"Yes!" Rayden Wolfe nodded without hesitation. "To be honest, I'm not too familiar with this industry. All these stones look the same to me. So instead of making a random choice, why don't you give it a try, Adam? I trust you. I don't think you'll let me down."
Adam hesitated. "But… what if I pick the wrong one?"
"If you choose the wrong one, so be it," Rayden replied casually. "We've already earned ninety million today. Losing a few million won't break us. That's the game of stone gambling—risk and reward. Besides…" He patted Adam encouragingly on the shoulder. "It's all on you now, brother!"
"Thank you, Mr. Wolfe, for this opportunity," Adam said through gritted teeth, forcing a smile. Deep inside, a bitter fire smoldered.
You earned tens of millions because of me, and you're still treating me like a friend? It makes my blood boil.
But this time, Adam was determined to make Rayden lose—at least nine million! That would bring him some peace. He needed it to soothe the sting of humiliation still clinging to him.
With that resolve, Adam clenched his jaw, scanned the available stones, and pointed confidently at a massive, rough stone resting near the far end of the display. "Mr. Wolfe, what do you think about this one? I've had a good feeling about it for a while now. I believe there's something special inside."
Rayden looked at the stone, intrigued.
It hadn't been on their radar earlier. The reason? The price tag—9.6 million—was far beyond their initial 4 million budget. But with the windfall from the last jade cut, their fund limit had expanded to ten million. Now, it was a possible bet.
"Why this one?" Rayden asked, studying the stone with interest.
Adam kept it simple. "It's large, solid, and has a unified texture. To me, it looks almost ethereal, like it's wrapped in a fairy mist. I just feel… something good will come out of it."
At that moment, an older expert standing nearby furrowed his brows.
"This stone? I wouldn't recommend it," he said slowly. "It's been sitting here for five years. Many experts have examined it, debated over it, and walked away. Initially, it was priced at 25 million. But as time went by and no one touched it, the value dropped to 9.6 million. That alone should tell you something."
The crowd began murmuring.
"I agree," said another observer. "The stone may look impressive, but its texture is inconsistent, and the patterns on the skin aren't clear enough. Based on experience, stones like these rarely yield quality jade."
"Even if you find jade inside," added a younger jeweler, "it'll probably be of the bean variety. Not very valuable."
"More likely, it's just a fancy rock."
"If you drop 9.6 million on this, you might as well smash it into gravel yourself!"
The tide of opinion was overwhelmingly negative.
Adam's confidence wavered for a moment. He had picked the stone to make Rayden lose money, but if it truly turned out worthless, would Rayden regret trusting him?
However, before Adam could reconsider, Rayden raised his voice with conviction.
"No!" he declared. "I believe in Adam. I trust his judgment. Let's go with this one. I believe there's something amazing inside!"
"Mr. Wolfe, please reconsider," an elderly man nearby advised. "This stone is too risky. There are better options—safer bets."
Rayden shook his head, resolute. "We made an agreement, didn't we? I said Adam would choose the next stone. If I back out now, what does that say about my trust in him?"
"But you could lose millions!"
Rayden grinned. "It's just money. If I lose 9 million, so be it. I can afford it."
Adam's expression turned solemn. "Thank you, Mr. Wolfe, for your trust."
Rayden gave him a confident smile and clapped him on the shoulder. "Let's cut it open and see if your instincts are right."
He turned to Rachel and snapped his fingers. "Rachel, go ahead and pay. Then let's get this beauty sliced."
Rachel nodded and made the payment, securing ownership of the 9.6 million stone. It was then handed over to the stone cutter for processing.
Adam's heart thudded in anticipation.
Cut it! Cut it! he screamed internally.
The best-case scenario? A complete dud. No jade. Nothing but stone. That way, Rayden would take a solid hit, and Adam would get his revenge.
As the stone cutter prepared the equipment, everyone gathered around, murmuring and speculating.
The cutter examined the large stone from various angles, then made the first incision along the outer skin.
Nothing.
Not a trace of jade.
Disappointed murmurs rose among the crowd.
Undeterred, the cutter made a second slice, again following the contours of the stone.
Still nothing.
Then came the third, fourth, and fifth cuts. Each one was met with silence.
By the seventh or eighth cut, the mood was growing grim.
"I knew it," someone said. "That stone was just a waste of money."
"Doesn't matter how nice it looks on the outside—no jade means it's worthless."
"This is why you don't let amateurs make the calls."
"If you ignore experience, you're bound to pay the price."
More and more voices echoed the same sentiment.
Adam wore a mask of disappointment, but his inner self was dancing with glee.
Yes, yes! Just keep cutting and find nothing. Let the whole thing be junk! Let that 9.6 million go down the drain!
But just as the cutter began the next slice, something extraordinary happened.
A faint shimmer.
The blade had exposed a patch of bright, translucent green.
Everyone's breath caught.
"Green!" someone shouted. "I see green!"
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"Is that… is that glass jadeite?!"
"It is! Pure glass species! The rarest and most valuable!"
"Unbelievable. That shade—it's flawless! I've never seen a green so vivid and clean!"
"The stone's glowing like it's alive!"
The murmurs turned into excited cries as the reality set in. This wasn't just good jade—this was top-tier material.
Glass jadeite, the kind that fetched sky-high prices in auctions.
Adam's jaw dropped.
No… no way. This can't be happening.
The pride he had felt just moments ago evaporated like steam.
A bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead. His knees weakened.
He staggered back a step.
"Pfft—" he choked out, nearly coughing up blood.
The crowd cheered in awe.
Someone from the back shouted, "That's gotta be worth over a hundred million!"
"Brother Adam really has the touch!" Rayden laughed, slapping him on the back. "I knew I could count on you!"
Adam's mind was spinning.
He had wanted Rayden to lose. Now, not only had Rayden won again, but this time the jackpot was even bigger.
The worst part?
He had picked the stone himself.
His plan to claw back the money had utterly backfired.
And now…
Now he owed Rayden Wolfe even more.
The phrase echoed in his head, louder and louder:
No loss, my last name is yours!
And it looked like that time had come.