Chapter 12: Five Million
Chu Feng brought a small pouch of jade stones to a jade appraisal center in the city.
The appraiser examined the stones carefully with his tools, his expression tense and focused.
Chu Feng, waiting nearby, urged impatiently, “Hey, how is it?”
The appraiser looked up at him, puzzled. “Young man, where did you get these jade stones?”
Chu Feng frowned. “You’re the appraisal center. What business is it of yours where they came from?”
His face was calm, but inside, he was a bit uneasy.
Before coming, Chu Feng had done some online research on how to identify jade and tested the stones himself. By internet standards, the quality of the ones he brought should be quite good.
The appraiser gave an awkward smile. “No offense, it’s just… these stones have excellent water content—very rare to see.”
Chu Feng nodded. “My old man left them to me. Said they’re family heirlooms—only to be sold in times of absolute necessity.”
“So… is now one of those times?” the appraiser asked enthusiastically.
Chu Feng nodded solemnly. “Yeah. It’s a life-or-death situation.”
“Life-or-death? You got caught up in loan sharks or something?” the appraiser asked curiously.
Chu Feng rolled his eyes. “No way I’d dare borrow from loan sharks. My girlfriend’s pregnant. Her mother said if we don’t have an 800,000 yuan dowry, she’s forcing her to get an abortion. I figured, these jade stones are supposed to be for my son anyway, but if I don’t even have a son, what’s the point of holding onto them?”
The appraiser chuckled. “Ah, I see! Yeah, if your girlfriend’s pregnant, that is urgent.”
Chu Feng nodded. “Exactly.”
People say the world’s gone cold, but clearly not always, he thought. I just made up a lie on the spot, and this appraiser believed me instantly.
“She must be beautiful, huh?”
Chu Feng nodded. “Yeah. Gorgeous.”
“No wonder!” The appraiser smiled knowingly.
“Our shop’s young master is a big jade enthusiast. If you’re in a rush, you might want to sell it to him.”
Chu Feng looked at him. “How much is your young master willing to pay? If the price is right, let’s not waste time shopping it around.”
“Young man, your jade is indeed of good quality. But prices for jade fluctuate wildly—it takes a real enthusiast to pay top dollar. Don’t worry though, I think our young master will give you 800,000.”
Chu Feng couldn’t help but feel impressed. Kind-hearted people still exist! This appraiser’s really trying to help me out.
“Eight hundred thousand won’t be enough,” Chu Feng said with a pained expression. “That’s just the dowry. There’s still the house, car, and wedding banquet expenses.”
“Well, one step at a time,” the appraiser said kindly.
Chu Feng shook his head. “I prefer to settle things in one go.”
Just then, a young man strode over. “Master Ji, do you have some good jade?”
Chu Feng nodded slightly at the newcomer. He remembered seeing the appraiser earlier whisper to an assistant to make a phone call—probably to this guy.
The appraiser gave a quick rundown of Chu Feng’s “situation.”
“Oh, double blessings on the way!” the young man laughed. “Congratulations!”
“Thanks… I guess,” Chu Feng replied.
The young man, Zhu Xingyuan, inspected the jade and smiled. “Sir, I’ll buy these stones for five million. How does that sound?”
Chu Feng’s brows furrowed. He didn’t know much about jade pricing, but five million was way beyond what he’d expected—especially since he still had more in his backpack, and even more at home.
Zhu Xingyuan noticed his silence and thought he was dissatisfied. He added, “Your jade is good quality, no doubt. But unless you find the right buyer, it won’t fetch a high price.”
He thinks I’m hesitating because the price is too low? Chu Feng thought. In truth, I’m just stunned.
He smiled. “Young master, you’re generous. Deal.”
Afraid he might change his mind, they immediately went to the bank to complete the transaction.
After the money was transferred and the deal closed, they parted ways.
Seeing how eager Zhu Xingyuan was to close the deal, Chu Feng realized he might have undersold. But since the stones were just picked up by the lake—and he still had a ton more at home—he wasn’t too heartbroken.
“Master Zhu, one of these pieces contains top-grade Imperial Green,” an assistant whispered.
Zhu Xingyuan nodded. “I noticed.”
Top-tier jade like that is nearly impossible to come by. That one stone alone could fetch five million. And since the Zhu family was in the jade business and had plenty of wealthy collectors as contacts, Zhu Xingyuan only needed to hire a skilled carver to cut and polish it. He could easily flip it for ten to twenty million.
“Young Master Zhu, I suspect that guy’s jade may have a questionable origin.”
Zhu Xingyuan shook his head and replied, “Doesn’t matter. As long as it’s good quality—even if it’s black-market—I’ll still take it.”
