When Xiao Yunlong walked to the stone cutting area with two ugly, dark rough stones, he happened to run into the young master Ge from before, who was also coming from Zone A.
This time, however, there was a slight difference. Young Master Ge was accompanied by two tall female internet celebrities, one on each side. This sight, the so-called "left and right embraced," made the ordinary young men around them envious.
Young Master Ge glanced at the two stones in Xiao Yunlong's hand and couldn't help himself. He grinned and said, "So, after picking for so long, you only chose these two dark, ugly stones. They must be from Zone E, right? Less than a thousand yuan for both."
As he spoke, Young Master Ge shook his head and tutted, "What did I say earlier? If you don't have money, don't pretend to be a big shot. Now you've been exposed, haven't you?"
Of course, he said the last sentence to the two female internet celebrities beside him, merely to highlight his own superiority.
The two naive, yet not entirely naive, female internet celebrities nodded in agreement. At this moment, their gazes towards Xiao Yunlong were filled with contempt.
To say they weren't naive was because these two female internet celebrities approached this young master Ge with a purpose: for money.
And to say they were naive was also because their purpose was very clear: to simply make money!
Xiao Yunlong glanced at them and couldn't be bothered to speak. He directly took the two stones in his hand to the cutting machine.
In stark contrast to Xiao Yunlong, Young Master Ge had chosen four rough stones, two of which were larger than a water buffalo, requiring several adults to move.
Therefore, the scene of moving these two rough stones was grand, and almost everyone in the entire jade material yard gathered to watch the spectacle.
Young Master Ge enjoyed this feeling of being the center of attention. This was the effect he wanted. At this moment, his hands around the waists of the two female internet celebrities became even firmer, and from time to time, he would take advantage of their plump buttocks.
As the saying goes, there is no harm without comparison. In contrast, the two ugly stones in Xiao Yunlong's hands appeared much more meager.
At this time, the entire stone gambling大会 was nearing its end. Most of the stones chosen by others had already been opened, and the top five were selected.
The staff were about to help Xiao Yunlong open his stones, but when they saw Young Master Ge and his entourage approaching, they immediately abandoned Xiao Yunlong without a word. They even shoved the two dark, ugly stones back to Xiao Yunlong and rushed directly towards Young Master Ge.
"Oh, Young Master Ge, we've been waiting for you, looking forward to your arrival. As the saying goes, the most important people often appear last, and isn't that exactly what describes you today!"
The manager of the jade material yard nodded repeatedly, his tone filled with flattery. This showed that Young Master Ge was no simple figure, as even the manager of this jade material yard had to curry favor with him.
"Enough of this useless talk. Hurry up and arrange for someone to open these stones. I spent half the day picking them out. Make sure you study them carefully before cutting. If you ruin them, I'll hold you accountable!"
Young Master Ge said in a deep, cold voice, his attitude arrogant and overbearing.
"Yes, yes, Young Master Ge. I'll arrange it right away. Please rest assured, Young Master Ge. These stone cutters are top-notch professionals. Throughout the entire southwestern region, there's no one who can surpass them!"
While boasting, the manager of the jade material yard immediately waved his hand, instructing his subordinates to get to work.
Immediately, more than a dozen strong men exerted their full strength to move the two large rough stones to the cutting machine. At the same time, after consultation among several experienced masters from the jade material yard and the two elders beside Young Master Ge, and finally with Young Master Ge's final decision, the stones were cut.
For such large stones, they are usually cut directly by machine. Of course, there is a technique to cutting them, and it's not just a random slice. After all, if a single cut ruins the jade inside, its value would be greatly reduced.
In simple terms, cutting is often based on the stone's texture or surface cracks. Cutting along the cracks generally has a lower probability of error.
As the machine started, the two giant rough stones began to be cut. The entire jade material yard buzzed with noise, and more and more onlookers gathered around. While waiting, people were discussing amongst themselves.
"Young Master Ge is indeed the son of the Director of the Supervision Department of Longyan City. His spending is truly lavish. Those two rough stones are not cheap; it's said that each one costs over a million yuan. He's buying two at once, truly magnificent!"
"Yes, the Ge family is a prominent family in our Longyan City. Not only is the eldest master of the Ge family the Director of the Supervision Department, but the second master of the Ge family is also a prominent figure and tycoon in the business world of Longyan City. They practically control both the political and business circles. With the backing of the two masters of the Ge family, this young master Ge is naturally a pampered and arrogant fellow!"
It was at this moment that Xiao Yunlong learned about the background of this young master Ge from the discussions around him. His father was the Director of the Supervision Department, no wonder he was so overbearing.
However, at this moment, all eyes in the jade material yard were focused on Young Master Ge, and Xiao Yunlong was completely neglected and ignored.
Upon seeing this, Jun Bufan was quite displeased and wanted to argue, but Xiao Yunlong waved him off and stopped him.
"No rush. Let's first see what these two large rough stones of Young Master Ge reveal. We're not in a hurry anyway!" Xiao Yunlong chuckled.
Perhaps because the commotion was so great, and the person making the purchase was the son of the Director of the Supervision Department of Longyan City, even the owner of the jade material yard was alerted.
The owner was a capable-looking middle-aged man, about forty years old, named Mai Yousu.
"I'm truly sorry, Young Master Ge. I didn't know you were coming today, otherwise, I would have definitely come to entertain you personally!"
Mai Yousu said repeatedly as he approached Young Master Ge, his attitude deferential, but not servile, as he was the owner of the jade material yard.
"It's alright. I was just bored and came to take a look. My grandfather's eightieth birthday is just a few days away, so I thought I'd pick out a few stones that catch my eye here and then invite some masters to craft them into artifacts. You should know, my grandfather particularly likes these things!"
Young Master Ge said with a smirk.
"I know, I know. To be honest, Young Master Ge, I've already prepared one or two small items and was planning to present them to the elder that day for his appraisal!"
Mai Yousu chuckled and continued, "The elder has extensive research in stone gambling, and you, Young Master Ge, have inherited his true teachings. I believe you will surely win the championship in this stone gambling大会 and become famous throughout the entire southeastern jade circle!"
"You're too kind, too kind!" Although Young Master Ge waved his hand outwardly, the slight upward curve of his lips couldn't help but reveal a smile.
Just then, the manager, who had been guarding the machine, suddenly shouted, "Green has appeared, green has appeared! Preliminary judgment indicates it's high-quality Ziyang Treasure Jade. Young Master Ge truly lives up to his profound family heritage. As the saying goes, you know if it's good from the first move. Today, we are truly enlightened!"
"See, what did I say? Ziyang Treasure Jade, this is top quality. Young Master Ge truly has a good eye!" The owner, Mai Yousu, gave a thumbs-up.
"Of course. When I make a move, it's naturally effortless!" Young Master Ge finally became proud.
Not long after, the two large rough stones were cut, and several professional appraisers immediately began to estimate their value.
After a series of discussions and consultations, the conclusion was finally reached: of the two rough stones, one was valued at five million yuan, and the other, due to more cracks, had its value discounted to just over two million yuan.
Of course, in the jargon of the stone gambling circle, this is the time to set off firecrackers, and three rounds of them, to celebrate!
Naturally, only one stone could be used for the stone gambling大会 competition, and the one with the highest estimated value would be chosen. The jade stone valued at five million yuan had a purchase price of 1.2 million yuan. Subtracting the purchase price, the mining value was 3.8 million yuan.
"Young Master Ge is truly amazing. With one move, he's made a net profit of nearly four million yuan. This is just based on the jade itself. If it's processed into artworks, the price will increase geometrically!"
"Congratulations, Young Master Ge. The champion of this stone gambling大会 is you. Congratulations, congratulations!"
The owner of the jade material yard said with a hearty laugh, and the others around also applauded in agreement.
Seeing this, Jun Bufan could no longer hold back. He suddenly stepped forward and said coldly, "What's going on? Haven't you seen that my elder brother still has two rough stones in his hands? His haven't been cut yet, and you've already declared the champion. Isn't this too unfair?"
Young Master Ge glanced at Xiao Yunlong with a slanted eye and sneered, "Are those two broken stones in his hands still worth cutting?"