I Really Have X-ray Superpower - Chapter 6 - Stone Gambling

The thin man froze for a moment, then sneered coldly and lunged at Ye Tian, his knife aimed directly at Ye Tian’s throat.

The sudden attack caught Ye Tian off guard. Luckily, that mystic light flashed through his mind again at just the right moment, allowing him to sidestep and dodge the attack.

The thin man wasn’t stupid, though. He quickly adjusted and swung the knife horizontally. This time, Ye Tian was ready. He countered by disarming the knife with a swift move and kicked the thin man onto the ground.

“I told you-I’m usually the one doing the beating, not the other way around. Now do you believe me?”

Gasping for air after being kicked, the thin man glared viciously at Ye Tian.

“Young man, how dare you hit me? I’m with the Hongshan Gang! You must have a death wish!”

Ye Tian responded with another kick to the man’s chest.

“I don’t care who you are. You talk too much. Now scram.”

“Young man, I’ll remember this! Don’t let me catch you again, or it’ll be the end of you!”

With that, the thin man scrambled deeper into the alley, half-rolling and half-crawling.

“Thanks so much, handsome! My name’s Zhao Xue. What about you?”

At that moment, Ye Tian took a closer look at Zhao Xue. Her enchanting smile, paired with her perfect figure under the dim light, left him captivated. He stared at her blankly for a moment before snapping out of it.

“Uh, I’m Ye Tian,” he replied, pretending to be calm and collected.

As the two walked and talked, they gradually became familiar with each other. When they reached Zhao Xue’s street, she asked for Ye Tian’s number and told him she’d treat him to a meal sometime to thank him properly.

After walking Zhao Xue home, Ye Tian began reflecting on the thin man’s sudden attack. If it hadn’t been for that mystic light flashing in his mind, he might have been done for.

But what was that mystic light? Could he consciously use this second ability? Ye Tian lay in bed, trying for a long time to activate it, but had no luck.

“It seems like it only triggers when my life is in danger… Oh well, forget it. Time to sleep.”

“So handsome, loved by thousands. Too handsome, it’s helpless.”

Ye Tian reached for his phone, realizing it was Zhao Xue calling to invite him for a meal.

“Yep, still very handsome,” he muttered with a smile.

At the thought of dining with a beautiful woman, Ye Tian jumped out of bed to wash up and get ready. The memory of his X-ray vision the other night and Zhao Xue’s stunning figure made him drool, and he couldn’t help but daydream, “Maybe tonight’s the night I finally say goodbye to being a virgin after 18 years.”

At the agreed meeting place, Zhao Xue told Ye Tian she needed him to accompany her to the antique market first. She explained that her grandfather’s birthday was approaching, and since he loved folding fans, she wanted to find him a special gift.

The antique market was located in the northwest corner of Huanan City, nestled between mountains and rivers. The surroundings were beautiful, and nearly all the major antique shops in Huanan City were concentrated there. Outside the shops, countless smaller stalls lined the streets.

These little stalls were both a source of delight and frustration for visitors. They sold just about everything, but most of the goods were fakes. Genuine treasures were few and far between.

As Ye Tian followed Zhao Xue through the market, he started to feel bored and began glancing around idly.

Suddenly, he noticed a small stall attracting a significant crowd. Curious, he walked over to check it out.

It turned out to be a stone gambling session. The phrase “one cut to poverty, one cut to riches” was a common saying in the jade market, and stone gambling had always fascinated people.

“Young Master Li, the quality of this cut looks pretty good-crystal clear. How about selling it to me? I’ll offer you 100,000.”

“Boss Liu, judging by the quality of this jade, it’s easily worth 500,000. Don’t be so stingy. And besides, do I look like someone who needs cash? Keep cutting.”

Ye Tian’s eyes lit up as he activated his X-ray vision, noticing that the interior of the stone was full of impurities. The visible, crystal-clear green layer was just a fluke on the surface. If they kept cutting, the value would plummet.

“Damn it! It’s just one surface of jade-what garbage luck. Boss Liu, do you only deal in counterfeit stones around here?” Young Master Li snapped.

As the stone was fully cut open and revealed to be mostly worthless, the crowd began to disperse.

Ye Tian wandered into Boss Liu’s shop, where he saw a variety of stones stacked in piles of varying sizes. Taking a casual look around, Ye Tian suddenly spotted a small, unmarked stone. His X-ray vision showed that it contained a large piece of pristine white jade with barely any impurities.

“Boss Liu, I saw those stones being cut outside. It seems interesting, so I thought I’d try it out. How much for this small one?” Ye Tian asked, pretending to be a novice.

“That one’s 1,300,” Boss Liu said with a sly grin. “You’re new to stone gambling, aren’t you? I can tell it’s your first time. How about this? I’ll give you a discount-20% off. Let’s round it down to 1,040. Or better yet, just 1,000 flat.”

Boss Liu, with his pencil-thin mustache and gold-rimmed glasses, looked every bit the stereotypical shrewd merchant.

In truth, the stones he offered had been sitting in the shop for over six months. They were among the least promising ones, ignored by customers, so he figured he might as well sell one to this rookie for a “bargain.”

Ye Tian instantly saw through Boss Liu’s cunning demeanor. But Boss Liu had no idea Ye Tian could see inside the stones, and Ye Tian decided to play along. Putting on a look of feigned gullibility, he eagerly agreed to the deal. Then he pulled out the 1,000 yuan he’d taken from the bald man and his crew the previous day.

“Boss, cut the whole thing open.”

“Haha, alright, young man. Since you’re so straightforward, I’ll waive the cutting fee for you.”

One slice at a time, the stone was cut open. Ye Tian watched with a grin as Boss Liu’s expression gradually darkened.

“Young man, how about selling this piece of jade to me? I’ll give you fifty thousand.”

“Boss Liu, you’re too greedy, aren’t you? This is a fine piece of Kunlun jade! It’s worth at least two hundred thousand. Don’t sell it to him, Ye Tian. There’s an auction hall opening tonight in this market-we can put it up for auction.”

At some point, Zhao Xue had appeared next to Ye Tian, holding a beautifully packaged box in her hands. It was likely the birthday gift she had selected for her grandfather. She must’ve come over and happened to witness the scene unfolding.

“I had no idea you were this good at stone gambling!” Zhao Xue teased him. “Maybe you could help me pick one too?”

Ye Tian carefully examined the pile of stones, scattered haphazardly. He noticed one that stood out-it was small, deep red, and shaped like a heart. Perfect for a pendant. He walked over and picked it up.

“Boss Liu, how much for this one?”

“That one is also a thousand. No discounts.”

Boss Liu figured Ye Tian had just been lucky the first time and quoted him the usual price this time, without any special offers.

“This one’s perfect for you,” Ye Tian said to Zhao Xue. “If you trust me, let’s have it cut open. But I have to make it clear-I’m just a broke student, so you’re paying for this one.”

Zhao Xue had been joking earlier, but Ye Tian’s serious demeanor caught her off guard, making her feel oddly convinced by him. It was an inexplicable feeling, but she found herself trusting Ye Tian completely. She asked the boss to cut open the jade, and surprisingly, what emerged was a heart-shaped piece of blood jade.

Both Zhao Xue and Boss Liu were stunned. They realized that Ye Tian genuinely had a knack for stone gambling. Hitting the jackpot once might be luck, but hitting it twice in a row? Even seasoned veterans with decades of experience couldn’t achieve that.

From the way they looked at him, Ye Tian could tell what they were thinking. He didn’t want to expose the secret of his X-ray vision. What if someone kidnapped him for scientific experiments? Spending his days locked up in a lab, constantly being studied-his bright future would be over.

“Damn, I can’t believe I guessed right again. Lucky, lucky,” Ye Tian said, pretending to let out a relieved sigh. He quickly grabbed the items and left with Zhao Xue.