Chapter 41: Sky-High Price
“Miss Xu, don’t act impulsively. If you’re not satisfied with the price, we can negotiate further,” the jade shop owner said.
Xu Youyou looked at him with a half-smile and said, “I’m not afraid to admit it—I’m actually opening a stone for the first time.”
The shop owner immediately seized the opportunity: “Since you’re a beginner, it’s best to quit while you’re ahead…”
Xu Youyou shook her head. “Precisely because I’m a beginner, the more experienced people tell me what to do, the more I shouldn’t follow their advice.”
The shop owner’s face instantly darkened—she was clearly calling him out as the “experienced one.”
After a long silence, he forced a dry smile and said, “I’m just looking out for you… I wouldn’t want you to lose money.”
Xu Youyou replied calmly, “It’s fine. It’s just a little money—I can afford to lose it.”
The crowd of stone gamblers had been watching their exchange. When they saw that the deal had collapsed, they immediately urged, “Boss, if she’s not selling, stop wasting time! Hurry up and finish cutting—we’re all waiting to see!”
The jade shop was filled with gamblers, and news spread fast. As soon as word got out that a high-quality jade stone had been revealed, people flooded in. Some even started live-streaming the event.
“Our livestream viewers are all waiting—hurry it up!”
As the audience grew, so did the number of buyers.
A bald man with a thick gold chain around his neck stepped forward and said, “Little lady, that Chen guy is trying to trick you. I won’t. Sell me this stone—I’ll offer 70 million!”
Xu Youyou glanced at him and shook her head. “I’m not selling now. Since it’s a gamble, I might as well go all the way.”
The bald man gave her a thumbs-up. “You’ve got guts, girl! You’ll make a fortune!”
Xu Youyou appreciated the compliment and nodded at him.
Seeing that she wouldn’t budge, the jade shop owner had no choice but to continue cutting.
By now, about a third of the original stone remained.
Having been in the jade industry for years, the owner had a gut feeling—once a seemingly worthless stone like this produced green, it would likely stay green all the way through. There was probably a huge jackpot inside.
And he was right.
Bit by bit, the cutting machine revealed more and more of the jade. Finally, as the entire stone was cleaned off, the spectators collectively gasped.
“This… This stone is huge! Is it over 100 pounds?”
“Probably not. I’d say 50 to 60 pounds.”
“It’s unbelievable! No cracks, perfect color—this is top-quality material!”
“Who finds imperial green jade in such massive chunks? Could this be a setup?”
“I doubt it. It’s her first time here, and she showed up in a luxury car with two bodyguards. Doesn’t seem like a scam.”
The stone was so shockingly valuable that the crowd erupted into speculation.
The shop owner carefully wiped off the last bit of moisture and placed it on a scale.
“25.51 kg—51 pounds,” he announced.
Xu Youyou quickly checked the market price for imperial green jade online. Depending on quality, it ranged from 5 to 20 million per pound. If crafted into jewelry, the price would double.
The shop owner felt bitter—he had been so close to buying this gem at half-opened value.
But Xu Youyou hadn’t sold, and she had made the right bet.
“Miss, are you selling this jade? Or are you keeping it for yourself?” the bald man asked urgently.
Xu Youyou knew she could earn more by having it crafted into jewelry. However, the jade industry was complicated, filled with scams and tricks, and she didn’t want the hassle.
“If the price is right, I’ll sell.”
The bald man was thrilled. “Good! Your jade has top-tier translucency. Even though it’s a large piece, the quality is perfect. I can’t lowball you, but I can’t overpay either. Plus, dumping so much imperial green jade into the market at once might lower prices.”
“10 million per kilogram—5.1 billion for the whole thing. I can transfer the money today. What do you say?”
Even for a wealthy man, paying 5 billion in one go wasn’t easy.
Xu Youyou hesitated, not agreeing right away.
Just then, another voice cut in from the crowd: “10 million per kilogram? That’s too low. For jade of this quality, I’ll offer 11 million!”
The bald man turned to see who had spoken and scowled. “Damn it, Sun Er! Why are you here to mess things up?”
Sun Er sneered. “Liu Baldy, if you don’t have enough money, don’t play the game. Quality jade should go to the highest bidder.”
As the two men argued, Xu Youyou remained calm, keeping an eye on her jade while waiting to see if more buyers would show up.
Sure enough, another bidder arrived.
This man had the demeanor of a seasoned player. He stopped the two bickering men and said, “Why fight over it? This stone is too big for one person to buy alone. Why don’t we split it three ways?”
Surprisingly, the two rivals agreed.
The man turned to Xu Youyou. “Miss, we’re serious about buying. We’re willing to offer a fair price—12.5 million per kilogram, making the total 6.375 billion. We’ll round it up to 6.4 billion. What do you think?”
Xu Youyou replied, “I’m not in a hurry for money. I’ll wait a bit longer.”
The man grew anxious, but despite all his persuasion, she refused to budge.
She only had to wait five more minutes.
A clear, confident voice rang out: “I’ll offer 10 billion, and I can transfer the money today.”
The crowd automatically parted, revealing a young woman in a white qipao. She looked only slightly older than Xu Youyou, with delicate features and an air of elegance. A string of imperial green jade beads around her neck added to her refined presence.
Xu Youyou felt an instant liking for her.
“Miss Xu, I’m Cen Mingzhu from Cen Jewelry. Pleased to meet you,” the woman said with a smile.
Xu Youyou asked, “You know me?”
“I saw you at the Cyril family’s banquet. You were with Mr. Lu at the time—you probably didn’t notice me,” Cen Mingzhu replied.
Xu Youyou suppressed her curiosity. This woman had boldly raised the bid by over 3 billion—clearly, she wasn’t an ordinary buyer.
“10 billion? You’re really willing to pay that much?” Xu Youyou asked.
Cen Mingzhu’s expression remained sincere. “Miss Xu, jade is always sold to the highest bidder. I won’t lie to you—your stone is worth every penny of that price.”
