Wendy Lynch grabbed a still-gloomy Charlotte and hurried toward the shop.
"Let’s go take a look at that one."
The shop’s storefront wasn’t large, but the inside was piled high with all sorts of rough stones. Jadeite roughs of varying sizes lay scattered haphazardly across the stalls. The shopkeeper was currently leaning back lazily in his chair, sipping tea. Seeing the two walk in, he quickly stood up and greeted them with a smile.
"Take your time and pick whatever you like, ladies! All our rough jadeite comes from old mines. The chances of yielding high-quality jadeite are incredibly high!"
Hearing this, Charlotte curled her lip. She had finally realized that "from old mines" was pretty much the catchphrase of every single shopkeeper here.
Wendy stepped into the shop and quietly began searching through the piles of stones. The information in the email was explicit: a fist-sized black-sand rough. The skin characteristics of a black-sand rough were very distinct—it was completely black and had a very smooth surface. After ruling out the ones that clearly didn’t match the size, she soon found a fist-sized black-sand rough in a corner on the left.
This Good Luck Stone Gambling shop wasn’t big; all the stones added up to maybe two or three hundred pieces. As for fist-sized black-sand roughs, this was the only one in sight.
This was the one.
Wendy’s heart pounded wildly. THUMP, THUMP. She picked up the stone and examined it closely. The stone was about the size of a fist and shaped somewhat like a pyramid. A hairline white crack wrapped all the way around its tip.
Right then, a crisp female voice rang out from behind her.
"Shopkeeper, bring out your batch of black-sand roughs for me to see."
Wendy turned her head to see a stylish woman walking in. She looked to be in her late twenties, dressed in a well-tailored white suit that gave off an air of sharp professionalism. The woman’s gaze swept over the shop before landing squarely on the stone in Wendy’s hand. She walked straight over, not even glancing at Wendy, and addressed the shopkeeper directly.
"Shopkeeper, how much for this one?"
Her tone was casual, but her entitled attitude completely ignored the fact that the stone was still in Wendy’s grasp. Seeing this, Charlotte was instantly displeased. She took a half-step forward, blocking Wendy’s side, and muttered at the woman, "First come, first served, shouldn’t it be?"
The woman in the white suit finally threw a glance at Charlotte before turning her attention back to Wendy, though her words were directed at Charlotte.
"Little girl, she hasn’t paid for it yet, has she?
"Since she hasn’t paid, the stone still belongs to the shopkeeper. Anyone can buy it, right?"
Charlotte flushed bright red at the retort, unable to come up with a comeback. The woman’s aura was far too intimidating; a college student like her couldn’t even compare.
Wendy’s grip on the stone tightened. Her mind raced as the contents of the future email flashed through her head. She absolutely could not give up this stone. She lifted her head, meeting the woman’s scrutinizing gaze.
"I’m sorry, but I’ve also taken a liking to this stone."
The shopkeeper was a shrewd man. Seeing the situation unfold, he knew instantly that his chance to make a killing had arrived. Chuckling, he stood up from his chair and stepped between the two to smooth things over.
"Oh my, both you lovely ladies have taken a liking to it! That just proves what a fantastic piece of rough it is!"
He rubbed his hands together, his face plastered with a wide smile.
"This lady is absolutely right. Since it hasn’t been paid for, the stone is still mine.
"In that case, it goes to the highest bidder.
"This black-sand rough is an authentic piece from an old mine. The starting price is two thousand. Who’s bidding?"
Two thousand!
Charlotte gasped. The one she had just bought was only two hundred and eighty. This jadeite rough was only slightly bigger than hers, yet he had the audacity to ask for two thousand! This shopkeeper was such a scammer! She was about to drag Wendy away when the woman in the white suit spoke up without a second thought.
"I’ll start the bidding, then. Three thousand."
After speaking, she raised an eyebrow at Wendy. The provocation was crystal clear.
Hearing the offer, Charlotte was utterly dumbfounded. She already thought two thousand was an astronomical price, and now it had jumped to three thousand in the blink of an eye. Without hesitation, she tugged on Wendy’s hem, lowering her voice as she frantically urged her sister.
"Wendy, don’t be impulsive!
"Three thousand! It’s not worth spending three thousand on this broken stone! Let’s just go!
"For all we know, the two of them might be putting on an act to trick you into paying a high price!"
Wendy, however, seemed deaf to her advice. Three thousand? Once a window was cut into this stone, it would be worth three hundred thousand. What was three thousand? Meeting the woman’s provocative gaze head-on, Wendy doubled the price on the spot.
"Six thousand."
At this, not only Charlotte but even the previously lazy shopkeeper was stunned. He had thought the competition between the two women would be fierce, but he hadn’t expected it to be this intense. In just a couple of exchanges, the price had already tripled.
A hint of surprise finally flashed across the face of the woman in the white suit. She re-evaluated Wendy, seemingly trying to read something from her expression. She held out her hand. "Shopkeeper, let me take a look at the stone."
The shopkeeper quickly took the stone from Wendy and handed it to her. The woman pulled out a high-intensity flashlight she carried with her and carefully shone it over the stone’s skin, observing every detail. A moment later, she lowered the flashlight.
"Eight thousand."
The atmosphere instantly froze. Charlotte was so anxious she was on the verge of tears. She shook Wendy’s arm vigorously.
"Wendy! Are you crazy?!
"Eight thousand! Let’s drop it and let her have it!"
On their entire trip to Yunaris, they wouldn’t even spend eight thousand per person combined. How could she spend it on a stone with an uncertain future?!
Wendy patted her hand reassuringly, signaling for her to calm down. She could tell by now that this woman was an expert. She had likely seen something special about the stone. Bidding incrementally against someone like her would only drag things out endlessly. It might even harden the woman’s resolve to keep raising the price.
She had to settle this with one final strike. Wendy looked at the shopkeeper and spoke again, her voice ringing with unquestionable decisiveness.
"Sixteen thousand."
The entire shop fell dead silent in an instant. Charlotte’s jaw dropped. She was rendered completely speechless, convinced her sister had lost her mind. The shopkeeper’s breathing grew heavy. Sixteen thousand!!! A stone he had bought for a mere one hundred was actually about to sell for sixteen thousand!
The woman in the white suit furrowed her brow deeply. She once again took the jadeite rough from the shopkeeper’s hands and inspected it. This time, she examined it for a full three or four minutes before putting down her high-intensity flashlight. She looked up at Wendy, her eyes brimming with scrutiny.
"This rough is only the size of a fist. You can’t even get a bangle out of it. At best, it’ll yield a simple pendant.
"Even if it turns out to be ice-grade, a piece this size is only worth a few thousand—unless it produces a colored, high-ice-grade jadeite.
"I’m genuinely curious: where do you get the confidence to bid sixteen thousand?
"Or are you just a complete amateur who’s only doing this out of spite?"
Being an absolute amateur, Wendy naturally knew the golden rule: the less you say, the fewer mistakes you make. Seeing that Wendy wasn’t going to answer, the suited woman didn’t press the issue and embarrass herself. She let out a soft chuckle and handed the rough back to the shopkeeper.
"Little girl, I hope your luck matches your audacity."
With that, she stopped bidding. However, she didn’t leave. Instead, she took two steps back, crossed her arms, and leaned leisurely against the doorframe. Her posture made it clear she was staying to see the result.