Chapter Seventy-Three: Old Leopard Chen, Are You Sure You Want to Bet Everything on This?

I turned to look at Lu Yier. A flicker of complicated emotion passed through his eyes, but in the end, he nodded resolutely.

He looked at me and said, “Sorry, Mr. Wang Hu, this rule must be followed. If your funds aren’t sufficient, the game cannot go on.”

I pointed to my uncut raw stone and murmured, “If I cut this stone open, I can win. Does that still not count?”

Lu Yier shook his head as he fixed his gaze on me. “No... that’s speculation. There have been cases at the gambling stone market where someone tried this—coming in with a small sum to risk it all, a small stake for a big payout. The odds are already fifty percent; that’s quite high!”

Hearing this, I fell into deep thought.

Just then, Old Leopard Chen behind me suddenly moved. He pulled a check from his pocket and handed it to me.

“This is thirty million,” Old Leopard Chen said quietly. “I hope it can help you.”

I was stunned, not expecting Old Leopard Chen to step in at such a critical moment!

But the next instant, I heard Gao Youde roar angrily, “Old Leopard Chen, have you gotten senile in your old age? You’ve missed the last chance to increase your stake; adding more now is against the rules! It’s written clearly—no matter how much money you have, you can’t do it!”

Gao Youde was livid, almost beside himself.

The onlookers began to point and whisper about Old Leopard Chen giving me the funds.

I turned back to Lu Yier and asked if Old Leopard Chen’s funding was legitimate.

Lu Yier looked at Old Leopard Chen. “Mr. Chen, giving money now breaks the industry rules. As one of the top ten jade masters in the region, if you really do this, even if you win, you’ll never be able to work in the business again. The rules matter. Are you sure you want to take this gamble?”

“Rules are dead, people are alive,” Old Leopard Chen declared firmly. “I trust Wang Hu’s judgment. I give this money not to gamble, but to believe!”

The crowd immediately erupted—some admired his courage, others questioned his sanity.

Yet Old Leopard Chen was unwavering. He pressed the check into my palm and patted my shoulder.

“Wang Hu, I believe in you.”

I clenched the check, feeling the trust and burden he placed on me, and a surge of hot blood boiled in my chest.

Gao Youde’s face turned ashen with rage, but he was powerless.

Lu Yier sighed and finally nodded. “If that’s the case, let’s continue.”

Hearing Lu Yier’s words, I paused and spoke, “Wait, I want to ask—if I win this round, will the punishment for Old Leopard Chen be lifted?”

Lu Yier shook his head. “That’s the rule. Breaking the rule has nothing to do with whether you win or lose. To be blunt, even if you win a hundred million, Old Leopard Chen won’t be able to stay in this industry!”

The chill in my heart deepened.

I hadn’t expected that even if I won, Old Leopard Chen would lose his qualification to work with jade. For someone who’s spent his life with jade, such a punishment was unbearably cruel.

I gripped the check and looked at Lu Yier. “If I return this check, is there any other way for me to continue the gamble?”

Lu Yier glanced at me, then at the crowd.

He shook his head helplessly. “There is... but that way is too cruel.”

He paused. “It has nothing to do with money anymore.”

My heart tightened. “What way?”

Lu Yier took a deep breath, his gaze heavy. “You can choose to trade a life for a round.”

The crowd burst into a commotion, discussing heatedly.

“What do you mean?” I asked, confused.

“In the stone gambling world, there’s an extreme kind of wager,” Lu Yier explained. “The gambler can use their life as the stake. If you lose, your life belongs to the other side; if you win, you can keep gambling, and the round you wagered your life for will bring you double the reward.”

I froze, a chill creeping up from the soles of my feet.

Old Leopard Chen grabbed my wrist, his eyes full of concern. “Wang Hu, don’t be impulsive. This is too dangerous!”

I looked at him, my heart a mix of emotions.

Old Leopard Chen was willing to risk exile from the industry for me; how could I let him bear such a heavy price?

I took a deep breath and handed the check back to Old Leopard Chen.

With a determined look, I said, “Lu Yier, I accept this wager.”

Old Leopard Chen tried to stop me, but my resolve was set.

If he pressed further—

I replied softly, “There aren’t many chances left...”

He seemed to understand, and did not try to dissuade me further.

Lu Yier nodded and signaled the staff to prepare the contract.

Gao Youde sneered, “Good, very good, Wang Hu, you really have guts.”

There was no trace of hesitation in my heart. I clenched my fists, ready to face this life-and-death gamble.

Yet at that moment, something unexpected happened!

“Wait, Boss Lu!”

It was someone shouting from outside the arena.

I recognized Hu San’s voice.

Lu Yier turned to Hu San. “Oh, so it’s Mr. Wang Hu’s little brother. What do you want to say?”

Hu San glanced at me, then looked solemnly at Lu Yier. “My brother Hu’s life is worth more than mine. I want to use my life to substitute for his. Is that allowed?”

Before I could respond—

Lu Yier turned to me. “That’s not impossible. After all, there aren’t many people in this world willing to give their life for another.”

He looked at me. “Well, Wang Hu, do you want Hu San to stake his life for you?”

I looked at Hu San, emotions swirling within, my gaze full of complex feeling.

I cursed fiercely, “Hu San, are you crazy? This isn’t a game!”

Hu San stood firm, looking me in the eye. “Brother Hu, I know you don’t want Old Leopard Chen to suffer, but you can’t risk your own life either. My life isn’t worth much, but at least I can do something for you.”

With that, he leapt over the fence into the arena!

Before anyone could stop him, he grabbed the life-and-death contract, scrawled his name across it, snatched the ink pad from the staff, and pressed his fingerprint down forcefully!

My heart trembled. The crowd buzzed, some admiring Hu San’s loyalty, others worrying for me.

Lu Yier watched us, then spoke after a moment’s silence. “In that case, Hu San will stand in Wang Hu’s place in this life-and-death gamble.”