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墨書 Inktalez
The world-renowned Four Major Gambling Cities are filled with various rumors.
There are frequent reports of individuals losing their entire fortunes and jumping to their deaths, as well as stories of people winning vast sums overnight in casinos.
Whether it's Las Vegas, claimed to be the top of the Four Major Gambling Cities, the Chinese-operated gambling hub Macau, the aristocratic Monte Carlo, or Atlantic City, also located in the United States.
While there may occasionally be tales of gamblers striking it rich overnight in the Four Major Gambling Cities, over the years we have observed that the scale of major casinos has only grown larger, and the revenue from these gambling cities has become increasingly extravagant.
This is evident; no matter how skilled a gambler may be, even those who resemble characters from movies such as gambling masters or gods of gambling cannot shake the status of these gambling cities.
However, when have we ever heard of a gambler being able to stay in a gambling city for a lifetime, comfortably living solely off gambling?
Because no matter how impeccable the service at casinos may be, even with all the free food and luxurious transportation provided by major casinos, once you step inside, it feels like a bird entering a cage awaiting slaughter.
The casino's scale favors the Dealer; it is they who set the rules. They even enjoy taking a cut when you win money. You can only be taken advantage of; you are merely a fish out of water...
Thus, the true big winners are only the Dealers. As for the gods at the gambling tables, they exist only in Wang Jing's imagination.
Therefore, Wei Yuan does not believe that his momentary good luck can last long. In such a market for Raw Jade Material, if it were so easy to uncover exquisite jadeite, how could it possibly endure for so long?
Of course, everyone understands this logic; it's just that everyone harbors a sense of luck. Perhaps this one-in-a-million chance might unexpectedly come to them?
Many share this mindset. Here, besides various shopkeepers and speculative merchants like that fat man with the Black Leather Bag, there are just a bunch of gamblers lost in daydreams.
Gambling on Jade clearly indicates that this is a gamble, and typically gamblers lose nine out of ten times.
So who can be the Dealer? Who is the biggest winner?
Naturally, it is Ma Teng and his son because they are the behind-the-scenes controllers of this Jade Rough Stone Market. But in this process, could anyone choose an empty opportunity like that fat man to speculate?
Or simply be the Dealer who controls a necessary process. Who can do it? Wei Yuan possesses a unique Repairing Ability, so he believes he can manage it.
Under his command, more than a dozen college students have blended into the Jade Rough Stone Market, observing the situation and waiting for their employer, Wei Yuan, to give orders.
This time period belongs to a peak flow of people in the Raw Jade Material market, with countless individuals engaged in Jade Cutting and Gambling on Jade. The businesses of various shops and stalls are thriving.
Occasionally, if a piece of Raw Jade Material reveals Green Veins or shows traces of valuable jade when cut, it will attract a crowd. This probability is akin to a gambler hitting a jackpot at a casino table.
It is not impossible, but even if it happens, one can only marvel at the luck of that individual.
Although Wei Yuan cut a piece of jade worth nearly a million from a stone priced over a thousand yuan, such probabilities are exceedingly rare. Moreover, human nature tends to be fascinated by superficial appearances.
For instance, Wei Yuan's piece of Raw Jade Material has a grayish-white surface and is overall quite unremarkable, akin to an ordinary-looking woman whom you wouldn't notice even after glancing at her, let alone think she is attractive.
However, this ordinary person might possess all kinds of skills in bed, with alluring curves and sweet voices.
This method may seem somewhat indulgent; it’s like selecting seafood.
Yet sometimes it happens that an inconspicuous piece of Raw Jade Material is transformed by Wei Yuan into jade worth nearly a million, increasing its value by more than a hundred times.
But human nature remains unchanged. Even when certain types of situations arise, people still believe that only those Rough Stones that appear reliable on the surface have a greater chance of yielding exquisite jade.
Thus, many Dealers in the Gambling on Jade industry particularly enjoy enhancing the appearance of Raw Jade Material. Although they cannot deceive those with discerning eyes, they can occasionally fool some naïve local tycoons.
In this day and age, there are people daring enough to forge anything. Even a woman who has been through hundreds of trials can emerge from repairs looking brand new.
This type of procedure is known as restoration. Wei Yuan feels it is quite similar to his own Repairing Ability. If restoration procedures weren't treated like clearance sales—buy one get one free—he wouldn't mind engaging in deceiving his male counterparts.
Regardless of the motives behind it, the pieces of Raw Jade Material displayed at various stalls with price tags in the hundreds of thousands naturally carry appealing characteristics on their surfaces that entice people to believe these are quality raw materials for good jade.
The Raw Jade Material is just like those beauty pageant contestants; no matter how many times they have been compromised behind the scenes, when displayed in public, they are always so radiant and captivating, enticing many superficial wealthy businessmen to spend money for a taste of their allure.
Even if the other party has already rotted underneath, one must still charge in; otherwise, wouldn't that money be wasted?
All that glitters is not gold.
Such occurrences are common, especially in the Raw Jade Material market, where one might buy expensive rough material only to end up with worthless jade or even stones that aren't jade at all.
For instance, in the shop where Wei Yuan is currently located, there is a woman nearing thirty, a Seductive Woman, who undoubtedly appears to be a rich lady from some Wealthy Family.
It is surprising that someone like her would be interested in Gambling on Jade, which astonishes Wei Yuan. However, what keeps him standing there watching is not just this woman but the Raw Jade Material she is selecting.
This woman seems either experienced or anxious about spending too much money; she appears worried about not being able to spend it all. The two pieces of Raw Jade Material she has chosen are each worth hundreds of thousands.
From the appearance of the rough material here, compared to the previous grayish-white Rough Stone, it indeed looks more likely to yield exquisite jade. However, reality often contradicts personal expectations.
Wei Yuan slowly walked over and saw the woman with a flushed expression, her fair face radiating an alluring glow. Her pair of watery eyes was indeed tempting. Coupled with her low-cut dress, a round cleavage was fully displayed beneath the 'V'-shaped white collar, giving an impression of fullness that seemed ready to burst forth, creating an invisible sense of pressure.
"What a fairy-like woman; no wonder she can climb high branches."
Wei Yuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly as he continued to observe the situation. After purchasing the Rough Stone, the woman had the Stone Cutting Master cut it on-site.
One piece of Raw Jade Material was completely uncut and intact, with beautiful Green Veins on its surface. The other piece had already been partially cut; although it showed green, the Green Veins were not very vibrant.
Clearly, the second piece was similar to Wei Yuan's situation—one customer had managed to cut out some Green Veins from a piece originally priced at only a few thousand for resale. Although it wasn't very vibrant, it was still worth several hundred thousand. That person lacked the courage to continue cutting and decided to sell it instead for others to gamble on.
After completing the transaction, naturally, both pieces of Rough Stone belonged to that woman. As for whether she would cut them on-site or not, she had her own choice.
"Master, please cut it for me."
The woman suddenly appeared with a strong rural accent and spoke to the Stone Master.
Wei Yuan almost fell over laughing; a woman full of charm speaking in authentic Henan Dialect was quite surprising.
...
The two pieces of Raw Jade Material took nearly two hours in the hands of the Stone Master before they were completely broken open, but the results were disappointing.
"Master, how much is this stone worth?"
The Stone Master replied directly, "About ten percent of the original price."
"Oh my goodness, I've lost so much! Damn it, I'm never playing with stones again; it's a scam."
The two pieces of Raw Jade Material, which were nearly worth a million, were now worth less than a hundred thousand after being opened, leaving one feeling somewhat downcast. However, Wei Yuan had no sympathy for her.
It's not that easy to casually throw out hundreds of thousands here...
So Wei Yuan stood there for two hours not just to watch this woman, although her appearance was indeed somewhat alluring and could easily provoke primal instincts...
"Auntie, are you selling these two stones?"
Wei Yuan pretended to be innocent as he approached and asked.
Who would have thought that the woman, nearing thirty, would frown even more upon hearing this and shout at Wei Yuan, "You call me Auntie? Am I that old? Your mom is the one who's an aunt!"
Wei Yuan mimicked her tone and said, "Sorry, I'm from the countryside and don't understand etiquette."
Hearing this made the woman even angrier. Losing money on those two pieces of Raw Jade Material already hurt her deeply, and seeing Wei Yuan, this jerk who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, made her dislike him even more...
"Beautiful lady, how about I offer you fifty thousand for those two pieces of stone?" Wei Yuan suddenly changed his attitude.
"Fifty thousand?"
The woman felt a bit disappointed upon hearing the price, but she was still surprised that Wei Yuan could actually come up with fifty thousand. She thought he was just here to join the fun.
At this moment, the Stone Master beside them had a knowing expression. It turned out that Wei Yuan was here to take advantage of the situation. Generally speaking, customers who bought Rough Stones at high prices and ended up losing would not have a good temper.
Moreover, people who enjoy Gambling on Jade are often quite superstitious. If they lose on a piece of stone, they feel it's not a good omen, so they are eager to sell it off quickly to avoid further distress.
This gives rise to another type of person who specifically targets those who have lost money after buying Rough Stones at high prices. They themselves do not gamble on jade but are very knowledgeable about it. They know exactly how much a piece of jade can be worth once it is cut.
Thus, they take advantage of these people who have lost money by purchasing the jade they consider unlucky at relatively low prices and then reselling it for a profit, which is commonly referred to as picking up bargains.
Wei Yuan stood there for two hours, and his focus was not on the woman. If he wasn't there to pick up a bargain, what else could it be?
Of course, this is a common approach among ordinary people, and Wei Yuan indeed intended to pick up a bargain; however, his method was not the usual kind because he was aiming for a significant bargain.
Although the price Wei Yuan offered had not yet approached the original price of the two pieces of jade, these two pieces, despite their inferior color and Green Veins, were still worth hundreds of thousands as Raw Jade Material. No matter how bad they were, they couldn't be worthless.
Wei Yuan knew that the price of these two Rough Stones was probably just under one hundred thousand. Of course, he didn't need to concern himself with the exact price because in his plan, the value of the jade that would be produced was not an issue.
The biggest question was what value could be derived from the stone fragments that made up this piece of jade—essentially its state before being opened up as Rough Stone.
Wei Yuan's focus was on his Repairing Ability. The Restorative Power from the Third Form had already yielded significant discoveries through his repeated experiments.
For instance, previously Wei Yuan had tried to help Lan Xue repair an Amulet that was a keepsake left by her parents before they passed away. Although it wasn't valuable, Wei Yuan captured her admiration through this act.
Later on, when his Repairing Ability entered its second form, Wei Yuan once found himself in a predicament where he shredded a hundred-dollar bill out of frustration. Using the second form's Restorative Power—at that time represented by Dark Ink-colored Mist—he completely restored the bill to its original condition.
Now that he has advanced to the Third Form of Restorative Power, Wei Yuan has certainly conducted similar experiments.
For example, he smashed a brick and then used the Third Form of Restorative Power to restore the brick to its original state once again.
This ability is equally effective when applied to Raw Jade Material. Although pure Rough Stone, which is expensive, is still relatively rare, it must at least appear to knowledgeable individuals as not being artificially manufactured. It should also have enough allure on the surface to make people think it is highly likely to be a piece of exceptional jadeite Rough Stone.
For instance, the piece that the woman purchased earlier had a very strong allure on its surface, causing her to grit her teeth and spend money, yet she still ended up losing out.
Another common situation involves a Rough Stone that has already been partially cut or is just missing the final polishing. If this occurs in the Jade Rough Stone Market, as long as someone nearby makes an offer, the Stone Cutting Master will typically ask for the owner's opinion to see if they want to continue cutting or sell it off.
Some less greedy individuals or those unwilling to take risks will decisively sell it off after making a substantial profit, passing it on to someone else willing to take another chance.
This second person naturally faces two possibilities as well.
Of course, since this Rough Stone has already revealed Green Veins, it won't result in total loss or be worthless. However, the purchase price is significantly higher than buying a Rough Stone outright.
Moreover, if they continue cutting and end up with a complete piece of exceptional jadeite, its value will soar, allowing them to make another substantial profit. However, if the Green Veins are impure or other issues arise, it could lead to significant depreciation; losses are also quite common.
For example, the woman's second stone was a second-hand Rough Stone that had not been fully cut but had Green Veins present. The asking price was 420,000.
Ultimately, it was sold for 400,000, but after cutting, the entire piece of jadeite was worth less than 40,000. This is why Wei Yuan dared to directly offer 50,000 for the woman's two pieces of jadeite.
This approach was learned from the fat man who had previously spent 900,000 on his own piece of jadeite. It fully demonstrated how to grasp the psychology of others during transactions.
Wei Yuan knew that both stones had been purchased for several hundred thousand but would struggle to sell for even 20% of their initial value after complete Jade Cutting.
In such situations, there are many bargain hunters like Wei Yuan who do this because they accurately understand the seller's psychology.
Gambling on Jade is inherently a risky venture, much like being in a casino. A gambler who has lost one million chips will not be satisfied with just winning back one hundred thousand in the last round; instead, they are likely to continue betting.
At this point, if they incur further losses, a typical person might immediately sell off their jade and purchase some other Raw Jade Material in hopes of recovering their initial investment. This reflects the classic gambler's mentality.
Additionally, there are individuals like this woman who appear to be generous but are merely experiencing a temporary obsession, believing they will surely uncover a piece of exquisite jade, only to be greatly disappointed.
In such moments of frustration, upon seeing two pieces of worthless stones revealed, she feels a surge of anger and refers to these stones in Jinghai Dialect as “Loser.”
This term implies something that brings bad luck or misfortune, so naturally, she does not want to keep them.
Wei Yuan aims to leverage the Gambling on Jade process by acquiring these jade pieces that have been deemed worthless and using Third Form's Restorative Power to restore them to their most valuable state before reselling them. To do this, he must first buy these so-called unlucky stones from the gamblers.
By reclaiming what others consider useless and unfortunate, then repairing and selling them at a high price, Wei Yuan believes he can quickly generate funds. Meanwhile, Cousin Xie Ge needs substantial capital for development, so he must earn as much money as possible in the shortest time.
This makes Wei Yuan feel like a typical businessman.
He aims to make the most money in the least amount of time, even if it means extracting value from someone who has lost everything due to Gambling on Jade.
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