Supernatural Insight Eyes
Chapter 356 - 0355 Strange Original Stone

Chapter 356: 0355 Strange Original Stone

The discovery of the new pit in the Hou River mining area attracted a large number of merchants. By the time Ye Qiu, Du Hao, Li Jinglong, and others arrived in front of the mine, quite a few traders had already begun selecting raw gemstones.

There were no shops or display tables, all the raw stones were carelessly placed on the ground, in heaps for people to choose from.

This place had already become a big market.

There were people with all sorts of faces, and it was clear that the discovery of the new pit had drawn a large number of gold-digging merchants like moths to a flame.

Having been in Myanmar for many years, Du Hao was considered a local powerhouse. As soon as he appeared, many greeted him.

"Mr. Du, how much stock are you planning to take away this time?"

"If you eat meat, could you leave some soup for your brother here?"

"We can all make money together, Mr. Du, let’s talk about cooperation!"

Some merchant bosses actively engaged in conversation, but Du Hao mostly smiled it off. After all, these bosses were his competitors, and their words were just pleasantries and flattery.

For Li Jinglong, this was his first time at such a place. The gambling stone markets he had frequented were at least somewhat orderly. As for this place, without some clout, even if you bought a raw stone, you might not be able to take it away.

Who knew how many were harboring ulterior motives, scheming against others? Thus, those who dared to conduct transactions in the raw stone mining area were all by no means ordinary.

Ye Qiu and the three experts quietly observed everything before them. They just needed to inspect the stones; the rest was out of their hands and beyond their concern.

After exchanging a few words with some of the bosses, Du Hao led the group to a pile of raw stones.

Some had already beaten them to it, handpicking the stones they fancied. Among them, some stones were cut to expose a face, while others were unblemished, looking just like broken rocks heaped together.

"Dammit, I lost money on this rock. It’s a dud!"

Close by, someone complained bitterly. From his looks, he must have suffered a significant loss. The stone under him that had been cut open weighed at least seventy or eighty pounds.

Given the selling price of raw stones, although slightly cheaper, it would still cost more than two million!

"Alas, I’ve been mistaken too, lost five hundred thousand. Thankfully, I only chose a small one," sympathized another, sighing.

While some were distressed, others were overjoyed. Unlike the wailing here, people in front of another pile of raw stones were ecstatic, clutching at the raw stone in front of them. They had just cut out ice-type jadeite, and instantly, the value of that stone surged, multiplying tenfold, even a hundredfold.

Unearthing quality jade could ignite envy, driving even more people to risk bankruptcy for one more gamble, because a win could instantly change their fate, turning them into wealthy individuals.

All those who came here harbored dreams of striking it rich overnight, hoping to make a fortune in this place.

After observing for a while, Du Hao signaled that the three experts and Ye Qiu could start picking raw stones. As for pricing, he would handle it.

The three experts, having had Ye Qiu steal their thunder previously and stewing over it for a night, came prepared with dark circles under their eyes to regain some face or else risk being abandoned by Du Hao.

The three experts immediately crowded around the pile of stones, using high-intensity flashlights to scrutinize their selections.

"Brother Ye, it’s up to you now. Just pick, and if you spot a good one, give me a signal," Du Hao whispered into Ye Qiu’s ear.

Ye Qiu walked lightly to the pile of raw stones. There were quite a few people around him, each engrossed in their contemplation, weighing their chances at a win.

Someone made space for Ye Qiu and then nodded towards Du Hao, as a greeting, clearly having encountered each other before.

The three experts were slow and meticulous in their selection. No stone-picker ever made a purchase without a thorough and careful choice.

Unlike the rest, Ye Qiu was not flashing a light on the stones, and he did not seem to be touching any of the raw stones either.

He quietly observed the rough stone in front of him, unnoticed by others, his eyes sparkled with a golden shine. In an instant, Ye Qiu saw through the pile of rough stones, knowing at a glance which ones contained jade and which did not.

Ye Qiu picked out the rough stones he was interested in, and Du Hao and Li Jinglong immediately came over to discuss the prices with the sellers in the mining area.

After scanning a pile of stones, Ye Qiu moved on to another pile. Under the scrutiny of his penetrating vision, the interior of the rough stones was laid bare.

After continuously spending tens of millions, even Du Hao started feeling the strain. Ye Qiu’s selection pace was incredibly fast. As soon as Du Hao settled on a price, before even making the payment, Ye Qiu had already chosen the best rough stones from another pile.

Ye Qiu’s actions, coupled with Du Hao’s consecutive purchases of rough stones worth tens of millions, began to attract the attention of those around them.

"Boss Du, today you’re exceptionally generous. You’re paying as soon as the young brother picks them out. Do you trust his judgment that much?" Even the sellers in the mining area were surprised by their behavior.

After all, examples of someone picking out rough stones as swiftly as Ye Qiu, followed by Du Hao finalizing the purchase after a bit of haggling, were not common. Unless it was some novice trying to show off his wealth, carelessly pointing at a stone and buying it outright, but such nouveau riche individuals were not common in the jade mining area nowadays. Those coming here to buy rough stones were all of considerable wealth.

"Suspect not those you employ, employ not those you suspect. Since I’ve spent the money, naturally I will not regret it." Du Hao trusted Ye Qiu’s judgment, and having experienced his stone appraisal yesterday, he had great admiration for Ye Qiu’s selection skills, and without wanting to explain too much to the seller, he directly ended the conversation.

After the group made their round, the money spent had already surpassed a hundred million.

With a dozen bodyguards present, along with Du Hao’s reputation, they encountered no trouble along the way and returned to Du Hao’s territory with the rough stones in tow.

Unloading a truck full of rough stones, apart from the seven chosen by the three experts, the remaining forty or so were all selected by Ye Qiu alone.

Of course, what everyone was most concerned about at the moment was finding out what kind of jade could be cut from these rough stones they had purchased.

The first to be cut were the rough stones selected by the three experts. They did not possess Ye Qiu’s ability to dictate precisely where to start and stop cutting, so the stone-cutting worker had to slowly make the incisions, gradually revealing the inside of the rough stones.

Out of the seven rough stones, three turned out to be waste, while jade was found in the other four. It was not a loss, and after deducting the cost, they were able to make a profit.

Du Hao nodded, fairly satisfied.

What came next was what truly piqued everyone’s interest; they all wanted to see the stones that Ye Qiu had specifically picked out and what kind of jade could be cut from them.

"Wait a moment, I have a request," Ye Qiu said, looking at Du Hao and Li Jinglong.

"Brother Ye, whatever your request is, just tell us," Du Hao said.

"What is Brother Ye’s request?" Li Jinglong asked, looking at Ye Qiu.

"There’s a rough stone here that I would like to have for myself. Could I take this particular one?" Ye Qiu asked, pointing at one of the stones.

Both Du Hao and Li Jinglong turned their attention to a stone half the height of a man. It wasn’t the biggest in the pile, nor the smallest, purchased for over five million. Du Hao pondered for a while, had a quiet discussion with Li Jinglong, and then asked, "May I know why Brother Ye wants this rough stone?"

Du Hao was curious why Ye Qiu had chosen that particular stone. Could it contain premium quality jade?

If so, it would be worth far more than a few million.

"This rough stone is quite special to me. If Brother Du is reluctant to part with it, consider it as if I have purchased it," Ye Qiu said, noticing Du Hao’s hesitation and speaking directly.

After some thought, Du Hao suddenly laughed and said, "Since Brother Ye wants it, let’s consider it a gift from me. Let’s not talk about money."

"Alright, let’s cut these rough stones we have here first."

"Thank you," Ye Qiu nodded, his gaze resting on the stone that, to him, seemed a bit strange.

Because just a moment ago, through his penetrating vision, he had seen something astonishing within the rough stone.