Chapter 95: Imperial Green I
“Ms. Gu, are you sure about this?” a Fu Pearl Treasure employee whispered anxiously.
Another employee immediately retorted, “Don’t undermine our confidence! Knock wood!”
The other employees agreed. They didn’t want Gu Wanrong to lose; she paid them extremely well.
“Ms. Gu has slapped An Xuliang twice already. This is the third time,” Tong Shenqi said, noticing their outwardly confident but inwardly anxious expressions.
He didn’t mention whether An Xuliang’s participation was certain. He believed Gu Wanrong, who remained calm and composed in the rough stone area, had a plan.
He was right. Gu Wanrong wouldn’t have escalated the bets with An Xuliang, An Jiayan, and He Jingkun unless she was confident.
“Let’s do it!” An Xuliang said eagerly, his voice loud and sharp. All eyes were on him.
He seemed to enjoy the attention. “We’ll choose from the rough stones here. Whoever’s stone is worth more wins.”
He surveyed the crowd smugly, basking in the spotlight. Among the An family children, only he received such attention. The illegitimate children were ignored. This fueled his pride.
“You’re betting against me?” Gu Wanrong’s eyelashes fluttered, her gaze shifting between He Jingkun and An Jiayan before she said slowly, “I’ve already won.”
While He Jingkun and An Jiayan considered, he acted arrogant, oblivious to his own foolishness.
He scoffed, “Don’t boast. You think you can beat me?”
“Xuliang’s experience gives him an unfair advantage. Let’s each add two people to make it fair.”
He Jingkun and An Jiayan exchanged a look. They distrusted An Xuliang. His previous failuresāthe inferior jadeite from Jiu Yu Zhai and Gu Wanrong picking all the valuable stonesādemonstrated his poor judgment.
They never intended for him to bet alone.
“An Shi and Uncle He will each send a representative. Six people, three on each side, choose one stone each. The highest-value stone wins,” An Jiayan clarified.
“Fine,” Gu Wanrong readily agreed.
An Xuliang’s smug expression froze. He was furious and resentful. He Jingkun and An Jiayan’s rejection was a blatant sign of distrust. His boasts now seemed hollow.
“He’s crazy to agree!” the onlookers murmured.
Besides An Xuliang, An Shi and He family had experienced jade experts.
In contrast, Fu Pearl Treasure focused on designing and selling finished jewelry, not just jade. Gu Wanrong, younger than their experience, seemed to have no chance.
“Fu Pearl Treasure is doomed. It’s about to change hands.”
“How much money does Gu Dong have to gamble a whole company?”
“They claim fairness. There’s no fairness here!”
“Shhh, not so loud.”
“The jewelry industry will be turned upside down by An Shi and He family!”
ā¦
Everyone shook their heads; the outcome seemed certain.
“Who wants to choose?” Gu Wanrong asked her experienced employees, smiling.
No one volunteered.
Gu Wanrong chuckled, “Think of it as a game. You’re not making the final decision.”
After a while, two employees stepped forward and began selecting with her.
Gu Wanrong used her flashlight to examine stones, carefully inspecting each one. She knew exactly which two stones she wanted.
She was just debating whether to win modestly or make a grand statement.
Option one was her usual approach: low-key, unassuming success.
Option two stemmed from her growing intolerance of injusticeārevenge.
No one noticed she was acting.
Fu Pearl Treasure’s employees moved her chosen stones to the open space.
An Xuliang’s team also chose stones seriously.
The two employees were pleased to be chosen, but finding good stones among the rough pieces was challenging.
An Xuliang lived up to his reputation. Despite his background, his lack of diligence made him unsuitable. His sweating showed his indecision.
As time passed, An Shi and Gu’s representatives returned.
They argued over their chosen stones, shining their flashlights on them.
Gu Wanrong glanced over, seeing them finish. Her team returned.
She observed their choices, her confidence growing.
“What do you think of your stones?” Gu Wanrong squatted, examining her employees’ selections with her flashlight. “Look at mine, too.”
She pretended to choose, while An Xuliang was disregarded by An Shi and He’s representatives.
Silence fell.
An Jiayan and He Jingkun brought their stones to the cutting machine.
Gu Wanrong stopped pretending, pointing to a huge stone, having her employees move it to the machine.
________________
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