Following behind Liu Ergou, Zhang Man finally couldn't help but speak up. "Er Gou, how could you be so impulsive? How could you agree to compete with Ding Zhengyang! Even though that man is a piece of work, he actually knows a thing or two about stone gambling. Beating a complete amateur like you will be a cakewalk for him! We're completely finished now!"

Hearing this, Liu Ergou turned his head and gave Zhang Man a meaningful smile. "Zhang Man, do you really think there's any point in saying this now? As for what happened earlier, do you really think I'm clueless? I just couldn't be bothered with you. If you still want your grandfather to have any chance of being saved, you'd better shut your mouth. Otherwise, I can't guarantee what might happen."

Liu Ergou's words instantly made Zhang Man's expression turn ugly. She knew it was true; she had been the one stirring up trouble. If it weren't for her, Liu Ergou would never have agreed to a stone gambling contest with Ding Zhengyang and could have simply walked away. At this realization, Zhang Man didn't dare say another word. She obediently shut her mouth and continued following him.

Seeing that Zhang Man had fallen silent, Liu Ergou snorted coldly and turned his attention back to the raw stone.

He picked up the raw stone and examined it from top to bottom, finally reaching a conclusion. I can't make heads or tails of this. No matter how I look at it, it just seems like an ordinary rock, not like something that would have jade inside. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, a headache began to form.

Even without any experience in stone gambling, he knew this was exactly how an amateur would think. If I keep this up, I'll definitely lose the contest! Then I'll have to get on my knees and kowtow. Liu Ergou quickly shook his head at the thought. There was no way he was going to kneel and kowtow for anyone!

But I really don't understand this Jade Stone at all. At this thought, Liu Ergou let out a long sigh.

Seeing the dejected look on his face, Zhang Man began to feel a pang of regret. If I'd known it would come to this, I never would have done that. Chewing her lip in thought, she finally stepped forward and carefully tugged on Liu Ergou's sleeve. "Er Gou, don't worry," she whispered. "How about this? I'll buy a raw stone from one of the display cases. The stones from the shop's main collection have a very high chance of containing jade! They're a bit expensive, but that's not a problem for me."

Liu Ergou rejected her offer without a second thought. "Forget it. Just because it contains jade doesn't mean it's high-quality jade. If I lose in the end, wouldn't that money just go down the drain?"

Hearing his words, Zhang Man was at a loss and could only fall silent, quietly keeping to his side.

Meanwhile, Liu Ergou was deeply troubled as he held the raw stone. If I win, everything's fine. But if I lose... He let out another long sigh.

As he exhaled, the energy within his body suddenly reacted. The energy seemed to crave the stone in his hands. Although the feeling was faint, Liu Ergou could sense it clearly. This left him completely bewildered. Why is my internal energy reacting like this?

Thinking this, Er Gou scratched his head, put down the stone, and walked over to another one. As he picked up the new raw stone, the craving from his internal energy returned, even stronger than before.

Looking at the stone in his hand, Er Gou suddenly had a realization. My energy craves raw stones. No, it must be craving what's *inside* the stones. And what's inside a raw stone? It has to be jade! The thought startled him.

If things are really as I suspect, wouldn't stone gambling be a piece of cake for me? But what if I'm wrong? If that's the case, I'd be doomed beyond redemption. The two possibilities gave Liu Ergou a massive headache.

After a moment of internal struggle, Liu Ergou put down the stone. He hesitated, then walked over to a stone-cutting station where a crowd had gathered.

Just then, a middle-aged man was holding up a stone and shouting, "Cut this one for me! I guarantee this stone is going to be a huge winner!"

Hearing the man's confidence, Liu Ergou raised his eyebrows in surprise. How can he be so sure? With that thought, he reached out and lightly touched the stone.

The instant his hand made contact, the craving from his internal energy surged again, much more intensely this time. But before Liu Ergou could process it, the stone gambler master had already taken the man's stone, placed it on the cutting machine, and switched it on.

In the blink of an eye, the machine sliced the raw stone in two. The stone gambler master splashed some water on the cut surface, and the inside of the stone was suddenly revealed to the crowd. Its interior was a translucent green, looking just like a block of ice from a freezer.

The crowd erupted in gasps of astonishment.

"Holy crap! The guy really hit the jackpot! He cut out a piece of Ice Jade!"

"Yeah! A piece of Ice Jade that big has to be worth at least a million!"

"I'm so jealous! Why wasn't it me who found that? It's making me sick!"

Listening to the surrounding chatter, Liu Ergou finally understood completely. So it's true. The stronger the craving from my internal energy, the more valuable the jade inside the stone.

With this new understanding, Liu Ergou turned to leave, ready to find his own stone. Before he could take a step, however, Ding Zhengyang appeared out of nowhere. Seeing Liu Ergou's empty hands, he couldn't help but sneer.

"Hahaha, what's wrong? Is the little country bumpkin getting scared? I'm telling you, it's not too late to admit defeat. I can still give you a way out..."

Ding Zhengyang hadn't even finished speaking when Liu Ergou cut him off with a single, harsh word: "Scram!" With that, he turned and walked away.

Hearing that one word, Ding Zhengyang was left seething with rage. He glared at Liu Ergou's back and hissed under his breath, "You damned country hick! Just you wait. I'll show you what real humiliation is. How dare you talk to me like that! Your good luck has just run out!"

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