Chapter 148: Suli, you have no say in this matter!

Old Ghost Shi's expression instantly darkened like water, and the surrounding murmurs grew increasingly loud. His fury seemed ready to burst from his eyes.

Among the crowd, many began to chuckle, clearly having grasped the deeper meaning behind my words.

"What did you say!" Old Ghost Shi roared, his voice like thunder, causing the jade-gambling platform to vibrate slightly.

His finger trembled as he pointed at me, as if he wanted to tear me to pieces.

"How dare you slander me?"

I smiled slightly, feeling secretly pleased, and continued, "I am merely speaking the truth, Old Ghost Shi. You know very well in your heart: if this piece of rough is truly waste stone, why do you care about it so much? Could it be that you are afraid I might make a comeback here and steal your thunder?"

The surrounding spectators began to discuss in low voices, their gazes shifting back and forth between me and Old Ghost Shi, heightening the tense atmosphere.

Black Wind Blade nodded slightly from the side; he, too, clearly realized the true objective of Old Ghost Shi.

The only reason Old Ghost Shi had conceded defeat was because he had discovered the absolute best piece among these six roughs, yet deliberately claimed it was waste material. His sole purpose was to take that piece away at the price of scrap.

Old Ghost Shi's face grew even gloomier, anger churning in his heart while a dangerous light flashed in his eyes.

He gritted his teeth, appearing to suppress his inner fury, but I knew his scheme had been exposed by me, stripping it of its original intent.

Behind us, a staff member of the East Wind Market spoke up, "According to the rules, Mr. Wang Hu, you have the right to revive that so-called waste stone!"

However, the moment the staff member's words left his mouth, Old Ghost Shi's expression turned utterly enraged.

Old Ghost Shi's roar echoed across the gambling platform like a peal of thunder, yet his words failed to quell the crowd's suspicions, instead provoking even more skepticism.

"Didn't he just say this piece is waste stone? Now that someone else wants it, he's saying it's not allowed? We all saw him with our own eyes selecting these six pieces right here!" A spectator stood up, brows tightly furrowed, his voice clear and resolute.

Others chimed in one after another, their gazes revealing deep dissatisfaction toward Old Ghost Shi.

At this moment, my mindset was quite calm. After all, given what Old Ghost Shi had been up to... I had long known he had offended many markets throughout the city, and among these spectators were quite a few people from those very markets who had suffered heavy losses!

Seeing that they had caught Old Ghost Shi in the act, they swarmed forward to give him a fierce thrashing!

"That's right! He was clearly concealing the truth on purpose to pocket the price difference. How is this any different from fraud?!" another spectator said excitedly, pointing a finger directly at Old Ghost Shi as if wanting to strip away his facade right on the spot.

"This piece of rough definitely isn't waste stone! Old Ghost Shi, you're lying!"

"Do you take us all for blind? This piece clearly has potential, yet you dared to call it waste!"

A wave of angry whispers swept through the crowd. Everyone was questioning Old Ghost Shi's integrity, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

Old Ghost Shi's expression became uglier by the second. His anger burned within him, and a flicker of panic flashed in his eyes.

The tidal wave of the crowd's questioning completely shattered his originally confident exterior.

Some even began discussing his past, bringing up his various improper behaviors in the jade-gambling market over the years.

One person even went so far as to declare that Old Ghost Shi belonged behind bars and should be locked up for another ten years!

"I heard Old Ghost Shi was once banned from the market for fraud. What kind of trick is he trying to pull this time?"

An old man shook his head and sighed, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Indeed, Old Ghost Shi's reputation has stunk for a long time. Who would still believe his words? Today, he's simply been exposed!" Another young jade-gambling enthusiast joined the discussion, his eyes shining with contempt for Old Ghost Shi.

"In my opinion, he just wanted to swallow that piece alone at a low price and never wanted us to see its true value!"

The chatter in the crowd grew louder and louder, and a sense of angry agitation spread through every heart.

"You bunch of ignorant fools! How dare you question my judgment!"

Consumed by rage, Old Ghost Shi pointed a trembling finger at the surrounding spectators, attempting to use his intimidating aura to suppress their voices.

Yet, the anger of the crowd did not recede; instead, it surged even higher.

"Old Ghost Shi, your threats don't work on us! We only want the truth!"

A young woman stepped forward, her gaze steadfast, as if her courage had ignited the confidence of everyone else.

"That's right! We want fairness, we want the truth!" the spectators chanted in unison. Their voices rolled in like a tide, and at that moment, it seemed everyone had united to stand against Old Ghost Shi's sinister plots.

Black Wind Blade observed quietly from the side, a hint of a gratified smile on his face.

His gaze deepened as he looked toward me, and it was evident that my actions just then had greatly reduced his worries.

He knew that Old Ghost Shi's trick had been exposed, and every single person present was burning with indignation in the name of fairness.

The resounding, mountain-shaking force of the entire audience even filled him with a trace of awe.

"Everyone, please calm down!" A staff member hurriedly stepped forward to mediate, attempting to quell the storm. "We will strictly adhere to market rules and ensure the rights and interests of every participant."

Nevertheless, Old Ghost Shi's face remained grim, anger and humiliation intertwining to the point where he could barely control himself.

"What are all of you doing? I said this rough is waste stone, so it is waste stone! Waste stone cannot be opened again!" Despair laced his voice as he tried to use an aggressive attitude to salvage his pride.

"But we don't believe you!" the spectators shouted back in unison, showing no mercy as their voices seemed to shatter Old Ghost Shi's psychological defenses.

I sneered as I looked at Old Ghost Shi, and then said, "Staff member, I will cut this piece of waste material!"

As soon as those words fell, the surrounding crowd instantly quieted down, and all eyes focused on me.

Old Ghost Shi's complexion turned instantly pale, as if all the blood had been drained from his face. He tried to open his mouth to retort, but the words were choked back by his surging fury.

"You... you dare!" His voice trembled, clearly provoked by the fear I had stirred within him.

"Why wouldn't I dare?" I smiled faintly, my gaze like a blade locking directly onto him. "If this truly is waste stone, what harm is there in me cutting it? But if it turns out to be a precious jade, Old Ghost Shi, how will you face yourself?"

The surrounding spectators began to murmur in low tones, anticipation gleaming in their eyes.

Everyone wanted to see what secret Old Ghost Shi had hidden within this piece of rough.

Seeing the atmosphere grow increasingly tense, the staff member stepped forward hurriedly, "Mr. Wang Hu, please be extremely careful with your operation. Once this piece of rough is cut, the outcome will be irreversible."

I nodded, though a quiet sense of triumph blossomed in my heart.

No matter the outcome, in today's confrontation, Old Ghost Shi had already lost the initiative.

"Come on, Old Ghost Shi. Give me a reason to believe that the waste stone you spoke of is truly waste."

I looked at him with disdain, thinking to myself that today, no matter what, I would tear off this mask of his.

At that moment, Su Li shouted coldly from the side, "Stop!"

I turned my gaze toward Su Li and slowly said, "Su Li, this is no place for you to speak!"