The jade stone gambling convention began.
The venue was filled with jade merchants and gambling experts, all hoping to strike it rich if luck was on their side.
As Chen Qingyun arrived, everyone quickly rose to greet him.
Chen Qingyun then declared, "Friends, we will proceed as we have in previous years!"
Upon hearing this, disappointment flickered across everyone's faces.
Unlike typical jade stone gambling, the Chen family's convention allowed participants to select one to three rough stones without any upfront cost. These would then be gambled against Chen Qingyun's own rough stone. If the opened jade was superior to Chen Qingyun's, the participant could take it home for free.
This offer, seemingly a windfall, was in reality a trap set by the Chen family.
The catch was that if the opened jade was inferior to Chen Qingyun's, the participant would have to pay for the rough stone they had chosen.
Although the prices of the rough stones were not exorbitant, once a participant joined, they had to continue opening stones until they found one that surpassed Chen Qingyun's in value to win.
Despite the obvious trap, many participants, blinded by greed, lost their fortunes at a single gambling convention.
Chen Qingyun paid them no mind, as his true target was Yun Fan.
Just then, Yun Fan arrived, and Chen Qingyun breathed a sigh of relief, having feared Yun Fan might not show up.
The Chen family had consistently been at a disadvantage in their rivalry with Yun Fan, and he doubted Yun Fan possessed any skill in jade stone gambling.
He then addressed Yun Fan, "Today's jade stone gambling has nothing to do with our grievances; it's purely for fun. Are you interested in a wager?"
"Since you're so eager to give me money, I'd be foolish not to accept!"
Yun Fan's words drew stares of disbelief, as if he were an idiot. A young man daring to speak such bold words.
After all, even the most renowned gambling experts had fallen to Chen Qingyun. They couldn't fathom how Yun Fan expected to win.
They speculated he would soon lose everything he owned.
"This kid has no idea of the immensity of heaven and earth!"
"Indeed! How dare he wager against the Chen family head? Where does he get his courage? Is it from Liang Jingru?"
Hearing the crowd denigrate his leader, Hei Long immediately retorted, "If you don't shut your mouths now, I'll beat you into silence!"
The crowd, startled, quickly fell silent.
Yun Fan intervened, "Hei Long, we are not gangsters. We should persuade people with reason!"
"Understood, Boss!"
Hei Long obediently followed Yun Fan.
"Then please proceed with selecting your stones!"
Chen Qingyun glanced at Zhao Fanghua, his eyes filled with resentment. Zhao Fanghua paid him no mind, feeling she had long repaid her debt to the Chen family.
Under the expectant gaze of the crowd, Yun Fan began to select his rough stones.
"Choose away! Choose away! Not a single stone in this batch can match the value of the one I hold!"
Chen Qingyun was brimming with confidence. He felt that while the overall quality of the stones was decent, allowing Yun Fan to feel a sense of impending victory with each opening, he intended to push Yun Fan to the brink of obsession.
"This fellow has truly devised a clever plan!"
Yun Fan scanned the stones using his Ghost Valley Qi Observation technique and found that none of them were exceptional; their quality was quite ordinary.
"Kid, if you're clueless, give me five million, and I'll pick one for you!" a seventy-year-old elder said patronizingly from the crowd.
"Master Li!"
The crowd immediately recognized the elder, Li Shisan, a renowned figure in the jade stone gambling world, considered an expert.
"I permit you to seek assistance on the spot!" Chen Qingyun declared magnanimously, confident that no matter the choice, he would win.
However, Yun Fan dismissively replied, "No need. I wouldn't seek help from a half-baked expert!"
"Who are you calling half-baked?"
Li Shisan was enraged. He couldn't believe this young upstart dared to label him as half-baked; it was a blatant insult!
The crowd also began to condemn Yun Fan for his arrogance. Apart from Chen Qingyun, Li Shisan possessed the highest skill in jade stone gambling. They couldn't fathom where Yun Fan found the audacity to call him half-baked.
"I sincerely apologize; my earlier statement was imprecise and lacked clarity!"
"Hmph! Arrogant fool! When I was gambling stones, you were still in diapers!"
Li Shisan snorted, assuming Yun Fan was about to apologize. However, even if Yun Fan had asked for his help, he would have refused.
Yun Fan then continued, "I wasn't targeting you specifically! I meant to say that everyone present here is trash!"
"What?"
The crowd was incensed, rising from their seats, wishing they could physically assault Yun Fan.
"Junior Brother's ability to attract hatred is truly masterful!"
Zhao Fanghua chuckled.
"Then I'd like to see how you intend to win!" Li Shisan roared, his fury palpable.
Yun Fan ignored him and looked towards a corner where two inconspicuous rough stones lay. They appeared ordinary, yet he sensed something extraordinary about them.
High-quality jade was said to contain spiritual energy, a legend that Yun Fan could sense as a faint trace.
He immediately declared, "I'll take these two!"
"Hahahaha!"
Li Shisan burst into laughter. "Kid, I thought you knew something. You've picked two worthless stones; it's utterly embarrassing!"
Among the onlookers were many who understood stones, and they could clearly see that these two were indeed worthless.
The crowd then looked at Yun Fan with contempt.
"Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?"
Chen Qingyun was worried that if Yun Fan opened these stones and found them valueless, he would forfeit the gamble. This would prevent Chen Qingyun from recouping the compensation owed by the Chen family.
If anyone else had backed out, it would be acceptable, as the Chen family was not easily provoked. But if Yun Fan reneged, Chen Qingyun felt powerless.
"No reconsideration. Your rule is to continue gambling, and I can always pick more rough stones!"
Chen Qingyun's heart settled. He then said, "Let's begin then. Shall we cut my stone first, or your two?"
"Yours first!"
The crowd knew Yun Fan was about to be utterly crushed.
Workers began their work, and with the first cut, the jade within was revealed.
"My goodness! It's Yang Lu (bright green)!"
"This stone is worth at least fifty million!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. Yang Lu was considered a top-tier jade, and given its size, it was indeed worth fifty million.
Even though Yun Fan's stones had not yet been opened, everyone knew he had lost.
"Your turn!"
Chen Qingyun said to Yun Fan.
"Open them!"
The workers proceeded to open the first rough stone. With the first cut, not even a ripple was made; it was all rock, no jade.
"I told you it was a worthless stone. What an ignorant kid!"
Li Shisan shouted, while the crowd remained relatively calm, as this outcome was precisely what they had expected.
However, Yun Fan calmly stated, "What does a half-baked expert like you know? True treasures are rare and exquisite. Understand?"
"Hmph! I'll see how long your tough talk lasts!"
As Li Shisan finished speaking, a flawless glass-like jade appeared before everyone's eyes.
"How is this possible?"
The crowd was stunned, unable to believe that such a top-quality jade lay within this rough stone.
Even Chen Qingyun could no longer remain composed. Glass-like jade was already rare, and this piece was flawless. Though only the size of a fist, he had undoubtedly lost.
He had lost completely.
"Phew!"
Zhao Fanghua and Hei Long exhaled in relief. Zhao Fanghua's eyes were particularly alight with admiration, clearly smitten by the jade.
Li Shisan, recovering from his shock, gritted his teeth and said, "You were just lucky. I don't believe you truly possess this skill!"
Yun Fan shrugged, ignoring him. "I wanted to blend in as an ordinary person, but all I received was ruthless ridicule. I'm done pretending. I'm the King of Jade Stone Gambling!"
Chen Qingyun's face contorted as if he had eaten feces. "You win. This jade is yours!"
The workers then completely extracted the jade and handed it to Yun Fan.
"I'll pay two hundred million for your jade!"
"I'll pay three hundred million!"
The jade merchants, momentarily forgetting their humiliation, began bidding.
But Yun Fan said, "I'm not selling!"
"Huh?"
To the crowd's bewilderment, Yun Fan directly handed the jade to Zhao Fanghua.
"Senior Sister, this jade is for you. Get it made into some jewelry!"
"For me?"
Zhao Fanghua's eyes widened in disbelief. Beyond surprise, she was deeply touched.
"Junior Brother, this is too precious. How can I possibly accept it?" Zhao Fanghua hesitated, though she was somewhat reluctant.
Yun Fan waved his hand dismissively, "A few hundred million is mere pocket change. How can it compare to the bond between us siblings?"
It wasn't that he was showing off; he simply wasn't interested in money. If he truly wanted to make money, selling elixirs would be much faster.
Of course, he occasionally faced financial difficulties, but he never used the techniques of the Ghost Valley Sect to earn money, lest his master discover and chastise him.
"Then, Senior Sister will accept it with gratitude!"
Zhao Fanghua, flushed with excitement, kissed Yun Fan.
"Gasp!"
Yun Fan froze. He hadn't expected his close Senior Sister to take advantage of him, but he quickly regained his composure, as he was accustomed to it.
Zhao Fanghua shyly accepted the jade, secretly thinking, "Leng Ningshuang, Leng Ningshuang, it seems Junior Brother likes me a little more. You're lucky you don't have my WeChat, or I would have flaunted this on my Moments today!"
"The Boss is truly the Boss. With a single move, he captures the heart of a peerless beauty!"
Hei Long admired him silently. He wasn't interested in material possessions, but he marveled at Yun Fan's charisma and skill with women, which, though seemingly effortless, was always devastatingly effective, hitting the bullseye with a single strike.
"No more gambling, let's go!"
As Yun Fan was about to leave, Chen Qingyun stopped him.
"What do you want?"
Hei Long asked coldly, implying he was ready to fight if necessary.
Chen Qingyun forced a smile that looked worse than a grimace. "Since you're enjoying yourself so much, how about one more gamble?"
He clearly believed that Yun Fan's ability to uncover the glass-like jade was just luck, and he doubted Yun Fan possessed such fortune again.
"Since you're being so generous, I suppose I'll have to oblige!" Yun Fan replied with an indifferent expression.
But in the eyes of the crowd, he was merely showing off.
Chen Qingyun, despite his intense desire to throttle Yun Fan, suppressed his anger to lure him into another trap. "This time, I've decided to wager much higher with you!"
"How much higher?"
"Besides the stones, an additional seven hundred million!"
Yun Fan feigned hesitation. "Since you're so eager to give me money, I'll have to accompany you to the end!"
"Select your stones!" Chen Qingyun said sternly.
"No need. I'll use this last one!"