Chapter Eleven: The New Surpasses the Old

“What are you doing?” Lin Wanting furrowed her delicate brows, feeling that Qin Feng was acting strangely, especially in the way he was inspecting the jade stones.

“You’ll know soon enough,” Qin Feng replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

This scene, however, made Elder Yan frown. Previously, Qin Feng had managed to uncover an imperial green jade through a combination of luck and keen observation. But now, wasn’t he just looking for eggs inside rocks? As a venerable figure in the world of jade, Elder Yan could easily tell that the pile of stones in front of them were all semi-finished pieces, some even partially cut open. And now this young man was putting on a show, buying them for two million? Who was he trying to impress?

Still, remembering what happened before, Elder Yan said nothing, merely lowering his opinion of Qin Feng a little in his heart.

Unaware of this, Qin Feng walked straight to a stone that had already been cut in half. “Master, could you cut this one for me again? I’ll draw the line—just cut where I say.”

He picked up a piece of chalk, marked the stone, then handed it to the stone-cutting master. The craftsman looked at the marked stone with a hint of confusion in his eyes. To them, these scraps had long since lost any value; another cut would only waste more time and resources. But seeing the earnest look on Qin Feng’s face, and the varied but silent expressions of Lin Wanting and Elder Yan, he finally nodded, picked up the cutting machine, and prepared to start.

“You sure about this, kid? There’s hardly any material left inside,” the craftsman said, putting on his safety goggles as he gave a final warning.

Qin Feng smiled, his eyes glinting with confidence. “Just cut where I say. I promise you’ll be surprised.”

As the cutting machine roared to life, people began gathering around, curiosity piqued. Elder Yan clasped his hands behind his back and frowned deeply, lost in thought. Time passed second by second. Sparks flew from the cutting machine, and the air grew heavy with dust and the sharp tang of stone.

Suddenly, the craftsman noticed an unexpected mist rising from the stone as he cut. In that instant, time seemed to freeze. Within the seemingly ordinary rock, a faint violet glow emerged, shining brilliantly under the dim lights like the brightest star in the night sky.

“This… this is—!” Lin Wanting gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Elder Yan’s eyes also widened in shock. With all his years of experience, he was certain this piece was worthless. The craftsman was stunned as well, putting down his tools and inspecting the stone closely to make sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him. The crowd around them burst into excited chatter.

“How can this be? There’s jade in that pile of scraps!”

“And good jade at that! This guy’s luck is incredible!”

“More than that! Damn, that’s purple jade! In ancient times, only empresses wore it—symbolizing the arrival of auspicious purple clouds!”

Amidst the astonished exclamations, Qin Feng simply offered a calm, knowing smile. He had expected this outcome all along.

“Looks like I underestimated this young man,” Elder Yan sighed. He had harbored doubts about Qin Feng before, but now his opinion had changed entirely.

When the craftsman finally extracted the jade in its entirety, the whole Jade Pavilion erupted. It was top-grade purple jade, nearly reaching the quality of glass jade, with a streak of white at its center. Judging by its weight, it was five or six pounds—sure to produce exquisite jewelry of the highest caliber.

“What do you plan to do with this piece, brother?” the craftsman asked eagerly, wiping sweat from his brow.

“I’ll take it!” Before Qin Feng could answer, a well-dressed young man pushed his way through the crowd.

“That’s Chen Feiyu, heir to the Chen Group!” gasps echoed around the room.

Hearing his name called, Chen Feiyu smiled and scanned the crowd until his gaze landed on Qin Feng. He had noticed Qin Feng and Lin Wanting the moment he entered the shop.

He strode up to Qin Feng, lifted his chin slightly, and said, “You’re Qin Feng, right? Sell this piece to me—I’m willing to offer fifty million.”

“No,” Qin Feng shook his head, refusing without hesitation. He intended to keep the piece for himself; besides, he had no shortage of money and would decide what to do with it later.

Seeing Qin Feng’s refusal, a trace of anger appeared on Chen Feiyu’s face. “Heh, perhaps you don’t realize my father is the chairman of the Jiangzhou Jewelry Association.”

“Oh? And what of it?” Qin Feng remained calm and utterly unruffled.

Chen Feiyu was momentarily speechless. He realized that revealing his identity hadn’t intimidated Qin Feng; instead, he had only embarrassed himself.

At that moment, Elder Yan spoke up.

“Feiyu, this young man is a new friend of mine—there’s no need to make things difficult for him.” In truth, Elder Yan was offering Chen Feiyu a graceful way out. After all, in these circles, reputation was everything.

Chen Feiyu was no stranger to high society; given an out, he took it easily. “Ah, so he’s your friend, Elder Yan! In that case, let’s all have dinner together later.” With a hearty laugh, he turned and left.

The onlookers now regarded Qin Feng with envy and a touch of resentment. To have Elder Yan’s protection—there were few in all of the Great Xia who could claim such favor.

Qin Feng understood the ways of the world and recognized that Chen Feiyu was no ordinary figure. “Thank you, Elder Yan,” he said, cupping his hands in gratitude.

“No need for thanks. Come visit me for tea when you have the time,” Elder Yan replied. His words stunned not only the crowd, but even Lin Wanting was taken aback.

Qin Feng felt warmth well up within him, fully aware of the weight those words carried. In this circle, gaining the favor of someone like Elder Yan was to lay a solid foundation for one’s future path.

“I’ll remember your kindness. I’ll be sure to visit and seek your guidance, Elder Yan.”

Lin Wanting stood to the side, watching the exchange between Qin Feng and Elder Yan, her eyes flickering with complex emotions. She had never expected Qin Feng to earn Elder Yan’s appreciation. If this continued, his future would be limitless, while she, Lin Wanting, was merely the daughter of a merchant.

Thinking this, she unconsciously clenched her hands so tightly that her nails dug into her palms.

“Good, it’s a promise,” Elder Yan said with a meaningful smile, his gaze lingering on Lin Wanting for a moment.

After Qin Feng and Lin Wanting departed, Elder Yan looked at the piece of jade the craftsman was still turning over in his hands and sighed with emotion, “The waves of the Yangtze will always push forward, each generation surpassing the last…”

…