Emerging from the driving school, Lu Fan headed directly for the antique market. Although he knew nothing about jade, his discerning eyes and the spiritual gathering bottle, which possessed an absolute sensitivity to jade, were more than enough.
At the antique market, a newly opened jade gambling stall was packed with people. This kind of activity was quite novel for a small county town. Hearing that many people had unearthed rough stones on the spot further enticed many to try their luck. What if they stumbled upon a high-quality jade and struck it rich!
Lu Fan squeezed through the crowd and saw many people selecting stones at the front. Beside them, a person with a small cutting machine was specifically opening the stones for those engaged in jade gambling.
Hundreds of stones, large and small, were present. Several individuals who appeared to be knowledgeable were shining miniature flashlights over them one by one, as if discovering a new continent.
Lu Fan also walked over, his gaze searching through the piles of stones.
"Brother! How does this work?" Lu Fan asked a man next to him who was selecting stones.
"The rough stones here are sold by the jin. One hundred and fifty yuan per jin. The stones at the front are sold by the piece, with prices varying according to size," the man selecting stones replied somewhat impatiently before continuing his search.
"Holy cow... these things are so expensive? A pile of worthless rocks can sell for one hundred and fifty yuan a jin! This is a quick way to make a fortune!" Lu Fan muttered to himself, unable to spot any promising stones among the pile. Could his eyes be unreliable?
Lu Fan subtly took out the spiritual gathering bottle. A faint vibration emanated from it, indicating that there was indeed something within. Lu Fan immediately began searching through the stone piles.
Huh! This one actually showed a faint hint of green. Lu Fan reached out and grabbed a stone slightly larger than his fist.
"Hey... kid! Do you know how to gamble on jade? You're rummaging around like you're buying radishes! If you don't know how to gamble, move aside and don't get in the way," suddenly a plump man, dressed in branded clothing and wearing a dog leash as thick as a little finger, patted Lu Fan from behind and said impatiently.
"Tch! Judging me by my appearance! How do you know I don't know how to gamble?" Lu Fan retorted, giving the man, Wu Meng, a dismissive look.
"Damn it! You're quite arrogant! Just look at your clothes, they're not even from a street stall! Did you pick them up from the trash?
Gambling on jade! Do you know that gambling on jade is risky and can lead to ruin? Can you afford it? With that few hundred yuan, go home and buy some good food for your mother. Don't lose it all in a blink." Wu Meng glared at Lu Fan. Such a country bumpkin actually wanted to try jade gambling. Damn it... he must be desperate to get rich!
"Heh!" Lu Fan was amused by the man's words. This guy was probably a nouveau riche. However, the remark about buying food for his mother sounded somewhat human. Fine! I won't stoop to your level: "Alright! I'll give you the space, and I'll take this stone! But, you're right, it's hard-earned money, so don't go bankrupt and lose it all, okay! Heh!"
Lu Fan turned and walked away.
"Kid! You don't know this, but I made my fortune by gambling on jade. Let me tell you, my eyes are sharp! Last year, these eyes of mine discovered an exceptional piece of water-type jade, called ice jade. I sold it for five million yuan! Humph!" Wu Meng suddenly said proudly, his voice quite loud as if he wanted others to hear.
"Holy cow... is that true?" Many people nearby immediately cast envious glances.
"Brother! Then could you help me see if there's anything in this one!" Several people gathered around, holding their stones for Wu Meng to examine.
Wu Meng immediately assumed the air of a senior, ostentatiously taking out a small flashlight and shining it on the stones.
Lu Fan shook his head slightly. This guy was indeed a nouveau riche.
Carrying the stone to the counter at the front, where a large scale was placed, Lu Fan put the stone on it. It weighed just under three jin. Lu Fan paid four hundred and fifty yuan to Yan Menghan, the owner of the jade gambling stall, who was standing nearby.
Yan Menghan had been smiling as he watched everyone searching among the stones. They were all here to give him money! Haha!
"Young man! Would you like to have it opened? If you find good jade, I can buy it back at a high price!" Yan Menghan said with a smile, looking at Lu Fan.
"No need!" Lu Fan shook his head and picked up the stone, intending to leave. He sensed a trace of aura from Yan Menghan; this person was actually a master!? No wonder, controlling such a large jade gambling stall required some skill.
"Young man! There are quite a few good rough stones over there. I guarantee each one has something. Why don't you take a look?" Yan Menghan suddenly said again.
"Oh?" Lu Fan followed the direction Yan Menghan pointed. He saw a shelf in the adjacent store displaying many stones. Each stone faintly emitted different colors, and prices were marked on them.
Indeed, each stone had jade in it. If they all had jade, why gamble? Lu Fan was puzzled. He didn't understand what others referred to as "water head." However, he could go and take a look!
With that thought, Lu Fan walked over. The stones on the shelf were each marked with different prices, ranging from one to two thousand to three to five million yuan. Lu Fan walked from one end to the other, finally settling his gaze on a stone about the size of a child's head.
This stone had a faint deep green glow within it. Most importantly, when he approached it, the spiritual gathering bottle in his embrace reacted most strongly. It seemed this was the best jade. The price marked on the jade was two million yuan.
Lu Fan immediately picked up the stone: "Boss! I'll take this one!"