Chapter Seventy-Seven: Buying Jade Stones

Chapter Seventy-Seven: Buying Jade

Now that the system had already given its answer, there was little left to ponder. Stone Bai activated the task that would keep him unharmed, called Old Li, and set off straight for the jewelry market.

The jewelry market was located in the northwest quarter of the ancient city, filled with rough jade stones, necklaces, and all manner of antiques and paintings—a true boulevard for collectors.

According to the blueprint’s requirements, he needed a red crystal and a piece of mutton-fat jade. This was the first place that came to Stone Bai’s mind.

He had intended to simply pay for what he needed, but upon arrival, the atmosphere immediately swept him up. With the system at his disposal, why not select something himself?

He approached a stall, where stones of every size and shape were piled high. Some had already been cut in half, revealing layers of vivid green jade.

The stall owner was a thin, dark-skinned middle-aged man with a sparse gray beard, his eyes sharp and sly like a fox.

Sizing Stone Bai up, the owner noted that he was no longer dressed in his school uniform but wore a simple, comfortable sports outfit. While not shabby, the clothing could hardly be called luxurious—barely worth five hundred yuan in total.

To the jade vendor, accustomed to dealing with wealthy patrons, Stone Bai looked no more than an ordinary youth. At eighteen, he was just another onlooker in the vendor’s eyes.

“Look, but don’t touch! If you break anything, you won’t be able to pay for it,” the owner said, hands on his hips, casting a sideways glance at Stone Bai.

Stone Bai smiled faintly, unperturbed. He casually picked up a stone and asked, “How much is your most expensive stone?”

The owner raised his brows and turned his face, “Thinking of buying, are you?”

Stone Bai shook his head. “No, I just want to take a look.”

“Then what are you doing here? I sell goods, not run a museum. Move along!” the vendor said impatiently, waving him off.

Stone Bai was about to respond when a group of men approached.

They all wore black T-shirts, sported crew cuts like upside-down pots, and had thick gold chains around their necks. Walking with their feet turned outwards, they resembled a troop of toads—clearly not the sort to be trifled with.

“Well, Boss Jin! Here to inspect some rough stones again?” The vendor craned his neck as he spoke.

Boss Jin stood about five foot seven, with a large head, thick neck, and a belly as round as if he were nine months pregnant.

He nodded, picked up a stone from the stall, weighed it in his hand. “What do you think of this one?”

The vendor smiled obsequiously. “Hard to say, we’ll have to cut it open to find out.”

Boss Jin’s crooked smile grew. Suddenly, he smashed the stone onto the ground with a loud crack.

A burst of bright green gleamed from the fragments.

“Ah!” the vendor exclaimed in excitement, “Boss Jin, your eye for jade is truly remarkable!”

Boss Jin smiled again, but said nothing about the stone, neither declaring it his nor obliging to buy. The vendor dared not press him for payment.

At that moment, Stone Bai picked up another stone from the stall, but before he could speak, the vendor barked, “Put that down! Do you even know what you’re grabbing? Can you afford it?”

Stone Bai smiled serenely. “I say it’s a ruby.”

Boss Jin, who was about to leave, froze mid-step when he heard Stone Bai’s words.

He sneered, “Kid, do you know what a ruby is? This stone only produces jade, never rubies. Rubies are found in completely different mines.”

The vendor quickly gave Boss Jin a thumbs-up. “Boss Jin is indeed learned! There’s no way this stone could yield a ruby. This kid is talking nonsense.”

Boss Jin’s entourage looked at Stone Bai with contempt.

Stone Bai, undisturbed, smiled and said, “I want to buy this stone. Name your price.”

The vendor glanced at Stone Bai, then at Boss Jin, and smirked, “Buying a stone? You? Why don’t you run home and get your parents? Wouldn’t want anyone accusing me of bullying a child.”

With years of business behind him, the vendor had seen plenty of impulsive youngsters. He didn’t take Stone Bai seriously.

Stone Bai chuckled. “Just tell me how much.”

“Oh!” The vendor looked at Boss Jin, then replied to Stone Bai, “What’s this? Looks like you’ve got plenty of pocket money?”

Stone Bai laughed heartily. Was he supposed to tell them he had billions in “pocket money”? Instead, he said, “Why so many words? You’re not very straightforward for a businessman. Just one sentence: how much?”

Boss Jin, hands on his hips, stared at Stone Bai with curiosity for a long moment before raising a finger. “Ten thousand.”

He knew the material better than anyone—cut open, it would undoubtedly be “dragon fruit,” worthless even if thrown on the roadside. It had sat on the stall for ages without attracting a single serious look. Yet Stone Bai wanted it. Well, if the kid was eager, he’d make sure to squeeze him.

Given Stone Bai was a student, he probably couldn’t pay much, so after some thought, Boss Jin named what seemed an appropriate price—ten thousand, ready for bargaining.

Sure enough, Stone Bai said, “Ten thousand for this stone?”

The vendor smiled. “Knew you couldn’t pay. I’ll go lower—five thousand! Generous, right? I just cut it in half for you.”

Stone Bai smiled. “Five thousand? You’re selling this inconspicuous thing for five thousand? Do you really think I don’t know its value? One thousand.”

Boss Jin burst out laughing. “Interesting!”

The others looked at Stone Bai as if he were an idiot and laughed.

The vendor looked around and saw his audience was keen for a deal, so he responded briskly, “Fine! One thousand it is!”

After all, this fist-sized stone was unlikely to be valuable.

Stone Bai handed over the money without hesitation. The vendor was surprised Stone Bai actually had that much cash, but with the transaction complete, he counted the money and said, “Alright, the stone is yours now.”

Just then, Boss Jin broke into laughter, clapping Stone Bai on the shoulder. “Kid, you’re about to get beaten to death by your parents—spending a thousand on a paving stone!”

The crowd erupted in laughter, watching Stone Bai as if he were a foolish donkey.

“This kid really is clueless, paying up without knowing anything.”

“He’s going to get a thrashing from his parents for sure.”

“Do you even know what this material is? In our trade, it’s called ‘dragon fruit’!”

“Dragon fruit?”

“That’s right—cut it open, it’s white inside.”

“Really? Ha ha ha…”

“Kid,” Boss Jin said, “you’d better go buy some ointment—you’ll need it after your parents beat you raw.”

The laughter swelled again.

The vendor smirked, pocketed the money, and said to Stone Bai, “Kid, don’t blame me. You insisted, and I even gave you a discount. This is fair trade—one willing buyer, one willing seller.”

Some in the crowd were already preparing to leave; watching someone get swindled wasn’t particularly entertaining.

“I certainly don’t blame you,” Stone Bai replied unexpectedly. “Not only do I not blame you, I should thank you. Because—I’ve struck it rich!”

The crowd was stunned. Had the kid lost his mind, been pushed over the edge? How could a paving stone possibly be worth anything?

Boss Jin clapped Stone Bai’s shoulder. “Kid, if you need to cry, just let it out. Don’t bottle it up and hurt yourself. If it gets too bad, head to the hospital—just five hundred meters east, there’s a good psychiatric ward.”

The crowd laughed again.

Stone Bai glanced at Boss Jin and suddenly inhaled sharply. “Does your groin hurt?”