C20 Poker Gambling

Reflecting on the fact that even if the Ancient Treasure House possessed the Millennial Spirit Tortoise Shell, he lacked the funds to purchase it, Ye Yu shifted his strategy. He resolved to first accumulate some cash before revisiting the Ancient Treasure House.

What method could quickly line his pockets with money?

Burglary was fraught with peril!

The odds of winning the lottery were minuscule!

Offering medical treatments risked being denounced as a charlatan!

After much deliberation, Ye Yu was still at a loss for a quick money-making scheme. As he aimlessly meandered, he suddenly realized he had stumbled upon the stone trading market. This wasn't a venue for marble; it was a hub for betting on stones.

Betting on stones!

That could work!

A sly grin spread across Ye Yu's face as he confidently strode into the trading hall.

With just over four hundred thousand yuan to his name, purchasing a high-quality raw stone was out of the question. However, Ye Yu had a different plan in mind.

The trading hall's display cases showcased numerous raw stones, all sliced open to reveal their enticing jade green interiors. These stones were confirmed to contain jade and were thus sold at steep prices, with the least expensive costing four million yuan.

Ye Yu, of course, couldn't afford them, but he wasn't there to buy. His purpose was educational.

Each jade-bearing raw stone exhibited distinct features, whether it be a unique texture or a color variation from the norm.

These nuances were incredibly subtle, potentially eluding detection even under an electron microscope.

For Ye Yu, however, it was a different story. He applied his diagnostic medical expertise, typically reserved for patients, to the stones, scrutinizing each jade-containing specimen and contrasting them with their ordinary counterparts.

After over an hour of meticulous examination, he pinpointed the telltale differences.

"I may not be able to afford the raw stones, but I can certainly earn a fee for my advisory services!"

Ye Yu made his way to the cutting area, where individuals who had purchased raw stones typically gathered to have them cut, hopeful of uncovering a hidden treasure.

Just then, a young man cradling a raw stone approached.

"Hey, Chen Qiang, you've brought one from the inner city, huh? Must have cost you a pretty penny," greeted an elderly man, eyeing the young man's stone with keen interest.

The trading market was split into two sections: the outer market and the inner market. The quality of raw stones in the outer market varied greatly, while those in the inner market were typically handpicked, significantly increasing the likelihood of finding treasures within them. Naturally, the trading prices in the inner market were nearly five times higher than those in the outer market.

"I've managed to scrape together over three million yuan. I might as well go big. If I win, I'll quit; if I lose, I'll be forced to quit anyway."

Chen Qiang feigned composure, but ever since he acquired the raw stone, his heart had been in turmoil, and he couldn't find peace.

His father had left him a fortune of tens of millions of yuan, but after five or six years of betting on stones, he had nearly blown through it all, to the point where his wife was considering divorce.

Ye Yu took a quick look at the raw stone in Chen Qiang's hands and recognized the superior quality jade it contained. But upon closer inspection, he furrowed his brow; the jade within the stone was dome-shaped with just a thin outer layer, likely valuing around five to six hundred thousand yuan at most. If the stone were to be fully cut open, Chen Qiang stood to lose big time!

Luckily for him, he encountered Ye Yu today.

Chen Qiang passed the raw stone to the cutting master, who also admired it as a fine piece of material.

"Should I cut it using the standard method?" the cutting master inquired.

Chen Qiang nodded, and the cutting master proceeded with the machine.

Cutting raw stones was a spectacle that often drew crowds. As the stone was sliced, the emergence of green would prompt immediate offers from prospective buyers. Of course, seeing green only indicated the presence of jade, not the quality or quantity. The true value would only be revealed once it was fully cut open.

The cutting machine whirred as it spun against the raw stone. Chen Qiang watched intently, his heart racing with anticipation: "Green, green, green."

The cutting master abruptly halted, rinsed the stone with water, and then exclaimed, "Green on the first cut!"

The crowd erupted into excitement, and bids began to fly.

"What's the starting price? Let's hear it!"

"Four million!" the elderly man who had been conversing with Chen Qiang earlier called out, upping the ante with his bid.

"I'll bid five million."

"I'll bid six million!"

...

"Do you want to keep cutting?" the cutter inquired, glancing at Chen Qiang.

Amidst the escalating bids, Chen Qiang swallowed hard and, with determination, said, "Cut!"

The cutter rotated the rough stone to a new face and restarted the cutting machine. Shortly after, there was more exciting news.

"Green on the second cut!"

"Green on the third cut!"

With green appearing on three consecutive cuts, the entire marketplace was abuzz. Everyone abandoned their activities and converged around the cutting station to see if some lucky youngster was about to strike it rich.

"Eight million, I bid eight million. No one better challenge me!" A portly man waved his hand, pushing his way to the front of Chen Qiang, not even bothering to ask if he agreed. He pulled out his card, ready to drag Chen Qiang off to make the transfer.

"Fat Wai, are you taking advantage of the kid? You think you can snag this stone for eight million? I'll offer ten million. Young man, sell it to me, and I'll transfer the money to you on the spot!" A lanky man elbowed his way through the crowd.

"You think you're clever, don't you? I'll bid twelve million!" Fat Wai retorted, unwilling to back down.

As the two bickered, Chen Qiang opened his mouth. He was considering another cut. If this next slice also revealed green, people would be clamoring to buy the stone for fifteen million.

Ye Yu stood among the onlookers, silently watching Chen Qiang. Realizing he was contemplating another cut, Ye Yu sensed trouble. Another slice would expose the stone's true nature.

By then, it wouldn't fetch ten million, let alone one million.

Ye Yu approached and pulled Chen Qiang aside.

"Brother, I'm not selling this stone just yet. I plan to cut it completely and sell it for a handsome sum!"

Chen Qiang had assumed Ye Yu was another buyer and promptly declined.

"I'm not interested in purchasing your stone. If it turns out to be a gem, how much do you intend to sell it for?"

Chen Qiang couldn't help but smile to himself, 'You're asking about the price and yet claim you're not interested in buying? That's hardly convincing.'

"Fifteen million!"

"Your stone is worthless; one more cut and its true nature will be exposed. I suggest you sell it quickly," Ye Yu earnestly advised.

Chen Qiang let out a sly chuckle and turned to leave. "Here I thought you were interested in buying the stone. Turns out you're just a plant, trying to con me into selling. Not happening!"

Ye Yu had anticipated this reaction and was ready with a plan.

"Hold on, I'd like to make a wager with you."

At the mention of a bet, Chen Qiang immediately halted and inquired,

"What's the wager?"

"We bet on whether your stone is worthless. If I'm right, you owe me three million. If I'm wrong, I'll pay you four million.

The current highest offer is twelve million. If you win, you'll get an extra four million from me, a million more than you expected.

If you lose, you'll avoid a three million loss on the stone and still make a profit of six million.

Either way, you can't lose with this bet!"

While speaking, Ye Yu had already drafted a contract and signed his name.

He was so confident because he trusted his judgment and knew that the gambling contract had no legal standing.

Chen Qiang, unconcerned with legalities, pondered briefly and decided the wager was indeed in his favor, so he readily accepted.

Ultimately, Fat Wai bought Chen Qiang's stone for twelve million and transferred the funds immediately.

Fat Wai, ever the opportunist, planned to cut the stone again to inflate its price before selling it to a higher bidder.

"Master, give it another cut, please!"

Fat Wai beamed as he passed the stone back to the cutter.

"Sure thing, Boss Wei is going to strike it rich today!"

The cutter quipped, firing up the cutting machine.

"Zi Zi Zi!"

He made the cut.

Fat Wai peered eagerly at the spinning wheel of the cutter.

The cutter's face turned sheepish as he rinsed the stone once more, yet it still failed to reveal any hint of jade green.

"Boss Wei, it's a loss!"

Upon hearing this, Fat Wai's guts twisted with regret. He cried out, "My twelve million!" and then collapsed.

Chen Qiang, looking at the stone on the cutting table, also felt a surge of relief, quickly breaking into a smile and firmly grasping Ye Yu's hand.

"Brother, what an eye you have! Three million coming your way right now!"

With three million in hand in the blink of an eye, Ye Yu couldn't help but be thrilled.

At his age, the vast majority were still earning a meager salary.

Yet, he curbed his elation, adopting a somber demeanor.

"The money doesn't matter to me.

I was concerned you'd take the loss hard, maybe even do something drastic, given your youth. That's why I stepped in to help you.

I did it for your sake!"

...

Leaving the trading market, Ye Yu made a beeline for the Ancient Treasure House, his newfound wealth more than enough to gain him entry to its black market.

"Halt, if you're here to beg, do it elsewhere. The Ancient Treasure House isn't in the business of feeding dogs!"

A burly security guard with a muscular build blocked Ye Yu's path.