65: Chapter 65 Green Emergence

Seeing An Xiaoxi was about to lose her temper, Zhang Wei quickly said, "My bad, okay? How about this, if you forgive me, I'll take you to open a mystery box tonight?"

An Xiaoxi was taken aback for a moment, asking suspiciously, "Really? You're not lying to me?" She had seen POP MART stores on the street before. The figurines inside were really pretty. But a mystery box the size of a palm cost fifty or sixty bucks, which was way too extravagant for her at the time.

Zhang Wei said earnestly, "Would I lie to you? Please accept my sincere apology."

"Alright then, I'll believe you this one time." An Xiaoxi finally calmed her anger. Feeling hungry now, she opened the fried chicken box and started devouring it.

After the two had their fill, Zhang Wei went downstairs and started the NIO. After driving for an hour, An Xiaoxi, watching the tall buildings outside the window gradually turn into farmland, was a bit puzzled: "Zhang Wei, didn't you say we were going to open mystery boxes? Why did you drive to the suburbs?"

Zhang Wei thought to himself, the place for cutting the stone would definitely need a cutting machine. Such loud noise would get reported by residents in minutes if it were in the City Name.

"The mystery boxes I'm taking you to open aren't available in ordinary toy stores. It's definitely worth the trip."

Following the location Boss Li had given him, Zhang Wei drove to a farmhouse courtyard. Parking the car by the roadside, he saw Boss Li already waiting for him at the gate.

"Why did you come in person?" Zhang Wei hadn't expected that either.

Boss Li beckoned a young worker to unload the stone from the trunk, then turned and smiled, "Boss Zhang's luck is so hot, of course I had to come to catch some of that fortune when opening the raw stone."

Truth be told, Boss Li had zero confidence in Zhang Wei's stone. There wasn't a single trace of green on its surface; placed by the roadside, it was indistinguishable from an ordinary rock. However, the other party was an acquaintance of Yu Hongtao and even held a heavy treasure like the imperial seal of china, so it was definitely worth getting closer to.

Everyone entered the courtyard and saw a middle-aged, burly man standing by the cutting machine. Despite the late autumn weather, he wore only a leather apron on his upper body, a pair of oil-stained jeans on the lower half, and a pair of work gloves.

Boss Li called out to the man, "Old Zhou, this Boss Zhang is my honored guest. You need to cut it carefully. If it cuts well, I'll give you a red envelope."

Old Zhou approached the stone, examined it for a moment, and scratched his head, "Boss Li, are you sure you didn't make a mistake? Isn't this just an ordinary rock?"

No wonder he was doubtful. He had cut no fewer than several thousand stones in his lifetime and considered himself somewhat knowledgeable about raw jadeite. This stone showed absolutely no signs of containing jadeite.

Boss Li scolded angrily, "Stop with the nonsense, get to work." He wasn't optimistic either, but he had decided that if nothing came out later, he would buy the raw stone anyway, as a gesture of goodwill.

Old Zhou didn't try to dissuade further. He took a pen and drew a line down the center of the stone. "So, Boss Zhang, how would you like it cut? Straight down the middle?"

Zhang Wei knew perfectly well that this stone contained a whole piece of jadeite inside. Cutting it in half would ruin it.

He thought for a moment and asked, "Master Zhou, how much do you usually charge for cutting a stone?"

Old Zhou replied readily, "Normally, for a stone this size, it's around two thousand. But since you're Boss Li's honored guest, I'll definitely give you a friend's price. One thousand will do."

"Didn't expect this Old Zhou, who looks honest and simple, to be quite savvy with people," Zhang Wei thought to himself, seeing Boss Li looking pleased and proud beside him.

After a moment's contemplation, he smiled and said, "How about this: I'll pay three thousand. Could you please not cut it directly, but slowly grind it down along the edges instead?"

"This..." Old Zhou was a bit reluctant. Grinding bit by bit would be quite laborious. He really didn't want to waste time on a worthless rock, but for the sake of the money, he reluctantly agreed.

An Xiaoxi was a bit unhappy. "You tricked me again? Brought me out late at night to cut a rock? This is the mystery box you were talking about?"

Zhang Wei laughed heartily. "Don't look at it as just a worthless rock now, something nobody would pick up off the roadside. In a moment, it'll transform from an ugly duckling into a phoenix."

Now, Old Zhou couldn't use the cutting machine. He fetched an angle grinder, secured the stone, and began grinding it down slowly.

A piercing noise instantly filled the entire courtyard. An Xiaoxi couldn't stand it, covered her ears, and fled to the car to watch dramas on her phone.

Zhang Wei wasn't so delicate. He stayed and watched. Time passed bit by bit, and the raw stone's volume kept shrinking.

Suddenly, "Huh?"

They saw Old Zhou put down the angle grinder, took a flashlight, and shone it on the stone. Then he fetched a basin of water and poured it over it.

A deep, rich green color appeared before everyone's eyes.

"Did... did it reveal green?" Old Zhou wiped his eyes and said uncertainly.

Boss Li also found it unbelievable. Could this really happen?

Now energized, Old Zhou picked up the angle grinder and went back to work, his movements even more careful and meticulous.

As time went on, that hint of deep green grew larger and larger. Finally, it formed an irregular oval. A solid, jade-green piece was fully revealed before everyone.

By now, Boss Li was completely petrified. He had never seen a whole piece of jadeite as big as a human head in his entire life. Just what kind of monster was this Boss Zhang? His luck was truly heaven-defying.

Old Zhou was also stunned for a moment before finally remembering his task wasn't finished. He poured water over the jadeite, thoroughly washing it. Then he picked up the flashlight and shone it on it.

Under the strong light, the jadeite now emitted a vibrant emerald glow. As the light source moved, it seemed to pulse like a green heart.

"Incredible! Incredible! Pure ice-type jadeite, and not a single crack!" Old Zhou muttered to himself as if bewitched.

Hearing the grinding noise stop, An Xiaoxi got out of the car and walked over. She saw the entire piece of jadeite glowing with a translucent green under the light.

"Am I seeing things?! You opened a mystery box and got Kryptonite, Superman's worst nightmare?"

Zhang Wei was speechless. "Isn't Kryptonite what the villains use? Have you ever seen a villain as handsome as me? If I were a Marvel character, I'd definitely be some kind of 'something-man,' okay?"

An Xiaoxi circled the jadeite several times, her eyes beginning to sparkle. She hugged it and wouldn't let go. Women have no natural resistance to jewelry. This is a truth countless men have learned through their hard-earned money.

Boss Li, having snapped back to reality, walked over to Old Zhou and instructed, "I'll give you ten thousand for the labor fee plus the red envelope later. Keep your mouth shut about what happened today. The person before us is no ordinary figure. If I hear even half a word leaked outside, you can forget about making a living in City Name anymore."

Old Zhou hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Boss Li. I've been in this business for many years. I definitely know the rules."

Only then did Boss Li's expression soften slightly. He turned to congratulate Zhang Wei. "Congratulations, congratulations! Boss Zhang, you truly are a divine being. Such a large piece of jadeite, and the material is top-grade. Just seeing it makes this trip worthwhile."

Zhang Wei was also very excited at this moment. As the saying goes, "Gold has a price, but jade is priceless." Such a large piece was practically a family heirloom.

Preparing to pay Old Zhou for the stone-cutting, he learned Boss Li had already paid. Zhang Wei felt a bit embarrassed. "Another day, I'll organize a dinner. I'll find a time when Uncle Yu is free and introduce you properly."

Boss Li was overjoyed and hurriedly expressed his thanks. Wasn't running around and serving today all for the sake of getting connected to this line? Now, his goal was finally achieved.