Chapter 117: Make You Accept Defeat Wholeheartedly

"Big Brother and Sister-in-law?!"

Chen Muxue stared at Su Zheng, her face full of astonishment. This lunatic was actually wagering his own tongue just to make these people apologize and address them as "Big Brother and Sister-in-law"?! For a moment, she didn't know whether to cry or laugh. Her eyes misted over, and an indescribable warmth spread through her heart. She knew that Su Zheng was trying to reclaim the dignity she had lost.

"Fine, I accept!"

Cheng Hui agreed without the slightest hesitation. Although it would be humiliating to call a useless, live-in son-in-law "Big Brother," it didn't matter; the loser wouldn't win anyway.

"Alright, we'll call you that! We agree!" The others chimed in immediately, completely unconcerned. Forget about "Big Brother and Sister-in-law"—they wouldn't even be afraid to call him "Grandpa and Grandma," because it simply wasn't going to happen.

"But I have one request," Su Zheng said, scanning the raw jade stones on the platform. "If I am to select three high-value pieces, I need a sufficient quantity. Have your people bring some more over."

"No problem!" Cheng Hui turned and gestured to the man with the handlebar mustache. "Huzi Xiang, go, have them bring more raw stones over!"

"Yes, yes!" The man with the mustache nodded repeatedly, not daring to offend these wealthy patrons. He followed orders, even though he knew it was a complete waste of time. Having been in the jade gambling business for so many years, he knew that within the entire industry, let alone three consecutive high-value wins, even two in a row were things one could only dream of. It required not only god-like vision but also immense luck. So, even if Su Zheng weren't blindfolded, and even if he were lent a few extra pairs of eyes, it would still be a lost cause.

After the order was given, the crowd waited patiently. The bodyguards and subordinates brought by Cheng Hui and his group guarded the exits of the hall tightly to prevent Su Zheng from escaping.

"Are you tired of living?!" Chen Muxue walked up to Su Zheng, her voice low and anxious. "Let me call the police. Once the authorities arrive, they won't dare do anything to you!"

"Do you think I'll lose?" Su Zheng asked with a smile, his eyes flashing with a confident light.

"What else? Do you actually think you'll win?!" Chen Muxue glared at him indignantly. This fool—did he really need to ask? Was it worth sacrificing his tongue just to protect his pitiable pride? As she spoke, she took out her phone, ready to call the police.

"What, are you planning to call the authorities?" At this moment, Cheng Hui seemed to have seen through Chen Muxue's intentions. He stepped forward and smiled with an air of composure. "As it happens, I have some connections in Qingyang. Would you like me to make the call for you?"

Chen Muxue’s expression froze instantly. It was true; a second-generation rich kid like Cheng Hui certainly had deep-rooted connections. Even if she did call the police, it would be of no use. Furthermore, this was a voluntary wager; she couldn't really blame Cheng Hui and the others.

Chen Muxue bit her lip and finally put her phone away. With her head bowed, she said to Su Zheng, filled with immense guilt, "It’s all my fault. If only you hadn’t come with me..."

Su Zheng’s heart trembled at her words. A wave of warmth surged through his chest, and he looked at her with profound emotion. "Muxue, please believe me. I am no longer the good-for-nothing I once was!" he said earnestly.

"But... sigh!" Chen Muxue was filled with worry, unable to finish her sentence. *I have seen your changes, and I admit I misunderstood you before, but in this situation, why would you make such a bet? And a bet with almost zero chance of winning? If you lose later, then you...* She didn't dare to think further, her heart filled with both worry and deep panic.

"The stones are here!" someone shouted excitedly.

Soon, five or six staff members in blue uniforms entered, each pushing a cart piled high with raw jade stones of various sizes.

"Well? Is this enough for you?" Cheng Hui asked coldly, squinting at Su Zheng.

"Yes, that's enough." Su Zheng nodded. He scanned the batch and found that the quality was indeed quite good, mostly originating from the Houjiang and Old Hpakan mining areas. After the staff cleared the platform, they moved the stones from the carts onto the table.

"Can I borrow your silk scarf?" Su Zheng asked Chen Muxue with a smile.

"You... you really intend to pick them while blindfolded?!" Chen Muxue asked, her expression tense.

"Kid, you don't have to close your eyes!" Cheng Hui said, his face full of mockery and disdain. "Even if you pick three high-value stones with your eyes wide open, I'll count it as your win!"

"No need. Since I intend to make you lose, I must make you lose with total conviction!" Su Zheng smiled faintly, his demeanor calm and composed, as if he possessed absolute certainty of victory.

"How arrogant!" Cheng Hui was once again infuriated. He ordered the middle-aged man beside him in a cold voice, "In a moment, you go and pull out his tongue. Let's see if this bastard can still be arrogant then!" It was no wonder everyone wanted to rip this kid's tongue out; his words were truly infuriating.

"Can I borrow the scarf?" Su Zheng asked Chen Muxue again, his tone gentle. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Looking at the calm and unruffled Su Zheng, Chen Muxue felt an inexplicable sense of trust. Almost instinctively, she took the silk scarf from her bag and handed it over.

Su Zheng folded the scarf lightly, then gracefully tied it over his eyes. Darkness descended instantly. Smelling the unique fragrance of Chen Muxue on the fabric, a flicker of tenderness crossed his heart.

"Young Master Cheng, would you like to check it?" Su Zheng asked, perfectly calm and smiling.

"No need. Let's begin!" Cheng Hui grinned dismissively. To him, it made no difference whether Su Zheng was blindfolded or not.

"I'll take you up..." Chen Muxue hesitated slightly, then walked over to Su Zheng, held his arm, and led him toward the platform.

Once on the platform, Su Zheng simply sat cross-legged on the floor and began to touch the raw stones one by one, feeling them carefully. The crowd let out a burst of sneers at the sight. It was truly a novelty; this was the first time they had seen anyone gamble on jade by touch.

Su Zheng remained indifferent, completely unaffected. If he felt a stone was not right after touching it, he tossed it aside and grabbed another.

Jade gambling, simply put, involves raw jade that is encased in a layer of weathered crust when mined. No instrument can detect the quality within; only after the stone is cut can its true intrinsic value be known. Therefore, people can only rely on their own experience to infer the internal quality of the raw jade based on the characteristics of the crust and the "windows" opened on the surface.

The techniques for identifying stones come down to four criteria: texture, water, color, and fissures. "Texture" refers to the density of the raw stone; the finer the grain, the better the quality. "Water" refers to the transparency; stones with high transparency naturally have a higher rate of success. "Color" includes yellow, red, and green; the purer the color, the higher the grade. "Fissures" refer to cracks; because raw stones are formed under high pressure deep underground, cracks are inevitable, so a stone without fissures is especially prized.