Learning the Craft

Early the next morning, Lin Mo arrived at Zhang Lao's home. Zhang Lao lived in an old residential area in Jianghai City. The house was not large, but it was elegantly arranged, filled with antiques, calligraphy, and paintings.

"You're here?" Zhang Lao opened the door and smiled when he saw Lin Mo.

"Zhang Lao." Lin Mo bowed respectfully.

Zhang Lao invited Lin Mo inside and said, "From today on, you are my disciple. I will pass on all the knowledge I have acquired in my lifetime to you, but you must remember—in the trade of Treasure Appraisal, integrity and character are the most important."

Lin Mo nodded earnestly. "Zhang Lao, I'll keep that in mind."

Zhang Lao nodded with satisfaction and began teaching Lin Mo the knowledge of Treasure Appraisal.

"Treasure Appraisal first requires an understanding of history," Zhang Lao said. "Every antique is a witness to history. You must know its era, craftsmanship, and material to determine its authenticity and value."

Over the following days, Zhang Lao systematically taught Lin Mo the knowledge of Treasure Appraisal—from history to craftsmanship, from material to ornamentation. Zhang Lao imparted his wisdom without reservation.

Lin Mo had a strong ability to learn and soon mastered the basics. Moreover, with the help of his Golden Eye, he could intuitively see the authenticity and value of antiques, which accelerated his progress.

A week later, Zhang Lao took Lin Mo to a special place—the Stone Gambling Market.

"Lin Mo, Treasure Appraisal is just the foundation. The true test is Stone Gambling," Zhang Lao said.

Lin Mo was taken aback. "Stone Gambling?"

Zhang Lao explained, "Stone Gambling means buying uncut Raw Stones and then cutting them open to see if there is jadeite inside. It's a game where one cut makes you rich and one cut makes you poor. The risk is high, but so is the reward."

Lin Mo's heart stirred—he suddenly thought that his Golden Eye might be able to see through the interior of the Raw Stones!

They arrived at the Stone Gambling Market, which was completely different from the antique market. Everywhere were piles of Raw Stones—some as large as millstones, others as small as fists. People surrounded the Raw Stones, carefully observing, hoping to find valuable jadeite inside.

"Lin Mo, try to see if you can discern the value of these Raw Stones," Zhang Lao said.

Lin Mo nodded and scanned the surrounding Raw Stones with his right eye. Suddenly, he discovered that his Golden Eye could actually see through the interior of the Raw Stones!

He saw that some Raw Stones had a green glow inside—that was jadeite! Other Raw Stones were pitch black inside—those were waste rocks!

"This... this is incredible!" Lin Mo exclaimed inwardly.

He walked up to an unremarkable Raw Stone and observed it carefully with his right eye. The Raw Stone looked ordinary on the outside, but inside, there was actually a bright cluster of green light!

"Zhang Lao, what about this Raw Stone?" Lin Mo asked, pointing at it.

Zhang Lao came over, looked at the Raw Stone carefully, and frowned. "This Raw Stone has a thick crust; it's hard to judge what's inside. But from the outside, it doesn't look like there's jadeite in it."

Lin Mo's heart stirred. He knew Zhang Lao was mistaken, but he couldn't say it directly—otherwise, he would expose his ability.

"Zhang Lao, I want to buy this Raw Stone and give it a try," Lin Mo said.

Zhang Lao was startled. "Are you sure? Stone Gambling is very risky. Are you willing to take the gamble on your first try?"

Lin Mo nodded. "I want to try."

Zhang Lao looked at Lin Mo's determined eyes and finally nodded. "Alright, since you insist, go ahead. But remember, in Stone Gambling, you must act within your means."

Lin Mo walked up to the owner of the Raw Stone and asked, "Boss, how much is this Raw Stone?"

The owner of the Raw Stone was a middle-aged man in his fifties. He looked at Lin Mo and said, "Young man, this Raw Stone is five thousand yuan."

Lin Mo's heart rejoiced. Five thousand yuan! If there really was jadeite inside, he would make a huge profit!

"Alright, I'll take it!" Lin Mo pulled out five thousand yuan and handed it to the owner.

People around gathered, wanting to see what would happen with this young man's first Stone Gambling attempt.

"Young man, are you sure you want to cut it?" asked the owner.

Lin Mo nodded. "Cut it!"

The owner picked up the cutting machine and began cutting the Raw Stone. Everyone held their breath, watching tensely.

"Zzzzzz—"

The sound of the cutting machine rang out as the Raw Stone was sliced open bit by bit.

Suddenly, a flash of green appeared in everyone's sight!

"It's a hit! It's a hit!" someone shouted.

The owner stopped the cutting machine and carefully examined the cut surface. A surprised expression appeared on his face. "Ice Jadeite! And full-green!"

Everyone around was stunned. This unremarkable Raw Stone had actually produced full-green Ice Jadeite!

Zhang Lao was also dumbfounded. He hadn't expected Lin Mo to hit the jackpot on his first Stone Gambling attempt—and with Ice Jadeite, full-green at that!

Lin Mo was ecstatic inside, but he forced himself to stay calm and put on an equally surprised expression.

"Young man, you've got some luck!" the owner said. "I'll give you five hundred thousand for this piece of jadeite. How about it?"

Lin Mo's heart stirred. Five hundred thousand! He had only spent five thousand yuan and earned four hundred and fifty thousand!

But he still looked at Zhang Lao, wanting to hear his opinion.

Zhang Lao walked over, examined the jadeite carefully, and said, "This piece of jadeite is of good quality. Five hundred thousand is a reasonable price. However, Lin Mo, you hit the jackpot on your first Stone Gambling attempt—that's good luck, but don't let it go to your head. In the Stone Gambling trade, nine out of ten bets lose. Remember that."

Lin Mo nodded earnestly. "Zhang Lao, I'll keep that in mind."

In the end, Lin Mo sold the jadeite for five hundred thousand yuan. On his first Stone Gambling attempt, he had earned four hundred and fifty thousand!

On the way home, Zhang Lao said to Lin Mo, "Lin Mo, your luck is very good, but Stone Gambling can't rely on luck alone. You need to learn more knowledge to truly establish yourself in the Stone Gambling circle."

Lin Mo nodded. "Zhang Lao, I will study hard."

Zhang Lao nodded with satisfaction and then said, "Tomorrow, I'll take you to a Stone Gambling gathering so you can see real Stone Gambling masters in action."

Lin Mo nodded excitedly, his heart full of anticipation.

What he didn't know was that in a corner of the Stone Gambling Market, someone had been watching him the whole time, a strange gleam shining in their eyes.