Chapter 18: Investing in Tang’s Jewelry

Master Zhang, a man in his forties, helped Zhao Chen lift the half-piece of jadeite onto the stone-cutting machine and asked with a chuckle, "Young man, how would you like this cut?"

He had just finished cutting this very piece, and it was clear at a glance that it contained nothing of value. He assumed Zhao Chen was just looking to satisfy his curiosity and experience the thrill of cutting stone, not taking it seriously at all.

Zhao Chen adjusted the angle and instructed, "Just make a cut along this edge."

The cross-section of the stone was filled with cotton-like inclusions and fractures, failing to reach even the quality of bean-seed jade. Yet, beneath the surface lay a hidden treasure. Had he not touched it and sensed that faint, rich green glow, he wouldn't have given this piece of junk a second look.

The saw blade spun at high speed, washed by a constant stream of water. Tang Yan, eyes fixed on the results of the two pieces she had purchased, was far too preoccupied to pay attention to him.

Time ticked by. After about half an hour, the stone-cutting machine let out a click, signaling it was spinning empty. Master Zhang calmly turned off the machine, lifted the dust cover, and smiled, "Let's see the result. Don't get your hopes up."

Although he wasn't a gambler, six or seven years as a stone cutter meant he could judge a piece of jade with near-perfect accuracy. That half of the Muna-mine material was waste—utterly worthless. His words were merely meant to console Zhao Chen.

Zhao Chen stepped forward nonchalantly, tossed the discarded half aside, and picked up the other half to examine it closely. Just as he had seen, it contained a fist-sized piece of top-tier treasure!

Master Zhang caught a glimpse of vibrant emerald green out of the corner of his eye. He turned back for a second look, then leaned in to inspect it closely, blurting out an expletive: "Holy hell, kid, you've hit the jackpot!"

His sharp, shocked cry drew everyone nearby to look over. Pan Yumei asked curiously, "What is it, Old Zhang? What did you cut?"

"Yang-green! And it's clear as ice!"

"What?!" Tang Yan was equally stunned. She dropped the piece she was holding and rushed over like a gust of wind, pressing her flashlight against the stone to inspect it. "My goodness! The color is vibrant and intense, and the base is so fine and smooth. Did this really come out of that piece of scrap?"

She could hardly believe her eyes. A top-tier piece of jade, worthy of being a store's centerpiece, had been pulled by Zhao Chen from a discarded chunk of waste. How was this possible?

Pan Yumei also hurried over to take a look, exclaiming in disbelief, "Manager Tang, could this piece reach the level of Imperial Green?"

"Not quite, but it’s close. The key is the translucency—it’s superb. I haven’t seen a top-tier piece like this in years." Tang Yan caressed the cross-section, unable to pull her hands away. She laughed and asked, "Brother Zhao, how did you know there was treasure in this scrap? Could you teach me your secret?"

Now she understood why her sister, Wen Min, had been calling repeatedly to ask for Zhao Chen’s whereabouts. This was the reason. With such an incredible ability to identify jade, wouldn't he be able to sweep up all the high-end goods in the market? To say he had missed out on hundreds of billions would be no exaggeration!

Zhao Chen smiled. "There's no secret, just good luck. By the way, Manager Tang, I paid for this half-piece already. Surely a boss as successful as you wouldn't go back on your word?"

The piece was only the size of a fist, though it was certainly valuable. He hadn't originally intended to cut it here, but he knew that if he took it elsewhere and revealed such a treasure, he might face the risk of being swindled or robbed. It was better to cut it right here and test Tang Yan's integrity at the same time.

Tang Yan felt a pang of regret so sharp it felt like her intestines were twisting. She had nearly given away a piece of jade that was infinite steps away from being Imperial Green. Of course, at twenty yuan, it was practically a gift. She whined in pain, acting aggrieved: "Brother Zhao, can't you sell it to me for a cheaper price? You only spent twenty yuan, and I didn't even charge you for the cutting fee. Can't you cut me a deal?"

"You can't be too unreasonable. Even if I picked it up for free, I can't just give it to you for free," Zhao Chen teased.

"Seven million!" Tang Yan gritted her teeth. Though this was less than the stone's true value, it still made her heart ache. After all, the stone had been provided by the company for a livestream, and it wasn't supposed to be worth anything. That it was a piece of "waste" already cut once made Zhao Chen’s discovery sting even more than if she had lost fifty million on a bad bet.

Pan Yumei looked at Zhao Chen with a mix of shock and jealousy, wondering what kind of luck he had—buying half a piece of scrap for twenty yuan and turning it into seven million? Why didn't she have such luck?

Zhao Chen thought for a moment. "Add a bit more. A piece like this is worth more than seven million."

"Oh, that's already a lot! You barely spent anything—don't you think seven million is enough? Please, Brother Zhao, give me a deal and let me have a slice of the pie, won't you?" Tang Yan grabbed Zhao Chen’s arm, acting coy and fluttering her eyes, practically hanging off him.

In other circumstances, she wouldn't have done this, as her family’s business, Tang’s Jewelry, wasn't short on cash. But the fact that this treasure was sitting right under her nose and had been snatched up by Zhao Chen changed the nature of the situation entirely.

Zhao Chen hadn't expected the executive director of a jewelry company to act like a young girl, cuddling up to him. He coughed to hide his embarrassment and said sternly, "That won't do. You must add more. Ten million, and it's yours."

Such a rare, top-tier piece was certainly worth more, and he felt ten million was already a bit low. But since he had bought it in her shop and cut it right there, he didn't want to push too hard.

"Fine, I'll… wait, what if I don't have that much cash on hand?" Tang Yan had just been about to agree when she remembered she had already paid Zhao Chen over five million in cash. The banks were closed; where was she supposed to find ten million in cash?

Zhao Chen rolled his eyes and said with a smile, "That’s simple. How much is this shop worth? Just convert the ten million, plus the five million three hundred thousand in cash, into shares for me."

He was going to open a shop sooner or later anyway. It was better to buy into this one first, and once he had more capital, he could take the whole shop over—it would save him the trouble of dealing with things he didn't understand.

Tang Yan was surprised. "Brother Zhao, you mean you want to buy into our company?"

"No! Just this shop." Zhao Chen knew that Tang’s Jewelry was likely a massive enterprise with assets over a billion. Investing ten million would only get him a tiny fraction of the company, which was pointless. He had no desire to annex the whole firm; being able to secure a foothold in one shop was enough.

Afraid that Zhao Chen might change his mind, Tang Yan immediately agreed. "Fine! I'll have someone from the company sent over right away."