Chapter Thirty-Eight: Seen Through by Gao Youde!

Old Leopard Chen saw that everyone had arrived and gestured to Li Zhen.
Li Zhen nodded, then announced, “We’ll begin with the first item—verification of funds!”
The five of us placed the cash we'd brought on the table.
Old Leopard Chen sat at the head, his gaze cold and sharp, like a predator ready to pounce.
Li Zhen produced a bill counter and began verifying each stack of cash, one by one.
His movements were practiced, clearly trained in the task.
The bill counter hummed loudly, its sound piercing in the quiet room.
The first to be verified was Gao Youde, who had brought a suitcase full of hundred-yuan notes.
Li Zhen checked them carefully, then nodded, “Lao Wang, three million.”
Next came my turn; I placed the check I’d obtained from the Jade Buddha directly on the table.
After internal verification, Li Zhen exchanged it for chips.
Then Sister Hong was up; she brought several cashier’s checks, totaling five million.
Li Zhen examined the checks, scanned their QR codes with his phone, and confirmed, “Sister Hong, five million.”
Old Leopard Chen nodded with satisfaction, stood, and said, “Excellent, everyone’s been trustworthy. The funds are all in place. Next, let’s discuss the specifics of the jade betting.”
He looked around, then continued, “This round of jade betting consists of three matches. The rules for the first match are simple: everyone selects one raw stone, with a time limit of one hour. We’ll provide professional tools and equipment, and you’re free to use them. Whoever’s stone yields the highest value jade is the winner.”
Li Zhen quickly added, “If anyone wishes to finish early, you can declare it at any time, so long as you confirm you won’t change your stone.”
The five of us exchanged glances, each calculating our own prospects. Jade betting is a contest of luck, but also of skill and experience. No one dared take it lightly.
Old Leopard Chen clapped his hands, and two assistants in black uniforms wheeled in a cart laden with raw stones.
The stones varied in size and shape, their surfaces covered in thick mud and stone skin, revealing nothing of their interiors.
“All right, everyone can begin choosing,” Old Leopard Chen said.
Gao Youde stepped forward first. He was the most experienced jade gambler here, his eye and expertise exceptional.
He inspected each stone carefully, tapping them lightly, pressing his ear to their surfaces, listening for faint echoes.
In the end, he chose a medium-sized stone and nodded in satisfaction.
Next was Sister Hong. She had urged me to learn jade betting, and for a while I believed her busy work life left no time to master the techniques of “Blood-Eye Jade Discernment.” But now I realized I was mistaken—her methods, effortlessly executed, were clearly drawn from that very book.
Her gaze was sharp, tinged with coldness.
She circled the cart once, finally selecting a peculiarly shaped stone, smiling as she returned to her seat.
In truth, that stone was the one I had wanted!
But Sister Hong beat me to it, and I had no grounds to contest her choice.
She really gave me no chance at all!
Then it was my turn. I felt a mix of nerves and excitement.
I carefully examined each stone, searching for clues in their textures and colors.
Eventually, I picked a plain-looking stone that gave me a good feeling, silently hoping for luck to favor me this time.
Lastly, Su Li made her selection, picking a stone at random.
Old Leopard Chen rose again and announced, “All right, time starts now!”
We immediately set to work, moving into the adjacent room. Thick soundproofing lined the walls, and five stone-cutting machines stood ready.
Each of us picked up our tools and began cutting and polishing our stones.
The machines screamed with noise, stone chips flying, the air thick with the scent of stone dust.
Gao Youde’s movements were the most skilled—he carefully cut a seam with the machine, then slowly peeled away the stone skin with specialized tools.
As the skin was stripped away, a streak of vivid green emerged, and the atmosphere grew tense.
Sister Hong was even steadier, cutting and observing at every step, her caution evident.
Inside her stone, a block of translucent jade gradually revealed itself, drawing the attention of those nearby.
I refused to be outdone, focusing intently, my tools working nonstop.
As time passed, a faint green finally appeared inside my stone, and my heart raced.
Su Li, unfamiliar with stone cutting, ended up enlisting Li Zhen’s help.
As for me… it was rather awkward. I had assumed the VIP room would be filled with people accompanied by family and security!
But I was the only one with a burly, clueless bodyguard, Hu San, at my side.
At last, he had his use—I told him to help with the cutting, otherwise I had no idea why I’d brought him!
An hour flew by, and Old Leopard Chen called time.
We all put down our tools and waited for the final results.

Li Zhen stepped forward again, checking our stones one by one.
He observed and measured them carefully, then assessed them with professional instruments, every step meticulous.
Finally, he stood before us and announced, “According to the evaluation, this round’s winner is—Sister Hong!”
Sister Hong flashed a victorious smile, while the others, though disappointed, could only accept the outcome.
Jade betting is a game of high risk and high reward; winning and losing are part of the game.
Thus, the initial fifty thousand we pooled went to Sister Hong.
Her five million instantly became seven million.
My stone came in second,
But the rules for this round were harsh—the winner takes all!
Second place offered no consolation; losing meant losing everything, all surrendered to the victor.
Just as I was feeling resigned, I sensed a hostile gaze behind me.
I turned.
It was Gao Youde!
He stared coldly at me, mouthing, “You dare collude with Hong to cheat me? You’re finished!”
My keen observation allowed me to catch his meaning instantly.
Clearly, since I had first met him through Sister Hong, he assumed I was conspiring with her against him!
If that were true…
Had I already been seen through by Gao Youde before the game even began?