Chapter 75: Stone Gambling
"Take a break!" Bai Shishi said in a deep voice.
"Huh?" Lin Tian was taken aback, "Isn’t that bad? Paying me so much money each month just to have me rest?"
It feels wrong to take money without doing any work.
"There’s nothing to do if no one is causing trouble, but if someone does, that’s when you’ll have to work!" Bai Shishi spoke honestly.
When they hired Lin Tian, it was because of his ability to see through gambling tricks.
Now that there wasn’t anyone like Durant causing trouble at the card playing venue, Lin Tian could rest.
If trouble arose, that’s when he would come in handy.
"That’s so boring!" Lin Tian scratched his head. At school, at least people would chat and joke around. Here, a day off would be unbearably dull.
"Boring, huh?" Bai Shishi suddenly remembered she had to go out for some business later: "Why don’t you come with me to gamble on jade stones?"
"Gamble on jade stones?" Lin Tian looked puzzled, "What’s that?"
"It’s about buying raw jade stones, and if you cut one open and find jade inside, you can earn several times more. If there’s nothing, you lose money!" Bai Shishi explained briefly.
"Still don’t quite get it!"
"When jade is mined, it’s covered with a layer of weathered skin, so you can’t know the quality inside until it’s cut open. So, many people spend a lot to buy these raw stones, and if they find good jade inside after cutting, the price can increase ten or even hundred-fold. It’s probably the most profitable industry besides gambling!" Bai Shishi explained in detail.
"Can increase ten or even hundred-fold?" Although Lin Tian had never heard of jade stone gambling, he caught the critical point.
"That’s right, just like playing cards, jade stone gambling is a mix of risk and reward, you might lose everything or become very rich!"
"Sounds exciting?" Lin Tian was intrigued by this.
After all, to make Li Li regret, he first needed money.
Although Bai Shishi’s salary was good, it came monthly and was still a bit too slow.
If there’s a chance to get rich quickly, who wouldn’t want to try?
"Come with me later to see for yourself!" Bai Shishi smiled lightly.
"Okay!"
Lin Tian stayed in Bai Shishi’s office for half an hour before Bai Shishi got a phone call and stood up.
"Let’s go out for a bit!"
Lin Tian nodded, knowing they were going to gamble on jade stones, with a faint excitement in his heart.
In the underground parking lot, Lin Tian sat in the front passenger seat of a Mercedes S400L while Bai Shishi drove and made a phone call.
"Hello, Jianren? I’m driving over right now. Where shall we meet?"
"Alright~ let’s meet at Pan Garden!" Bai Shishi hung up.
In a good mood, Bai Shishi accelerated, while Lin Tian sat quietly like a little assistant in the passenger seat.
Arriving at Pan Garden, they parked the car and got out. Just as Bai Shishi was about to get her phone to make a call, a clean-cut young man in a suit walked over with a smile.
"Shishi!" the young man called affectionately, then squinted his eyes at Lin Tian, "And who is this?"
Understandably, the young man asked since anyone with Bai Shishi must be someone of notable status.
"Him?" Bai Shishi was momentarily speechless, unsure how to explain Lin Tian’s identity.
"Her employee!" Lin Tian said indifferently, not feeling embarrassed at all.
"Oh~~!" The young man’s gaze at Lin Tian changed from serious to disdainful as he extended his right hand for a perfunctory introduction, "Xia Jianren!"
"Xia Jianren?" Lin Tian’s mouth hung open as if he could swallow an egg.
So, there really is someone with that name. That was Lin Tian’s first thought upon hearing it.
"Lin Tian!" Lin Tian introduced himself when they shook hands.
After the brief formality, Xia Jianren didn’t glance at Lin Tian again.
On their way inside Pan Garden, Xia Jianren chatted and laughed with Bai Shishi, while Lin Tian followed like a third wheel, looking around curiously.
This was Lin Tian’s first visit to Pan Garden’s antique market. There were stalls everywhere selling sandalwood bracelets, incense wood, and old items that looked ancient.
It was as if a rural kid had entered the city—completely dazzled by everything.
It wasn’t until Xia Jianren led Bai Shishi to a jade stone gambling area that Lin Tian was drawn to the myriad stones in various sizes.
Lots of stones, even more people!
Many gathered around stones in groups, whispering to each other!
Some older men with white beards were intensely staring at stones through magnifying glasses.
Further ahead, several cutting machines sliced through stones continuously, and each time one stopped, some people shouted in excitement, while others looked dejected like defeated roosters.
"Jade stone gambling is very risky but also thrilling, which is why so many people do it!" Xia Jianren, familiar with jade gambling, enthusiastically explained to Bai Shishi: "You have to be mentally prepared to either lose everything with one cut or get rich overnight!"
"Wasn’t there a news story online where a raw stone bought for over fifty million eventually sold for two billion after cutting—showing just how profiting this business can be!" Seeing Bai Shishi completely captivated by his words, Xia Jianren couldn’t help but feel proud.
After all, what man doesn’t want to show off his knowledge in front of a beautiful woman?
"Jianren, this is my first time gambling on jade stones, you’ll have to help me a lot today!" Bai Shishi, knowing a bit about jade stone gambling and having listened to Xia Jianren, was eager to try her luck.
"No problem!" Xia Jianren said, stopping at a stall filled with stones and began selecting.
"You have to be careful when choosing stones, especially in examining the surface of raw jade!" Xia Jianren explained, pulling a small flashlight from his pocket to examine a stone’s surface.
Apparently dissatisfied with the first stone, he quickly picked another, using a magnifying glass to inspect every inch of it this time.
"Hmm, this one looks good!" Xia Jianren said, handing the stone to Bai Shishi.
Bai Shishi didn’t know how to evaluate raw jade, and had come with Xia Jianren to rely on his expertise. If he said it was good, then it must be!
"We’ll take this one!" Bai Shishi said to the shop owner.
The shop owner, with a cigarette in his mouth, held up one finger to Bai Shishi.
"One thousand?" Lin Tian was stunned, a small worthless stone was actually priced at a thousand.
"Young man, it’s ten thousand!" The shop owner smiled at Lin Tian, easily recognizing him as a novice.
"You think you can buy a stone for one thousand?" Xia Jianren mocked Lin Tian.
Lin Tian clicked his tongue—spending ten thousand on a worthless stone, the world of the wealthy was truly hard to understand.