Chapter Fifteen: The Real One Has Been Found!

I gave Hu San a brief explanation about the book I was currently studying, titled "Blood Eyes for Jade." When I first read through it, it seemed to contain ordinary methods for identifying jade. It was only upon my second reading that I discovered the chapter on Blood Eyes. The essence of Blood Eyes wasn’t about discerning jade; rather, it was about making your opponent gamble with bloodshot eyes. As long as your adversary was blinded by emotion, he would stake all his money without hesitation.

Hu San’s eyes brightened slightly after hearing this, but worry soon crept in. “Your method sounds clever, but it’s dangerous. You know how unpredictable the outcome can be in stone gambling.”

I nodded, aware of the risks myself, but circumstances left me no room for hesitation. I needed a victory to turn my current predicament around. Clapping Hu San on the shoulder, I smiled, “Don’t worry, I know my limits.”

We wandered through the market. Hu San pointed out a few stalls, telling me which were worth attention and which were mere traps. His knowledge of jade was basic but superficial.

I carefully observed each raw stone, hoping to find a clue. Just then, I noticed a crowd gathered around a stall. It seemed a piece of raw jade was being fiercely contested.

“Let’s go take a look,” I said to Hu San.

We pushed through the crowd to see a green raw stone on display. Its surface appeared ordinary, but the spectators’ eyes burned with excitement, convinced the stone hid a treasure.

I scrutinized it and noticed some unusual aspects—the texture and color hinted at something out of the ordinary.

“How much is this piece?” I asked the stall owner.

The owner, a middle-aged man with a sly gaze, was clearly experienced. He smiled, “Young man, you’ve got a good eye. This is top-quality material—fifty thousand.”

I calculated silently. Fifty thousand was not cheap, but if the stone was what I thought, it was worth the gamble. I nodded, signaling Hu San to hand over the money.

Just as we were about to close the deal, a burly man pushed forward, speaking coldly, “I want this stone too. I’ll pay one hundred thousand.”

The crowd exclaimed in surprise, not expecting such a high offer.

I tensed, realizing this would be a tough battle, but I couldn’t back down.

“One hundred fifty thousand,” I said calmly.

The burly man’s eyes flashed, surprised by my decisiveness. He hesitated, then gritted his teeth, “Two hundred thousand.”

Hu San tugged at my sleeve, urging me to stop.

I took a deep breath. This was beyond my budget, but to force my opponent to gamble recklessly, I had to press on.

“Three hundred thousand,” I said without a hint of emotion.

The crowd erupted in astonishment, clearly shocked by my bid.

In the end, the burly man snorted, “Just wait!” and turned away.

He soon returned, accompanied by an elderly man. The old man was thin, but his sharp gaze seemed to pierce everything.

After sizing me up, he spoke softly, “Four hundred thousand.”

At that moment, the crowd became even more animated, commenting on our bidding war.

Hu San whispered to me, “This old man is no ordinary person—he’s a renowned jade appraiser. We should be careful.”

I nodded, but I felt no panic.

I smiled, “Please, sir, I won’t bid any further.”

With that, I turned and left amid laughter from the crowd. On my way out, I nodded at the owner of the stone-cutting stall.

Seeing my expression, the owner’s face changed drastically. The old man’s eyes flickered, clearly surprised by my sudden withdrawal.

The abrupt stop hit the old man right where it hurt; I could see his expression shift instantly.

Hu San, seeing me quit so suddenly, looked at me in confusion. “What are you doing?”

I laughed and patted his shoulder. “I’m training myself—and messing with their nerves.”

Hu San nodded, half-understanding, and continued following me around the market.

At the second stall, I once again withdrew at the crucial moment, leaving the owner bewildered.

The third stall was no different—I always backed out just as the excitement peaked.

At the fourth stall, my strategy remained unchanged, and the stall owners began to doubt my intentions.

Finally, at the fifth stall, a figure blocked my path.

Hu San was about to confront him, but I stopped him, smiling, “The market boss has arrived... He’s exactly who I was looking for.”

The newcomer was a tall, stubbled middle-aged man, his eyes full of cunning and experience.

He sized me up and asked coldly, “Young man, you’ve been stirring things up here today. What are you after?”

I smiled, not hiding my intentions, “I’m looking for someone who truly understands the business. Looks like I’ve finally found him today.”

He raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised by my words. After a moment’s silence, he smiled slightly, “Oh? Very well, come this way.”

I glanced around, signaling him to find a quiet place to talk.

He nodded and led us to a teahouse by the market.

After sitting down, he poured me a cup of tea and pushed it in front of me. “Speak.”

I took a sip, gazed straight into his eyes, and said, “I know you’re the big boss here, with access to the best goods. My maneuvers today were just to gauge your strength and confidence.”

He flashed a look of appreciation. “Not bad. You’ve got guts, young man. So what’s next?”

I set down my cup and spoke quietly, “I have a unique stone-gambling technique that guarantees an advantage. If you’re willing, we can cooperate and make a fortune in this market together.”

He pondered for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Alright, I get your meaning. You want to be the torchbearer, right?”

I smiled, “The boss truly knows the trade!”

As we spoke, Hu San listened in confusion, especially at the mention of ‘torchbearer.’ He had no idea what it meant.

The boss noticed Hu San’s bewildered look and said sharply, “This brother doesn’t seem to be from the business. Is it proper for him to hear our conversation?”

I laughed, clapping Hu San’s shoulder, and whispered, “He’s my real brother—by blood!”

The boss’s gaze turned cold. “If you try to play me, you know the consequences.”