Chapter 49 This is Stone Gambling
A piece of “emerald green” jade has brought Lin Luoran in the limelight. Also, the following stones of Liu’s are more or less profitable. Some of them may make a ten-time profit, and some break even. All in all, none of the stone Lin Luoran picks for Liu’s is wasteful!
People say that even G.o.d can’t measure jade. However, Lin Luoran is actually a living Magical Hand! Everybody starts to look at Lin Luoran with burning eyes, not for her beauty, but for her hands which can turn stone into jade!
Lin Luoran blushes. According to her personality, she will rather die than seeking the limelight. Life has taught her the truth that one shall keep a low key in order to make a fortune. The question is, she has to push herself forward if she wants to lead Elly and Li Anping into the trap. For the moment, Lin Luoran can’t estimate the gains and losses clearly.
“Don’t worry. They are just jealous of Liu’s. They won’t do anything.” Liu Zheng gently comforts Lin Luoran as if he sees through her concerns.
Lin Luoran smiles gratefully to Liu Zheng. She knows that she may have to walk down the lonely path of cultivation. How can she let the honor, doubt or jealousy today become the obstacles?
Lin Luoran asks herself deep down in the heart, and her soul regains clarity. She returns to her calm self when she looks to everyone’s burning eyes again.
Even if they want to harm you, I will be your guardian—This is what Liu Zheng really hopes to say. However, the words just circle around the tip of his tongue and he can’t speak them out.
Liu Zheng puts away his worries seeing that Lin Luoran returns normal.
Liu Zheng’s uncle now recognizes Liu Zheng’s sharp eyes on people. It is also the first time for the Burmese host to meet someone like Lin Luoran during his long years of selling raw stones.
This girl—has impossible good luck. n.o.body in the jade industry is not superst.i.tious. The Burmese host rejoices that he doesn’t displease her, or else he may get stuck in bad luck because of it.
“Everybody, you have come a long way here. It’s getting late. Do you all think we shall keep cutting open stone? How about we start to bid on the star of today while Miss. Lin here is having good luck?”
Everyone cheers because of these jubilant words. Lin Luoran’s stones all contain jade, which wipes away the ill luck Elly brings before.
The Burmese host is relieved. He will suffer a great loss if Elly’s bad luck influences the auction of the huge stone. After all, he has taken an enormous risk to smuggle such a huge stone out!
“Wu Dan, you haven’t set a base price for the stone. Can you let us now?” It is the trader from Fujian Province speaking.
According to the Burmese host, all raw stones today come from old fields. In the presence of so many expert buyers, he doesn’t dare to lie. Although not every one of the raw stones contains jade, those which do are valuable, which fit the feature of old-field jade.
No matter what, people all have quite high expectation on the huge stone in front of them. At least this may be the only chance for them to buy such a huge raw stone in the lifetime.
Hearing someone asking for the base price, the Burmese man mysteriously puts out one finger.
Fatty Cui jumps out firstly, “Why don’t you just rob us? Setting the base price at 100 million, do you want us to bid or not?”
The Burmese man shakes his head and corrects, “It’s 1 million.”
1 million yuan?
People start to discuss. If the base price is 100 million yuan, only the most powerful companies will be able to bid. Now that the Burmese man set the base price at 1 million, he definitely is trying to make a fuss in order to raise the price.
Liu Zheng whispers, “When shall we make the offer?”
Lin Luoran shakes her head, “Wait just a while. I don’t want to startle her.”
Hearing that the base price is 1 million, Elly bursts out a cold laugh and offers 10 million. Elly’s offer is ten times of the base price, which immediately knocks many of the buyers out of the auction.
w.a.n.g Miao’e has born a grudge on Elly for long. She says without blinking, “20 million.”
Even this is indeed a rare huge raw stone but there is no window opened on it. This kind of crazy bidding is really uncommon.
The trader from Fujian Province refuses to let the two women compete. He joins in the fun, “I’m less ostentatious than the ladies. I offer 25 million.”
The guy from Guangzhou cranes his neck and shouts, “35 million!” He knows that w.a.n.g Miao’e and Elly dislike each other and wants to add fuel to the fire.
The Burmese man is experienced. However, he seldom sees buyers add 10 million each time they bid. These people are clearly playing psywar, and the 10 million raise is to build up pressure for their compet.i.tors. However, their compet.i.tors have learnt the same trick so no one is overpowering now. Hearing the biddings, the Burmese host can’t help showing his pleasure on the face.
“Liu Zheng, we shall make our offer if we want to win the stone. Our company will suffer a loss once the price becomes too high.”
Liu Zheng’s uncle says. He can tell that Liu Zheng and Lin Luoran both care about the bidding, however, none of them has made any offer by now which seems that they are waiting for the perfect time.
Lin Luoran feels uncomfortable to answer, and Liu Zheng explains calmly, “Uncle, do you think Liu’s can turn down the heated atmosphere now? We shall keep waiting.”
n.o.body can see Elly’s expression under the sungla.s.ses. Hearing that the bidding price keep rising by 10 million, Elly is happy instead of angry. She opens her mouth, “50 million.”
50 million yuan… It sounds like an abstract number. But one can definitely kill a man with 50 million yuan of cash.
Li Anping is aware that Elly’s family is rich, but he doesn’t imagine it to be this wealthy. It is 50 million, and Elly just spends it without blinking… Thinking about the scenes when they are together, Li Anping starts to resent that Elly actually is quite stingy to him.
While his thoughts are wandering, Li Anping is suddenly dragged aside by Elly, “Don’t you say that Lin Luoran is positive on the stone? Why hasn’t Liu’s made an offer yet? Are the two of you trying to set me up?”
Elly’s words make Li Anping break into a cold sweat. If Lin Luoran were lying, he would never be able to take the blame for the 50 million yuan. All Li Anping can do now is to show his loyalty. He coaxes Elly with sweet words like “honey” and finally dispels her doubts.
Elly snorts, “I know you don’t have the courage to do so!”
w.a.n.g Miao’e has added another 10 million. When it’s the turn for Elly to bid, the price has become 90 million yuan…
It’s almost 100 million! The weather is nice today, but Li Anping feels that his s.h.i.+rt is completely wet because of the sweat.
The price is now 90 million yuan, and Liu’s still hasn’t made a bid. Has Lin Luoran really lied to him?