Chapter 1495 Stone cutting (2/2)

Master Dao smiled playfully and said, ”Hey, you're interesting. Are you not afraid of the HIV virus in my body?”

Li Du said with a smile, ”With your agility, you look far too healthy for someone who has HIV. Moreover, the virus cannot be spread through shaking hands, so why should I be afraid?”

Listening to his words, Master Dao tapped the table, laughed and said, ”Good, boy, you are nice. I was not mistaken in you. Come, let's drink up!”

Both of them drank tea. Godanwei, who was standing some way off until now, approached and asked Xiao Liao, ”How did you fall for this trap?”

Xiao Liao sighed and said, ”Well, it goes like this. Lu Dayou made money by selling me a stone. After getting close to him, Malanian took me to his house to look at the stone. Lu Dayou took advantage of my trust in him and set a trap together with that bastard Malanian. Damn, I was dumb.”

He was on the verge of tears.

Master Dao said to Li Du, ”Brother Su… Is that right?”

Li Du smiled and said, ”That's right.”

Master Dao said, ”Aren't you curious about the stone you bought? You paid a hundred thousand for it, and that's not cheap. Open it and see if you gained or lost.”'

Before Li Du could answer, he waved to the owner of the teahouse and said, ”Santa, I'd like to borrow your cutting machine.”

The landlord said in awkward Chinese, ”Alright.”

He picked up the stones and took Li Du farther into the teahouse, where the owners kept a small stone-cutting mill.

Nearly every family-owned shop in Hpakant had a similar stone mill. Sometimes they would operate a stone-cutting business, but generally, they would let the customer do it himself because grinding stone was technical work and didn't pay much.

There were three steps to opening a piece of raw jade ore, namely rub, cut, and grind. Just as the name implied, rubbing meant using a grinder to dispose of the outer layer, cutting meant slicing it open with a sharp blade, and grinding referred to initial, rough polishing.

What Li Du was doing now was the most exciting moment of the stone bet. He was going to open the stone to see if it had any jade inside.

Seeing people at the stone mill, many came over to take a look, crowding the teahouse and blocking the kitchen pathway that was not big to begin with.

Master Dao looked at him sideways and asked, ”Do you believe in Master Dao? If you do, I'll cut it open.”

Li Du handed the stone to him and said, ”Master Dao's hands are as agile as panthers. Of course, I trust you.”

Master Dao laughed. ”I am starting to like you more and more. How do you want it to be done? Tell me.”

Xiao Liao urged, ”Cut it, Master Dao. Give it a good swift cut. Cutting the stone open would show its quality at once.”

Master Dao stared at him. ”Go aside, this is none of your business now.”

Li Du said, ”Do as you wish, I don't know much about this.”

Master Dao hummed in a deep voice and said, ”This is a moderate-sized piece of ore from a nest in Damakan. If there is jade in it, and if you are lucky, it is a big piece. Let's grind the outer layer so that the jade inside won't be damaged.”

Hearing the confidence in Master Dao's voice, Li Du nodded.

Master Dao spat on his hands, rubbed his palms and started the grinder.

He was a master of this, and as the fist-sized stones rolled slowly and steadily in his hands, the stone powder flew like snow.