Chapter 130: You Thanked Me Too Soon

Zhang Mingyu was brimming with confidence, for he was certain that Ye Tianci would lose.

As soon as he spoke, the room erupted into a commotion.

"Finding jade in two out of three raw stones is already a tall order, but he wants to hit the jackpot on all three? How is that even possible?"

"Exactly! It's impossible. This is a guaranteed loss!"

"Boss Zhang, you are clearly bullying him!"

The crowd clamored, speaking up for Ye Tianci. Ye Tianci did not rush to accept or reject the challenge; instead, he looked toward Pei Qingzhi.

"Sir, you appear to be a man of great integrity and prestige. Please, say a word of justice."

"It is not that I am cowardly or afraid to bet with Boss Zhang, but he has been so unfair from the start. Now, by proposing such harsh conditions, he is clearly trying to force me into a loss."

Ye Tianci intentionally sought Pei Qingzhi's stance to pressure Zhang Mingyu. He was patient; to land a big fish, he could not afford to be hasty.

Pei Qingzhi nodded and said, "I am Pei Qingzhi. If you trust me, young man, I will act as a witness for you both."

"I naturally trust you, sir. With your word, I accept this bet with Zhang Mingyu!" Ye Tianci replied. "But if I win, I want to choose fifty raw stones!"

"Rest assured, I will be fair," Pei Qingzhi promised. He turned to Zhang Mingyu and said, "Boss Zhang, your conditions are indeed too harsh, and what this young man asks for is too much. Let's do this: if he wins, you will let him select an additional thirty raw stones to take away for free."

"That won't do, Elder Pei!" Zhang Mingyu shook his head like a rattle. He was terrified of the "what if." If Ye Tianci won, he would be giving away thirty raw stones for nothing! That would be a massive loss.

Pei Qingzhi's expression darkened. "This won't do, that won't do—why did you handle things so unfairly earlier? Why did you insist on forcing him to bet?" He added sternly, "Thirty stones! If you do not agree, there will be no more cooperation between you and the Qingbao Group!"

Zhang Mingyu panicked. The Qingbao Group, backed by Pei Qingzhi, was the largest jewelry company in Shucheng. If he lost that partnership, his Mingyu Studio would have to close its doors. Fearing the consequences, he nodded obediently. "I will follow your lead, Elder Pei!"

With the terms settled, the wager began. As Master Li stepped forward to cut the stones, Zhang Mingyu subconsciously glanced at Ye Tianci, only to find him smiling.

"Wow! It's green!" The crowd erupted in a sudden shout. Zhang Mingyu looked over, his expression one of pure disbelief, as if he had seen a ghost.

"Don't stop, continue," Ye Tianci gestured.

Master Li continued. The second stone revealed glutinous green jade—another win! The final stone revealed a cyan green—a third win!

With that, all five stones Ye Tianci had chosen at random were winners, and all were high-quality jade! The Mingyu Studio exploded in chaos. Although Ye Tianci had chosen the stones, the onlookers acted as if they were the ones who had won, dancing with excitement.

People surged toward Ye Tianci, eyes gleaming.

"Brother Ye, let's be friends! Help me pick a stone!"

"Brother Ye, add me on WeChat. I'll transfer five thousand right now if you pick two stones for me!"

"Brother Ye! I'm a business manager at Liufu Jewelry. Here is my card. Come work for us, and I guarantee you a monthly salary of fifty thousand!"

"Fifty thousand is nothing! Come to our Zhu Family Mining, and you’ll get an annual salary of at least a million!"

They were all shrewd people; they knew Ye Tianci’s success couldn't just be luck. He must have a secret technique. If they could befriend or work with someone like him, they would never have to worry about losing money on jade again. In their eyes, Ye Tianci was a treasure. Even Pei Qingzhi looked at him with glowing eyes.

Ye Tianci looked at the stunned Zhang Mingyu. "Boss Zhang, you lost."

Zhang Mingyu snapped out of his trance and looked at Ye Tianci with a complex expression. "Brother, I admit I lost. How about this? I’ll transfer the one hundred thousand Young Master Zhao paid to you, plus another two thousand... no, I'll give you fifty thousand for free! Let's just call the bet off."

A mocking curve appeared on Ye Tianci's lips. "Boss Zhang, are you planning to go back on your word again?"

"Zhang Mingyu, have you no shame?"

"Backing out again? How shameless!"

"We all saw it, didn't we? Why should we support someone like this? Let's go!"

The crowd was incensed. Even Pei Qingzhi was moved by the atmosphere, and he said coldly, "I do not say things twice, Zhang Mingyu. You decide: honor the bet or face the consequences."

Zhang Mingyu felt worse than if he had swallowed fly-infested waste. He regretted everything. Why did he have to protect Zhao Xiujie? Why did he have to open his mouth and challenge Ye Tianci? He had dug his own grave!

Stamping his foot, Zhang Mingyu gritted his teeth and waved his hand. "Thirty stones! Go ahead and pick!"

Ye Tianci smiled coldly and stepped forward. The crowd parted, and a large group followed him, eyes locked on his every move. Ye Tianci touched each stone casually; if the Spirit-Hiding Eel in his sleeve didn't react, the stone was waste. If it did, it held jade. He moved with incredible speed, as if he were picking cabbages at a market.

"I never knew jade could be picked like this! My eyes have been opened today!"

"Does this guy have some kind of superpower? Look at how confident he is."

"I suspect so. I have to buy a stone from him later."

As the crowd whispered, Ye Tianci stopped. "Twenty-seven stones in total. That's it, Boss Zhang. I won't pick any more."

Zhang Mingyu was overjoyed. "Brother Ye, I didn't expect you to be so kind. Thank you for giving me face by picking three fewer!"

Ye Tianci smirked. "You thanked me too soon."

"What do you mean?" Zhang Mingyu froze.

"It's not that I picked three fewer. It's because out of all the raw stones in your shop, only these twenty-seven contain jade. I saw no reason to waste my time picking three more duds."

Zhang Mingyu's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"

"Is it that hard to understand, Boss Zhang?" Ye Tianci said coldly. "Except for these twenty-seven, all the other two hundred-plus raw stones in your shop are nothing but waste."

Zhang Mingyu flew into a rage. "You're spouting nonsense!"