From rejecting the beautiful female CEO to becoming extremely powerful

The grinding wheel was attached to the ore core, and only a sharp grinding sound remained in the chamber.

The material cutter, holding up his machine, asked, "Mr. Lu, this material is cracked too badly. Are you really going to cut it here?"

Lu Yunzhou traced the old cut with his fingertip: "Follow the crack, don't press inwards."

The machine restarted, and Zhong Xiao tapped the table: "The Feng family lost two rounds in a row, and you bring up a piece of junk? You think that counts as a third round?"

Lu Yunzhou didn't look up: "If you don't dare to drive, then you admit defeat."

Feng Shao gripped the edge of the table, his gaze never leaving the ore core. Whether the Feng family could turn the tide depended entirely on this piece of scrap material at the bottom of the frame.

Zhong Yue stopped picking at the walnuts and gestured for his master to continue, as he didn't believe that this piece of waste could be opened up.

The first layer of stone shell was worn away, and the cross-section was still dark, with several black lines intersecting within it.

A few soft laughs echoed from inside the warehouse. Zhong Xiao pointed to the table: "See that? If you keep grinding, all that'll be left is stone powder."

Lu Yunzhou glanced at him: "What's the rush?"

The grinding wheel fell another half inch, and stone powder fell into the iron pan in a flurry, with a line of moist blue showing through the black shell.

The craftsman stopped the machine, replaced it with a fine grinding head to clean along the edge, and the blue color spread out, with light blue lines winding around it, without a single break.

The onlookers moved closer to the table. Feng Dekun put down the teapot, and Qi Yufei held up his phone, the camera already angled to the corner of the table.

Zhong Xiao pushed his way to the front: "Don't bid yet. Who can prove that this color wasn't dyed in?"

The appraiser brought a high-intensity light, a densitometer, and a filter, and tested the crystal surface several times in succession, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Natural mineral crystals, no traces of dyeing detected."

The chatter immediately drowned out the machine as the craftsman continued peeling away the stone's outer shell, revealing most of the blue crystal beneath the broken outer layer.

The three layers of water patterns—cyan, blue, and white—connect to each other, and the outer cracks are all contained within the stone shell, without damaging the internal crystals.

The appraiser held up a magnifying glass: "Sea and Sky Azure Dragon Crystal, with complete water patterns, clear crystal, and no obvious impurities inside. Sheng'an hasn't produced a crystal of this quality in many years."

It took Feng Shao two attempts to steady himself on the edge of the table. Feng Dekun tapped the lid of the teapot, finally letting out the breath he had been holding in.

Zhong Yue gripped the walnut, cracking the shell with a crisp sound.

The appraiser calculated for a moment: "The preliminary estimate is 23.8 million. If it's sent to Kyoto for auction, the final price will be even higher."

Chaos erupted inside the warehouse as people raised their phones, and some even squeezed outside to relay messages to their colleagues.

The Zhong family's first two valuations were 4.2 million and 8 million respectively, totaling 12.2 million, which is still less than Lu Yunzhou's broken core.

Zhong Xiao supported himself on the table, stared at the Azure Dragon Crystal for a long time, then turned and pointed to his own gray-skinned specimen: "Open my specimen."

The half-person-high ore was moved onto the cutting table, and Zhong Xiao personally drew the lines, with the master cutting according to the middle position.

As the outer layer of the stone peeled off, revealing a bright, crystalline surface, Zhong Xiao had barely raised his chin when the appraiser had already attached a scraper to the edge.

With a gentle swipe of the scraper, a layer of bright color was removed, leaving only the dull, ordinary stone underneath.

"The surface is dyed with crystals, but the inside is ordinary mineral material. Its complete value is 1.6 million."

Zhong Xiao's hand slid off the table, his fingertips digging into the seam of his pants. The large piece of material, half the height of a person, was not even worth a fraction of the value of the Azure Dragon Crystal.

Qi Yufei covered his mouth, and Feng Shao turned his back, his shoulders shaking a few times, but he still managed to let out a laugh.

Lu Yunzhou held up the Azure Dragon Crystal and walked up to Zhong Xiao: "The results of the third round are clear, Young Master Zhong, where's the scrap ore token?"

Zhong Xiao gritted his teeth: "It's a bet on minerals, not a bet on necessarily losing."

Lu Yunzhou picked up the old wooden plaque on the table: "You brought the plaque, and you set the rules. Trying to renege?"

Zhong Xiao opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Feng Dekun had his men record the video. Zhong Xiao handed over the cards, stated his terms, and Lu Yunzhou accepted the bet. Every word he said was clearly recorded.

After watching the video, Zhong Yue put the walnuts into his sleeve: "The Zhong family will give the Feng family another two million. This matter ends here. If word gets out that kneeling is spreading, it won't benefit anyone."

Feng Dekun held the teapot without replying, only turning his gaze to Lu Yunzhou.

"No extra money needed."

Lu Yunzhou put down the mineral crystals: "If you're willing to gamble, then accept the consequences. If you lose, then kneel down. If the Zhong family dares to break the contract today, who will dare to take over your mining projects in the future?"

Zhong Yue looked at him: "Several mines in Lingnan are in the hands of the Zhong family. They can stop the supply of goods, transportation, and processing plants with just a word. The Feng family will not even be able to get ordinary ore in the future."

The warehouse quieted down, and the onlookers put down their phones. With the Zhong family's connections laid bare, no one dared to dismiss this threat as mere rhetoric.

Feng Shao stepped forward: "Dad, if they dare to block the shipment, we'll find another place to source our materials."

Zhong Yue glanced at him: "Sheng'an's path is not for you to change as you please."

Lu Yunzhou pushed the wooden sign in front of Zhong Xiao: "You have two minutes to hang up the sign, kneel down and admit defeat three times. The Haitian Qinglong Crystal is mine, and Kunyu Cang will be handed over as agreed."

Zhong Xiao stared at the wooden sign, and his outstretched hand had just touched the corner when Zhong Yue grabbed his wrist.

Zhong Yue stared at Lu Yunzhou: "The Zhong family will remember this debt. Are you really determined to push this to the brink?"

Lu Yunzhou picked up the Azure Dragon Crystal and turned to face everyone: "The bet is written on the table. If the Zhong family wants to break the bet, they should first take down the signboard of Jubaozhai."

Zhong Yue released his grip.

Zhong Xiao grabbed the wooden sign and hung it around his neck. His knees sank into the debris on the ground, and he forced out three words of surrender through his teeth, each one more difficult than the last.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhong Yue turned on his phone and sent a notification to the Lingnan Mining Group, announcing the suspension of supplies to the Feng family in Sheng'an.

After reading the notice, Lu Yunzhou immediately made a phone call: "Send me Yuanchuan's procurement list. Starting today, we will not accept any more mining contracts from the Zhong family."

After hanging up the phone, he placed it face down on the table: "You block the Feng family's goods, and I'll have Yuanchuan stop accepting the Zhong family's mining goods. In six days, let's see who can't hold out first."

Zhong Yue held his phone without speaking, while Zhong Xiao remained kneeling amidst the debris, the abandoned mine plaque swaying gently against his chest.

A gust of wind rushed in through the warehouse door, and the Azure Dragon Crystal of the Sea and Sky spread out blue-green water patterns under the light, reflecting the disheveled faces of the Zhong father and son.

Zhong Xiao's knees were still pressed against the debris on the ground, and the scrap metal token in his hand was creaking under his grip.

He looked up at Lu Yunzhou, his Adam's apple bobbing a few times.

"You win the third round, the Chung family concedes defeat."

As soon as he said that, all the discussion in the warehouse stopped.

Zhong Yue put his phone into his pocket, his face grim.

He summoned the butler and produced two transfer documents on the spot, specifying the handover of the gambling contract for Kunyu Warehouse and the return of Jubaozhai's operating rights in Sheng'an to the Feng family.

"The formalities will be completed today, and the Feng family will take over the delivery route."

Zhong Yue pressed down on the document, his voice low, "The Zhong family won't renege on their debts."

Lu Yunzhou glanced at the document but didn't reach out immediately.

He put the Azure Dragon Crystal back on the cutting table and looked up at Feng Dekun.

Feng Dekun took the pen and signed his name on the transfer document.

As the pen fell, his shoulders relaxed, but his hand remained pressed on the paper, refusing to move away.

"The Feng family has guarded the Jubaozhai brand for decades."

The old man looked at Lu Yunzhou, his voice weary, "We were able to get it back today thanks to you. From now on, you'll be in charge of the stores in Sheng'an."