After perusing several pieces of raw jade, Bidegla couldn't help but feel disappointed. These stones were all waste, which meant the money spent on them was all for naught.

Suddenly, a strange expression appeared on Bidegla's face, and his breathing became somewhat rapid. He had initially thought that there was no jade in any of these raw stones. However, when he set his gaze upon the cheapest piece of raw stone, he felt excitement welling up within him. Although not large, this particular stone contained a fist-sized green jade at its core. Based on Bidegla's rudimentary knowledge, this was a piece of "nuo zhong" jade. While not as valuable as "bing zhong," a piece of jade this size was worth tens of thousands at the very least.

With this realization, Bidegla's heart began to beat uncontrollably. Having graduated from university just a year ago, he had only saved a few thousand dollars. But now, a single stone had the potential to earn him tens of thousands. The ease with which this money could be obtained was almost unbelievable.

"Duda, I want this particular raw stone," Bidegla declared, pointing to the cheapest piece of stone, knowing that it was the only one with jade.

"Why not choose a few more?" Ned Duda looked at Bidegla and said, "Although my wealth may not compare to yours, a few tens of thousands is insignificant. There's no need to be polite with me."

"Thank you for your kindness, Duda, but I only want this one," Bidegla shook his head.

"Very well," seeing how determined Bidegla was, Ned Duda didn't say much more and continued, "There are professional stone cutters here. Let's go over there now."

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"Okay."

In a corner of the hall, a group of people had gathered, with occasional bursts of excitement and murmurs. Stone cutting was a stimulating affair, as it provided a clear indication of whether one had made a profit or a loss.

"Profit, profit, haha," a middle-aged man in the crowd laughed heartily, holding a piece of stone with half of the jade visible, his joy unbridled.

Of course, alongside those who were excited, there were also those who were infuriated, as the stones they had spent a fortune on turned out to be nothing but ordinary rocks, resulting in a significant loss.

In stone gambling, nine out of ten times, one was likely to lose. To win at stone gambling required not only keen eyes but also luck. It was a field with too many variables, and no one could guarantee a win.

"One cut can make you rich, one cut can leave you destitute, one cut can leave you clothed in sackcloth," this was the most fitting description of stone gambling.

"Master, please cut our stones," Bidegla and his two companions had already approached a stone cutter.

Glancing at the raw stones in their cart, the stone cutter spoke with a hint of disdain, "Do you want them cut or polished?"

He could tell that these were the cheapest kind of stones, and didn't believe there was anything valuable inside.

There are two methods of stone cutting – cutting and polishing. Cutting allowed one to quickly see if there was jade inside, but it was also the most likely way to damage the value of the jade. Therefore, when people had their stones cut, they usually chose to have them polished, as no one was sure whether there was jade inside.

"Cut them," disregarding the stone cutter's attitude, Ned Duda spoke up.

As a young man of the gentry, he was here for entertainment and naturally didn't care about potentially ruining what was inside. Not to mention tens of thousands, even if there were hundreds of thousands inside, his expression would not change in the slightest.

"As you wish," the stone cutter said, then began his work.

Crack! With one stroke, the stone split in two, but Ned Duda's face fell in disappointment, as there was nothing inside.