Chapter 41: Red Jadeite

Li Yun looked toward Yang Qi, and Yang Qi returned the gaze.

"I hear you also offered your advice on the jadeite stones that President Shen selected?" Yang Qi suddenly asked.

At these words, Li Yun’s pupils constricted slightly. Though he recovered quickly, the reaction did not escape Yang Qi’s notice. This only confirmed for Yang Qi that the Li family had not abandoned Shen’s Jewelry, but had merely chosen to assist in a different way.

"I only provided a few minor suggestions; it was mostly President Shen herself who had a good eye for these stones," Li Yun replied with a smile.

Yang Qi offered no comment, nor did he press the matter further. If the Li family was willing to help Shen’s Jewelry, it was a good thing for him, and there was no need to dig deeper.

Soon, he picked up a piece of chalk, drew a cutting line on a stone, and signaled the master stone-cutter to begin.

"It’s showing green," the Li family’s cutter, clearly highly skilled, said as a slab of stone fell away in less than ten minutes.

"That green looks quite pure. I offer thirty thousand."

"You think you can take it for thirty thousand? I offer fifty thousand."

No sooner had the green been revealed than some of the nearby jewelers began to place bids.

"Everyone, apologies, but this gentleman is the jadeite consultant for my company, Shen’s Jewelry," Shen Yuxuan interjected.

As a consultant, it was standard industry practice for the cut stones to be sold to his own company first.

"Cut the rest of it," Yang Qi said calmly.

He was well aware of the contents of these stones; he knew there was jadeite inside. Since he was going to be in Guangdong for several days, he was counting on this jadeite to assist in his cultivation. There was no way he would stop now.

Under the cutter’s steady hands, a piece of jadeite the size of a fist was soon revealed to the crowd.

"Waxy variety. It should be worth five or six hundred thousand," Shen Yuxuan noted. As the chairwoman of Shen’s Jewelry, she could judge the value of jadeite at a glance.

Soon, the second stone was placed on the machine and cut.

"Another hit!"

"Two in a row! He really lives up to the reputation of being a consultant for a major jewelry firm."

The second stone had also revealed green, which surprised the onlookers. Winning twice in a row was a rare sight indeed.

"Cut it all open," Yang Qi said indifferently, seemingly ignoring the surrounding commotion.

In less than half an hour, a piece of jadeite the size of a cigarette case appeared before them. It was crystal clear with excellent translucency—it had reached the level of ice-variety jade.

"Ice variety!"

"This piece must be worth over a million," Shen Yuxuan thought to herself. She was already considering acquiring it; ice-variety jade was mid-range, highly valuable, and Shen’s current stock was low.

"Waxy variety, then ice variety—and both from new-pit raw materials. This is a massive win," Li Yun thought, his eyes fixed on Yang Qi with a hint of surprise. Unlike the others, he knew better; the stones in Yang Qi’s possession were essentially worthless, most costing only a few thousand yuan and originating from new, low-quality pits.

Finding ice-variety jade in such material was incredibly rare, about as likely as winning the lottery.

"It seems this Yang Qi has some real talent," Li Yun mused.

"The third one!"

At Yang Qi’s urging, the third stone was placed on the cutter. This was the stone Yang Qi had sensed the life force within. Even he wasn’t sure what exactly lay inside, so he was extremely cautious when marking the cutting lines.

*Whoosh.*

The stone was sliced, but there was no sign of green—only hard, barren rock.

"It’s a bust."

"A complete failure. A third of the stone is gone and there’s still no sign of green."

"Two in a row is rare, but a triple win is something you only see in the final days of the exhibition."

The crowd shook their heads. While disappointed, they weren't surprised. A double win was uncommon, but a triple win was extremely rare, usually only seen in partially cut stones or exhibition-grade specimens, not in raw, uncut material.

"Mr. Yang, shall we continue?" the cutter asked, looking at Yang Qi. A third of the stone had been removed, and there was no logical reason to keep going. However, Yang Qi was the owner, and if he insisted, the cutter would comply.

"Of course, continue," Yang Qi said calmly, seemingly unaffected by the failure.

The others didn't understand the situation, but he knew exactly what he was doing. The lines he had drawn were deliberately kept away from the source of the life force, as he was worried about damaging it.

*Whoosh.*

Soon, the second slice was removed. Still, no green.

"It’s a total loss."

"It failed on the first cut, and a third is gone—it would be a miracle if there was anything in there."

The crowd shook their heads. If there had been a sliver of hope after the first cut, there was none left now; the stone was reduced to the size of a milk carton, and there was still no green. It was essentially waste material.

"Keep cutting," Yang Qi commanded.

The man in charge of the cutting hesitated. There was no point in proceeding.

"Yang Qi, maybe we should stop," Shen Yuxuan said, stepping forward. "You’ve already won on the first two; you haven't lost anything even if this one is empty."

Many gamblers who lose become blinded by their frustration, refusing to quit until the very end. Yang Qi was young and had the potential to become a master; she didn't want to see him lose his composure over a single bad bet, as such a mindset could hinder his development.

"It's fine. Keep cutting," Yang Qi replied coolly.

"This..." The cutter looked to Li Yun, and only after Li Yun nodded did he continue cutting along Yang Qi’s lines.

*Whoosh. Whoosh.*

Two more cuts were made. The stone was now only the size of a milk carton, and still, not a hint of green appeared.

"Grind it," Yang Qi instructed.

The cutter sighed and began using the sandpaper to polish the stone according to Yang Qi’s orders.

"At this point, what is there left to bet on?"

"The kid probably just can't accept losing."

"Wait, why does the middle of that stone look a bit red?"

"Red? Are you crazy? This is jadeite!"

The crowd murmured, but as the cutter polished the surface, a streak of crimson—vibrant as fresh blood—began to emerge. It looked like the rising sun, growing more vivid by the second.

"Red? What is this?"

The stone was revealing something red, leaving the onlookers stunned. It was a sight none of them had ever encountered before.

"Red... could it be?" Li Yun’s pupils contracted, a look of utter disbelief crossing his face.

He had only ever heard his grandfather mention red jadeite: Blood Jade.