The antique jade street was bustling and chaotic, with people crowding around, their faces flushed with excitement, and their eyes sparkling like candles. Huayi and her companions followed their guide, a man in his thirties, as they looked around at the various items displayed in the surrounding shops, their eyes dazzled by the array of goods.

One thing all these shops had in common was that each of them had more or less displayed jadeite raw materials of various sizes and shapes in front of them. Passersby would occasionally stop by these raw materials, wipe them off, take out a magnifying glass, and examine them carefully, as if they were men encountering fine wine, women encountering alluring flowers, children encountering candy, or elderly people encountering beloved children.

After inquiring with her father and the guide, Huayi learned that these white and gray pebbles were raw materials. They stopped in front of a shop, where the owner, wearing a red T-shirt, greeted them with a big smile, saying, "Are you ready to gamble all or half? My shop only sells Burmese old pit raw materials, with good goods above half a layer."

Huayi didn't understand what the owner was saying, but after her father explained, she learned that cutting a small opening in the raw material was called "opening the skylight," and selling these raw materials could fetch a much higher price. There are also raw materials without "opening the skylight." The former is called "half gambling," and the latter is called "full gambling."

Examining the raw materials relies on factors such as the surface, python bands, mist, and pine flower patterns. Many people can only gamble successfully by skillfully mastering these factors, as well as luck and other conditions, and become rich overnight. Of course, there are many old gamblers who say, "Gambling on stones is a business for 'madmen': 'Madmen buy, madmen sell, and another madman is waiting.'"

The world of jade gambling is a mysterious and thrilling profession where success is talked about in terms of winning and becoming rich, while failure is rarely mentioned. It's a profession where one can go from rags to riches overnight, but also one that can drive people to madness, suicide, and endless excitement.

The guide heard Huayi's father's explanation and couldn't help but marvel at his knowledge. Seeing Huayi, who showed no signs of fear or hesitation despite her lack of experience, he no longer underestimated her.

Huayi also felt that the guide's smile became more friendly, for reasons unknown, but she was happy to see it. When her father nodded in satisfaction where others couldn't see, he knew from years of experience in gambling that there were twists and turns in it. Gambling on stones had a bit more fun than gambling on money and a bit more excitement than collecting antiques. Those who excelled in this profession were worthy of the respect of their peers.

After wandering around for a while, Huayi and her companions finally arrived at a small, unassuming shop. Many passersby just glanced at it before turning away, occasionally muttering complaints like, "How dare a shop like this set up here? It's really unlucky."

Faced with these remarks, the guide stood tall, his expression unchanged. He didn't take his eyes off the expressions of Huayi and her father for a moment. Although they were initially surprised by what they heard, their astonishment quickly disappeared, and they showed no anger at the "rudimentary" shop recommended by the guide. The guide's eyes flashed with admiration, and he enthusiastically reminded them, "The owner of this shop has a strange temper, but his things are really good. Now, it's up to your luck and eyesight." There was a hint of probing in his words.

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"Thank you, sir. We'll take a look in this shop." Since her rebirth, Huayi had become increasingly able to easily see through a person's emotional fluctuations. Although the guide's tone was calm, his sincere confession was rare, even though he still seemed somewhat suspicious.

They each squatted down to examine the raw materials laid out on the gray cloth. After looking at several pieces of raw material, Huayi looked up to find the guide chatting with the shop owner in the back room, paying no attention to her side. When she looked at her father, she found that he was completely focused on the raw materials in his hands, ignoring everything else.

Huayi's lips curled upward as she used her body to shield herself from passersby, her hands touching two football-sized raw materials, focusing her energy on penetrating the stones. At first, there was no discomfort, and the raw materials she saw were all white stones, devoid of jade.

After a few more minutes, Huayi suddenly felt sweat dripping down her forehead, and she became dizzy and uncomfortable. Startled, she immediately stopped the penetration, and the jade pendant hanging around her neck unexpectedly reacted, as if it were conscious, gradually warming up, and a warm stream flowed continuously from the pendant into her body. Several minutes passed before the pendant gradually lost its heat, and Huayi's dizziness and discomfort vanished. This discovery filled her with joy, and she couldn't help but marvel at the significance of this trip, even if she couldn't find jade today.

Her modest, unassuming, and patient character prevented her from losing herself in the exciting and unpredictable future. At the same time, she felt grateful to the monk who had helped her with divination. In the temple, the divination monk who was chanting suddenly opened his eyes, feeling the increased merit. He silently recited, "Good deeds lead to good results, no matter how small or insignificant."

"Yan, are you suffering from heatstroke under this sun? Should we go back to the hotel first and come back later?" Huayi's father noticed her pale face as he put down the raw material he was examining.

"I'm fine, Dad. Let's continue. It's quite fun," she said, wiping the sweat from her forehead and smiling. At this point, she was certain that the dragon and phoenix jade pendant given to her by the divination monk was no ordinary item. Holding the pendant in her hand, she silently said, "Thank you for helping me this time." She didn't notice that there seemed to be less jade marrow inside the pendant than usual.

Continuing to penetrate, Huayi found that this time it was easier and more proficient than before. After only a few minutes, she chuckled helplessly and put down the raw material in her hand, thinking to herself: indeed, finding high-quality jade was like finding a needle in a haystack, a rare occurrence. Standing up and stretching her numb joints, she exchanged a few words with her father before searching for the next target.

After penetrating five or six pieces of raw material in a row, all turned out to be just stones, but fortunately, she didn't experience dizziness or discomfort again. Just then, a crowd gathered at the opposite shop, seeming to be waiting for something.

"Dad, what's happening over there?"

"Looks like someone is going to cut open a stone on the spot. If you want to see what's going on, let's go and take a look. If they find jade inside, we can share their joy."

"Okay." It was the first time Huayi had seen something like this, and she curiously put down the raw material in her hand and rushed over to the opposite side, squeezing into the crowd to get a better look. She focused intently on the raw material, and her father, seeing her enthusiasm, smiled indulgently and used his body to shield her from the crowd.

"This raw material has intricate patterns, only half of a python band, and most importantly, a crack. I wonder who's willing to gamble on this stone." Someone in the crowd muttered quietly.

"Do you know who this gambler is?"