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墨書 Inktalez
"Ha ha... Thank you all for taking the time to attend the Jade Exhibition!" Liu Lao finally appeared after much anticipation, dressed in a red Tang suit. He clasped his hands together and smiled at the crowd.
Liu Lao is indeed Liu Lao. Even though he had matters on his mind, there was no trace of worry on his face.
Of course, although everyone present felt honored to receive an invitation to Liu Lao's Jade Exhibition, he still humbly expressed his gratitude to everyone.
Some things regarding appearances still needed to be done well.
"Is this Liu Lao?" Lin Feng naturally stood in the audience and nudged Chen Sheng beside him, asking, even though he was already quite certain that the person on stage was indeed the legendary Liu Lao.
"Yes, the Liu Lao mentioned by the Jade Industry is him. A prominent figure, indeed," Chen Sheng replied solemnly, clearly showing his deep respect for Liu Lao.
"Oh, is he your idol?" Lin Feng was more interested in Chen Sheng's admiration for Liu Lao, so he asked.
"Well, you could say that. The reason I entered this industry was to have the opportunity to meet Liu Lao, or at least achieve one or two of his accomplishments. Unfortunately, it seems I won't have that chance in this lifetime," Chen Sheng reminisced with a hint of regret as he recalled the past.
"Oh, Uncle Chen, how old are you? Who says there’s no opportunity? I support you," Lin Feng exclaimed, eager to push Chen Sheng into the spotlight. Seeing that Chen Sheng also had aspirations for fame, he wholeheartedly agreed.
If Chen Sheng didn't have ambitions for recognition, it would be difficult for Lin Feng to push him forward.
Some things are very much dependent on one's willingness.
"Ha ha... Let's hope so," Chen Sheng replied, unaware of Lin Feng's specific plans. He took Lin Feng's words as encouragement and smiled.
"Hey... Lin Feng, look! Liu Lao is about to start showcasing his jade pieces. They're so beautiful," said Yuling, who was nearby, interrupting the conversation between the older and younger men.
Upon hearing this, Lin Feng and Chen Sheng stopped their conversation and looked up at the stage. Sure enough, several small display cases and glass domes had been set up, showcasing pieces of jade that sparkled brilliantly under the lights.
"Wow... this is truly beautiful jade," even a mature and composed man like Chen Sheng couldn't help but exclaim.
"Yes, it really is impressive," Lin Feng had to admit that the jade displayed on stage truly deserved the title of "beautiful jade."
"Hehe... these are the jades I have collected over the years; I hope you don't mind my humble display," Liu Lao said with a smile, looking at the expressions of the crowd below, clearly satisfied with his collection from the past few years.
"Liu Lao, your collection is indeed rich; you've opened our eyes," someone in the audience remarked.
"Liu Lao, you truly are a towering figure in the Jade Industry; with this collection, I feel like I could see the most beautiful jade in my lifetime right here."
"Liu Lao..."
"Liu Lao, I..."
With the first compliment given, others quickly followed suit, whether sincerely or just flattering him. They continued to praise him; everyone knew that in such occasions, even just mingling was beneficial.
Watching everyone's reactions, Lin Feng suddenly lost interest in continuing to admire the jade. He felt that those present were somewhat desecrating the beauty of the jade on stage, making it seem trivial.
However, at that moment, Lin Feng noticed something different about Liu Lao's expression.
The reason Lin Feng felt Liu Lao's demeanor was different from others was that he could see a hint of helplessness on Liu Lao's face. It was clear that he wasn't particularly impressed by the flattery from the crowd.
"This Liu Lao is quite an interesting person," Lin Feng found himself developing a certain fondness for Liu Lao.
Being able to remain clear-headed amidst all the flattery made Lin Feng think that Liu Lao must be quite a remarkable individual. In a world full of people, how many could remain unaffected by flattery?
"Well, we are now entering the second segment, which is the first surprise prepared by Liu Lao—Gambling Stone." At Liu Lao's gesture, the host took the stage, while Liu Lao himself only stood on stage for the opening remarks and spent the rest of the time offstage.
"Oh, so it's true; I heard about it yesterday." After hearing the host's words, people in the audience began discussing among themselves.
"Now, let's bring up the stone that Liu Lao has prepared for us." After nodding to Liu Lao, the host continued.
As soon as the host finished speaking, several staff members carried the Rough Stone to the open space in front of the stage. Since Gambling Stone was meant for observation up close, it was naturally impossible to bring the Rough Stone onto the stage. If everyone were to go up to see it later, it would be quite chaotic.
The fact that four staff members were needed to carry the Rough Stone indicated that it was quite large. In fact, Lin Feng could tell by his own estimation that this Rough Stone was at least as big as a large basket.
Considering its weight, it made sense that Rough Stone was indeed a type of stone.
As soon as this Rough Stone appeared, people in the audience gasped in amazement, exclaiming, "Liu Lao is really generous; even the Rough Stone is this big."
In response, Lin Feng could only shake his head in resignation. Fortunately, Chen Sheng and Yuling, whom he had brought along, remained relatively calm; otherwise, Lin Feng would have felt quite defeated.
"This Rough Stone is also one of Liu Lao's collections. As for why Liu Lao collected this Rough Stone, let's invite Liu Lao to share with us; I'm quite curious myself," the host said again.
Following this, there was a thunderous round of applause at the exhibition.
"Hehe... The reason for collecting this stone is simple: it's because it's big. Today, taking advantage of everyone's interest, I decided to bring it out. Everyone can take a look; I don't even know if this thing is a stone or a Rough Stone. If it turns out to be jade, I'll give it to whoever wins in gambling," Liu Lao said candidly. This was also one of his important purposes for holding this Jade Exhibition; of course, his true motives were not as simple as he stated.
However, he wouldn't casually reveal his true intentions.
"Well, Liu Lao just loves to joke. Everyone, since Liu Lao has said this, I believe it's a great opportunity for us jade lovers. If we can gamble jade from this Rough Stone today, that would be quite a story!" The host further enhanced the atmosphere at that moment.
"Let's all take a look; we might just find a treasure." Since this was Liu Lao's exhibition, regardless of the outcome, everyone naturally kept the excitement alive in the venue and encouraged each other.
"Well, let's take a look; it's good to broaden our horizons." Naturally, no one opposed this, as there was no loss involved.
Next, everyone began to examine the Rough Stone with various professional tools, gathering around it for observation.
"I'll bid six million," a big man boldly started the bidding.
"I'll bid seven million..." someone else continued to raise the price.
"I'll bid eight million..."
"I'll bid ten million..."
"Wait... I'll bid fifteen million, just to liven things up." At this moment, someone suddenly raised the bid from ten million to fifteen million, a significant increase of five hundred thousand.
Looking in the direction of the voice, Lin Feng realized that the bidder was actually Hou Qian.
"Hou Qian, since you're doing that, I won't hold back either. I'll bid twenty million! Liu Lao's Rough Stone is definitely worth betting on." At this point, another person began to bid, clearly not wanting Hou Qian to steal the spotlight and wanting to make a name for himself as well, raising the bid by another five hundred thousand.
Lin Feng watched as everyone argued passionately, only managing a bitter smile. Although he felt displeased, he couldn't stop them from spending their money. However, there weren't many people like Hou Qian present; most seemed to genuinely appreciate jade and when the price reached twenty million, they stopped bidding and began to enjoy the spectacle.
"I'll bid twenty-five million..." At this moment, if Hou Qian didn't raise his bid, he would lose face and continued to bid.
Seeing Hou Qian's reaction, Lin Feng suddenly had an idea and stood up loudly saying, "I say this worthless stone is not worth your bet at all, Hou Qian!"
This statement stirred up quite a commotion; it perfectly described the effect of Lin Feng's words.
"Lin Feng, how dare you say that Liu Lao's Rough Stone is just a piece of rock? You're truly beyond arrogant." Hou Qian hadn't expected Lin Feng to foolishly stand up and say such a thing. But he quickly reacted and took advantage of the situation. In his view, although Lin Feng was a guest of Liu Lao, who could enter without an invitation, if Lin Feng publicly offended Liu Lao, his status in Liu Lao's eyes would surely plummet.
So, he was eager to clarify Lin Feng's words, of course, in a way that aligned with his own understanding.
In an instant, everyone began to point fingers at Lin Feng, clearly thinking that his words were too arrogant.
Lin Feng didn't care about their attitudes; instead, he glanced at Liu Lao.
He noticed that Liu Lao still wore a smile and showed no signs of anger.
"Kid, you've finally stepped forward. I've been waiting for you for a long time..." Liu Lao thought to himself while smiling.
"Heh heh... then how about a bet? Do you dare?" Hou Qian, seeing that Lin Feng had drawn everyone's ire, questioned him. He couldn't let this opportunity slip by; not only could he strike at Lin Feng, but he could also gain favor with Liu Lao. It was a win-win situation.
"A bet? How do we bet?" Lin Feng naturally wasn't afraid of Hou Qian's so-called wager. In fact, he had intended to challenge Hou Qian to a bet when he stepped forward. Now that Hou Qian had brought it up, it saved him the trouble of proposing it himself.
"It's simple. I just offered twenty-five million. Let's bet on whether there's jade inside this Rough Stone. If there is jade, you owe me twenty-five million. If there isn't, I owe you twenty-five million. Do you dare?" Hou Qian laid out his wager, which seemed reasonable enough.
"Heh heh... I'll take the bet. What’s there to be afraid of?" Lin Feng replied confidently with a smile, agreeing to the wager.
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