NOVEL NEXT Chapter 85 - Premium Imperial Jade
Chapter 85: Premium Imperial Jade
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 Pavilion’s famous ‘ghost crack stone’.
“Clarence, do you know anything about jade?
“Did you just say that this was a nice stone?
“Did you just follow your gut?” Armstrong sneered unkindly.
“Dad…”
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.
“Shut up!” Armstrong interrupted abruptly, “The raw jade stone industry is complicated. They have divided stones into ‘old pit’ raw stones and ‘new pit’ raw stones.
“Old pit produces a lot of raw stones, and the quality is outstanding.
“New pit produces an ordinary amount of raw stones, and most of them are of average quality.
“This ghost crack stone from the new pit variety!
“It 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.
“Do you think there’s something in this stone?
“If so, why can’t so many stone gambling experts see it?
“Who do you think you are? How come only you can tell that there’s something inside the stone?” Armstrong scoffed. He did not believe Clarence at all.
“Clarence, stop. Don’t interrupt Dad if you don’t understand.” 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.
“Dear, that’s not true…” Clarence was almost speechless. “Why don’t I buy it myself?”
“What are you buying?
“Isn’t it better to spend three hundred thousand on other stones?
“Why waste it?” Armstrong glanced at Clarence coldly.
Miranda said coldly, “You don’t understand this industry. It’s complicated. Take my word for it!”
“Oh,” Clarence sighed helplessly.
He watched Armstrong spend all of Clarence’s 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.
“Ahem ahem.”
After losing all five million dollars, Armstrong coughed drily. “I’ve made a mistake. I had high hopes for these rocks, but they contained nothing.”
Carrie walked over. “Mr. Howard, you’ve finished your fifteen million.
“Ten million dollars in the check was paid as compensation for the warring states jade pendant with a cross.
“The last five million was used to pick out gambling stones!”
“Let’s go home.” Armstrong was ready to flee, dragging Miranda away.
Clarence also followed.
Carrie smiled faintly. “Wait!”
“What’s the matter? Ms. Houston, we’ve already paid you ten million. You’re not going back on your word, are you?” Armstrong looked at Carrie nervously.
Carrie chuckled. “Of course I’m not going back on my word. It’s just that Mr. Howard has spent fifteen million at First Pavilion today.
“Thus, I’m going to give Mr. Howard a free gambling stone.”
“Free? What do you mean?” Armstrong’s eyes lit up.
Clarence also looked at Carrie hesitantly.
Carrie had a ladylike air about her. “Mr. Howard is free to pick out any gambling stone from this garden that is worth less than half a million dollars.”
Armstrong was eager to try again. He rushed to Clarence’s side and pointed to one of the gambling stones that was worth five hundred thousand dollars. “Clarence, take this one!
“I’ve had my eye on it for a long time.
“It will be a good choice to cut it!”
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!
“Dad, I still like that one.”
Clarence frowned and pointed at the ghost crack stone he had also pointed at earlier.
Armstrong was instantly furious. “I told you, that’s a ghost crack stone. Don’t you get it?”
Miranda pulled Armstrong back. “Forget it, Dad. You’ve picked out five million dollars’ worth of stones. Let Clarence pick this time.”
“Let him pick? Fine! Let him pick, then.
“If there’s really something in this ghost crack stone, I’ll eat the stone’s outer layer,” Armstrong sneered, looking disdainful. He was looking down his nose at Clarence.
“Are you sure about this ghost crack stone?” Carrie asked lightly.
“Yes.” Clarence nodded.
Carrie waved her hand swiftly and decisively. “Cut it, sir.”
First Pavilion’s 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, “He’s a loser and has trashy taste. What good can come of this…”
Armstrong was not able to finish speaking.
“There’s something green…”
The stonecutter was pleasantly surprised.
“What?” Armstrong’s eyes widened, his face full of disbelief. “Even if there’s something green, it’ll just be a small piece…”
He did not finish this other sentence, either.
“Hiss! What a big green…” The stonecutter continued to exclaim.
Many people leaned over, their eyes almost popping out.
Armstrong’s face was ghastly pale. “Okay, so what if there’s something big and green inside? It must be defective…”
He did not finish his sentence again this time.
“It’s… it’s… premium imperial jade!” The stonecutter was shaking with excitement as he held the ghost crack stone like a treasure, tears in his muddy eyes.
“Boohoo… I’ve been cutting stones all my life, but this is the first time I’ve ever cut out such a large premium imperial jade!”
“Premium imperial jade?
“How can that be?”
Armstrong shuddered and nearly fell to the ground, dumbfounded.
‘Is Clarence really that lucky?’
A son-in-law who knew nothing about stone gambling had found a premium imperial jade the first time he had gambled on stones.
“Holy crap! It’s really premium imperial jade!”
“Look at the color and texture! Look at the quality! Tsk tsk…”
“F*ck! I regret it. I’ve had my eye on this ghost crack stone for a long time, but never did anything about it. Damn it!”
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. “It’s indeed premium imperial jade, and it’s good material.
“The color is pure.
“It’s premium ice jade.
“There’s not a single flaw.
“The light transmittance is 100%.
“It’s premium quality!
“According to the current market price, it should be worth thirty million dollars,” Carrie said reasonably.
“Thirty million?” Armstrong’s gaze was burning.
Miranda was dumbfounded, feeling dizzy.
‘Premium imperial jade?
‘It’s worth thirty million?
‘Clarence is so lucky!’
Armstrong stepped forward. “Clarence, give me the premium imperial jade!”