The next morning at ten o'clock, Xu Zifan and his group arrived at the shop again. The shop was already crowded with people, all of whom had heard that the Xu family heir was going to continue buying raw materials to watch the excitement.
Some came to build connections, some to assess their opponents' strength, some to meet like-minded people, and some simply wanted to try their luck. Several experts were also present, not only to observe Xu Zifan but also to examine the newly arrived goods in the shop. Regardless of their reasons, everyone wanted to know if Xu Zifan's next rough jade auction would yield a profit.
Xu Zifan still had five rough stones to cut, so he had Xu Mengyao take one to cut first, with Xiao Qing and two bodyguards following behind. He then took Secretary Zhang and two other bodyguards to see the newly arrived goods.
The new goods haven't been displayed yet; they're all in the back warehouse. The staff are affixing prices to the raw materials according to the estimated values. Several big bosses and experts were also with them.
Xu Zifan exchanged a few pleasantries with them and then began examining the raw materials. He didn't have much capital right now, so there was no point in saying more. With so many competitors present, his real goal was to earn some face for the Xu family.
This time, he examined it himself first, estimating whether it contained green or not, and roughly what type of jade it was, before having Shaohua scan it. He could get two out of ten right, which was already quite good for someone just starting out.
After looking around for a while, he didn't waste any more time and had Shaohua scan the entire warehouse. In the pile of rough stones that the boss had designated as the high-priced area, they found a glass-type stone with full green color. Although it was only the size of two fists and the green wasn't imperial green, its value was definitely the highest in the entire area.
In the high-price zone, there is also an icy purple jadeite, the size of a football, which ranks second in value.
The shop's experts were no pushovers either; both pieces were highly regarded and priced high: three million for the glass-type jade and two million for the icy-type. There was another piece priced even higher, with a small window revealing green, reaching a maximum of ten million. However, none of the other pieces were as good as these two, and Xu Zifan didn't buy them after examining them.
Others, seeing that he only looked at the tightly wrapped wool fabric, teased him a few times.
"Young Master Xu is very confident in his eyesight; he didn't even look that the window was open."
"Does Young Master Xu enjoy taking risks and challenges?"
Xu Zifan raised the corner of his mouth, "Not really. This time, my dad gave me a test. I can only spend my allowance, so of course I have to be careful."
The group was somewhat surprised upon hearing this. "So Young Master Xu wasn't purchasing on behalf of the Xu family? But judging from those two pieces of material yesterday, he's passed the test, hasn't he?"
"Is Young Master Xu going all out today? Let's see what his eye for talent is like."
Xu Zifan laughed and said, "Of course it's all open. It's perfect for bringing my little sister here to play, so she can have more time to play."
"Young Master Xu really dotes on his sister; they have a very good sibling relationship."
While they were talking, Xu Zifan spent another two million to buy three rough stones with mediocre appearances on the outside. One of them was empty inside, and the other two were of the bean variety. It wouldn't do for them all to appreciate significantly, that would be miraculous. But if he only lost money on three out of twelve rough stones, his name would definitely be able to make a name for himself.
After selecting the rough stones, they began cutting them. The stone that Xu Mengyao had taken had already been cut; it was a glutinous ice-type jadeite with spring colors, worth fifty million, another huge increase in value.
As soon as Xu Zifan arrived, Xu Mengyao happily told him the good news. Xu Zifan ruffled her hair, sat down next to her, and gestured to Secretary Zhang to send all the raw materials to the stone-cutting platform.
Secretary Zhang placed the cart directly next to the stone-cutting platform. The rough stones purchased over the past two days were all mixed together. The stone cutter casually picked up the top one and began cutting. Everyone gathered around.
The first piece is a high-grade icy jadeite with floating flowers. The entire piece of jadeite looks like snowflakes frozen inside an ice block. It is exceptionally beautiful and worth around 70 million.
The second piece, an ice-type chestnut yellow jadeite, is worth around 50 million.
The third piece, an icy red jadeite, is a bit small and costs around 40 million.
Three consecutive stones yielded huge profits, and all were of the icy variety. The murmurs among the crowd grew louder, and more and more eyes were drawn to Xu Zifan. Those unfamiliar with Xu Zifan inquired about his background, while those who knew him shook their heads in disbelief, unable to believe that a notorious playboy could be so adept at gambling on stones!
Then came the fourth piece. The stonecutter made a cut, nothing. He made another cut, still nothing. He cut again, nothing, nothing at all! The crowd gasped.
What's going on?
"This is terrible! There aren't even any pieces the size of beans!"
"Has this young master Xu finally misjudged him?"
"What's so strange about that? They're not gods, how can they hit the bullseye every time?"
The smile on the stone cutter's face also disappeared. He stared at the rough stone and continued cutting it relentlessly until he had cut a stone into tiny pieces before giving up on it in disappointment.
Everyone looked at Xu Zifan's expression, but he remained calm, as if he hadn't bought the stone for 700,000 yuan. It wasn't about the amount of money, but rather that his stock had been soaring, and now it had suddenly plummeted. Shouldn't he be emotionally affected? How could he be so calm?
The fifth piece was cut open. It was a bean-type white jade. The rough stone was bought for 600,000 yuan, but after cutting it open, the jade piece, the size of a baby's fist, was only worth 300,000 yuan. Another loss!
The sixth piece, a bean-type jadeite with floating flowers, is only the size of a bracelet. The rough stone was bought for 700,000 yuan, but its actual value is less than 20,000 yuan. It's even worse off than the previous one.
The praise for Xu Zifan gradually faded away. Some people started saying he was having bad luck today and were pessimistic about the remaining rough stones. Others were full of expectations, believing that Xu Zifan couldn't be without ability if he could select so many stones that would yield profits. They had also seen the ones that had failed in their gamble earlier; the outer skin of those stones was indeed quite good, and the shop owner had set a price of several hundred thousand yuan each, indicating high hopes. Who would have thought they would fail?
The failure of these few players brought a sense of balance to most people, and their initial excitement subsided slightly. The jade gambling game is still fair; no one can be a perpetual winner. However, everyone still greatly admired Xu Zifan's composure. People in their twenties are most prone to competitiveness, and the fact that this heir of the Xu family remained so calm and collected shows his excellent character.
The stone cutter picked up another rough stone, polished it, and then paused, taking a closer look with a magnifying glass. Everyone was astonished when they saw the stone's surface—it was covered in moss! Who doesn't know you shouldn't buy stones with moss? Even if jade has been found inside some before, it's extremely rare! Xu Zifan had actually bought this!
Xiao Liu shook his head. He had wanted to advise Xu Zifan not to buy this piece, but Xu Zifan was very stubborn and refused to listen to his opinion.
He didn't expect that the rough stones Xu Zifan picked would yield so many good pieces. However, this piece is probably ruined. He wondered if Xu Zifan could still remain calm if this piece also failed.
Everyone else thought the same thing, and then Xu Zifan said, "Be careful, cut along the lines I drew."
Everyone looked at him speechlessly. It was a piece of rough jade with moss on it. Although the rest of the jade was quite good, it was probably only worth 30,000 to 50,000 yuan when it was purchased. The owner must have wanted some sucker to ignore the moss and buy it. In the end, Xu Zifan became that sucker. He's still young after all.
Amidst the exclamations of the crowd, the stone cutter had calmed down and began cutting the rough stone according to the lines drawn by Xu Zifan. To everyone's surprise, he exclaimed within minutes, "It's green! No moss or cracks!"
People who were far away couldn't help but take a few steps forward, quiet down and stare at the stone. Just because there was no moss or cracks on the side didn't mean there weren't any inside.
The stone cutter cut and polished, and seeing that the exposed jade had excellent translucency, he was on tenterhooks. He only breathed a sigh of relief after all the jade had been cut out, and exclaimed with delight, "No! Not a single flaw! This piece is a bit small, but it's glass-type jade, definitely worth at least 60 million! Young Master Xu, this is another big win!"
If you buy raw jade for 30,000 to 50,000 yuan and it turns out to be worth 60 million yuan, of course it's a huge increase in value!
Everyone looked at Xu Zifan's expression, and as expected, he remained calm, which had become somewhat commonplace. Several people, eager to buy the glass-type jade, again expressed their desire, since good raw jade material wasn't easy to come by, but naturally, they were rejected again.
Many people looked regretful as they watched Secretary Zhang carefully put the jade away and hand it to the bodyguard.
Xu Zifan only had two rough stones left, but the crowd, undeterred by the fatigue, continued to watch him cut them. More and more people came after hearing the news, all discussing Xu Zifan and the Xu family.
This time, the stone cutter unearthed a high-grade icy purple jadeite, a rich royal purple in color, with a fine texture and excellent translucency—a very rare find, and the piece is almost the size of a football! The light shining on the purple jadeite made it appear stunningly beautiful. Such a rare piece naturally sparked another round of bidding.
Despite Xu Zifan's continued refusal to sell, those who were interested competed to offer prices, ranging from 40 million to 100 million. One businessman who wanted to give it as a birthday gift to an elder even offered a high price of 150 million.
If it weren't for the fact that purple jadeite "fades in sunlight" and appears slightly whitish under the sun, its value would be even higher. However, if it were to encounter a collector who is passionate about collecting purple jadeite, the price would definitely be higher than 150 million.
Xu Zifan was unmoved by their offers and directly asked the stone cutter to cut the last piece of rough stone.
The stone cutter thought he was already calm after cutting out so many good pieces, but who knew that what he cut out was actually a full-green old mine glass type jade! Even if it was only the size of two fists, the color, the translucency, and the texture were enough to be worth two hundred million! The stone cutter was dumbfounded when he saw the jade in front of him.
This time, Xu Zifan did not give everyone a chance to make a bid. He stood up and said with a faint smile, "These rough stones will be kept as my personal collection. They may be processed and sold by Xu's jewelry company. If you are interested, you can contact Secretary Zhang after you return to China to discuss it."
Secretary Zhang's gaze shifted from the jade to Xu Zifan's face, still somewhat bewildered. Of the twelve rough stones, not a single one had a window cut into them; only three had failed, while the rest had all seen significant gains.
More importantly, the total price for these twelve rough stones was less than 15 million! But the total value of the jade extracted from them is over 700 million!!
He hadn't thought this far when he was cutting the stone before, but now, after a rough calculation, he realized this wasn't just a small increase; it was a massive explosion!
Even the experts whom the Xu family supported had never bet on such a low price and yet achieved such a high return!
Young Master Xu has really struck gold this time. I wonder how happy Chairman Xu will be when he finds out!
The wealthy business owners around them instructed their assistants to ask Secretary Zhang for business cards, while they themselves began chatting with Xu Zifan. Soon, seven or eight people surrounded Xu Zifan, with Xu Mengyao standing beside him, her back straight, her arm linked with his. She was initially very nervous, but seeing Xu Zifan chatting and laughing with the group of big bosses with ease, she gradually relaxed, and a strong sense of pride welled up inside her.
Xu Mengyao looked at Xu Zifan with admiration, watching how easily he dealt with those people. She silently memorized the lessons and thought that she would have to study the things of high society as soon as she got back. She wanted to be as excellent as her brother!
"Chairman Xu has done a good job raising his son. Young Master Xu is so young yet he has such insight and character. He is truly a promising young man."
"Yes, is Chairman Xu planning to recruit you into the company through this test? I wonder what position you'll be in?"
"Your grandfather was a very capable man. He must have taught you all these skills, right?"
"With so much good stuff, it seems the Xu family is about to make a big move. If there are any cooperative projects, don't forget about us, my dear nephew."
"Zifan, are you planning to stay here for a few days? How about we go out for a meal together?"
"The Myanmar jade auction is coming up soon, and we haven't brought out the best rough stones this time; we'll definitely save them for then. Zifan, will you be there? How about we go together?"
The business owners all showed their goodwill, and Xu Zifan exchanged business cards with them, responding with a mix of truth and falsehood, and even introduced Xu Mengyao to them. When they seemed slightly puzzled, he briefly explained the situation of the babies being switched at birth.
Needless to say, his few words and attitude toward Xu Mengyao had already said a lot. Everyone present knew that the fake heiress had been abandoned, and this real heiress was the precious little sister that the Xu family heir cherished.
Xu Zifan politely declined their dinner invitation, agreeing to meet again at the Myanmar jade auction. He then took his group back to the hotel, rested, had a meal, and boarded a plane. This two-day trip to Myanmar not only made Xu Zifan famous in the industry but also put Xu Mengyao's name on the radar.
When they returned to Yanjing, almost everyone in the business world knew that Xu Zifan had "turned over a new leaf," successfully passed Xu Zhenhua's test, and was preparing to join the Xu family business. They also knew that Xu Zifan doted on his younger sister, Xu Mengyao, who was the Xu family's officially recognized eldest daughter, and that Wang Yalin had reverted to her original surname and become an adopted daughter—though only in name.
When the brother and sister returned home, Xu Zhenhua had already canceled his meeting and was waiting at home. As soon as he saw Xu Zifan, a smile appeared on his face.
Li Xiulan, Feng Xiangjun, Wang Yalin, and Qi Xiangheng, who came to visit, were all there. Li Xiulan immediately stood up to greet him, took Xu Zifan's hand and looked him up and down, "You've gotten darker and thinner! Did you not eat or rest properly while you were out? Wang Ma, quickly bring some snacks over."
Xu Zifan chuckled and helped her up. "Grandma, you're so funny. I've only been away for two days, and I've only been in the sun for less than half a day. How could I possibly get tanned? Yao Yao and I have eaten all the delicious food in Myanmar, and we've both gained weight."
Li Xiulan then looked at Xu Mengyao and found that her granddaughter was standing tall with her head held high, her eyes were bright, and she had a smile on her face. She already had the air of a young lady from a wealthy family. She was surprised for a moment and said with a smile, "Good, good, it looks good to be a little chubby. Grandma likes you to eat more. Come on, Yaoyao, take a rest first."
Li Xiulan pulled one of them by the hand and led them to the sofa, where she made the brother and sister sit on either side of her. Wang Yalin's face flashed with hurt, but she quickly concealed it, forcing a smile, which made Feng Xiangjun and Qi Xiangheng feel a pang of heartache.
Xu Zhenhua coughed lightly and looked at the box held by the bodyguard. "These are the materials you found?"
Xu Zifan nodded and waved his hand, "Put them all over here and open them up."
As soon as the boxes were opened, the various jade stones inside, illuminated by the lights, were more beautiful than the last, firmly attracting the attention of everyone present.
Xu Zifan put his arm around Li Xiulan and said with a smile, "Grandma, Yaoyao doesn't forget to be filial to you even when she goes out. She even asked me to make you a set of jewelry. I would have made it even if she hadn't asked. You are my dearest grandma. Grandma, what kind do you like? I'll ask a designer to design one for you."
Li Xiulan immediately laughed, patted Xu Mengyao's hand and praised, "Good girl, you and your brother are both good. You young people can have whatever you like. I have everything, so you don't need to."
Xu Mengyao paused for a moment when Xu Zifan mentioned her, but quickly recovered and said with a smile, "Grandma, you are my own grandma. I haven't had a chance to be filial to you for the past seventeen years. You must not stop me from showing my filial piety in the future. This time, not only did my brother open a jade mine, but I also opened a few. However, the ones I opened were not as good as the ones my brother opened. I will make you a piece of jewelry. Please don't mind. Consider it a small token of my appreciation. And Dad, I will make you a tie clip."
Xu Zifan raised an eyebrow slightly. Not bad, he's already learned to sweet-talk people in just a few days. It's true what they say, you become like those you associate with.