My Mother-in-Law Gifted Me a Building

"Sixth Master, why do you want to bid on it? Do you also think it contains jade?" Chu Feng asked with a frown.

"That’s right. Based on my many years of experience with jade, the chances of this raw stone yielding jade are very high. And there should be quite a bit of it, too," Zhao Liu said.

"Brother Chu, you shouldn’t miss out on such a fine piece. After all, you don’t often find jade of this size," Zhao Liu added, trying to persuade him.

However, Chu Feng shook his head and said, "I’m not going to bid on it. And Sixth Master, it would be best if you didn’t either."

Hearing this, Zhao Liu frowned. He looked at Chu Feng and asked, "Brother Chu, what do you mean by that? Is there something wrong with the stone?"

"Yes, I just think something’s a little off about it," Chu Feng said.

"What’s off about it? You think it won’t yield any jade? Or is it something else?" Zhao Liu pressed.

You could tell from his expression that he was very eager to win this raw stone.

"It will yield jade, but there’s just something wrong with it. I still think you should pass on it, Sixth Master," Chu Feng continued.

He didn’t want to say too much and give himself away. ’I’ve given my warning. If he doesn’t listen, it’s not my fault.’

Besides, Zhao Liu was rich. What did it matter if he lost a little? For someone like Zhao Liu, this amount of money was just a drop in the bucket.

Soon, the auction began.

The moment it started, someone immediately placed a high bid.

"Seventeen million!"

"Eighteen million!"

"Twenty million!"

"Twenty-three million!"

In no time, the price had soared to twenty-three million.

Zhao Liu watched the price skyrocket, his face filled with hesitation. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to give up or keep bidding.

Chu Feng watched these suckers continuously drive up the price. He was speechless and had nothing more to say.

’That’s just how stone gambling is. One cut can make you rich, the next can make you poor. You can’t talk anyone out of it.’

’Besides, if I talked him out of it and it turned out to contain jade, he’d just end up resenting me.’

"Thirty million!" Zhao Liu suddenly blurted out a bid.

After a moment of hesitation and internal struggle, he had finally made his move.

He actually trusted Chu Feng a great deal, but Chu Feng hadn’t given him a particularly convincing reason to back down.

Plus, Chu Feng himself had said it would yield jade—just that something was "off" about it. As for what was off, Chu Feng couldn’t explain.

On top of that, Zhao Liu had a good feeling about it himself. So, after some thought, he decided to take the gamble.

However, as soon as he made his bid, someone else immediately topped it.

Zhao Liu’s expression darkened. He hadn’t expected someone else to dare to keep bidding, and the price was fast approaching forty-five million.

"Fifty million!" Zhao Liu bid directly.

’My gut feeling has to be right. It’s definitely going to produce jade.’

’If it yields a high-quality, glass-type imperial jadeite, a piece this big could be worth hundreds of millions.’

However, just as Zhao Liu was about to bid again, his phone rang.

"Sixth Master, your bidding is pretty ruthless, huh? Jumping up by millions at a time," a voice said from the other end of the line.

With his sharp hearing, Chu Feng easily overheard the call.

"Old Jiang, what’s up? You want it too?" Zhao Liu said with a laugh.

"Yeah, I really want this stone. You know I’m in this business, and lately, I haven’t been able to get my hands on any good stock. It’s been tough," the man called Old Jiang lamented from the other end of the line.

"Sixth Master, do me a favor and let me have this one. Things have been really tough for me recently. How about I owe you one?" Old Jiang on the other end of the line continued.

Hearing this, Zhao Liu began to hesitate.

He turned to look at Chu Feng, who was already looking at him and gave a slight nod.

He had been hesitant before, worried that if he really did win the auction for this stone, he might end up losing a fortune.

After all, Chu Feng had warned him.

Ever since he’d known Chu Feng, it seemed the man had never been wrong. Basically, whatever he said would come true.

So, Old Jiang’s call only made his wavering resolve even stronger.

He might as well take this opportunity to do the man a favor.

"Alright, Old Jiang. Since you’re in a tough spot, I’ll let you have the stone. I’m out," Zhao Liu said.

He had made up his mind. Although a part of him was reluctant, he gritted his teeth and stuck to his decision.

"Great! Thanks, Sixth Master! I’ll treat you to some hundred-year-old Guojiao when I get the chance," Old Jiang said, laughing happily.

"Hahaha, alright! I’ll be waiting for that hundred-year-old Guojiao. But Old Jiang, let me give you a word of warning. With stone gambling, you never know the odds. You’d better be careful. I hope you strike it rich this time and make a big name for your company again," Zhao Liu said.

"With your blessing, Sixth Master, I’m sure I’ll find some fine jade today!" Old Jiang laughed heartily.

Then he hung up. Zhao Liu had decided not to bid any further.

Soon after, the other party won the raw stone with a bid of fifty-one million.

At that price, basically no one else dared to bid.

Any higher and the risk would be too great. After all, it was very possible you wouldn’t even break even, and might even lose a substantial amount.

After Old Jiang won the stone, the auction came to a temporary close. It was already five o’clock, and everyone needed a break. The auction would resume in the evening.

Soon, the stonecutters in the venue were busy at work.

After all, there were so many raw stones to be cut, and each one was quite large, making the process rather troublesome.

Before long, a pot-bellied old man walked into Zhao Liu’s private room.

The man wore several large jade thumb rings on his hands and a jade pendant around his neck.

He had the distinct look of the nouveau riche—clearly a man of wealth.

This was Old Jiang, the man who had called Zhao Liu earlier.

"Sixth Master, my thanks," Old Jiang said, cupping his fists respectfully at Zhao Liu.

"Ah, it’s nothing. Don’t mention it. By the way, why don’t you have the stone cut open now? It’d be a treat for my eyes," Zhao Liu said.

"Of course! Even if you hadn’t asked, Sixth Master, I was going to invite you to watch it being cut," Old Jiang said with a smile.

He quickly beckoned over a stonecutter from behind him.

"This is Old Mo. He’s a master craftsman with fifty years of experience. A true veteran!" Old Jiang said to Zhao Liu.

Behind the man called Old Mo stood two young men who looked so much alike you could tell at a glance they were his sons.

After all, if you were good at it, you could make a lot of money in the stone-cutting business.

Experienced masters, in particular, would usually pass their craft down to their sons.