"You mean to tell me you spent two thousand to buy this million-dollar piece of Imperial Green jade from the scrap pile?" Byron Sinclair finally came to his senses, looking at Grace Winslow in utter disbelief.

Grace Winslow pushed Joanne Chase forward. "It wasn’t me, it was my sister. She’s incredible; she picked all the stones. As for that one, we just bought it because it was big and cheap. We basically got it for a steal—just five hundred."

The corner of Byron Sinclair’s mouth twitched violently.

No wonder Eugene Aldridge had tried to go back on his word and snatch the stone.

A five-hundred-dollar stone, a piece of scrap that no one had any faith in, had ended up revealing an Imperial Green jade that made everyone’s jaw drop.

’Anyone in his shoes would have had a meltdown.’

Byron Sinclair shot a sympathetic glance at Eugene Aldridge on the floor, then immediately tossed the thought aside. "Come on, come on, keep cutting! I’ll buy any good stuff you get. I have a jade shop, so I can help you offload these things."

Grace Winslow and Nolan Winslow exchanged a look, then went to ask the master cutter to continue.

Although the master cutter worked for Eugene Aldridge, he was a decent sort. He didn’t say much and just dutifully helped cut the stones.

"This one, with its mix of mountain and water patterns, isn’t bad. It’s good enough for a bangle."

"And this vibrant green one. The translucency is a bit lacking, but since it came from the scrap pile, it’s pure profit."

"Wow, there’s even a lavender jade. Too bad, it’s ’glutinous rice’ grade at best, and the translucency is terrible."

There were over eighty stones in the pile. Many of them yielded something, though a few were complete duds—just plain rock.

Grace Winslow and Nolan Winslow kept a portion for themselves. Byron Sinclair helped them sell the rest, and she gave him a friendly price.

After all, they had only spent two thousand. No matter how much they sold them for, it was all profit. They couldn’t lose.

Seeing Grace’s group selling the jade at such low prices, some people in the crowd couldn’t resist and competed with Byron Sinclair for a few pieces.

Watching from the side, Eugene Aldridge was so angry he could have spat blood.

While everyone’s attention was on the stone cutting, he secretly crawled back to his office and made a call to his boss. "Bro, I got beaten up! They stole my stones, including a piece of Imperial Green jade that weighs over a ton! You have to come quick!"

The person on the other end was instantly enraged and said he’d be right over.

After hanging up, Eugene Aldridge shot a venomous glare toward the door.

’Archer Rhys, Grace Winslow, Nolan Winslow... I won’t let a single one of them go!’

’They made me lose so much face today. I’ll make them all pay!’

’Just you wait. When my brother gets here, none of them will escape.’

The stones were all cut, but the crowd was still hungry for more.

Byron Sinclair, looking at the success rate, was ecstatic. "Young lady, interested in working for me? I’ll pay you a thousand a month. All you have to do is come with me to pick stones. If we strike it rich, I’ll even give you a bonus. How about it?"

Joanne Chase looked terrified and instinctively hid behind Grace Winslow.

Grace Winslow shot Byron Sinclair an annoyed glare. "What nonsense are you talking about? My sister still has to go to school. There’s no way she’s going jade gambling with you."

"Jade gambling is all about luck—it’s a fine line between heaven and hell. You shouldn’t pin all your hopes on it, or you’ll end up losing everything you own."

Grace had seen plenty of gamblers before. They’d get so desperate from losing that they’d end up selling their wives and children, ruining their families. By the time they regretted it, it was too late.

It was fine to gamble on jade for fun occasionally, but she would never support making a career out of it.

Joanne Chase also looked serious. "That’s right. I still have to go to school."

"Then what about coming with me during school breaks? How about two hundred per trip? I really need someone with your talent." Byron Sinclair pressed his palms together, bowing to Grace and Joanne in a pleading gesture.

Grace couldn’t help but glare at him. "Give me a break. Weekends are a no-go. There aren’t many places for jade gambling in Coronet, don’t think I don’t know. If you go out of town, it’s mostly in the south. A round trip by train takes three or four days, and buying rough stones there also takes a lot of time. Plus, it’s near the national border and very dangerous."

"I don’t care if you go on adventures by yourself, but I won’t let my sister take that risk with you."

"Alright, it’s time for us to go home."

Grace’s rejection was decisive, and Joanne wasn’t swayed by the amount of money Byron Sinclair offered, either.

Before, she might have been tempted by the thousand-a-month salary, maybe even enough to give up her studies and leave with him.

But ever since she had come home with Grace and become the Winslow family’s goddaughter, she was no longer the same Joanne Chase.

She had a new life and her own plans for the future. She wouldn’t give up on her dreams for such a paltry sum.

Byron Sinclair hadn’t expected Joanne and Grace to be so resolute.

He was about to say more when Archer Rhys’s dagger-like gaze swept over him.

’Fine,’ he thought, ’I’ll shut up.’

There were a lot of stones, and they needed to find someone to help transport them home.

Luckily, Archer Rhys was there. With his connections, and with Byron Sinclair also present, finding someone to deliver the stones home wouldn’t be a problem.

However, before the group could even walk out the main gate, their path was blocked.

Several cars had pulled up to the entrance of the jade gambling event, their occupants clearly looking for trouble.

The other guests all backed away, not daring to get closer.

When Eugene Aldridge saw his backup had arrived, he ran out excitedly, pointing at Archer Rhys and Grace. "Bro! It’s them! They’re the ones who bullied me! And they stole a bunch of our stones! They were all our stones!"

"Bro, you have to teach them a lesson! Especially him! I want him dead!"

Brandon Lane, a cigarette dangling from his lips, stepped out of the car. He was wearing a suit, his hair slicked back, and a pair of sunglasses. Hearing this, he pulled down his shades and followed Eugene Aldridge’s pointing finger with his eyes.

The moment he saw Archer Rhys’s face, he stumbled and nearly lost his footing.

He slapped Eugene Aldridge across the face. "You damn idiot! If you want to die, don’t drag me down with you! Do you have any idea who that is? How is pissing him off any different from suicide? You think I can protect you from him?"

With that, he jogged over to Archer Rhys. "Lord Rhys, this is all a misunderstanding. I had no idea this worthless idiot under me would be blind enough to offend you. If you want to kill me or cut me to pieces, I won’t say a word. I just hope you can be merciful and spare my life."

Archer Rhys listened, then smiled and patted his cheek. "Quite the tough guy, aren’t you? You want us dead?"

"Don’t call me ’Lord.’ I’m not worthy of the title. As for this mess of yours, I don’t want to get involved. But since they messed with my people... him," he said, indicating Eugene, "I can’t possibly let him go."

"I let him go call for backup on purpose. I was wondering who he’d bring. I didn’t expect it to be you, kid."

Cold sweat dripped down Brandon Lane’s back.

If he had known the person Eugene Aldridge offended was Archer Rhys, he never would have come. Wasn’t this like lighting a lamp in an outhouse—just looking for death?