Chapter 39: First Come, First Served

Chapter 39: First Come, First Served

Compared to Qingzhou, where there were only a handful of jadeite shops on the antique street, the jadeite trade in Yue Dong had long since evolved into an entire street, vastly outstripping the scale of the Qingzhou market.

There were dozens of shops dealing in rough jadeite, large and small, with the Li family’s store being the most prominent. It was not only the largest shop on the street but also boasted the largest inventory, including the highest quality old-pit stones. It was the undisputed leader of the entire jadeite street.

Upon arriving at the street, one could immediately see a constant stream of people flowing back and forth—a stark contrast to the desolate scene in Qingzhou.

"Although the Yue Dong jadeite market is large, it isn't always this crowded. Today is particularly busy because it is the first day of the pre-exhibition," Shen Yuxuan explained. "The pre-exhibition lasts seven days: the first three days are for viewing, the fourth day is for bidding, and the final three days are for announcing the results."

This format was quite similar to the Myanmar Gem Emporium, which had served as a model for domestic events. While the Yue Dong pre-exhibition was not on the same level as the Myanmar Emporium in terms of scale or transaction volume, it was still a significant event within the country, attracting jadeite merchants from all across China.

"Ah Hai, go and collect the exhibition's rough stone catalog," Shen Yuxuan instructed Zhou Hai, who was standing beside her.

"Understood." Zhou Hai nodded slightly and walked toward the exhibition area.

"Little Yang, you should take a look at the stones in this exhibition as well. Although this trip is mainly for you to gain experience, feel free to pick out a few to try your hand at. The company will cover the cost," Shen Yuxuan said.

"Very well." Yang Qi nodded slightly. In reality, the stones featured in the exhibition were the main attraction. One had to remember that the merchants operating these shops were no amateurs when it came to gambling on stones.

The Li family, for instance, employed a master stone gambler and two individuals nearing that level of expertise. The fully enclosed and semi-enclosed stones selected for the exhibition were all carefully curated by them, so the quality was naturally high.

This was why many large jewelry companies focused their attention directly on the exhibition stones. Because these pieces had been screened through multiple layers of selection and further vetted by their own consultants, the probability of finding high-quality jadeite was much higher.

However, Shen Jewelry’s former consultant had already left, and Yang Qi had not yet fully matured. With the arrival of Liu Xiangnan, Shen Yuxuan didn't hold high hopes for the exhibition stones; she was mostly hoping to purchase some pre-cut jadeite to keep the business running.

Soon, led by Shen Yuxuan, the group arrived at the Li family’s shop.

Compared to other stores, the Li family’s shop was several times larger. While a typical shop occupied only a few dozen square meters—with units over a hundred square meters being rare—the Li family’s establishment spanned seven or eight hundred square meters. It was equivalent to the size of seven or eight large shops combined, and it occupied the most prosperous location on the entire street.

"Almost all the shops in this market are rented and managed by the Yue Dong Jade Association. Only the Li family’s shop is their own private property. This building alone is worth over one hundred million," Shen Yuxuan remarked.

This Li family was truly formidable!

Yang Qi felt a sense of awe. While other merchants were mere tenants, the Li family owned their own premises. This alone spoke volumes about their standing on the jadeite street.

Inside, the stones were divided into distinct zones based on whether they were from new or old pits and their price ranges. There was even a separate section for semi-enclosed stones. The classification and the decor were leagues ahead of the smaller shops.

"It truly lives up to its reputation as the largest shop," Yang Qi sighed. Compared to this, the shop where he had first gambled on stones in Qingzhou was not even worth mentioning.

"Manager Shen." Having received news of her arrival, Li Yun approached. As the manager of the Li family’s shop, his personal appearance was a great gesture of respect toward Shen Jewelry.

Shen Yuxuan nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

"Mr. Yang, our shop just received a batch of stones from Myanmar. Would you like to take a look?" Li Yun asked, turning his attention to Yang Qi.

"I’ll wander around for a bit first. We don't have shops of this scale in Qingzhou," Yang Qi said with a smile.

"Please, make yourself at home, Mr. Yang." Li Yun nodded, then turned to Shen Yuxuan. "Manager Shen, would you like to try your luck?"

"Since I'm here, I might as well," Shen Yuxuan replied. As the head of Shen Jewelry, she knew how to gamble on stones, though her skill level was modest. Still, it was a pleasant pastime.

The group split up. Yang Qi headed toward the new-pit stone section and began to browse. To him, the distinction between new and old pits mattered little; the only thing that mattered was the presence of jadeite.

He had to admit, the Li family’s inventory was not only larger in variety and quantity but significantly better in quality. Before long, Yang Qi had already identified a stone containing spiritual energy.

"One piece of jadeite secured," Yang Qi smiled to himself and continued his search.

Suddenly, he stopped in front of a stone. This fully enclosed piece, about the size of a human head, was not particularly impressive in appearance. However, Yang Qi sensed a peculiar aura emanating from it.

"A life force aura?" Yang Qi frowned slightly. The stone contained an intense aura of vitality, something he had never sensed in any jadeite before.

"Could it be a rare treasure?" His eyes brightened. According to the inheritance of the Great Emperor Hao Yang, he knew that certain rare treasures possessed very unique auras.

Ordinarily, a stone should contain heaven and earth energy, but this one contained a potent life force, which was clearly not the aura of a standard pseudo-energy crystal.

"Whether it’s a treasure or not, this powerful vitality alone makes it worth the purchase." Without a moment’s hesitation, Yang Qi placed the stone into his cart.

These new-pit stones cost only a few thousand yuan, a negligible amount for Yang Qi now. If the cultivators of the Tianwu Continent knew that one could potentially acquire a rare treasure for a few thousand yuan, they would surely go mad.

As he continued to browse, his cart filled up with six or seven stones. The most expensive was only a few tens of thousands, while the cheapest was only three or four thousand. This was only possible because it was the Li family’s shop; elsewhere, it might have been even cheaper.

"Huh? That stone over there also contains heaven and earth energy." Sensing the energy in a nearby stone, Yang Qi’s eyes lit up, and he quickly walked over.

Just as he reached out to pick it up, a figure suddenly blocked his path.

"Kid, don't you know the meaning of first come, first served?" A displeased voice rang out simultaneously.

"It’s you!" Yang Qi looked up. The person blocking him was none other than Wu Shan, and standing beside him was a tall, burly man—one of the bodyguards accompanying Liu Xiangnan.