Chapter Seventy-Five: The Jade-Faced Fox! Reaching the Pinnacle!

Everyone present burst into laughter, and the audience pointed and whispered about me. Su Li's expression was cold, Gao Youde was brimming with smug satisfaction, while Old Leopard Chen remained silent as ever.

I turned to look at the crowd, knowing that Sister Hong was surely watching from somewhere—but that belonged to the past, and it no longer mattered.

Taking a deep breath, I spoke calmly, "Gao Youde, you may laugh, but don't forget—the real outcome is yet to be decided."

I smiled gently, turned to face everyone, and declared with unwavering resolve, "Who says a crack means the jade isn't good? True jade is not only naturally pure—it is shaped by fate and wonder!"

I instructed the stonecutter, "Please adjust the angle and make another cut from a different direction."

The craftsman hesitated, furrowing his brow as he cautioned, "Mr. Wang, if I cut it this way, the integrity of the entire stone will be lost."

I nodded firmly, "It's fine. I'll take responsibility."

He sighed, but ultimately complied, altering the cutting direction as I’d requested.

The blade once again sliced through the stone, producing a harsh, grating sound. Those gathered around held their breath, their eyes fixed on the stone. Gao Youde crossed his arms, his face full of mocking amusement.

Yet, as the final cut fell, silence suddenly descended upon the hall, heavy as death.

On the stone’s surface appeared a lifelike, naturally formed fox face—so vivid it seemed ready to leap from the stone at any moment.

"My God! How can this be?" someone cried out in astonishment.

"This is a miracle! A naturally formed fox face—its value is beyond measure!" another echoed, voice brimming with excitement.

Gao Youde’s face turned ashen; clearly, he had never anticipated such an outcome. His lips trembled, as if he wished to speak, but no sound escaped.

At that moment, Old Leopard Chen, who had been silent all along, suddenly burst into laughter!

Yes, the always reserved Old Leopard Chen now laughed heartily, even to the point of tears.

Lu Yier was so stunned by the sight that he couldn’t utter a word, only after a long pause did he step forward and carefully examine the stone.

Awe and doubt filled his gaze, as if he couldn’t quite believe what his eyes beheld.

"This… this is truly a gift from heaven!" Lu Yier murmured.

Su Li's expression froze completely.

Meanwhile, the crowd surged with excitement!

Someone shouted aloud, "Auction it! This must be put up for auction!"

"Yes, auction! This is a priceless treasure!" another chimed in, voice trembling with exhilaration.

The crowd grew restless, discussing the stone’s value and its future ownership. Some had already taken out their phones, preparing to contact auction houses.

Gao Youde’s face grew darker still, fists clenched, a flicker of resentment and fury in his eyes. Yet he was powerless to change the situation.

Old Leopard Chen laughed even louder. He clapped my shoulder and said, "Young man, well done! You’ve turned the tide this time!"

I smiled faintly, though I remained calm within. Faced with this sudden reversal, I knew the true trial had only just begun.

Su Li’s expression was stiff; she looked at me, her eyes reflecting a complicated emotion. She seemed on the verge of speaking, but ultimately chose silence.

Just then, from the crowd emerged a middle-aged man in a suit, who raised his hand to quiet everyone.

"Everyone, please listen to me!" His voice was powerful and commanding. "I am the director of Tiancheng Auction House. This stone is indeed priceless, and we are willing to host a special auction for it!"

The crowd erupted once more, all eyes locked on the stone as if it were now the center of the universe.

The auction director strode straight toward me, his eyes shining with excitement.

He bowed slightly, his manner exceedingly polite. "Mr. Wang, I am Li Tiancheng, director of Tiancheng Auction House. Your Jade Fox Stone is a rare treasure. Would you be willing to sell it through our auction house? We can offer an advance payment of a substantial sum."

I pondered for a moment, then turned to look at Old Leopard Chen.

He looked at me, his expression now void of the previous indifference. He nodded to me.

Turning back to Li Tiancheng, I spoke in a low voice, "How much do you estimate for this stone?"

Li Tiancheng smiled, held up four fingers, and said with conviction, "Mr. Wang, we can pay fifty percent of the estimated value of this Jade Fox Stone as a deposit."

The words were barely out of his mouth when the crowd stirred again. A deposit of fifty percent meant the auction house had placed extraordinary confidence in the stone’s value, possibly far exceeding everyone’s expectations.

After all, stones taken by auction houses usually fetch only the lower prices.

If sold at auction, the price could soar to new heights!

Forty million...

For Gao Youde across from me, I had already won!

At this point, I barely cared about Gao Youde’s side. Instead, I caught a glimpse of Su Li’s lips curling into a pleased smile.

Clearly, my victory was hers as well.

This stone’s preliminary estimate was forty million, plus the sixty-five million funds we had previously amassed!

Our assets now totaled one hundred million!

Su Li... would get half!

As I contemplated this, suddenly a furious roar erupted from the gambling stone platform—Gao Youde’s voice!

"Impossible! This is absolutely cheating! I demand an investigation! There must be an investigation!"

His outburst drew everyone’s attention. Only then did I realize that all the funds he’d brought were gone; apart from a few stones, he hadn’t taken a single cent, and all his liquid assets had been converted into stones.

The crowd’s gaze shifted to Gao Youde, whose face was livid, his eyes full of rage and frustration.

Pointing at the Jade Fox Stone, his voice trembled as he declared, "This can’t be! This must be cheating! I demand an investigation! There must be an investigation!"

Lu Yier frowned and stepped forward, speaking calmly, "Mr. Gao, please calm yourself. We are renowned for our fairness and integrity here—cheating is strictly forbidden. If you have any evidence, present it. Otherwise, please show some respect."

Gao Youde’s face grew even darker. Clearly, he had no evidence and could only stand there angrily, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles whitened.

I took a deep breath, stepped forward to face him, and said calmly, "Gao Youde, gambling on stones is a game of risk and opportunity. You lost—it doesn’t mean others cheated. You must take responsibility for your own defeat."

He glared at me, hatred flashing in his eyes, but he knew he could not change the outcome. He stared at me coldly and spat, "Kid, just wait. You’re finished!"

With that, he kicked a nearby chair aside and stormed off in fury.