Chapter Thirty-One: Never Give Up Halfway!

However, Gao Youde was a seasoned old hand.

Given the current situation, if Lu Yier really decided to investigate me, he’d surely uncover the truth! How could I possibly produce two million? Who was I trying to fool? I didn’t even have twenty thousand in my pocket at the moment!

“Mr. Gao, this friend seems a bit suspicious,” Lu Yier continued to provoke, “Just now he kept comparing prices with me, and he looks unfamiliar—I’ve thought about it carefully, and something isn’t right. If he can really come up with two million, I’m willing to concede.”

“I’ll give a final price: three million for your stone. No more discussion!”

The crowd began whispering, clearly doubting my identity and financial strength. The murmurs grew louder, washing over us like a tide.

Sweat beaded on Gao Youde’s forehead. He knew that if I failed to prove myself, the entire scheme would collapse. This man lacked real ability; he only valued my stone-gambling skills! If I couldn’t enter the VIP hall, he’d have to face those rivals alone.

“Sir, you’re naming prices, but are you judging my ability just by my age? Perhaps I was born with luck!”

I drew a deep breath, struggling to maintain composure.

Lu Yier paused, then laughed loudly, “Alright, since you’re so confident, let’s have the organizers verify your funds!”

After speaking, Lu Yier glanced back at Gao Youde.

If this young man could produce two million, he’d get the stone at a fixed price!

I remained silent, my expression calm.

At that moment, Hu San, who stood behind me, suddenly poked me and whispered in my ear, “The money—Gao Youde gave it to us!”

Gao Youde’s face relaxed noticeably at the stall.

I pointed at Hu San behind me and addressed Lu Yier, “This is my subordinate. You can go with him into the black room to verify the funds.”

I gestured toward the black room nearby—a place in the stone-gambling market akin to a changing room, designed for things best kept out of sight, like money exchanges or discreet deals.

Lu Yier followed Hu San into the black room. Everyone present watched intently, and the murmurs grew even more fervent.

Each gaze was fixed on that door, as if waiting for a decisive outcome.

After a while, the door finally opened. Lu Yier and Hu San emerged one after another. Lu Yier’s expression was complex—partly triumphant, partly surprised.

He walked over to me, apologized, then turned to the crowd and shouted, “Three million! Sir, are you still bidding?”

I smiled serenely, my plan already set. “It’s beyond my budget now. The stone is yours.”

A ripple of astonished whispers swept through the crowd.

Three million for a raw stone—this was unquestionably the most talked-about transaction of the morning market.

I keenly observed Gao Youde’s expression ease.

Hu San whispered in my ear, “Two million in cash—it’s really heavy. Looks like Gao Youde’s put everything on the line. When are we giving him his money back?”

I smiled at Hu San, “It’s already in our pocket—why give it back?”

Hu San looked at me in shock. I whispered, “This time, our aim is to make sure Gao Youde never leaves this market.”

“All of this—was your plan?” Hu San asked quietly.

I nodded.

“If we don’t put pressure on him, would he ever bring out his money?”

At that moment, Lu Yier picked up the marker beside the raw stone and marked it directly.

“Boss, by market rules, any stone over one and a half million must be delivered and paid for under public supervision tomorrow. You’ve sold it to me, so you’d better not sell it twice!”

Gao Youde grinned foolishly, “Of course not—I know the rules!”

Lu Yier snorted, took out three hundred thousand as a deposit, and handed it to Gao Youde.

Then he turned to walk toward me, patted my shoulder in front of everyone, and sneered, “Young man, if you want to make it in this business, you need strength. From the moment I saw this stone, it had the Lu name on it.”

He handed me his card in a victor’s gesture and strode off.

Gao Youde’s name now soared at the top of the rankings, firmly holding first place, far ahead of the second.

This transaction not only brought him fame, but also drew greater attention from the market.

At that moment, a few old-timers recalled the name Gao Qide.

“Isn’t that Brother Youde? He used to be a master at stone gambling!”

“That’s right, but didn’t he announce after battling the market owner that he’d never gamble stones again?”

“Could he have returned?”

Suddenly, the market had a new topic of conversation.

Hu San and I were about to merge back into the crowd to continue picking stones, when suddenly the market’s broadcast system sounded: “Mr. Gao Youde, please proceed to the VIP area. Everything is ready for you.”

Gao Youde clearly heard the announcement; a confident smile appeared on his face. He glanced at us, then turned and headed toward the VIP area.

Hu San whispered to me, “Looks like he’s really pleased. What should we do next?”

I smiled faintly, a cold glint in my eyes, “Now that Gao Youde’s entered the VIP area, the two million is our capital. We must get into the VIP area ourselves.”

But just as I finished speaking, Hu San suddenly grabbed my arm.

“Tiger, maybe you should just leave.”

I was surprised. “What do you mean, Hu San?”

Hu San’s expression grew grave. He took a deep breath and whispered, “Tiger, this all started because of me. In fact, you wouldn’t be in trouble even if you did nothing. I won’t blame you.”

I frowned, sensing things were more complicated than I’d thought. “Hu San, what are you really saying?”

Pain and helplessness flickered in Hu San’s eyes as he continued in a low voice, “When Gao Youde’s man handed me the box of money, he whispered, ‘Keep this box safe. If a single cent is missing, Wang Hu loses an arm.’”

My mind paused for a moment, then I laughed calmly.

I raised my hand and patted Hu San’s shoulder. “Hu San, the more our opponents try to trap us, the bigger we should make the game. Like eating shrimp—we peel off the shell, break the vein, and then enjoy the meat.”

“Hu San, remember, if you follow me, Wang Hu, never leave anything unfinished!”

“But, Tiger—this really has nothing to do with you! Now that we have two million, you could just walk away and live comfortably for the rest of your life!”

“I appreciate your kindness. Tiger, I’m sorry—I’m… scared.”