Chapter 346
Andrew did not waste any time. He pointed at a medium–sized stone and said, “Could you cut this one for me, please?”
Aspen scoffed and said, “Andrew, you should really take a closer look. Jumping in without thinking might just make you a laughingstock.”
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Ignoring her, Andrew turned to Francesca with a smile. “Get ready to celebrate.”
Francesca froze for a moment before catching on “Wait… are you seriously this confident?”
Andrew chuckled and replied, “We’ll know soon enough, won’t we?”
Aspen gritted her teeth. This man had an unbearable arrogance that made her want to wipe the smirk off his face.
The crowd stayed silent, not daring to say a word. With stakes this high, nobody wanted to risk disrupting the players‘ focus and becoming the target of blame.
Aspen’s stone was cut first.
A gasp echoed from one of the experienced gem traders in the crowd. “Wow! It’s a massive green tourmaline with impressive quality. It’s just shy of the imperial grade.”
Christina let out a quiet sigh of relief. Aspen’s stone was of exceptional quality—she had likely secured an early lead.
Aspen clapped her hands and laughed. “Andrew, it looks like Lady Luck is on my side today.”
Andrew remained unfazed. “Celebrating too soon might make it hurt more when the tables turn.”
At that moment, the gem cutter started on Andrew’s stone. After a few careful cuts, the worker hesitated, wearing an awkward expression.
“Mr. Lloyd, it’s… it’s blood ruby,” he admitted.
The crowd erupted in a mixture of disappointment and disbelief.
“Blood ruby? That’s good, but it’s nowhere near the value of green tourmaline. This round is over–Andrew’s already lost.”
-Aspen relaxed, a wave of relief washing over her as a smug grin crept across her face.
“Andrew, you really don’t have the skills for this, do you? Your blood ruby is big, but size doesn’t matter–this green tourmaline is better. You’ve lost.”
The crowd’s murmurs grew louder as Andrew remained calm. He quietly brushed away the leftover fragments of his stone and then smirked.
“Take another look. Are you sure this is just blood ruby?”
1/2
+25 BONUS
Chapter 346
The gem cutter leaned in, his eyes widening in shock. “Wait… this isn’t blood ruby. It’s-”
Elsie was watching nervously and rushed over to inspect the stone herself. Her face lit up with excitement. “It’s not blood ruby! It’s rare blood spinel!”
She gestured to the crowd, explaining, “The first cut only revealed a small section, which led to the wrong conclusion. But this is undeniably blood spinel, one of the most valuable kinds of gem on the market.”
The onlookers surged forward, eager to confirm for themselves.
“It really is blood spinel! This stuff is even rarer than green tourmaline, and it’s worth far more.”
“Plus, look at the size of Andrew’s piece–it’s way bigger than Aspen’s! This round isn’t even close.”
“Aspen lost the first round? No way!”
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Aspen’s face turned pale as she stepped forward to inspect Andrew’s stone herself. One glance confirmed it, and her stomach sank.
Damn it. She had lost the very first round!
Aspen clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. She fought hard to keep her expression neutral, though her mind was racing.
Elsie raised her voice. “The results are clear. Ms. Stevens, you’ve lost this round.”
Andrew remained composed, his tone calm but sharp. “These gems are both treasures, but even without ranking them, my red spinel is larger than your green tourmaline. Do you have anything else to say?”
3/2
Chapter 346
+25 BONUS
The gem cutter leaned in, his eyes widening in shock. “Wait… this isn’t blood ruby. It’s—”
Elsie was watching nervously and rushed over to inspect the stone herself. Her face lit up excitement. “It’s not blood ruby! It’s rare blood spinel!”
with
She gestured to the crowd, explaining, “The first cut only revealed a small section, which led to the wrong conclusion. But this is undeniably blood spinel, one of the most valuable kinds of gem on the market.”
The onlookers surged forward, eager to confirm for themselves.
“It really is blood spinel! This stuff is even rarer than green tourmaline, and it’s worth far more.”
“Plus, look at the size of Andrew’s piece–it’s way bigger than Aspen’s! This round isn’t even close.”
“Aspen lost the first round? No way!”
Aspen’s face turned pale as she stepped forward to inspect Andrew’s stone herself. One glance confirmed it, and her stomach sank.
Damn it. She had lost the very first round!
Aspen clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. She fought hard to keep her expression neutral, though her mind was racing.
Elsie raised her voice. “The results are clear. Ms. Stevens, you’ve lost this round.”
Andrew remained composed, his tone calm but sharp. “These gems are both treasures, but even without ranking them, my red spinel is larger than your green tourmaline. Do you have anything else to say?”
