Zhang Wei probably wasn't coming back tonight. Chu Mingcheng wondered which of the three university students he'd managed to charm.

Back home, Chu Mingcheng set down the box he was carrying, opened it, and pulled out the specimen.

An indescribable smell wafted from it—part preservation chemicals, part styrofoam.

The alligator gar looked intact at first glance, mouth gaping wide to reveal razor-sharp teeth. But it was just an empty shell now, surprisingly light in his hands.

A long incision ran along its belly, now carefully stitched closed. The eyes were artificial, but from a distance, the specimen looked remarkably lifelike.

For Bai Yueke and her friends to finish the specimen so quickly, Chu Mingcheng figured they'd recruited plenty of help.

Still, he really disliked the alligator gar's appearance. He'd hoped it might look better preserved, but somehow it seemed even uglier.

"Yang, want this specimen?"

"Absolutely. This alligator gar's big enough—when I open my shop here next year, I'll display it in the store." Chen Yang had no reason to refuse a free specimen.

"Great, I'll leave it here for you to collect later."

Chu Mingcheng moved both boxes into the small room. Jiang Luoluo showed zero interest in any of it.

After dinner, Chen Yang took his laptop to work in the living room.

Chu Mingcheng headed to Jiang Luoluo's house to edit the tuna hunting footage with her.

The Dongsha trip had produced so many spectacular scenes that needed careful editing. With all that amazing footage, they couldn't show everything at once. After discussion, they decided to split it into three parts: upper, middle, and lower segments.

While they worked at home, across town at a private restaurant, Wei Jianguo pointed at a large mandarin fish swimming in a tank. "What do you think of this mandarin fish? Not smaller than the one you had a few years back, right?"

"Guo, you're incredible! A nearly three-meter sailfish just days ago, and now this rare, massive mandarin fish."

A man with a full head of silver hair—still looking healthy and robust despite his age—offered his praise.

Wei Jianguo had invited three friends tonight, all around his age. The silver-haired man was the one who'd hosted that twenty-jin mandarin fish feast for him years before.

Beside him, an elderly man in a Zhongshan suit said, "Don't you guys think something's fishy here? Hasn't Guo been landing way too many big catches lately?"

"First that nearly four-meter red eel, then the hundred-jin bighead carp, and more. Guo, you got some secret source for trophy fish?"

These men had been friends for decades. They knew Wei Jianguo inside and out—he used to be the one watching others show off their big catches.

But in the second half of this year... no, since November, Wei Jianguo had been bringing in impressive catches regularly.

Especially that grouper they'd tasted with tears in their eyes. When it was in the tank, they'd been drooling over it for ages.

Everyone knows fish should be eaten fresh while alive, but this stubborn old fool insisted on waiting until it died naturally. What a waste of prime seafood!

This reminder made the other two catch on. "That's right, Guo. Did you meet someone? How come you've been getting so many prize catches recently?"

"You're all just jealous! I caught this fish this morning myself. Already had a dozen mandarin fish and was heading to another spot when this monster showed up."

"That tail had power—when it slapped down, water splashed three or four meters high..."

"Hey, hey, hey, old man, you're not even bothering to draft your tall tales! This fish is thirty jin at most. How's it got that kind of strength? Anyone listening would think you're talking about a blue whale!"

The group of old friends gathered together—one spinning yarns, three calling him out—making quite the racket. Only when the waiter took the fish to the kitchen did they all head into the private dining room.

After settling into the private room, Wei Jianguo produced the Chicken Blood Stone. "Old Shi, take a look at this!"

Old Shi was the quietest of the bunch.

Unlike the other three fishing fanatics, his hobby matched his surname—playing with stones.

The moment he saw the Chicken Blood Stone, his previously calm expression shattered.

He shot up from his seat and hurried to Wei Jianguo's side, carefully taking the stone. Shielding it with his hand, he pulled out a flashlight and magnifying glass from his briefcase.

After studying it for several minutes, he kept muttering "exquisite" and "magnificent," clearly indicating the stone's exceptional quality.

The white portion was minimal, the red section brilliantly vibrant. The combined pattern looked completely natural and stunning—Old Shi was smitten.

"Guo, where'd you get this Chicken Blood Stone? How about selling it to me? I've been searching for years for a suitable piece to make into a seal."

"Chicken Blood Stone production is so limited, and most of the fine pieces already have owners."

"This pure, flawless, single-color, mutton-fat-jelly-ground Chicken Blood Stone is even rarer. You have to let me have this one!"

Wei Jianguo had sensed the stone's high quality but hadn't expected it to be so exceptional that his old friend would immediately make an offer.

If it were his own, he'd naturally help out a decades-long friend. Unfortunately, the stone wasn't his. And he had specific reasons for showing this Chicken Blood Stone tonight.

"Don't even dream about this stone. It belongs to a junior of mine. He wants to make a pair of jade pendants and a gold hairpin—I brought it over specifically to ask if it's suitable."

"Jade pendants and a gold hairpin?" Shi Weiyuan was stunned, then trembled with fury. "What a waste! What criminal waste! Using Chicken Blood Stone for jade pendants?"

"Which junior is this? Call him over right now—I'll break his legs myself!"

Wei Jianguo's mouth twitched. "If you want this Chicken Blood Stone, forget about breaking legs. Think about how to actually get it instead."

"Right, right! Call him immediately. I'm willing to pay high price for this stone." Shi Weiyuan's rage evaporated instantly. The stone was still intact—no point getting angry yet.

Wei Jianguo pulled out his phone and called Chu Mingcheng.

When the call connected, he said, "Cheng, you free right now?"

"Yeah, sure." Chu Mingcheng was cutting fruit in the kitchen—fortunately Jiang Luoluo couldn't hear him, so no need to step away for privacy.

"Your Chicken Blood Stone is exceptional quality. A friend of mine wants to buy it at a premium."

"Agong, I don't want to sell. I've never given Luoluo a proper gift. It's rare I found such a high-quality stone—I can finally give her something special."

"Think this through carefully. This Chicken Blood Stone, after being carved into a seal by a master, could be worth several million. And Chicken Blood Stone isn't suitable for wearing anyway. Making it into pendants is wasteful."

Hearing "several million," Chu Mingcheng felt genuinely surprised. Wasn't it supposed to be a hundred per gram? His piece wasn't that heavy—how could it sell for millions after carving?

Naturally, he was thrilled the stone was so valuable, but he'd already planned it as a gift and had no intention of changing course.

"Who wears jade pendants daily nowadays? I wouldn't sell for a few million... wait!"

Mid-sentence, an idea struck him.

When Wei Jianguo heard him say he wouldn't sell for millions, his face showed genuine appreciation. Someone who valued relationships over money might sometimes be foolish, but was definitely more trustworthy.

Then came the sudden reversal, freezing the smile on his face.

"What do you mean—you want to sell it after all?"

"No, but since it's so valuable, could I trade it for jade pendants and a jade hairpin of similar worth?"

Wei Jianguo paused. He hadn't expected Chu Mingcheng to react so quickly, and the idea perfectly matched his own thinking.

A smile spread across his lips as he suggested, "Actually, white jade would be better for you. I think it's more suitable."

Fine white jade generally meant Hetian jade from the Western Regions. Of course, white jade raw stones came in different grades too.

Since the Chicken Blood Stone was so valuable and unsuitable for wearable pendants, why not exchange it for something appropriate?

Chu Mingcheng wasn't sure if he could trade for equivalent value—he lacked specific knowledge about these things' worth. He'd only wanted to exchange for jadeite of similar value, but Wei Jianguo suggested white jade instead.

Compared to green jadeite, he definitely preferred the creamy white color.

He trusted Wei Jianguo completely, and since he knew little about this field anyway, he readily agreed.

"Whatever you think is best, Agong. You wouldn't let a junior like me get shortchanged, right?"

"You kid..."

Wei Jianguo didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but his smile grew warmer. Being willing to trust him completely and make the exchange was the smartest choice.

"Alright, I understand. Your plan should work fine. I'll let you know when everything's ready."

He hung up after speaking. Knowing Shi Weiyuan's character, the man would very likely agree.

Exquisite white jade commanded high prices too—sometimes even higher. These items' value still depended on meeting someone who particularly treasured them and would pay premium prices. There was no fixed rate. But it just so happened that Shi Weiyuan had been seeking exceptional Chicken Blood Stone.

"My junior says he can trade for white jade. He wants a pair of jade pendants and a white jade hairpin. I remember you have Hetian jade raw stones at home..."

Shi Weiyuan now realized this was all his old friend's scheme. He hadn't thought much when first seeing the Chicken Blood Stone.

With his friend's knowledge, how could Wei Jianguo not know that Chicken Blood Stone wasn't suitable for pendants?

But knowing his search for Chicken Blood Stone, tonight's setup made perfect sense.

"You crafty old fox, Guo! So this was all planned!"

Wei Jianguo didn't deny it. "Just say yes or no to the trade. If not, I'll sell this Chicken Blood Stone outright. It's not like I can't help buy white jade separately."

"Yes! Absolutely yes!" A pair of carved jade pendants plus a pure white jade hairpin—Shi Weiyuan would definitely lose money on the deal, but he was willing.

After all, he'd spent years searching for a satisfactory Chicken Blood Stone without success, but he had several Hetian jade raw stones at home.

In short, both sides came away happy.

Chu Mingcheng hadn't expected such good fortune. Truth was, he wasn't particularly fond of the blood-red color on the Chicken Blood Stone.

Mainly because there weren't other suitable raw materials, plus he lacked a clear understanding of the stone's true value, so he hadn't thought to sell it first and buy jade for carving into jewelry.

Now that someone was willing to trade for white jade and even handle the carving for free, he was naturally delighted.