Chapter 115: Can't You Understand? I Am Scolding You!

Cheng Hui’s face instantly lost its composure. He shouted at the staff, "How is this possible? Cut it, cut it again!"

The staff hurriedly followed his instructions, slicing the remaining two halves into four, and then those four into eight. Yet, there was nothing but gray, lifeless stone—no sign of green whatsoever. It was a complete and utter loss.

"What a massive bust. Such a waste of a promising exterior!"

"Good thing I kept my cool and didn't jump in."

"He took a huge hit on this one!"

The crowd buzzed with chatter, all feeling fortunate that they hadn't placed any bets. Cheng Hui’s face turned leaden. His fists were clenched and trembling so hard he couldn't even speak. He knew he had chosen the stone himself; he couldn't even blame the man with the handlebar mustache. The middle-aged man accompanying him also wore a bitter expression, not daring to utter a word.

For a wealthy young heir like Cheng Hui, it wasn't about the money—it was about his pride. Picking a stone only to have it turn out to be a dud made him look foolish, and he felt deeply humiliated. After this lesson, Cheng Hui was in a foul mood and decided not to bet any further, instead standing to the side to watch others select and cut their stones.

Seeing that the young master’s stone had failed, Wang Tao knew Cheng Hui must be furious. He hesitated to approach him, instead whispering to Chen Muxue, "Ms. Chen, Young Master Cheng lost a lot of money, and he’s clearly in a bad mood. Maybe we should come back another day..."

Chen Muxue bit her lip, saying nothing, clearly reluctant. In the past, she had no way to showcase her company’s products, but now it was different—the products were in her bag, and the man was right there. If she couldn't take this opportunity to discuss business, it would be a huge regret. She knew all too well that a fledgling company like Qingcheng Technology wouldn't get many chances to meet someone like Cheng Hui. If she missed this, she didn't know if she would ever get another chance to see him. However, given the situation, she felt bad about forcing Wang Tao to help, fearing he might get scolded on her behalf.

"Why wait? Since Young Master Cheng lost money gambling, and we’re here to propose a partnership that will make him money, now is the perfect time to talk business!" Su Zheng said to Wang Tao with a smile.

"That's right, Manager Wang. If we manage to close a deal with him, we’ll definitely make sure you get a generous commission," Chen Muxue added, emboldened by Su Zheng’s words.

Wang Tao gritted his teeth, as if making a firm decision. "Alright, wait here!"

With that, Wang Tao turned and walked back to Cheng Hui. He bowed slightly, his tone obsequious and fawning, "Young Master Cheng, Ms. Chen is still waiting for you over there. Would you... would you be willing to see her now?"

Cheng Hui frowned, his expression impatient. "Fine, tell her to come over!" His father often reminded him that in business, integrity was paramount. Since he had promised to meet her, he would follow through. If it didn't work out, he could just kick her out immediately.

"Right away!" Wang Tao’s face lit up, and he hurriedly gestured for Chen Muxue to come over.

Chen Muxue felt a surge of energy. She smoothed her clothes, stepped forward, and Su Zheng followed calmly behind her.

"Hello, Mr. Cheng. My name is Chen Muxue. It’s an honor to have the chance to discuss a partnership with you!" She greeted him politely, extending her hand for a handshake.

But Cheng Hui ignored her completely. He didn't even spare her a glance, his eyes still curiously scanning the raw stones on the table. Distracted, he asked offhandedly, "What was your company called again?"

Chen Muxue quickly straightened her posture, a hint of confidence appearing on her face. "Qingcheng Technology from Qingyang."

"A new startup, I assume?" Cheng Hui showed a look of disdain and only then turned to glance at her. He was momentarily stunned by Chen Muxue’s exquisite beauty, but he quickly regained his composure, turning back to the pile of stones and remarking with a mocking tone, "Opening a cosmetics company in Qingyang right now? You’ve got guts, but you’re just cannon fodder in the making! Heh..."

Chen Muxue’s face changed, and she found herself speechless.

"What’s your company’s current sales volume?" Cheng Hui asked again, very casually.

"Um..." Chen Muxue was suddenly nervous and felt embarrassed to answer. "We... our company has only been open for a few days, and we have about six hundred thousand in orders so far, of which retail..."

"How much?!" Cheng Hui acted as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. He turned to look at her again, his face filled with heavy mockery and shock. Is this woman for real? A company that’s been open for a few days has the audacity to come to him for a partnership? Six hundred thousand...

Damn! That wouldn't even cover half a day of his own company's sales!

Chen Muxue felt incredibly awkward and insecure under his tone, which was worse than overt mockery. She gritted her teeth and pushed forward, "Mr. Cheng, I know our company is small, but..."

"Alright, alright, enough talk. You can go now!" Cheng Hui couldn't help but laugh. As he turned away, he muttered to himself with a sneer, "What a joke. There are truly so many people in this world who don't know their own limits. A pathetic little company like that actually dares to try and talk business with me!"

Chen Muxue’s face turned beet red, as if it might start bleeding. Being humiliated in public like this made her want to disappear; her eyes even began to well up with tears.

"You're right, there are indeed many people in this world who don't know their own limits!"

At that moment, Su Zheng, who was standing behind Chen Muxue, suddenly let out a cold snort and stepped forward to shield her. He stared at Cheng Hui and mocked him unhurriedly, "If a fool like you, who doesn't understand the first thing about raw stones, dares to gamble here, why can't we come to talk business?!"

Chen Muxue looked up and saw Su Zheng stepping up for her again. A familiar sense of safety washed over her, and the burning embarrassment in her face faded. Looking at Su Zheng’s sturdy back, a sudden thought crossed her mind: it felt as if his tall, upright frame could shield her from any storm.

"Who do you think you're talking to?!" Cheng Hui’s expression shifted violently upon hearing Su Zheng. He spun around, shocked and furious—he couldn't believe someone in Qingyang dared to insult him in public!

"Can't you hear me? I'm insulting you!" Su Zheng explained patiently, a faint, mocking smile on his face, looking completely at ease.

The surrounding crowd was shocked. They looked over in curiosity, stunned that someone would dare to provoke Cheng Hui—it was pure suicide!

"Are you that jinx?!" After recognizing Su Zheng, Cheng Hui’s anger flared. He suspected that his stone had failed because it had been cursed by this jinx!

"Security! Someone, come here!" The middle-aged man beside Cheng Hui’s face darkened. He shouted toward the hall, "Give this kid a beating and drag him out onto the street!"