The second update is here; asking for monthly tickets and genuine subscriptions, thank you~~

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"Damn, Fourth Brother is going to hit it big this time..."

Not only was Qin Fang a bit dumbfounded, even his roommates, except for Xiao Nan, were left stunned after hearing one high bid after another. It took them a good while to come back to their senses, mumbling subconsciously.

If the previous bet, where a piece of glass jadeite was sold for over four million, had nothing to do with them, this time they had a firsthand experience, after all, the jadeite was born in their very hands.

"Three hundred and twenty thousand!"

"Three hundred and thirty thousand!"

"..."

The bidding continued, but once the price passed three hundred thousand, it slowed down. It seemed that this time the price was reaching its limit, which was more than ten times higher than the previous piece.

"Young man, before you call it sold, this old man really can't help but put in a word."

Pondering whether Qin Fang would call it sold just like last time, Master Jieshi, who had been circling the jadeite that already had a window cut into it, seemed quite optimistic about the stone and couldn't help but speak to Qin Fang.

Qin Fang indeed did not rush to call it sold this time, which was understandable. Although the increments of the bids were getting smaller, every additional call could mean an extra ten to twenty thousand in income for him, naturally, it couldn't be compared to the previous stone.

"Master, please speak."

However, hearing Master Jieshi talk as if he had some advice to give, Qin Fang immediately responded very politely.

"This stone, although it was you guys who started cutting it, there is no difference as if I had done it myself. After scraping this layer off, I found that the stone is very fine. If we cut here and it turns out green, the value could triple..."

Master Jieshi pointed to the initial cut line he had marked. At that time, Shen Yang was just short of reaching it, but the Master timely called a stop to it.

Now it appears that Master Jieshi had a reason to stop it, probably worried that continuing the cut from there could cause it to collapse, so he changed directions.

Bringing it up now was simply out of the goodwill of a professional.

If they cut there and the value increased, naturally the price could more than triple. But if it collapsed, then Qin Fang's three hundred thousand could potentially drop to thirty thousand, or even less.

This was the true meaning of "one cut heaven, one cut hell."

To bet, or not to bet.

A hesitation that didn't exist before, emerged after Master Jieshi's kind reminder.

Qin Fang's initial intention was not to bet, to just sell the jadeite that had the window cut, a trait stemming from his modest family background.

But there seemed to be a strong voice inside Qin Fang urging him to take this gamble.

"What do you think? Will you take this bet?"

Seeing Qin Fang's indecision, Xiao Nan walked over, patted Qin Fang's shoulder, and asked him. At this point, it was up to Qin Fang's own decision, even if Xiao Nan was wealthy, he couldn't step in at this time.

If the bet paid off, that was one thing, but if it collapsed, irreparable rifts could develop between brothers.

"Yeah! I'll take this bet..."

And indeed, Qin Fang, who had been hesitating, made up his mind after that pat. "Master, please keep an eye on it for me, I'll do it myself..."

While the others were still considering and shouting their bids, they suddenly saw Qin Fang put his glasses back on and approach the jadeite with the sander in hand again.

"That young man is going to cut again!"

"Truly, a newborn calf is not afraid of tigers!"

As soon as Qin Fang started moving, the onlookers who had been focused on the unfolding scene revived with interest.

They were watching for a bet to pay off or collapse. If it paid off, they would be insanely jealous, but if it collapsed, they'd inevitably have some snide remarks.

Especially now, with Qin Fang considering what price to sell at one moment, and then wanting to take another bet the next, it could only be described as the audacity of a newborn calf who is not afraid of tigers.

If it truly collapsed, then it would be a thrill ride from heaven to hell indeed.

"Fourth Brother, think it through carefully..."

Xiao Nan didn't try to deter him, but the other roommates couldn't help but advise him. Over thirty thousand was no small sum, especially for a student just starting university, it was a fortune.

"Thanks, brothers! No need to persuade me, I know what I'm doing!"

Qin Fang politely declined his brothers' well-meaning offers and walked over to the rough stone, carrying the grinder. In truth, his own heart was racing with nervousness. If he hadn't forcefully composed himself, continuously practicing his Breathing Technique to steady the breath in his chest, he might have been trembling at this moment.

"Young man, I was just saying, you should reconsider this!"

Master Jieshi couldn't help but interject a reminder, though he continued to keep his eyes glued to the piece of rough stone despite his words.

This behavior provoked Qin Fang to roll his eyes. Clearly, the other party was trying to absolve himself of any responsibility; if the gamble indeed failed, he didn't want Qin Fang to make trouble for him.

Yet with so many onlookers, he had indeed suggested Qin Fang could make another cut, and, at the same time, he had also voiced his opposition in the end. All had witnessed this, so even if the gamble failed, nobody could put the blame on him.

"Don't worry, Master, I've made up my mind. Whether the value goes up or down, it's all down to my own luck now..."

Despite inwardly scorning the master stonecutter, Qin Fang's spoken response remained extremely courteous. He wasn't one to be unreasonable; everything hinged on this one cut.

"Alright, let's start!"

After a series of deliberate breaths, Qin Fang's emotions had stabilized considerably, and his spirit and focus had reached a commendable level. Even his previously shaky hands had gradually steadied.

Whirr whirr whirr~~

The grinder started spinning, and Qin Fang carefully brought it close to the stone. The distinct sound of grinding resonated again as the rough exterior of the stone was slowly worn away, progressively moving inward, little by little.

Everyone's breath seemed to freeze in anticipation, their eyes fixed not on the flying debris or the fine dust, but rather intently on the contact point between the grinder and the rough stone, all waiting for the outcome.

In making this cut, Xiao Nan and the rest of the brothers definitely couldn't help. It mainly depended on the cooperation between Qin Fang and Master Jieshi. Qin Fang was in charge of the cutting, while Master Jieshi was responsible for marking the line, observing, and adjusting the cutting direction and path as necessary.

As a professional, since he agreed to take this gamble with Qin Fang, naturally he wanted to maximize the benefits and display the jade inside in the most complete form possible.

If he were the one handling the cutting, there naturally wouldn't be any issues, as his experience was incomparable to Qin Fang's. However, since it was Qin Fang who was cutting, he had to be extra cautious and precise with his instructions.

Qin Fang owned the rough stone; no one else's intervention mattered. He had the freedom to do as he pleased with it.

Whirr whirr whirr whirr~~~

The grinder moved across the stone's surface very slowly and delicately, inching forward millimeter by millimeter, with utmost caution to avoid any minute errors.

Yet the more careful the process, the higher the tension rose among everyone present.

"Hold on a second..."

Suddenly, Master Jieshi spoke up, causing Qin Fang's hand to involuntarily jerk. Fortunately, he managed a steady grip and prevented the grinder from causing any damage.

"OK, let's continue..."

Master Jieshi rinsed the cut surface with water, still seeing no hint of green. It seemed that the cut had nearly reached the previously marked line, indicating that further cutting inward was necessary.

"Sigh, I can't take it anymore, I need a break. Let me know the result when it's out!"

Though Qin Fang was holding up well, Shen Yang, Gao Ming, and others were pushed to their emotional limits. They could no longer stand the sudden drop in tension and immediately excused themselves to rest with Xiao Nan and Fang Dacheng, unable to bear the atmosphere any longer.

With such a brief pause, Qin Fang also took a moment to adjust his mood, becoming even steadier in his breath. Even the worry about gains and losses he had felt began to fade, seemingly coming to terms with the situation.

He even thought to himself that even if the bet failed, he wouldn't bear any psychological burden; at most, he would just regret it for a moment.

"Make the cut here. One slice and we'll know the outcome!"

After pondering for a while, Master Jieshi drew a new line on top of the original one, and this line was even further inside – a bold and risky move.

"Isn't that too risky?"

When the line was drawn, many couldn't help but question it. It was so close to the core of the stone that even though a professional had marked it, it still raised doubts.

"Let's do it!"

Qin Fang was calm at this moment. He knew this line was indeed risky, but he felt it was necessary to take the risk. Having already made one cut, he didn't mind making another, even more aggressive one.

The grinder commenced cutting along that line. Once again, Qin Fang was cautious, but his grip was stable and confident, devoid of any panic and much improved from the start of the operation.

Whirr whirr whirr whirr~~~

That grating sound was indeed irritating. The fragments that spattered across Qin Fang's face, the scorching heat slightly burning him, didn't bother him at all. His breathing completely halted in that moment as he too awaited the outcome, even though he felt his emotions had become very calm.

Crack~~

With that sound, the final bit of rough exterior fell away, and the risky cut finally revealed its results. If this slice still didn't reveal any green, then clearly, the gamble was lost.

All eyes focused on the cut surface of the rough stone, every pair wide with expectation, waiting for the result... (To be continued. If you wish to find out what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com. More chapters are available, and by supporting the author, you support genuine reading!)

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