bookbashuk Chapter 334 Imperial Green
Chapter 334 Imperial Green
Shen Li sized up the old man in front of him. The man was not American; he looked like a Chinese person, but she couldn't be completely sure.
The old man was holding a powerful flashlight, repeatedly shining it on the rough stone and examining it closely. The beam of light flowed across the rough stone surface, trying to penetrate the surface and explore its inner workings.
A moment later, the old man put away his flashlight and turned to the person beside him, whispering, "Third Young Master, this stone looks good on the surface, but it is actually extremely risky." The implication was clear—the possibility of it collapsing was very high.
The rough stone was priced at US$10,000, which, at the current exchange rate of 1:2.93, is equivalent to approximately RMB 30,000.
Judging from the current jade gambling market, this price is neither high nor low. As long as you can find even a hint of green, you won't lose money. If you can cut out a full green jade, that would be an incredible stroke of luck.
After hearing Zhang Lao's assessment, Jerry turned to Shen Li and said with a hint of dissuasion, "This stone is quite risky. Why don't we give up and look at the next one? If you really like jade, I can take you directly to Myanmar. You can find all kinds of good jade there."
Shen Li did not move, his gaze fixed on the raw stone, as if he could penetrate the thick stone skin and reach the core.
She could see it clearly: the imperial green within the stone, though only the thickness of a finger, extended downwards for more than ten centimeters—this part alone was enough to make several bracelets.
The remaining areas are covered in bright green and fruit green, with the colors gradually lightening.
Nowadays, most people on the market are chasing after high-color icy jadeite and are not very interested in materials like fruit green or bright green. However, Shen Li is particularly fond of it. Moreover, although the stone is not high-color icy jadeite, it is still a translucent icy jadeite, which perfectly meets her expectations.
"I think it's great. The green part on top alone is enough to make egg noodles." Her tone was calm, but it conveyed certainty.
Jerry hesitated, "But even egg noodles aren't worth this price! Come on, I'll take you to see something better."
Shen Li had previously helped him find a lot of good products, and he was eager to give her a decent gift in return, so he naturally didn't want her to waste her money.
But Shen Li was adamant about having this piece, and Jerry had no choice but to go along with her.
When it came time to make the payment, Jerry insisted on paying on Shen Li's behalf, but Shen Li politely declined.
After that, she selected several more rough stones, none of which were very large, weighing only a few dozen kilograms in total, unlike the first one which weighed over a hundred kilograms and had a considerable yield.
Jerry looked at the few small stones she had chosen and asked curiously, "Aren't you going to open a window and check their quality first?"
Shen Li gently shook her head: "No need, we'll deal with it after we send it back to China."
"I'm curious what good stuff you'll get from these selections," Jerry said, looking puzzled.
Shen Li glanced at the five rough stones in front of him and said calmly, "Which one do you want to see? I'll have someone cut it open now."
Jerry's eyes lit up: "Really?"
Shen Li nodded: "Mm."
Jerry stared at the rough stone for a while, then laughed, "I'm not sure either, I'm just curious about your taste. Why don't you choose one and cut it?"
"Okay." Shen Li casually pointed to the smallest piece, "This one."
Jerry had his men put away the rest of the rough stones, and only took the one that was to be cut, delivering it to the cutting machine.
Shen Lixuan didn't wait for the auction for these raw stones—she felt the prices were within an acceptable range, and there was no need to risk being snatched up by others. It would be a pity if her favorite material was intercepted.
As the group approached the cutting area, onlookers saw it was just a small stone weighing twenty or thirty pounds and didn't pay it any mind.
But Jerry's personal accompaniment was undeniable. Once the news spread, a large crowd of onlookers gathered, eager to see what kind of judgment the Third Young Master had in choosing this person.
The cutter turned to Shen Li and respectfully asked, "Miss, how would you like it cut?"
"Make a window here, and peel off about a centimeter of the outer layer," Shen Li said, pointing to a spot on the raw stone.
She had already seen through the stone's internal structure and gave precise instructions, but to outsiders, this casual cutting method was clearly the work of an amateur.
Shen Li was completely unconcerned about the questioning looks from those around him, and the onlookers were all waiting to see him make a fool of himself—what could he possibly know from just peeling off one centimeter of skin?
As the cutting machine roared, stone chips flew everywhere, and water continuously washed over the cut surface.
When the machine stopped, and the clear greenery shone through the damp stone surface, a gasp suddenly erupted from the crowd.
"Wow……"
"Am I seeing things? It's imperial green!"
"Such good material, and it was actually snagged by a young Chinese girl?"
"Where was that stone just now? I didn't notice it!"
Everyone was filled with regret, feeling that they had missed out on a business opportunity worth hundreds of millions.
Jerry already admired Shen Li, and now he was full of praise—a woman with both strength and charm is undoubtedly the focus of attention in a crowd, and no man can resist that attraction.
Many people jostled and pushed their way to Shen Li, one of them speaking first: "Miss, are you planning to sell this piece of material? I'm willing to offer a high price!"
"Yes, yes, miss, I'm willing to pay an extra price to buy it!"
Those who can come here are all wealthy collectors, and they naturally wouldn't want to miss such top-quality imperial green jade.
Shen Li gently shook his head: "I won't make a move."
"That's a real shame." The man who had spoken earlier handed over a business card. "This is my contact information. If you're interested in making a move in the future, feel free to call me anytime."
"Okay." Shen Li accepted the business card out of politeness.
At this point, the cutter asked again, "Miss, would you like to continue cutting?"
"Yes, peel off the outer skin this way." Shen Li nodded.
These words caused an uproar among the onlookers.
Everyone secretly thought to themselves that this young girl was really foolish—opening the window revealed such a good quality item, which was the best time to sell it. If she peeled off all the skins and found flaws inside, she would lose everything.
Some people secretly speculated about her identity. In the upper-class Chinese circles of the United States, everyone had heard of her, but she was a complete stranger.
As time passed, each facet of the rough stone was cut open, and the gasps of amazement from the onlookers grew louder.
In the end, everyone was left only in amazement—this raw stone was actually green all over, and its quality was simply one in a million.
Even though the stone is only slightly icy, with such top-quality color, it is already a top-grade gem, and more and more people want to collect it.
The man who had just handed over his business card stepped forward again, earnestly saying, "Miss, I'm really willing to pay an exorbitant price. Could you please reconsider?"
Jerry stepped forward, blocking Shen Li's path, his tone leaving no room for argument: "Alright, Ross. Even if she's going to sell, she should sell to me. This is my friend; I would never sell her to an outsider."
Ross looked at Jerry with displeasure: "Third Young Master, you're stealing someone else's love."
As the two were arguing, Shen Li suddenly looked at Jerry and said in a gentle tone, "Thank you for taking care of me during this time. This piece of material is for you."
Jerry was taken aback, then quickly waved his hand, "No, no, this is too valuable, I can't accept it."