The crowd surrounding the stall had grown so thick that not even a strand of hair could squeeze through. Yet despite the density, a deep, almost eerie silence hung over the crowd.
No one moved. No one dared speak.
Everyone was waiting—waiting to witness history.
Yes, history.
Jade was already rare. But Imperial Green—true glass-type Imperial Green—was something most could only dream of seeing once in a lifetime, if at all. It was a gemstone spoken of in hushed, reverent tones, second only to the blue diamond in prestige and value. The kind of stone that was measured in millions, not by carats, but by legends.
Inside the stall, the shop owner's initial delight had long since faded. His eyes were fixed on the raw jade stone as it continued to be revealed under the careful hands of the cutting master. His smile slowly crumbled, replaced by the pale regret of a man who had unknowingly given away a treasure that could have rewritten his entire life.
He felt his knees go weak.
That stone had been sitting under his nose, collecting dust—and now it was legally hers.
He could do nothing.
As the last sliver of rind was peeled away, the full form of the jade finally emerged in all its glory. A flawless, deep emerald-green stone, glass-like in its translucency, roughly the size of a football. It radiated a rich, verdant light under the cutting lamps, as if breathing.
Li Jianping's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
His entire face turned red with excitement as he leaned in, breath caught in his throat.
Seeing her uncle's unfiltered joy, Li Ziqing gave him a small nudge and smiled.
"Uncle," she said softly, "do you want to hold it?"
Li Jianping jerked back to reality, then quickly wiped his hands on his shirt with exaggerated care. The cutting master hesitated—his fingers lingering a moment longer on the stone—but eventually handed it over, his expression reluctant and wistful. In his forty years of working as a cutting master, this was the first time he had ever touched true Imperial Green jade. He might never again.
Meanwhile, a buzz of voices erupted across the crowd.
"Glass-type… it's translucent like pure water!"
"Deep emerald-green… absolutely flawless!"
"This is definitely old pit material—look at the shine! The texture!"
"And that size… that size alone is unheard of!"
"It's worth more than any stone I've ever seen…"
The air trembled with awe and envy.
The shop owner swallowed hard, his throat dry as paper.
He licked his lips and managed to ask, "Miss… would you be willing to sell it?"
Li Ziqing didn't answer directly. Instead, she turned toward Li Jianping, who was still completely absorbed in the jade's beauty. He held it like it was a newborn, turning it carefully to catch the light, his eyes sparkling with obsession.
"Uncle," she asked gently, "do you want to sell it?"
That simple question brought Li Jianping out of his dreamlike daze. He blinked at her—his eyes suddenly red, not from sadness, but from emotion. This girl, his niece, was entrusting the biggest decision of their lives to him.
He looked back at the jade.
Then at her.
Then back again.
Greed and reason warred in his heart. But in the end, family won.
His voice was hoarse but steady. "Sell it."
The moment those words left his mouth, the silence shattered like glass.
"Fifty million yuan!" someone shouted.
"Seventy million!"
"Eighty million!"
"Ninety-five million!"
"One hundred million!!"
The numbers flew faster than anyone could count.
"One hundred and forty million!!"
"One hundred and eighty million yuan!!"
Then—silence again.
Even the crowd gasped at the last number.
Li Ziqing stood frozen.
One hundred and eighty million yuan?
She had expected maybe a few million, tens at most. But this? This was beyond anything she'd imagined. Her mind blanked, her breath caught. Though her uncle had told her how precious the stone might be, she hadn't truly understood—not until now.
Before she could collect herself, a sudden wave of commotion rippled through the crowd.
Shouts.
Pushing.
The crowd began to part as a barrage of bodyguards forced their way forward, clearing a path with brutal efficiency. There were at least fifteen men, each one cold and expressionless, forming a wall of black suits.
Then, in their center, a man stepped forward.
Li Ziqing and Li Jianping didn't recognize him.
But others did.
The stall owner blanched.
Master Su's smirk disappeared.
Whispers spread like wildfire:
"It's him…"
"The major shareholder…"
"The boss of the Night Market…"
"Why is he here?"
No one knew his name.
But everyone knew his power.
He didn't speak.
He didn't need to.
He simply walked up to the stall and stared at the jade in Li Jianping's hands.
The entire Night Market held its breath.
The crowd instinctively parted, holding their breath as they witnessed the man in the dark green suit approach. His presence was overbearing—commanding yet refined. Half his face was hidden behind a sleek black mask, which only added to the mystique surrounding him. His suit was tailored to perfection, accentuating his lean, powerful frame. The white shirt beneath it had two buttons casually undone, adding a hint of rakish charm. His black hair was slick and neat, and though the visible half of his face appeared mature—perhaps late thirties—it held the sharp handsomeness of a man who had long since stopped fearing the world.
Li Ziqing's eyes met his calmly.
She could feel the weight of his authority in the air—the way others recoiled, the way even the atmosphere thickened in his presence. This man had power, the kind that came from control, not chaos. But oddly, she wasn't afraid. Her breath stayed steady. Her eyes unblinking. She didn't avert her gaze even once.
Across from her, the masked man observed her in turn. For the first time in a long while, his interest was piqued—not by the jade, but by the girl who dared meet his eyes without trembling. Where others avoided even the shadow he cast, she stood firm. Graceful. Unmoved.
A committee member from the Night Market, who had witnessed the entire betting frenzy and the historic reveal of the Imperial Green jade, cautiously stepped forward and leaned toward the man, whispering in his ear. The man's eyes briefly flicked to the trembling Master Su, who was still sitting on the ground in silent shame, and then calmly returned to lock eyes with Li Ziqing.
The committee member bowed and stepped back.
The man let out a low, deep chuckle.
It rumbled from his chest like thunder muffled behind silk curtains—rich, controlled, and somehow... mesmerizing.
He stopped and finally spoke.
"Two hundred million yuan."
His voice was smooth and assured, like a blade sheathed in velvet.
Then, with a slight tilt of his head, his eyes narrowed on her.
"What do you think, little girl?"
A gasp rippled through the crowd.
Li Ziqing didn't blink. She slowly turned, letting her gaze sweep over the stunned faces surrounding them, and then asked coolly, "Anyone else still want to bid?"
Dead silence.
The air tightened.
No one dared to breathe too loudly, let alone speak. Who would dare compete against him?
The man in the green suit raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. His eyes glimmered with appreciation. A slow, rare smile curved on his lips.
Li Ziqing turned back toward him and gave a soft nod.
"Deal," she said. "Cash, cheque, or transfer?"
No theatrics. No hesitation. Just business.
The man let out a fuller laugh this time, one that echoed warmly, surprising those used to his reputation for ruthlessness. His voice was rich, full of amusement and a strange sense of satisfaction.
He glanced at the heavens briefly and muttered, "Thank the stars I came to Wuhan today…"
Not just for the jade—but to meet this girl.
His mind briefly wandered to his son—that frozen-faced block of ice in his family. He sighed inwardly. If only he'd had a daughter like this.
He looked back at her, eyes clear with intent.
"I like people who are straightforward. Let's go with the transfer."
He gestured slightly toward a man in glasses behind him. The assistant nodded and stepped forward, pulling out his phone.
Li Ziqing turned to Li Jianping and said gently, "Uncle, give your bank account number."
Li Jianping still hadn't recovered from holding the football-sized Imperial Green jade in his hands. He was about to protest—
But Li Ziqing cut him off:
"My scholarship card has a limit."
Understanding dawned instantly.
Without hesitation, Li Jianping gave his account details to the assistant, who quickly made a call and relayed the transfer.
As they waited for confirmation, the man in green casually said, "Since we have time, shall we continue the bet? Let's cut the second stone."
Li Ziqing nodded and handed the second stone to the master cutter.
The cutter, whose hands had never trembled in four decades of stone carving, now held the rock with almost reverent care. He adjusted the blade, his eyes flicking once to the powerful man standing close, and then began slicing the stone with slow, meticulous precision.
This stone wasn't as large—about the size of a human abdomen—but the cut was delicate, almost spiritual.
Minutes passed.
Then—green.
A shocked gasp burst from the crowd.
The man in the green suit narrowed his eyes, his usual calm flickering with surprise.
Again?
The cutter didn't wait for instructions this time. He began polishing the jade with practiced speed, driven by a mix of adrenaline and reverence.
What emerged took everyone's breath away.
A jade the size of half a basketball, smooth as silk and glowing from within, revealed itself in full brilliance.
But this wasn't just green.
It was a blend—a living rainbow.
Deep emerald green, soft lavender, gentle scarlet, warm amber, icy white—every shade merged seamlessly, swirling in natural gradients like a masterpiece painted by the divine.
The crowd froze, not in fear this time, but in awe.
It was not silence born from intimidation—it was reverence. As though in the presence of something holy.
Just then, an old man in a Tang suit, face half-covered by a surgical mask, pushed forward through the stillness. His steps were hurried. Shaky.
He reached the stone and stopped as if struck by lightning.
His voice trembled.
"T-This… this is…"
He looked like he might faint.
"…Mythical."
The word dropped like a bomb.
He turned slowly to the crowd.
"This… is Rainbow Jade. The legendary jade said to be born when all five elements merge. Look! Look at the harmony of the colors! Deep green… lavender… red… yellow… icy white… all blended without flaw. Like a heavenly oil painting. This is the jade from legends—spoken of in ancient texts—but never seen in real life!"
Gasps rose again.
Even the man in green narrowed his eyes with rare intensity.
The Rainbow Jade sat there, glowing softly under the lights like a slumbering god.
And Li Ziqing stood calmly beside it.
Unshaken.
Unmoved.
But in her heart—she smiled and said.
The stall owner came forward and was about to speak but Li Ziqing cut him off, "We're not selling it"
Li Jianping on the side also nodded in daze at what is niece said.