A Divine Farmer

C24 – Dog in the Manger

Chen Yaru felt a surge of bewilderment upon seeing Zhang Xiaoloong’s assured grin. Could it indeed be a fake?

A glance was exchanged between Lee Donghua and Chen Zhaomin. They were puzzled by Zhang Xiaoloong’s actions and chose to remain silent, observing attentively the unfolding of events.

What somewhat consoled them was the apparent calculated demeanor of Zhang Xiaoloong; he seemed to have prepared himself for any forthcoming issues.

“What are your terms for the bet?” Wang Changyu felt a flutter of excitement in his chest. He was on the lookout for a chance to expose this young man’s true colors when he approached him unexpectedly.

“It’s straightforward. If I demonstrate that this object has little value as a work of art, then even if I win, I consider it a loss.” Zhang Xiaoloong responded succinctly.

Wang Changyu shot a covert glance at Xu Shaoning, ensuring the expression on Xu’s face was genuine before bolstering his resolve. “Fine, I’ll accept your bet, but… what can I wager aside from your clothes?”

“Hehe, it appears that Young Master Yu finds this outfit appealing. Can you guess the value of this attire?” inquired Zhang Xiaoloong.

“Merely twenty thousand,” Wang Changyu retorted with scorn.

“Alright, I shall wager twenty thousand along with this attire,” stated Zhang Xiaoloong.

Wang Changyu perked his ears, “Did I mishear? If you lose, you must disrobe and exit in your birthday suit.”

“Correct. Should you lose, you’ll owe me twenty thousand yuan,” stated Zhang Xiaoloong with a composed demeanor.

Wang Changyu burst into laughter, having never imagined finding someone so effortlessly deceived. Without needing any provocation, the counterpart had willingly taken the bait, “Very well, if you win, a hundred thousand will be yours.”

“There’s no need for that. I value fairness. I’ll wager 20,000 on you and win 20,000 from you,” Zhang Xiaoloong asserted, refusing to exploit the situation.

“Remember, those were your words,” asserted Wang Changyu, who was wary of any potential reneging from Zhang Xiaoloong. Swiftly, he turned to the bystanders, “Mr. Lee, President Chen, and everyone present are witnesses to this.”

Lee Donghua and Chen Zhaomin were still perplexed about Zhang Xiaoloong’s intentions. Given the circumstances, there was no choice but to proceed with the bet, leading them to reluctantly concur.

“Go on, present your proof,” Wang Changyu instructed with a smug shake of his head. “I advise you not to attempt destruction with a hammer or such; breaking it won’t alter the jade to plastic.”

“May I borrow a lighter,” requested Zhang Xiaoloong. “To avoid accusations of deceit, you shall oversee the validation.”

“A lighter is trivial; should you request a flock of flying turkeys, consider it done,” retorted Wang Changyu, eager to witness the forthcoming spectacle, his enthusiasm unabated in disparaging the seemingly naïve countryman.

Observing the unfolding reality, Chen Yaru impulsively grasped Zhang Xiaoloong’s arm. He responded with a reassuring pat on her hand and a placid smile as he accepted the lighter.

Inexplicably, witnessing his demeanor instilled a sense of tranquility in Chen Yaru. She remained stationary, anticipation tinged with patience.

Zhang Xiaoloong cleaned the lighter meticulously and calibrated the flame to its highest setting. Upon ignition, the flame spanned five to six centimeters in length.

Appreciating the optimal flame height, he extended his other hand to grab the jade, rumored to be valued in millions of yuan.

“You’re not planning to use fire, are you?” Wang Changyu teased.

“Indeed. Burning such an artifact instantly reveals its authenticity,” Zhang Xiaoloong replied with a nod.

“It’s absurd. Subjecting it to fire will ruin the million-worth jade.”

“It appears he’s intentionally aiming for its ruin. We can discern whether it’s genuine jade with our eyes. Do we really need to verify it’s not mere plastic?”

“Even so, destroying it is futile. Regardless of the jade’s condition post-destruction, he’s bound to face ridicule. His intentions remain perplexing.”

There’s a common belief suggesting that binding one’s hair to jade and subjecting it to fire will turn the hair into jade; however, the validity of this method is questionable.

Zhang Xiaoloong, being more candid, didn’t bother tying his hair.

The crowd murmured in confusion, unable to fathom why Zhang Xiaoloong would undertake an action seemingly detrimental to all parties involved.

As the jade neared the flame, Xu Shaoning interjected, “There’s no need for fire. Wang Changyu should retract the wager. Given that Zhang Xiaoloong is a friend of Yaru’s, and considering this is the Wang Family’s gathering, respect is due to Yaru.”

Wang Changyu swiftly offered an apologetic smile, “Young Master Xu, due to your presence, I must respect Miss Chen. However, this individual adamantly claims that your expensive jade is counterfeit. It’s intolerable! Nonetheless, since Young Master Xu has spoken, if he merely bows his head in apology to you, we can let bygones be bygones.”

“Yaru,” Xu Shaoning, seemingly caught in a quandary, looked over. “This is undeniably genuine jade. Would I gift something fake to the woman I care for? I have no desire to humiliate you, so you should counsel Mr. Zhang.”

“Undoubtedly Young Master Xu believes it to be genuine. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen it as a gift,” Zhang Xiaoloong intercepted before Chen Yaru could respond. “But the deceitful techniques today are so sophisticated that even connoisseurs might be fooled. It’s merely that Young Master Xu was inadvertently duped.”

“Remarkable, this young man has some nerve,” Wang Changyu was secretly pleased but feigned annoyance, using crude words, “Young Master Xu, refrain from intervening. I can’t tolerate such insolence. He’s an insolvent braggart. Either he goes through with the burning today, or he disrobes and leaves this place on all fours.”

Xu Shaoning gave a helpless gesture to Chen Yaru, indicating his inability to intervene, but she paid him no attention, focusing instead on the jade in Zhang Xiaoloong’s hand.

Tension filled the room. Conversations ceased within the expansive hall, all eyes intent on witnessing the outcome.

Zhang Xiaoloong calmly ignited the lighter, bringing the flame closer to the jade.

As the flame touched it, the jade seemed to gain translucency, yet the person wielding the lighter experienced no discomfort. He continued to apply the flame directly.

“Haha, foolish boy. Did you really believe you could transmute jade into stone? Or incinerate it to ashes with mere flames, rendering it unrecognizable?” Wang Changyu, observing the flame interact with the jade and noting only a slight blackening, burst into laughter, “I’ve offered respect, but you reject it. Better brace yourself…”

His laughter abruptly ceased, and Wang Changyu stared in disbelief.

After applying the flame to the jade for several seconds, Zhang Xiaoloong removed the lighter and cooled the jade by blowing on it. Testing its temperature, he then proceeded to compress the jade, successfully flattening it!