As the rough stone grew smaller and smaller, yet still no jade appeared, the stone-cutting master couldn't help but let his lips curl upwards. He felt certain Wu Tian had lost the bet and that he would earn an extra thousand yuan today.
With chips of stone falling away, the rough stone became much smaller, eventually only the size of an egg. The onlookers couldn't help but sigh. They were there for the spectacle, hoping to witness a miracle. However, based on the current situation, this rough stone could essentially be confirmed as worthless.
At this point, the stone-cutting master stopped. He smiled at Wu Tian and asked, "Young man, do you want to continue cutting?" "If I cut any further, this entire stone will turn to dust."
Wu Tian's expression remained calm. "It's fine, just cut it as you normally would. Don't mind me." The surrounding crowd had lost interest. What was there to see? Did they still think a miracle could emerge from a stone the size of an egg?
Someone nearby said, "Young man, don't bother watching anymore. What's the point of seeing so clearly?" "It's better to preserve a little suspense than to face a cruel truth."
Wu Tian was amused by this remark. He shook his head and said, "No need. I don't like suspense. I just want to see what the final truth is." "I bet a thousand yuan, so even if I lose, I don't want to lose without understanding why!"
Everyone shook their heads slightly, thinking Wu Tian was too stubborn. What was there to see? He should just pay up. The stone-cutting master was inwardly delighted, already planning how to spend the thousand yuan at an entertainment club with a beautiful woman that evening.
He slowly began to cut the stone, and faint chips of stone flowed down with the water. No one noticed that Wu Tian's lips had begun to relax.
"Hmm?" After only a few cuts, the stone-cutting master's brow furrowed slightly. He tried cutting a couple more times, and suddenly his hand trembled, almost dropping the rough stone!
"This... this is..." he exclaimed in shock, "How is this possible!" On the egg-sized stone in his hand, a patch of shimmering green had already appeared. Without a doubt, there was jade inside the rough stone!
"Hey! There is! There is!" "My heavens, could there really be jade inside!" The onlookers also saw the touch of green and exclaimed in surprise.
Seeing the stone-cutting master's shocked expression, Wu Tian raised an eyebrow. "Master, don't stop. I think I see jade inside?" "Cut it all open, I want to see if I was mistaken."
The stone-cutting master's hands began to tremble. He was a little scared, so he hesitated. But the crowd was impatient, urging him on, "Old master, hurry up!" "What's wrong? You saw jade inside and can't afford to lose?"
Hearing their words, the stone-cutting master had no choice. He swallowed hard and then honestly cut open the entire stone. Instantly, a crystal-clear piece of jade appeared before everyone's eyes.
The scene fell silent! No one spoke. Although they had been clamoring just moments ago, now no one dared to utter a word. What a beautiful piece of jade it was! It was perfectly green, possessing the texture of an artwork even before any processing.
The stone-cutting master's mouth hung open, and it took him a while to speak, "This... this is Imperial Green!"
"What did you say?!" The stone-cutting master's words were like a massive rock dropped into a lake, stirring up a thousand ripples. Everyone felt their minds go blank, with only three words echoing in their ears: Imperial Green.
Imperial Green, as the name suggests, is jade that is supremely green. It is the finest grade of jade, and even a piece the size of an egg could fetch hundreds of thousands of yuan!
The owner of the jade-betting stall had already come to watch the spectacle. He had expected to see a joke, but what was happening now made him unable to laugh. "Im... Imperial Green?" the owner stammered, his eyes wide. "Are you sure? How could it be Imperial Green?" He truly found it hard to believe. After all, he had been in the business for so long and had only opened a few pieces of jade. For Imperial Green to come out of a stone he used as a stepping stone seemed impossible! He thought the stone-cutting master must have made a mistake.
However, the stone-cutting master stated with absolute certainty, "No, I am absolutely not mistaken, this is Imperial Green!" The owner was stunned. He knew the stone-cutting master's professional capabilities well, and if the master was so sure, then there was no mistake!
"My heavens..." His eyeballs trembled slightly. Although he only uttered these four words, each syllable was spoken with difficulty.
Another silence followed. Then, someone started shouting "Awesome!" and the crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers! "Young man, you have great foresight, truly awesome!" "Yes, I wouldn't even dare to dream of something like this!" "Young man, congratulations on turning a hundred yuan into hundreds of thousands!"
Hearing the thunderous cheers, Wu Tian also felt happy. Although he had known this rough stone would yield Imperial Green, seeing it in reality was still quite exhilarating. Wu Tian took the jade from the stone-cutting master and said with a polite smile, "It was just good luck, pure luck."
Seeing Wu Tian's beaming face, the owner's intestines were turning green with regret. Such a good stone, and he had used it as a stepping stone – what a waste! If only he had been a little more observant, he would be the one getting rich! The more the owner thought about it, the more annoyed he became, wishing he could slap himself.
After the cheers gradually subsided, Wu Tian turned to the stone-cutting master with a playful smile and said, "Master, since the jade has been opened, you should fulfill your promise, right?"
The stone-cutting master asked blankly, "What are you talking about?" Someone nearby reminded him, "Old master, you just said something, why do you forget it now?" "Didn't you have a bet? What, are you going back on your word now?"
The stone-cutting master realized, but he was still reluctant to part with the thousand yuan. So, with a mournful face, he said to Wu Tian, "No, young man, you've already earned so much, aren't you satisfied?"
Wu Tian smiled and said, "That's a different matter. A bet is a bet, and everyone is watching!"