"Those two girls have some amazing luck. They only paid a few dozen for this stone, right? It’s got green, the texture looks pretty good, and the color’s nice. It should sell for at least a few hundred. That’s a profit of over ten times what they paid."

"That’s right. Miss, are you selling this stone? I’ll offer five hundred."

"I’ll offer six hundred. Sell it to me."

"I’ll offer eight hundred. Sell it to me."

A few merchants nearby were already poised to make their move.

Grace Winslow and Joanne Chase whispered to each other for a moment before finally selling the stone for twelve hundred to a pot-bellied boss.

The man was very direct, paying them in cash on the spot.

Grace Winslow and Joanne Chase left with a bag full of cash, bundled in thick wads.

The boss who bought the jade had the craftsman cut it some more. He discovered that the stone was actually quite good. With the outer rind removed, at least half of it was usable material. If crafted into finished products, he stood to make at least another two thousand.

The boss was beaming, and he looked at Grace Winslow and Joanne Chase with kindness in his eyes.

Grace Winslow and Joanne Chase had already made back most of their initial investment, so they weren’t too concerned about whether the remaining stones would yield anything valuable.

Soon, the second stone was brought up to be cut.

This piece of material was mediocre. The jade inside was enough for a few decorative objects and small trinkets, but because the quality was average, no one made an offer. Grace Winslow and Joanne Chase decided to keep it, thinking it would be nice to have it made into a ring or earrings later.

"Those two girls must be loaded. Which family’s spoiled daughters are these, out on a spending spree? They must’ve spent close to two thousand by now, right?"

"Easily. And they still have that whole pile left. There’s a bulk discount today, but even after that, it’s at least two thousand."

The onlookers watched as Grace Winslow and Joanne Chase had one stone cut after another.

For every three stones they cut, about two of them yielded jade. The quality was never poor, and each one brought a profit of at least ten times the cost.

Some were bought on the spot.

Others, Grace Winslow and Joanne Chase kept for themselves.

In the blink of an eye, they had cut over a dozen stones.

"Could you cut this one open for us, please?" Grace Winslow said, pointing to the largest rock.

This was their most expensive stone, costing them nearly five hundred—as much as a dozen of the others combined.

It was also the largest, standing over half a meter tall. It was sold at a fixed price rather than by weight, mainly because it looked like scrap rock at first glance. Otherwise, a stone that weighed almost a ton would have cost several thousand at a minimum.

After some discussion, Grace Winslow and Joanne Chase both agreed that this particular rock probably had something good inside.

"How would you two like it cut?" the old craftsman asked. He glanced at the stone without much hope, but his tone remained polite.

Grace Winslow and Joanne Chase conferred for a moment.

Neither of them was an expert; they didn’t really know much about it.

Finally, with a decisive wave of her hand, Grace Winslow said, "Cut it right in half. Let’s just get straight to it."

The old craftsman smiled kindly. "Alright, then. I’ll cut it in half for you."

The stone, which was nearly a meter tall, was hoisted onto the cutting machine.

Once it was secured, the old craftsman started the machine.

The ear-splitting screech of the saw filled the air.

"Young ladies, anyone can see you’re amateurs. That rock is obviously scrap; there’s no way it has anything inside. You spent a few hundred on that? You might as well have thrown your money in a river just to hear the splash."

"Let them be, Old Chen. It’s their business. They like it, and it’s only a few hundred bucks. They’ve already made that back from their earlier wins."

"Hahaha, but what if they have a good eye for hidden gems and actually find something amazing?"

"If that thing actually has jade in it, the owner will be kicking himself. It’d be worth several thousand at least. And if it’s top quality? We’re talking a hundred thousand, easy."

The people in the crowd chattered amongst themselves, their discussion drawing even more spectators.

Nolan Winslow and Brandon Winslow heard the commotion and hurried over.

When they saw their sister was at the center of it all, they moved to stand beside her and Joanne, worried someone might try to bully them.

Hayley and Lily Callahan also rushed over, whispering with Grace Winslow and Joanne Chase.

When the screech of the saw finally stopped, the stone had been split in two.

The craftsman rinsed the cut surfaces with water, and everyone stared intently at the cross-section.

A breathtaking shade of green bloomed into view.

"Holy shit, it’s a real find! Look at that color, that translucency... It’s Imperial Green!" someone in the crowd shouted.

Everyone was stunned.

After all, a piece of Imperial Green this large was something they had never even heard of, let alone seen before.

This stone had been sitting here for more than half a year. No one had picked it at the last gambling convention either.

It was in the scrap section, after all. It was huge, looked like worthless rock, and seemed absolutely impossible to contain any jade. Who would want to waste their money being a sucker?

Who would have thought that two amateurs would be the ones to snag this overlooked treasure?

And what a treasure it was!

Soon, the man who organized the gambling convention heard the news and rushed over. Staring at the massive piece of Imperial Green, the corner of his mouth twitched violently.

Grace Winslow and Joanne Chase were beaming. "Nolan, Brandon, is it very valuable?"

"Valuable? It’s incredibly valuable," Nolan Winslow said with a proud nod. "This is Imperial Green! It has to be worth at least a million."

After all, it was his own sister who had found it.

Grace Winslow’s eyes lit up at his words. "A million! That really is a lot of money. But we don’t have a car... How are we going to get it home?"

"Miss," a pot-bellied, middle-aged man said, walking over with a smile just as Grace Winslow finished speaking. "I wonder if I could have a private word with you?"

Grace Winslow sized up the man. ’He doesn’t look like a decent person,’ she thought, and her refusal was blunt. "Sorry, I don’t know you, so it’s not really a good time."

"I’m the owner of this event," the man said, unfazed by her rejection. He kept his ingratiating smile as he looked at her. "As for your stone, I’m willing to buy it back for one hundred thousand. What do you say?" He then held up one finger and waved it in front of her face.

Someone in the crowd couldn’t help but speak up. "Eugene Aldridge, how can you be so shameless? That stone is worth a million at the very least! If it’s made into jewelry, it’ll fetch far more than that. And you want to buy it back for a mere hundred thousand?"

"Exactly! You’re running a business here. Are you a sore loser?"

"Miss, don’t listen to him. This is worth way more than a hundred thousand. Don’t you dare sell it for less than a million. You’d be taking a huge loss."

"That’s right, just ignore him! There are plenty of us here to act as witnesses. He won’t dare try anything."

Naturally, Grace Winslow had no intention of selling for a hundred thousand.

Hayley and Lily Callahan’s couture shop was in need of a signature showpiece. This Imperial Green jade was the perfect material to create a jewelry set that could serve as the store’s centerpiece and boost its reputation.

"Everyone, this is a matter between myself and this young lady. Aren’t you all being a bit nosy? I’m making a very sincere offer. One hundred thousand. Sell me the stone and consider it a way of making a new friend. I, Eugene Aldridge, am a man of considerable standing in Coronet. Offending me won’t do you any good."

"You don’t look like locals, do you?" Eugene Aldridge continued, stroking his chin with a smirk. "Trying to leave Coronet safely with a piece of jade this large... I’m afraid that might be rather difficult."

The meaning was clear. It was a blatant threat. If Grace Winslow and her friends didn’t agree to sell, he would resort to illicit means.