Jade Gambling Convention: The Ultimate Comeback

Three days later.

Jinling International Exhibition Center.

The annual Jinling Stone Gambling Convention officially opened.

This was the largest raw jade trading event in the entire East China region, gathering top raw stone merchants from Myanmar, Yunnan, Guangdong, and other places.

Thousands of raw stones were piled up in the exhibition hall. The large ones were half the height of a person, while the small ones were only the size of a fist.

On the outside, they all looked like dusty gray rocks.

But once cut open, they might contain priceless Imperial Green jade, or they might contain absolutely nothing.

Stone gambling was exactly that—a gamble. It tested one's eyesight and luck.

One cut to poverty, one cut to wealth, one cut to wearing rags.

Today's convention was exceptionally bustling.

Not only because of the high quality of the raw stones, but also because of the high status of the attendees.

Wealthy businessmen, collectors, and jewelers from Jinling and the entire Jiangsu-Zhejiang region had all arrived.

The entrance fee started at a hundred thousand yuan.

But Ye Chen didn't have a hundred thousand.

He only had eighty yuan left in his pocket.

He stood at the entrance of the exhibition center, watching the line of luxury cars and the glamorous guests.

His face was expressionless.

After returning from the antique street three days ago, Ye Chen had locked himself in a rented room in an urban village for two whole days.

Without eating or drinking, he just sat in silence with his eyes closed.

He was thinking, pondering, and reviewing everything.

He figured out a lot of things.

Compete with Shen Fei in money? He couldn't.

Compete with Shen Fei in power? He couldn't.

Compete with Shen Fei in connections? He couldn't.

What could he compete with?

Ye Chen only had two things left.

Medical skills, and luck.

He couldn't use his medical skills for the time being because he didn't have a medical license. If he was reported again, he would go to jail.

Then he would use luck.

The Medical Immortal's inheritance had given him a special pair of eyes.

The Eyes of Clairvoyance.

This was an extraordinary ability recorded in the inheritance meant to assist in diagnosing pulses, originally used to see through the human body's meridians and diseases.

But when Ye Chen was cultivating on the mountain, he discovered that these eyes could not only see through the human body, but also through stones.

The internal structure of any stone was laid bare before his Eyes of Clairvoyance.

That included raw jade stones.

The stone gambling convention.

To others, it was gambling.

To Ye Chen, it was an ATM.

He didn't need the hundred thousand yuan entrance fee.

He just needed a chance to get inside.

Ye Chen walked around to the side door of the exhibition center and found a freight channel.

Several workers were transporting raw stones inside.

Ye Chen walked over and, without a word, helped lift the stones.

Seeing his shabby clothes, the workers assumed he was a temp hired for odd jobs and didn't ask questions.

Just like that, he slipped in.

After entering the exhibition hall, Ye Chen broke away from the freight team and blended into the crowd.

The hall was huge and crowded; the security guards simply couldn't keep an eye on everyone.

Ye Chen walked to the raw stone stacking area, and his gaze shifted.

A faint golden light surfaced deep within his pupils.

Eyes of Clairvoyance, open!

The dusty gray stones around him instantly became transparent in his eyes!

The internal structure of every stone was revealed in microscopic detail!

This one was a waste stone, no jade inside.

That one had a small patch of green, but the quality was average.

Further ahead, a large piece half a person's height had a crack running all the way through it; it would shatter upon being cut.

Ye Chen's gaze rapidly scanned the pile of raw stones.

Suddenly, he stopped.

In the corner, a gray raw stone the size of a basketball lay quietly.

Its exterior was completely unremarkable.

The grayish-brown crust was covered in pits and bumps, looking no different from a rotten rock.

But his Eyes of Clairvoyance told Ye Chen that hidden inside this stone was a cluster of the most rich, extreme emerald green!

Imperial Green!

And it was a full green!

The core area of the entire raw stone was almost completely filled with emerald green, the color was vibrant, and it was highly translucent!

An Imperial Green jade of this quality would be worth at least fifty million once cut!

Ye Chen's breathing grew a bit heavier.

Fifty million!

Enough for him to make a comeback in Jinling!

But the problem was, he couldn't afford this raw stone.

The raw stones at the convention weren't sold by the piece, but auctioned by the kilogram.

This basketball-sized raw stone weighed over thirty kilograms. Based on the base price, the bidding would start at at least two hundred thousand.

Two hundred thousand.

He had eighty bucks.

Ye Chen stood by the raw stone, his mind racing.

He needed a partner.

Someone with money but no eye for jade.

He would provide the technical skill, the other party would provide the funds, and they would split the profits.

Ye Chen circled the exhibition hall, his gaze finally locking onto a person.

A middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a white suit, gold-rimmed glasses, and a Patek Philippe watch on his wrist.

He was followed by two assistants, looking around the piles of raw stones with hesitation.

Clearly, he was a wealthy player who didn't really know the trade.

Ye Chen walked over.

Boss, looking to gamble on some stones?

The man in white glanced at him and frowned.

Ye Chen's appearance really wasn't very convincing.

Who are you?

I'm an expert.

Ye Chen looked him straight in the eye, his gaze steady.

If I can help you pick a raw stone that cuts out Imperial Green, we split the profit fifty-fifty. Are you in?

The man in white raised his eyebrows.

Imperial Green? Young man, you're boasting without a script. Do you know how hard it is to cut Imperial Green? In the stone gambling trade, nine out of ten bets lose. Cutting out an ice-type jade is already considered a blessing from your ancestors' graves. You open your mouth and dare to claim Imperial Green?

Ye Chen didn't waste time.

Give me five minutes. I'll pick three stones for you, and you only buy the cheapest one. If it cuts open and there's nothing, you don't owe me a dime.

The man in white stared at Ye Chen for a few seconds.

He had been in the business world for twenty years and had seen all kinds of people.

Although the young man in front of him was dressed shabbily, there was an unignorable confidence in his eyes.

It wasn't blind confidence.

It was the certainty of knowing the answer.

The man in white thought for a moment and nodded.

Alright, you pick. If we really cut out Imperial Green, let alone fifty-fifty, I'll even give you sixty percent.

Ye Chen didn't say much more, leading him directly to the raw stone area.

He first casually pointed out two ordinary raw stones, then walked to the corner and pointed at the basketball-sized gray stone.

This one.

The man in white took a look.

This one? It looks way too ordinary...

Are you buying or not?

I'll buy it!

The man in white gritted his teeth and raised his paddle to bid.

Because the exterior of this raw stone was so poor, almost no one fought him for it.

It ultimately sold for the base price of two hundred and twenty thousand.

The man in white paid the money, and the staff moved the raw stone to the cutting area.

More and more onlookers gathered.

The most exciting part of the stone gambling convention was the cutting.

The cutter picked up the cutting machine and glanced at Ye Chen.

Where do I make the cut?

Ye Chen walked up to the raw stone, reached out and felt around the surface, his finger finally stopping at a specific spot.

Here. A diagonal cut, forty-five-degree angle.

The cutter nodded and started the machine.

Bzzzt!

The metal blade sliced into the stone, sending water and stone dust flying!

Everyone held their breath, craning their necks to look at the cut.

The blade slowly pushed forward.

Gray.

Gray.

Still gray.

The man in white's face began to pale.

People nearby started shaking their heads.

Another waste rock.

I told you, just looking at the crust of that stone, you knew it was hopeless.

That kid looks like a scammer.

Ye Chen remained expressionless, staring unblinkingly at the cut.

The blade continued to push forward.

Suddenly!

The stone cutter's hands suddenly stopped!

He looked down at the cut, freezing in place as if he had been struck by lightning!

Deep within the cut.

A streak of intense emerald green seemed to burst forth from the depths of the earth, exploding within the gray stone!

The green was rich, vibrant, and full, radiating a breathtaking luster as the cutting machine's cooling water washed over it!

Imperial Green!

The stone cutter had been in the business for twenty years, and this was the first time he had seen this color under his own hands!

His hands were shaking!

"Im... Imperial Green!"

The stone cutter's voice cracked.

The entire crowd was in an uproar!

Everyone swarmed over, surrounding the stone-cutting table until not even a drop of water could trickle through!

"Holy crap! It really is Imperial Green!"

"Full green! It's full green! With this quality, it must be worth tens of millions!"

"Who is this kid? Getting Imperial Green on the very first cut?"

The man in white's legs gave way, and he almost sat right on the floor!

He gripped the cutting table with trembling hands, his eyes wide as saucers!

A stone bought for 220,000, and inside was tens of millions worth of Imperial Green!

A return of over a hundred times!

He had been in business for twenty years, and he hadn't made this much combined!

"Little brother! Little brother, you're a god!"

The man in white grabbed Ye Chen's hand, so excited he was babbling incoherently.

Ye Chen pulled his hand back, his face expressionless.

But his heart was pounding violently.

It worked!

The first cut, a massive success!

The observing crowd was still buzzing with discussion, but Ye Chen was already scouting for the next rough stone.

One piece wasn't enough.

He wanted everyone to see his skills.

He wanted to prove his worth in the most direct way possible.

Ye Chen's X-ray vision activated once more, a golden light flowing deep within his pupils.

The second rough stone was locked onto.

Ice-type jade with floating flowers, worth about eight million.

"This one, buy it."

The man in white didn't even hesitate this time, immediately raising his paddle.

Cut!

Bzzzt!

As the cut opened, the white base of the ice-type jade paired with smoke-like, mist-like blue-green floating flower patterns was stunningly revealed!

The crowd boiled over once again!

"A hit again!"

"Two pieces in a row, both direct hits! What kind of monster is this guy!"

Third piece!

Ye Chen didn't even need to walk close. Standing ten meters away, he glanced over and pointed it out.

"That black-skinned one, buy it."

Cut!

Black jade!

Top-grade black jade!

Under the light, it displayed a deep, profound dark green. Its quality was so high that the jewelers present gasped in shock!

Three rough stones, three cuts, all direct hits!

Imperial Green, Ice-type floating flowers, Top-grade black jade!

Adding the total value together, a conservative estimate was over eighty million!

The entire stone gambling convention exploded!

The name Ye Chen instantly became the focus of the entire venue!

"The God of Gamblers! This is the God of Stone Gambling!"

"Three cuts, three hits, green on every cut. I've only heard of this kind of thing in legends!"

"Just what is this kid's background!"

Ye Chen stood next to the cutting table, completely surrounded by people taking photos and recording videos with their phones.

His clothes were still that same wrinkled old outfit, his beard was stubbly, and he looked haggard.

But at this moment, no one cared about his appearance.

Because the results spoke for themselves.

The corners of Ye Chen's mouth finally curled into a slight arc.

It wasn't a smile.

It was a thrill of satisfaction finally released after being suppressed for far too long.

Shen Fei, so what if you have money?

You can buy an antique shop, you can throw five hundred million at the Su family, you can mobilize the armed police, you can manipulate public opinion.

But you can't do this.

A pair of eyes that can see right through stones.

Three cuts down, eighty million in hand.

This is skill!

This is talent!

It is something you couldn't buy no matter how much money you spent!

Ye Chen took a deep breath, feeling high-spirited and vigorous.

He felt like he was climbing his way up from rock bottom.

As long as he had a few more opportunities like this, he could accumulate enough capital to firmly establish his foothold in Jinling once again.

When that time came, everything he had lost, he would snatch back, piece by piece!

Just as he was thinking this, the entrance of the exhibition hall suddenly went quiet.

That silence spread inward from the door like ripples on water.

The crowd automatically parted to make a path.

Ye Chen subconsciously looked toward the door.

Then, his expression froze.

Shen Fei walked in.

Wearing a dark gray custom suit, no tie, with the top button casually undone.

His pace was unhurried, his gaze indifferent; he looked like he had stepped right out of a fashion magazine.

Beside him.

Su Qingxue.

In a light blue dress, her long hair pinned behind her ear with a pearl hair clip.

She was holding Shen Fei's arm, walking side by side with him into the hall.

Wherever the two passed, everyone automatically made way.

No one dared to stand in Shen Fei's path.

Ye Chen stared at them.

Especially staring at the hand Su Qingxue used to hold Shen Fei's arm.

The owner of that hand had once said a sentence to him on the mountain.

"Ye Chen, thank you for saving me."

Now, that hand was resting on another man.

Relaxed.

Natural.

As if she was already used to it.

Shen Fei walked toward the stone gambling area, surrounded by the crowd.

His gaze swept across the venue, finally landing on Ye Chen.

Their eyes met.

Ye Chen's eyes were filled with surging hatred.

Shen Fei's eyes held absolutely nothing.

He just glanced at him.

Like looking at a tree on the side of the road.

Then, Shen Fei withdrew his gaze and said something to Su Qingxue beside him.

Su Qingxue nodded slightly, a faint smile on her lips.

From beginning to end, she didn't look at Ye Chen once.

Not even a single glance.

Ye Chen's fists clenched, his knuckles cracking.

The man in white leaned in, his face red with excitement.

"Little brother, are we continuing? Let's do a few more pieces!"

Ye Chen stared fixedly at Shen Fei's back.

Grinding his teeth until they creaked.

"Continue."