Chen Yang stepped forward, feigning interest as he carefully examined the Shoushan stone in the wooden box. Then, in an exaggerated tone, he exclaimed:
"Wow! This stone is no ordinary stone!"
Chen Yang's words immediately drew the attention of both the shop owner and the young man. The shop owner was somewhat annoyed. He had spent a long time chatting with the young man, successfully convincing him that if he bought it for five hundred yuan, he would make a good profit. The shop owner had a sharp eye; although the stone didn't look impressive, it was indeed genuine Shoushan stone. If he found a suitable customer, selling it for five thousand yuan wouldn't be a problem.
Now that the price was almost agreed upon, Chen Yang had interfered. How could the shop owner not be angry?
The young man, however, seemed to see a glimmer of hope in the darkness, immediately casting expectant eyes at Chen Yang.
Chen Yang smiled and said,
"This stone looks ordinary, but based on my experience, it's highly likely to contain top-quality 'orange-peel red' jade! How about this, I'll take a gamble, brother, I'll offer eight thousand yuan for this stone! Sell it to me!"
Actually, Shoushan stone isn't like jadeite, where "jade is hidden within stone." The value of Shoushan stone is basically clear from its appearance, so there's essentially no such thing as "gambling on stones" with Shoushan stone. Chen Yang's statement was deliberate and meaningful.
"You really want eight thousand?" The young man's tone was excited. Although his initial target price was ten thousand yuan, the previous shops wouldn't accept it, while this shop owner was willing to buy it, offering a low price of five hundred yuan. Now, suddenly someone was willing to offer eight thousand yuan, naturally making him excited.
This is the effect of psychological expectations.
In fact, Chen Yang knew very well that based on the stone's appearance, its actual value was between three and four thousand yuan. Of course, if this unscrupulous shop owner bought it, he could probably sell it for an even higher price. However, Chen Yang immediately offered eight thousand yuan. Firstly, he wanted to deepen the shop owner's suspicion, making him think he was being tricked; secondly, since the young man had said it was for his mother's medical treatment, Chen Yang had already made a large profit from the stone, so he didn't mind paying a little more.
Seeing Chen Yang's exaggerated tone and expression, the shop owner suddenly calmed down. Having been in this business for many years, he had long since developed the habit of always being suspicious. There were simply too many swindlers in this industry, and their tricks were constantly evolving, making it impossible to guard against them all.
The shop owner looked at Chen Yang and the young man suspiciously.
"That's exactly what I want—suspicion!" Chen Yang thought to himself with a smirk. He deliberately winked at the young man, a subtle gesture that the shop owner just happened to see, and then said:
"Of course! If you're willing, I'll pay you in cash right away!"
He patted his bag, indicating that he had plenty of money.
Seeing Chen Yang's expression, the shop owner's suspicions seemed confirmed. He broke out in a cold sweat, thinking, "Damn it! I almost got caught in a trap! These two brats actually put on a show right in front of me! I knew that kid over there was just looking around without buying anything; he was waiting here!"
The shop owner, smugly believing he knew Chen Yang's scheme, sneered:
"Oh? Well, I can't stand in someone's way of making money! Young man, I'll have to reluctantly part with this 'orange peel red' stone!"
He deliberately emphasized the words "orange peel red," his sarcasm palpable.
"You think I'm stupid for finding top-quality orange peel red so easily?!" the shop owner cursed inwardly.
The young man, meanwhile, looked at Chen Yang expectantly. After a day of setbacks, he was already quite satisfied if he could sell this stone for eight thousand yuan. Seeing the shopkeeper fall for his trick, Chen Yang felt a surge of satisfaction, but his face remained impassive, even revealing a barely perceptible hint of disappointment. He patted the young man on the shoulder and said,
"Alright! I'll take the eight thousand yuan!"
Without another word, he pulled out a pre-prepared envelope, took out the stack of ten thousand yuan in prize money, unsealed it in front of the young man, counted out two thousand yuan, put it back in the envelope, and handed the remaining money to him, saying,
"Check it to see if the amount is correct!"
The young man carefully counted it twice, and after confirming it was correct, said gratefully,
"Eight thousand yuan is correct! Thank you, brother!"
Chen Yang smiled and nodded, then, carrying the wooden box he had bought, he and the young man left Qishiju one after the other, ignoring the shopkeeper who stood with his hands in his pockets, a cold smile playing on his lips, watching the spectacle.
The shopkeeper followed them out, watching their retreating figures, thinking they were putting on a convincing act! He spat angrily and said,
"Pah! What bad luck! I just opened the door and ran into two charlatans putting on a show!"
With that, he muttered and turned to go inside.
Unbeknownst to him, Chen Yang was telling the truth, but people in this line of work are generally very shrewd and like to think things through indirectly, so the more truthful the words, the more fake they sound to him.
Chen Yang, well aware of the psychology of these seasoned veterans, successfully bought the Shoushan stone that would be crucial to his first pot of gold after his rebirth.
Chen Yang held the wooden box, feeling its weight. In his previous life, hundreds of thousands of yuan were nothing to him, but after his rebirth, this was his capital for a comeback.
Chen Yang went straight out of the flower and bird market and bought an electric hand grinder and some other auxiliary tools at a nearby hardware store, spending over a thousand yuan. A few minutes later, Chen Yang emerged from the hardware store carrying a large bag of tools in his left hand and the wooden box containing the Shoushan stone tucked under his right arm. He hailed a taxi and headed straight for the vicinity of Rongcheng Railway Station.
The area around the railway station is always dotted with hotels of all sizes. Chen Yang found an inconspicuous little hotel by the main road, booked a standard room, and checked in with his bags.
He chose this location because of the high turnover of people; many migrant workers enter Rongcheng every day, making it less likely to attract attention. Although the Shoushan stone seemed inconspicuous, Chen Yang knew its actual value, and it was better to be cautious. Also, being next to a main road, with its heavy traffic and bustling noise during the day, the slight noise Chen Yang made while handling the stone would be less noticeable.
Chen Yang rested in the room for a while, then got up, locked the door, and ripped off the sheets and blankets. He then spread several old newspapers he had prepared beforehand on the bed, and placed a few old magazines he had just gotten from the hardware store owner on top of the newspapers.
After doing this, Chen Yang brought a basin of water from the bathroom, opened the wooden box, and carefully moved the Shoushan stone out, placing it on the magazines on the bed.
Chen Yang gently stroked the rough surface of the Shoushan stone, muttering to himself,
"Buddy! Don't let me down!"
Chen Yang carefully wiped the Shoushan stone with water. The stone had a bluish-green surface, dotted with speckled gray-white patterns, and was olive-shaped, wider in the middle and narrower at both ends, weighing about five or six pounds. Based on the photos he had seen in his previous life, Chen Yang quickly located the part that had been accidentally cut open, revealing the "orange-peel red" interior. He roughly measured the area with his fingers and marked the cutting area with a pencil, then adjusted the magazine to stabilize the Shoushan stone.
Chen Yang replaced the cutting disc with a new steel one. After powering on the C-type machine, he took a deep breath to calm himself and then turned on the power switch.
The cutting machine immediately spun at high speed, emitting a piercing sound. Chen Yang held the cutting machine, aimed carefully, and steadily cut.
Sparks flew as soon as the cutting disc made contact with the stone. Chen Yang carefully controlled the force in his hand, and the cutting machine accurately cut into the stone along the pre-marked line.
With a "hiss," the cutting machine made a sound of running idle, and a corner of the Shoushan stone fell onto the newspaper. Chen Yang quickly turned off the power, picked up the Shoushan stone, placed it in a basin, and carefully wiped the cut surface with clean water.
After washing away the surface stone powder, Chen Yang stared intently. At the cut, a breathtaking orange-red hue was revealed, its color remarkably pure. Shining a flashlight inside, he saw the cut surface was crystal clear, displaying a bewitching beauty.
Suppressing his excitement, Chen Yang held the Shoushan stone in his hands, tracing the cut inwards. The orange-red hue extended further inwards, intensifying with each passing moment.
It was absolutely top-quality 'orange-peel red'!
It was exactly the same as the photograph he'd seen at Master Baiyan's house in his previous life!
The money for the old house was secured!
Chen Yang finally felt relieved. History continued its steady march in the established direction, without significant deviation due to his sudden appearance in this world.
After quickly packing his things, Chen Yang carefully stuffed the stone powder, the scrap, and old newspapers and magazines into a large plastic bag, ready to take them away and dispose of them. Then Chen Yang carefully put away the cutting machine, flashlight, and other tools, and put the bed back in its original position.
Only then did he take out his phone, find Professor Yan Jun's number, and dial it.
This was something Chen Yang had planned long ago.
Professor Yan was not only a leading legal scholar but also a well-known collector in the field. Living in Fuzhou, Professor Yan's expertise in Shoushan stone was particularly remarkable. He possessed first-rate connoisseurship skills and even considerable carving ability, and his home contained many masterpieces.
Professor Yan had many friends in Fuzhou's collecting circles, and Chen Yang hoped to use him to quickly monetize this piece of Shoushan stone.
After the call connected, Chen Yang politely said:
"Professor Yan, this is Chen Yang. I have a favor to ask you! My friend has a piece of Shoushan stone, but he's a bit unsure about it and would like you to take a look."
Professor Yan, upon receiving Chen Yang's call, initially assumed he was seeking academic advice. He was somewhat surprised to hear Chen Yang mention Shoushan stone, but he had always had a very good impression of Chen Yang, and since Chen Yang was now Master Baiyan's last disciple, there was no reason to refuse. So he readily agreed:
"Sure! A few collectors are having a small gathering at my house tonight. Please bring your things around eight o'clock!"
"That's wonderful! Thank you, Professor Yan!" Chen Yang quickly expressed his gratitude.