amount of stones here. Perhaps none of them contain even an ounce of jade…”
That staff member made his message very direct to Ling Yun in a bid to get him to give up these useless stones.
“This piece you are looking at, for example… Don’t only look at the size, please look at the face where it was leveled off…”
“Yes, it’s very flat and smooth…” Ling Yun nodded.
“I’m not referring to this. How do you think this was made?” he asked with a strained voice.
He didn’t wait for Ling Yun to answer this time. “This was made by a stone cutter! This stone was originally more than eight meters long and was placed horizontally at the beginning. There were telltale signs from the texture. At that point in time, anyone with a little bit of knowledge knew that there would definitely be jade inside. And it would be a huge piece of jade!”
Yes, there is a huge piece of jade inside, I saw it! Ling Yun thought to himself.
“When this stone was brought here, it was given a name — King of Stones! As for its price tag…”
He could barely contain his excitement as he held up two digits. “Two hundred million yuan!”
Ling Yun looked at the staff member’s agitated face and gave a small smile. Even he, who didn’t know much about jade, knew that this stone was definitely worth more than two hundred million yuan. Perhaps more like two billion yuan?
“At that point in time, a jewelry shop did purchase it at two hundred million yuan. The first stone cutting was filled with spectators. There were even people perched on the walls!”
The gaze of that staff member dimmed, his tone filled with regret and pity. “Unfortunately, this stone was a dud. More than ten cuts have been made, over two meters. Nothing. Not the slightest trace of jade. They were all the same as this grey surface, and they stopped there!”
“Everyone was shocked, including renowned stone masters from all over the world. The boss of the jewelry store who bought this stone nearly had a heart attack!
“He didn’t believe it, so he cut the stone from the other end personally. One meter deep, nothing changed. Not even a wisp of green…
“That boss lost all color in his face…”
Ling Yun didn’t care about this. “Three meters were cut, there should still be another five meters, why does it only have two meters left?”
That staff member smiled as he finally got Ling Yun’s attention. “Let me continue slowly. That boss didn’t dare to go any further. He made a swift decision to cut his losses and sell it at one hundred million yuan…”
“However, the most important thing in the stone gambling event is luck. Such a huge stone with obvious signs but without any hint of jade after three meters. Who would spend a hundred million yuan for it?
“No one dared to touch this unlucky stone. Towards the end, it was our kind-hearted boss who bought the stone at thirty million yuan. He didn’t want that jewelry store to close down, and he felt that the stone might have some jade in it after all…”
It seems like this Lord of Jade isn’t half bad, Ling Yun concluded.
“However, our boss knew that it was impossible to sell it again. That was why he simply wrote it off and sold it separately. Anyone can cut ten centimeters of it, any way they want, for five hundred thousand yuan. However, if there’s any jade, Yu Ding Xuan gets half of the proceeds…”
So, stone gambling could be done this way, the Lord of Jade was indeed a formidable player.
“Just like that, they managed to shave off another three meters, resulting in its current status…”
Thirty or so cuts. The Lord of Jade got back about twenty million yuan and bought a good reputation. What a good deal.
The staff member then pointed in the direction of the stone gambling event. “Those people you came with, Elder Murong and President Song, both tried their luck with this stone before…”
“However, this King of Stones hasn’t produced any jade no matter how they cut. This section was left untouched because it lacks the telltale veins that usually accompany jade. One year ago, Yu Ding Xuan placed it here, and since then, no one asked anything further about it.”
This last piece was garbage!
“How much does it cost now?” Ling Yun asked calmly.
That staff member was slightly annoyed. He told him the truth, yet he still wanted to buy it? No one was that dumb!
“I suggest you talk to my boss if you really want to buy it. Paying so much money for a piece of garbage, tsk tsk…” he said, clicking his tongue in the process.
Anyone could understand what that meant. Ling Yun was too arrogant.
“Sir, I sense that you have no lack of money. If you really want to play, may I suggest that you spend just five hundred thousand yuan on it to try your luck? That way, you can enjoy the thrill of cutting the King of Stones, and it won’t be too painful even if nothing comes out…” That staff member suggested after a pregnant pause.
It was impossible for Ling Yun to get anything after so many masters had failed!
“Thank you for your kind advice. However, I’ll just enjoy myself to the fullest since I’m going to play. I’ll buy this stone!” Ling Yun smiled.
The forgotten King of Stones finally had a buyer.