Chapter Twenty-Eight: Only in the VIP Lounge Are High Stakes Played

"Deal!" Lu Yier reached out his hand to me.

I looked at him, but instead of shaking his hand, I patted his arm and then gripped it.

This was the gesture of the Ancient Jade Society.

Lu Yier suddenly understood.

"Mr. Wang Hu, everything depends on you now!"

A few hours later, Lu Yier and I left the market management office separately.

I didn’t return directly to my lodging; instead, I circled a few streets, ensuring I wasn’t being followed, before quietly heading back.

Once home, I quickly collected my thoughts and began preparing for the next move.

Time was tight; every step had to be precise.

Three hours later, I received a call from Hu San.

His voice carried a hint of excitement. "Brother Hu, I’ve found an ancient Buddha statue. It’s not made of top-grade jade, but the material is decent. Do you want to come take a look?"

"As long as it’s jade, the material isn’t important. If you think it’s suitable, just take it."

An hour later, I met Hu San at his house.

He handed the Buddha statue to me.

I examined it carefully and found, just as he’d said, it wasn’t top-grade jade, but the material and craftsmanship were acceptable. The key was the era—it seemed to date back to the Ming or Qing dynasties, a family heirloom, which was exactly what I needed.

"Well done, Hu San."

I patted his shoulder and tucked the palm-sized jade into my pocket.

Next, I took the Buddha statue to Sister Hong’s villa and began final preparations in the basement.

Time ticked by, and my plan gradually took shape.

Two days later, we were finally ready.

When the last three thousand yuan was spent on a suit I wore, Hu San looked at me and said, "Brother Hu, you should always wear suits from now on. You look even better than Chow Yun-fat!"

I laughed. "If Chow Yun-fat had my build, how could he play a big boss? With my physique, in a suit, I look more like Andy Lau!"

"Then you’re Andy Lau! You’re even better-looking than Andy Lau. Can he gamble on jade? No, but you can!"

I wasn’t sure if Hu San was just excited about going to the market, but he was speaking with unusual fervor.

"Hu San, are you ready?" I asked.

Hu San nodded, his eyes shining with resolve. "Ready, Brother Hu."

"Then let’s begin." I took a deep breath and spoke firmly.

Early in the morning, Zhuang Bengqiao Market was already bustling.

The grand jade gambling tournament in Ruili had officially begun.

Masters from all over gathered, and the market was filled with an atmosphere both tense and exhilarating.

The entire market was divided into three sections: the outer market, the central market, and the VIP area.

At the venue, we encountered Lu Yier and Gao Youde one after another.

But none of us greeted each other—this had been agreed beforehand.

Because two-thirds of the market were merchants; genuine buyers drawn from outside were actually few.

So we kept up appearances of unfamiliarity—it was beneficial for everyone.

Too much familiarity would only arouse suspicion among genuine buyers.

Hu San and I wandered through the outer market, surveying stalls piled high with stones.

Each vendor enthusiastically greeted customers, trying to sell their stones, their cries rising and falling across the crowd.

Hu San nudged my arm, signaling me to look at a large stone on one stall.

"Brother Hu, look at that stone—the skin is fine, the color even. There might be good material inside," Hu San whispered.

I nodded and walked over to scrutinize the stone.

The vendor, a middle-aged man, saw our interest and hurried over with a broad smile, introducing, "This is a premium raw stone, guaranteed to have green inside! If you’re interested, take a closer look."

I didn’t reply immediately, but continued my careful inspection.

Meanwhile, Gao Youde was browsing stones at a nearby stall; we exchanged glances, sharing a silent understanding.

I pointed at the jade and said to the vendor, "It doesn’t look like anything special."

No sooner had I spoken than Gao Youde’s expression shifted—he’d clearly heard me. I turned and left the stall. The next moment, Gao Youde waved, and one of his men immediately stepped up and bought the stone.

Hu San stared at me in shock. "Wait, Brother Hu, we found that stone! Why did you let them buy it? Did you misjudge it?"

I smiled faintly, patted Hu San’s shoulder, and whispered, "Don’t worry, Hu San. This is just a little trick. We’re after bigger fish."

Hu San was still a bit confused, but chose to trust me.

After Gao Youde’s man took the jade, he quickly resold it to another of Gao Youde’s associates.

Then, with a single cut, a brilliant green light illuminated the whole venue!

The first cut of the day had revealed its treasure!

Mr. Gao Qide, one cut, green revealed—ten thousand in, thirty thousand out!

A threefold return!

As soon as the crowd saw this, the entire market erupted.

Hu San looked at Gao Youde basking in admiration and grew increasingly frustrated. He said to me, "Seriously, Brother Hu, how could you let him profit? That’s twenty thousand, and you spotted it first!"

I shook my head. "First, we don’t have enough money for such a buy right now. Second, I’m following the rules of the venue. Gao Youde, that old fox, hasn’t been in the market for years. With his credentials, today he’ll only make it into the central market."

"But if we want him to cough up five dogs, he must get into the VIP area!"

"Do you know how to get into the VIP area?" I asked Hu San.

He shook his head.

I pointed to the electronic leaderboard nearby.

"Look at that board!"

Hu San turned and saw, for the first time, that the board showed both red and green numbers.

For example, just now, Gao Youde made twenty thousand; the number for Outer Stall 18, his stall, was marked in red with twenty thousand!

The purpose was nothing more than to let everyone be swept up in the fervor of trading!

Only then did Hu San understand my intention. "You want to boost Gao Youde into the VIP area, right?"

"Exactly. Only in the VIP area do they gamble big."

Hu San finally got it.

As soon as we finished speaking, I noticed a few more people lingering around us.

I quietly reminded Hu San to stop talking; someone was watching us.

He nodded.

We continued to move through the outer market, constantly observing and evaluating each stone.

Time passed, and the crowd in the market grew denser.

Suddenly, my gaze settled on a nondescript stall.

It was Outer Stall No. 76.

The stones there looked ordinary, but I keenly sensed that one of them was special.