46: Chapter 46 The Deal

"1.8 kilograms of flawless, crack-free high-ice-grade Imperial Green!"

A gasp erupted from the crowd, filled with shock.

Someone held a powerful flashlight close to examine it, and the light penetrated the rich green, reflecting a crystal-clear transparency. Even the tinyTexture under the stone's skin were clearly visible, making the material appear even more peerless.

"This material could easily yield several full-green bracelets and a few top-grade pendants, doubling its value. It's truly a rough stone seen once in a decade!"

An old connoisseur, whose hair and beard were completely white, spoke with a trembling voice, his eyes glued to the rough stone, his face filled with uncontrollable excitement and regret.

The few people who had been wantonly mocking Jiang Chen earlier now felt their cheeks burning, wishing they could find a hole to crawl into.

They hunched their shoulders, their gazes evasive, their initial mockery and schadenfreude completely replaced by shock and awe. They no longer dared to show even a hint of disdain.

And Boss Wang from Stall 12 had turned as pale as paper, his legs giving out, almost collapsing onto the ground.

He clutched his hair tightly with both hands, beating his chest and stomping his feet, his voice choked with sobs, completely consumed by extreme collapse and regret.

"I was blind! I actually sold Imperial Green as scrap! Twenty-eight thousand... This is the biggest regret of my life!"

Wails of regret echoed at the edge of the crowd, but no one offered much sympathy. All eyes were fixed on Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen reached out and gently picked up the rough stone from which the Imperial Green had been cut.

The cool, smooth texture was palpable, and the rich, pure green shimmered in the sunlight, as if containing a deep pool of verdant beauty, breathtakingly stunning.

Before he could speak, the surrounding jade merchants and collectors were already scrambling forward, their bidding voices rising and falling, a cacophony that almost drowned out the clamor of Jade City.

"Young man! I'll offer 3.8 million! I'm the owner of Jiangcheng Cuibaozhai, I've been in the jade business for twenty years, and I'll transfer the money on the spot, no delays!"

A pot-bellied middle-aged man shouted, his eyes eager, afraid that he would be too slow and someone else would snatch it.

"3.8 million? How dare you even offer that? Young man, my Yuyuan Pavilion offers 4 million! I want this piece to be our store's treasure, just displaying it will attract countless customers!"

Another well-dressed boss immediately raised the price, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"4.2 million! High-ice-grade Imperial Green is a rare find, I must have it!"

"4.5 million! I specialize in high-end jewelry customization, this price is solid, no false bids!"

The price soared, each increase drawing gasps from the entire crowd.

Several powerful local jewelers refused to give way, and the competition instantly entered a white-hot stage.

"4.7 million!" The middle-aged boss in a custom suit stood up, his aura fully unleashed, his gaze locked onto the rough stone.

"4.8 million!" The old connoisseur from the neighboring stall immediately followed, not giving an inch, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.

"4.9 million!" The white-haired elderly collector slowly spoke, his voice steady and powerful, yet unable to hide the urgency in his eyes.

The atmosphere on site had reached its peak, the hum of cutting machines and the shouts of vendors becoming background noise.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes collectively fixed on Jiang Chen, awaiting the final gavel.

Just then, from the back of the crowd, a composed middle-aged man in a custom-made suit, wearing a Patek Philippe watch, slowly walked forward.

He was followed by two assistants, clearly indicating his extraordinary status.

The man's keen gaze fixed on the rough stone, swept over the Imperial Green on the cut surface, then noted its 1.8-kilogram weight, and he clearly stated his bid, word by word.

"I offer 5 million! This is the highest actual market price right now; any higher and there's no profit margin. You all understand the intricacies of this business."

As his words fell, the entire venue instantly quieted.

The other bidders shook their heads and sighed, looking troubled, and withdrew their intentions to raise the price.

5 million was already the market ceiling for this 1.8-kilogram high-ice-grade Imperial Green.

Every jeweler knew perfectly well that buying it for 5 million, then investing heavily in subsequent cutting, design, processing, and operation, would leave the profit margin extremely thin.

If they added another hundred thousand or eighty thousand, they would likely lose money directly, purely working for someone else's benefit.

In the face of realistic profits, even the most fervent admiration had to completely calm down.

Jiang Chen held the chilling high-ice-grade Imperial Green rough stone, the coolness from his fingertips remarkably clear amidst the noise.

He looked up and surveyed the densely packed crowd, his gaze calm and composed, without any trace of triumphant arrogance, only a steady confidence that everything was under control.

Seeing that the bidding had temporarily stopped at 5 million, he slightly raised his voice, clear and penetrating, like a clap of thunder, quieting the scattered discussions in the venue.

"This gentleman has offered 5 million. Are there any other bosses willing to continue bidding?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of the previously eager jewelers and collectors showed hesitation, conflict, and difficulty.

The owner of Jiangcheng Cuibaozhai pinched his chin, his brows tightly furrowed, his fingers unconsciously tapping his palm, rapidly calculating in his mind: 5 million is already the top price, any higher would be pure loss of hard-earned money, no need.

The old connoisseur from Yuyuan Pavilion also sighed and shook his head, whispering to the person beside him, "Buying it for 5 million, all the profit is hard-earned money. Any higher wouldn't be worth it."

The white-haired elderly collector who had just bid 4.9 million gently waved his hand, giving Jiang Chen a helpless smile.

"Young man, it's not that I don't want to bid higher. 5 million is already the absolute ceiling. Any higher, it wouldn't make sense for me to take it back. I'll concede at this price and let this friend have it."

A chorus of low agreements rose from the crowd, all voices of affirmation.

"It's definitely topped out; any more would be a loss."

"Buying it for 5 million, you only earn a bit of hard-earned money, no need to fight over it."

"This young man's luck is absolutely incredible. Selling this piece for 5 million, he's made a fortune."

Jiang Chen waited quietly for more than ten seconds, but no one in the venue raised their hand or called out a new price.

The once fervent bidding had completely subsided, leaving only sighs and envious glances.

Seeing this, he nodded slightly, his gaze returning to the middle-aged man who had offered 5 million, his voice formal and resolute: "Deal!"

As the last two words fell, the entire venue instantly erupted in an uncontrollable gasp of admiration and applause, more enthusiastic than any previous price increase.

Some people took out their phones and frantically snapped photos of Jiang Chen and the rough stone.

Others bumped elbows, exclaiming that they had personally witnessed a stone gambling feast today. The entire first floor of Jade City was completely abuzz because of this astonishing cut.

Mr. Lin, who had bid 5 million, quickly stepped forward, unable to hide his excitement and satisfaction. He extended his hand to Jiang Chen, his tone warm.

"Little brother, what keen insight and good luck! My surname is Lin, and I do high-end custom jade business. If you have good materials in the future, remember to contact me first. I'll definitely give you the top price!"

"Mr. Lin, you're too kind."

Jiang Chen reached out and lightly shook his hand, his demeanor calm and neither humble nor arrogant.

Without any unnecessary small talk, Mr. Lin immediately took out his phone, opened the bank's large transfer interface, and quickly operated with his fingertips.

Jiang Chen provided his bank card number, and in just two minutes, his phone chimed twice with crisp deposit notifications.

He opened the message and a familiar Jiangcheng Bank SMS prominently appeared.

[Jiangcheng Bank] Your account ending in 9985 has received an interbank transfer: 5,000,000.00 yuan. Account balance: 7,621,780.60 yuan.

From a rough stone cost of 28,800 yuan to a net profit of 5 million.

In less than an hour, a nearly two-hundred-fold exorbitant profit was securely pocketed.

Even Jiang Chen, with his steady composure, showed a subtle, almost imperceptible gleam in his eyes when he saw this string of numbers.

Boss Wang, nearby, had already collapsed in a corner, completely distraught, repeatedly muttering, "Five million... Imperial Green... I lost a fortune."

Those players who had mocked Jiang Chen earlier stood far outside the crowd, their faces filled with envy and shame, not even daring to make eye contact.

Mr. Lin carefully took the Imperial Green rough stone from Jiang Chen's hands, as if cradling a rare treasure, repeatedly caressing the cut surface, unable to put it down, continuously exclaiming in admiration.

"A peerless material, a truly peerless material!"

He immediately instructed his accompanying assistants to properly store the material, wrapping it in special velvet cloth, fearing any bumps or damage.

The surrounding people still gathered, continuously praising Jiang Chen, with an endless stream of compliments, business cards being handed out, and requests to add WeChat.

"Young man, your eye for this is amazing! You're truly deep and hidden!"

"He's practically a new star in the stone gambling world! He's sure to achieve great things in the future!"

"Little brother, if you have good materials in the future, be sure to let me know first. I'll buy them at a high price!"

Jiang Chen merely nodded politely, not lingering too long.

He put away his bank card and transfer receipt, then turned and calmly walked through the still bustling crowd.