King of Gamblers: Growing from a Student to a Jade King

Seventh Master grasped my hand—a gesture that left me both surprised and delighted. I looked at him as he smiled, his expression as kind as ever. But I knew beneath that kindness lay a carefully prepared proposition.

"Zhao Fei, hold on a moment," Seventh Master said.

I paused immediately and replied respectfully, "Seventh Master, I'm listening."

He glanced at me but said nothing. Instead, Chen Xi stepped forward, standing in front of me with a smile. "Zhao Fei, Seventh Master and I discussed it just now. This jade material is promising, with good profit potential. We'd like to take a share. How about it? Will you give Seventh Master this courtesy?"

Hearing this, I turned to Seventh Master and asked, "You want to gamble on this piece, Seventh Master?"

He nodded slightly but didn't speak. Before he could, Ma Qing interjected, "Father, gambling on jade is risky. This piece is incredibly expensive—eighty million! You're betting your fortune on this."

Ma Lan chuckled, "Exactly, Father. You can't afford to play around with this. With your heart condition, you'd better not tempt fate."

Her words carried a tone of mockery, which Seventh Master noticed. He smiled faintly and said, "Ma Wu doesn't need your sarcasm. Zhao Fei, give me this face and let me have the material."

"Indeed, Zhao Fei," Chen Xi added, his voice laced with veiled menace. "Seventh Master has toiled for us, working tirelessly for the greater good. If you deny him this favor, you'll find it hard to navigate this path in the future."

Seventh Master frowned at this and said, "Ah, Chen, that's not how we speak. Business is business. As elders, we shouldn't threaten the younger generation."

I glanced at both Seventh Master and Chen Xi. It was clear they wanted a stake, so I decided to let them in, though not without ensuring fairness. "Seventh Master, since you've said so, it'd be unseemly for me to refuse. The material is yours. I won't charge you too much—eighty million is the price. If you're unsure, feel free to have someone appraise it."

Seventh Master chuckled. "No need for that. I trust your valuation. Eighty million it is. I'll take the piece."

I felt a twinge of emotion, glancing at Chen Xi as he said, "Seventh Master, how about we split it fifty-fifty? That seems fair."

Seventh Master nodded, but Ma Qing objected. "Father, this is too risky. Forty million isn't a small sum—it's nearly our annual revenue! What if you lose?"

"Don't worry; I'm not using company funds. This is my own money," Seventh Master replied. "Ma Lan, draft a contract with clear terms. Let's keep everything by the book."

Ma Lan, visibly pleased, quickly prepared a contract and handed it to Seventh Master. He looked at it and said to me, "Zhao Fei, do you trust me?"

I nodded. He smiled and continued, "If you trust me, start cutting the material. Once the results are out—win or lose—I'll transfer the money to you."

I was momentarily taken aback. Start cutting before payment? What if it turned out to be a loss? But seeing the contract in his hand, I gritted my teeth. With evidence in place, I wasn't worried about Seventh Master reneging. "Alright, Seventh Master. I'll continue grinding. If another layer of color appears, this material will be a tricolor piece—Fu, Lu, Shou."

Everyone chuckled. I sat back down, powered up the drill, and resumed grinding. Stone dust flew as tension mounted in my heart. If another color emerged, the material's value would double to at least 1.6 billion. The anticipation was exhilarating, though tinged with regret—it wouldn't belong to me anymore but to Seventh Master.

Sweat beaded on my brow as I ground away another fifteen centimeters, nearing the core. Suddenly, a streak of yellow appeared. Before I could react, someone outside exclaimed, "Yellow! It's a genuine Fu Lu Shou tricolor piece! The value's skyrocketed—congratulations!"

Heads craned to catch a glimpse. I breathed a sigh of relief and set the drill aside, though a pang of sorrow lingered. The material truly was tricolor, but my profit was halved. I reminded myself it was worth it—eliminating Skinny Monkey was all that mattered.

Washing away the stone dust, I revealed the yellow vein beneath. Shining a light on it, I showed Seventh Master. Though visibly tense, he remained composed. "Ah, indeed yellow. A Fu Lu Shou jadeite. In our tradition, purple symbolizes 'blessing,' green 'prosperity,' and yellow 'longevity.' Tricolor jade is rare, with beautiful hues and auspicious meanings. This material is exceptional."

I smiled. "Congratulations, Seventh Master. A Fu Lu Shou piece—what an auspicious find. Surely, you'll give me a generous red envelope?"

Seventh Master laughed heartily. "Certainly. Today, everyone eats for free. Ma Qing, prepare red envelopes for everyone here."

Ma Qing's expression darkened, while Ma Lan was jubilant. "Father, look at that! How much did you just earn? I told you—I'm your lucky star!"

"Frivolity," Ma Qing muttered, turning to leave. Before she exited, she shot me a resentful glance, which I met with a faint smile. For once, Ma Qing, usually favored by Seventh Master, found herself sidelined—a fact she clearly resented.

Applause erupted outside, congratulating both Seventh Master and me. After some pleasantries, Seventh Master had the material moved to his office.

In Seventh Master's office, the setup was modest—a desk, a sofa, and a few bookshelves. The jade material was placed on the floor. Ma Lan, always the opportunist, grinned and said, "Father, let me handle selling this piece. Keep the profits within the family, alright?"

Seventh Master glanced at Chen Xi, deliberated briefly, and nodded. "Ah Chen, let her take care of it. Trust me, once the funds are in, Ma Lan will transfer your share."

Chen Xi chuckled. "I'm easy. As long as the money comes through, I trust you, Seventh Master."

Seventh Master smiled and turned to me. "Zhao Fei, the jade turned out to be a win. By your estimation, it's worth 1.6 billion. After the material is sold, give me 400 million and another 400 million to Ah Chen. The rest is yours."

I frowned slightly, cursing inwardly. Seventh Master was a true expert at playing the game. He had just made 400 million effortlessly, practically squeezing it out of thin air. If not for the unique circumstances, I would never have agreed. But the situation warranted this concession, and I had no choice but to comply.

"Understood, Seventh Master," I replied.

Satisfied, he continued, "Ah Ling, handle this material quickly. The new year is only a few months away. This year, let's distribute a generous bonus to the village so everyone can enjoy a prosperous holiday."

Ma Lan nodded eagerly. "Move the jade carefully and load it into my car," she instructed. Zhao Kui and a few others got to work, carefully transporting the piece.

At that moment, Ma Qing reentered, holding a large red envelope. "Here, this is for you," she said curtly, placing it in front of me with an unfriendly expression.

Ma Lan smirked. "Oh, my dear sister, how generous of you! Look at that. Such a hefty reward for Zhao Fei. But have you considered that Zhao Fei's worth far exceeds this? You might as well keep it for yourself."

Annoyed, Ma Qing shot me a sharp look, her outstretched hand silently demanding that I accept the envelope. Her obstinate demeanor revealed a side of her I hadn't seen before. Despite her usual sophistication and elegance, she had her moments of petulance, just like any other woman.

I picked up the envelope and said, "Thank you, Miss Ma Qing. Seventh Master, we'll be leaving now."

Seventh Master nodded, and I stepped out with Ma Lan. The moment we exited, she grabbed my face and kissed me fiercely on the lips. "That felt amazing!" she exclaimed.

I chuckled wryly. Ma Lan could be surprisingly childish. Such a small victory brought her immense joy.

In the car, I opened the red envelope. It contained around 50,000 yuan. I tucked it away, prompting a scornful glance from Ma Lan. "Look at you! Letting a bit of pocket money buy your loyalty?"

I laughed, sniffing the envelope playfully. "Smells good."

She slapped my arm lightly. "Enough nonsense! Drive us to Jade City."

Zhao Kui took the wheel, and we soon arrived. We carefully moved the jade to Ma Lan's office on the second floor. She sprayed water on it, mimicking my earlier actions, and admired the vibrant colors. "Zhao Fei, I really want to sell this piece now. 1.6 billion—just imagine how much that is! I could buy an entire building."

"Don't be greedy," I cautioned. "We need to complete our mission first. Once that's done, we can deal with the jade. Right now, Seventh Master and Chen Xi are both invested. Our priority is getting this material into Skinny Monkey's hands."

"Damn it, giving such a prime piece to that bastard Skinny Monkey? Zhao Fei, do you really think using this jade to trap him is worth it? If we fail, we'll have gifted him a treasure for nothing," Ma Lan lamented.

"Do you think Seventh Master and Chen Xi will agree to just hand it over?" I countered.

Ma Lan grinned slyly. "You're right. But if they get the jade back after Skinny Monkey coughs it up, won't all our efforts be in vain?"

I paused, then smiled. "Cut the material in half. Deliver one part and keep the other. Later, we'll claim Skinny Monkey seized the entire piece. When he fails to produce it, do you think Seventh Master will let him off? Even if Seventh Master believes him, Chen Xi will pounce. Skinny Monkey will have no way to explain himself. He'll either pay up—a sum he can't afford—or turn against Seventh Master."

Ma Lan's eyes widened. "Zhao Fei, you're downright cunning. Tell me, have you ever schemed against me?"

I laughed. "With your lack of wit, there's no need. You'd follow me straight into any trap."

She pinched my cheek playfully before making a call to Sang Ling. The line went unanswered. Frustrated, Ma Lan muttered, "That little tramp! How dare she skip work?"

Her words made me frown. Sang Ling's absence seemed unusual. Could something have happened?