Chapter 16: The Bidding

Hearing the surrounding murmurs, Yang Qi finally came to his senses. It wasn’t that this jadeite was worthless; on the contrary, it was so valuable that it startled everyone, which explained why no one had bid immediately.

Qingzhou didn’t even have a dedicated raw jade market—there were only a few raw jade shops scattered along the antique street. With so few shops, the chances of encountering exquisite jadeite were naturally slim. High-grade jadeite like emerald jadeite was rare even in established raw jade markets, let alone on Qingzhou’s antique street, where such treasures might appear only a handful of times a year.

“Emerald jadeite, it’s really emerald jadeite!” The woman in the sky-blue short-sleeved shirt was taken aback, hardly daring to believe it. Ice-type jadeite was considered mid to high-end, and emerald jadeite was undoubtedly top-tier.

If she had previously only suspected Yang Qi was a skilled jade gambler, at this moment, she was certain: Yang Qi was a true master of jade gambling. All four stones had appreciated significantly in value, and among them appeared an emerald jadeite of such caliber—this was no mere stroke of luck!

“I want that emerald jadeite, and so do I, Shen Yuxuan!” The woman glanced at the jade revealing platform. Just one look at the emerald jadeite, her gaze immediately fixed on Yang Qi.

Shen Yuxuan was the head of Shen Jewelry, which was currently facing a severe crisis. High-end jadeite was in extremely short supply. For Shen Jewelry, renowned throughout Qingchuan Province, this shortage was a devastating blow. While a single emerald jadeite could somewhat alleviate the crisis, it was but a drop in the ocean. Compared to that, a jade gambling expert capable of revealing an emerald jadeite—though not a grandmaster—was worth far more than the gem itself.

Unbeknownst to Yang Qi, not only was his jadeite being eyed by others, but he himself was now the target of someone’s interest—and that someone was a stunning beauty.

“Two million.”

“Two million and you think you can take this emerald jadeite?” A disdainful voice emerged. A slightly stout middle-aged man smiled faintly. “Let me start the bidding for everyone: two million six hundred thousand!”

A sharp intake of breath.

Yang Qi sucked in a breath. This emerald jadeite was even smaller than half a cigarette pack. Though he had guessed from everyone’s shock that it wouldn’t be cheap, the starting bid of two million six hundred thousand was nearly equal to the total price of the three jadeites he had previously revealed!

“Three million!”

A cold, clear voice sounded—it was Shen Yuxuan.

“Three million and fifty thousand.”

“Three million one hundred thousand.”

Compared to Shen Yuxuan’s bold bids, others became noticeably cautious once the price passed three million.

“Three million five hundred thousand!” Shen Yuxuan raised the bid again.

“So extravagant!” Yang Qi glanced toward Shen Yuxuan, feeling a surge of admiration. Incrementing by fifty thousand each time, her bidding was truly commanding.

With Shen Yuxuan’s latest bid, many around smiled wryly. Those in the jadeite trade naturally knew her and were aware of Shen Jewelry’s current predicament and the severe shortage of high-end jadeite. Buying this emerald jadeite for three million five hundred thousand left little profit after labor and shop costs. Competing with Shen Yuxuan was tough indeed.

“Three million six hundred thousand!”

After a moment, a voice came from the crowd, followed by a man in a suit stepping forward.

Seeing the newcomer, Shen Yuxuan’s brow furrowed, her expression darkening.

“People from Liu Jewelry too? This just got interesting.”

“I heard Liu Jewelry took advantage of Shen Hongyi’s serious illness to poach Shen Jewelry’s jade gambling master and then pressured Shen Jewelry, causing their current troubles.”

“If Shen Jewelry wants this emerald jadeite, they’ll have to pay a price.”

Martial artists had keener senses than most, and despite the noise, Yang Qi clearly heard this. He understood that the woman in the sky-blue shirt and the suited man represented competing companies.

Yang Qi had no interest in their feud. On the contrary, competition between the two firms meant the emerald jadeite’s value would maximize, which pleased him.

“Three million seven hundred thousand!”

This time, Shen Yuxuan refrained from the usual fifty thousand increment—after all, even Shen Jewelry wouldn’t operate at a loss.

“Three million seven hundred fifty thousand!” The suited man responded promptly, raising the bid by a mere fifty thousand.

“Three million eight hundred thousand!” Shen Yuxuan’s face darkened further; this price left almost no profit.

“Three million eight hundred fifty thousand.” The suited man spoke again.

Though this bid left little to no profit, compared to the emerald jadeite falling into Shen Jewelry’s hands, even a break-even deal wouldn’t bring company reprimand.

Shen Yuxuan did not raise her bid again. Seeing this, the suited man’s face showed a trace of triumph.

“Four million!” After a pause, Shen Yuxuan bid once more.

A ripple of surprise swept through the crowd. Four million was a staggering figure. Even if Shen Jewelry acquired it, they wouldn’t make a profit; they’d barely cover labor and shop costs.

Four million?

At this moment, Yang Qi was elated. With two companies bidding against each other, the final price would benefit him. Without their rivalry, the price might have capped at three to three-point-seven million, but now it soared to four million!

Upon hearing the four million bid, the suited man hesitated. Purchasing the emerald jadeite at four million almost guaranteed a loss. Unlike Shen Yuxuan, he was merely a senior employee at Liu Jewelry. If he could buy without losing money, the company would praise him; if not, the consequences would be severe.

“If Liu Jewelry can offer a higher price, take the emerald jadeite then,” Shen Yuxuan said calmly.

The suited man was unsure whether she was bluffing but dared not gamble; he could not afford defeat.

“Since Shen Jewelry is willing to buy it at a loss, there’s no need to compete with you,” the suited man scoffed, refraining from further bidding.

Hearing this, Shen Yuxuan breathed a sigh of relief. Though a single emerald jadeite was but a drop in the bucket, it was better than nothing. While the purchase might not yield profit, such high-grade jadeite was not something sold in a day or two. Owning one would at least help ease Shen Jewelry’s current crisis.

“Congratulations, brother. You’ve made seven million in a blink,” the middle-aged man said to Yang Qi with a smile.

“Likewise,” Yang Qi suppressed his excitement and smiled in response.

“Likewise, likewise.” The middle-aged man nodded. With Yang Qi’s four consecutive wins, many people had begun entering the shop to select jade gambling stones, a stark contrast to the previous deserted scene.

“I’ve already arranged for the contract to be sent over. Why don’t we head to a nearby hotel and wait for a moment?” Shen Yuxuan stepped forward.

Yang Qi nodded, exchanged contact information with the middle-aged man, and left the raw jade shop with Shen Yuxuan.

“Brother Yang, I’m from Chen Jewelry…”

“Brother Yang, I’m from Zhou Jewelry…”

Before they had even left the shop, several men approached, handing Yang Qi their business cards, leaving him bewildered. As the saying goes, “One does not refuse a smiling face asking for a handout.” Yang Qi collected every card without exception.

Finally out of the crowd and escorted by two of Shen Yuxuan’s bodyguards, they headed to a hotel beside the antique street.