Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Armstrong looked in the direction Clarence was pointing in and laughed instantly.
It was because the stone Clarence was pointing at was First Pavilionâs famous âghost crack stoneâ.
âClarence, do you know anything about jade?
âDid you just say that this was a nice stone?
âDid you just follow your gut?â Armstrong sneered unkindly.
âDad...â
Clarence opened his mouth to explain that he knew nothing about jade, but that there was a large chunk of jade inside that raw stone. It was a pure green crystal, and it was crystal clear.
It should be worth something if they were to cut it open.
âShut up!â Armstrong interrupted abruptly, âThe raw jade stone industry is complicated. They have divided stones into âold pitâ raw stones and ânew pitâ raw stones.
âOld pit produces a lot of raw stones, and the quality is outstanding.
âNew pit produces an ordinary amount of raw stones, and most of them are of average quality.
âThis ghost crack stone from the new pit variety!
âIt has been here for more than a year. No one asked about it when it was five million at the start. Then, it got reduced to three million, one million, five hundred thousand, three hundred thousand... Still, no one asked for it.
âDo you think thereâs something in this stone?
âIf so, why canât so many stone gambling experts see it?
âWho do you think you are? How come only you can tell that thereâs something inside the stone?â Armstrong scoffed. He did not believe Clarence at all.
âClarence, stop. Donât interrupt Dad if you donât understand.â Miranda frowned.
To be honest, she hated Clarence for always pretending to know something he did not know nowadays. That was not the way he used to be.
Clarence used to be a wimp, but he had also been down-to-earth.
That was why Miranda had been able to have a contract marriage with Clarence for three years.
Ever since meeting Cecilia, Miranda thought Clarence had begun to be full of crap and had started getting full of himself.
âDear, thatâs not true...â Clarence was almost speechless. âWhy donât I buy it myself?â
âWhat are you buying?
âIsnât it better to spend three hundred thousand on other stones?
âWhy waste it?â Armstrong glanced at Clarence coldly.
Miranda said coldly, âYou donât understand this industry. Itâs complicated. Take my word for it!â
âOh,â Clarence sighed helplessly.
He watched Armstrong spend all of Clarenceâs five million dollars, cutting open more than ten pieces of gambling stones. They ended up with jade only worth dozens of thousands of dollars. It did not even total up to one hundred thousand.
âAhem ahem.â
After losing all five million dollars, Armstrong coughed drily. âIâve made a mistake. I had high hopes for these rocks, but they contained nothing.â
Carrie walked over. âMr. Howard, youâve finished your fifteen million.
âTen million dollars in the check was paid as compensation for the warring states jade pendant with a cross.
âThe last five million was used to pick out gambling stones!â
âLetâs go home.â Armstrong was ready to flee, dragging Miranda away.
Clarence also followed.
Carrie smiled faintly. âWait!â
âWhatâs the matter? Ms. Houston, weâve already paid you ten million. Youâre not going back on your word, are you?â Armstrong looked at Carrie nervously.
Carrie chuckled. âOf course Iâm not going back on my word. Itâs just that Mr. Howard has spent fifteen million at First Pavilion today.
âThus, Iâm going to give Mr. Howard a free gambling stone.â
âFree? What do you mean?â Armstrongâs eyes lit up.
Clarence also looked at Carrie hesitantly.
Carrie had a ladylike air about her. âMr. Howard is free to pick out any gambling stone from this garden that is worth less than half a million dollars.â
Armstrong was eager to try again. He rushed to Clarenceâs side and pointed to one of the gambling stones that was worth five hundred thousand dollars. âClarence, take this one!
âIâve had my eye on it for a long time.
âIt will be a good choice to cut it!â
Clarence looked at that stone, which was beneath an orchid, with his X-ray vision. There was only a thin layer of jade inside.
It was worthless!
âDad, I still like that one.â
Clarence frowned and pointed at the ghost crack stone he had also pointed at earlier.
Armstrong was instantly furious. âI told you, thatâs a ghost crack stone. Donât you get it?â
Miranda pulled Armstrong back. âForget it, Dad. Youâve picked out five million dollarsâ worth of stones. Let Clarence pick this time.â
âLet him pick? Fine! Let him pick, then.
âIf thereâs really something in this ghost crack stone, Iâll eat the stoneâs outer layer,â Armstrong sneered, looking disdainful. He was looking down his nose at Clarence.
âAre you sure about this ghost crack stone?â Carrie asked lightly.
âYes.â Clarence nodded.
Carrie waved her hand swiftly and decisively. âCut it, sir.â
First Pavilionâs stonecutter walked over and started cutting the ghost crack stone.
The customers nearby looked like they were enjoying the show.
They also wanted to find out whether there was truly any jade in the ghost crack stone.
Armstrong looked at the ghost crack stone and sneered, âHeâs a loser and has trashy taste. What good can come of this...â
Armstrong was not able to finish speaking.
âThereâs something green...â
The stonecutter was pleasantly surprised.
âWhat?â Armstrongâs eyes widened, his face full of disbelief. âEven if thereâs something green, itâll just be a small piece...â
He did not finish this other sentence, either.
âHiss! What a big green...â The stonecutter continued to exclaim.
Many people leaned over, their eyes almost popping out.
Armstrongâs face was ghastly pale. âOkay, so what if thereâs something big and green inside? It must be defective...â
He did not finish his sentence again this time.
âItâs... itâs... premium imperial jade!â The stonecutter was shaking with excitement as he held the ghost crack stone like a treasure, tears in his muddy eyes.
âBoohoo... Iâve been cutting stones all my life, but this is the first time Iâve ever cut out such a large premium imperial jade!â
âPremium imperial jade?
âHow can that be?â
Armstrong shuddered and nearly fell to the ground, dumbfounded.
âIs Clarence really that lucky?â
A son-in-law who knew nothing about stone gambling had found a premium imperial jade the first time he had gambled on stones.
âHoly crap! Itâs really premium imperial jade!â
âLook at the color and texture! Look at the quality! Tsk tsk...â
âF*ck! I regret it. Iâve had my eye on this ghost crack stone for a long time, but never did anything about it. Damn it!â
Several customers were beating their chests in anger, looking like they were exasperated for failing to have selected the stone first.
Carrie looked at Clarence in surprise. Then, she walked over to the ghost crack stone, took it from the stonecutter, and looked at it. âItâs indeed premium imperial jade, and itâs good material.
âThe color is pure.
âItâs premium ice jade.
âThereâs not a single flaw.
âThe light transmittance is 100%.
âItâs premium quality!
âAccording to the current market price, it should be worth thirty million dollars,â Carrie said reasonably.
âThirty million?â Armstrongâs gaze was burning.
Miranda was dumbfounded, feeling dizzy.
âPremium imperial jade?
âItâs worth thirty million?
âClarence is so lucky!â
Armstrong stepped forward. âClarence, give me the premium imperial jade!â