Chapter 31: Going in Stone Auction
The afternoon breeze carried with it the remnants of their laughter as Jack, Samantha, and Lena returned home from their fun-filled day at the food market and garden. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of gold and pink.
"Home sweet home!" Lena sang as she skipped toward the front door, her blonde hair bouncing in rhythm with her steps. "I can't wait to cook something with all this amazing food we bought."
Samantha, more reserved but just as content, gave a soft smile. "Maybe we should try that new recipe we talked about earlier. The one with the grilled vegetables and that fancy sauce?"
"Hm... I never made such thing but let's do it." Jack said as he unlocked the door, holding it open for the two women.
As soon as they stepped inside, the cool air from the house provided much-needed relief from the heat outside. Lena dropped her bags on the kitchen counter, already rummaging through them with enthusiasm, while Samantha neatly organized hers, carefully putting everything in its place.
Jack's phone rang just as he was heading toward the sink to wash up. The familiar name flashed on the screen: Leo. He glanced at it and, without thinking much, answered, "Hello, Uncle Leo."
Leo's voice boomed through the phone. "Hey... Jack? Are you at home?"
Jack nodded even though Leo couldn't see him. "Yeah, I just got home."
"That's perfect," Leo replied with a hint of excitement in his tone. "Remember you asked me about stone gambling yesterday? Well, I've got something for you. There's a rough stone auction happening soon at White Can. It's not exactly peak season, but there are some good stones up for auction. I happen to have a few extra spots if you're interested in tagging along. What do you say?"
Jack's mind perked up at the mention of a rough stone auction. Stone gambling was risky business. You could either strike gold—or lose everything. But with his Celestial Eyes. This was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
"I'm definitely interested," Jack replied, his voice calm but his thoughts already racing with possibilities. "Thanks for thinking of me."
Leo chuckled on the other end of the line. "Of course! I'll pick you up in half an hour. Be ready."
Jack hesitated for a moment. "No need to pick me up. I'll just grab a taxi."
Leo scoffed, his tone playful yet firm. "Nonsense! You're coming with me. I'll be there in half an hour. See you soon."
The call ended, and Jack slid his phone back into his pocket. He turned to face Samantha and Lena, who had been half-listening to the conversation while preparing the kitchen for their evening cooking.
Lena, always curious, raised an eyebrow. "What was that about? You look excited."
Jack scratched the back of his head, trying to downplay his excitement. "I've been invited to a rough stone auction. It's this thing where people gamble on stones to see if there's valuable jade inside. It's risky, but—"
"But you're going," Samantha finished for him with a knowing smile. She leaned against the counter, her purple hair catching the dim light. "Its okay... We will make grilled vegetables tomorrow."
"Yes... You can go." Lena said.
Jack smiled appreciatively. "Thanks. I will make sure to make delicious grilled vegetables."
"Of course you have... But don't use your money for gambling. I'm sure you boss will give you some, so use that money, not yours."
Jack smiled and said, "Yeah... Don't worry about it."
With that, he hurried upstairs to get changed. He tossed on a fresh shirt and jeans.
As he finished getting ready, he glanced in the mirror, mentally preparing himself. He was about to head back downstairs when his phone buzzed again. It was Leo, right on time.
Jack grabbed his jacket and jogged downstairs.
"Alright, I'm off," Jack announced.
"Good luck!" Lena called, waving a spatula in the air. "And don't lose all your money!"
Samantha smiled softly as she handed him a water bottle. "Stay hydrated, and try not to overdo it, okay?"
Jack took the bottle with a grateful nod. "I'll be back later tonight. Don't wait up for me."
With that, he stepped out the door and into the warm evening air. Leo's sleek car was already parked outside, and as soon as Jack slid into the passenger seat, he felt the blast of cool air conditioning wash over him.
Leo glanced at him with a grin. "Ready for some excitement?"
"More than ready."
As they drove off toward White Can, the city lights flickered in the distance, and Jack's mind buzzed with anticipation.
Along the way, the two chatted some more about the rough stone auction.
It turns out that in addition to uncut raw stones, there are also some antiques that will be auctioned here.
Of course, what is more exciting is that after the auction, the organizer will cut the raw stone on the spot. In a blink of an eye, you can either become rich or lose everything.
After driving for about twenty minutes, the car stopped in front of an elegant building.
"That's it, Jack, get off the car."
Leo said something, pushed the door and got out of the car.
Jack also walked down. The parking lot was full of various luxury cars. He even saw two cars with special license plates.
All kinds of luxury cars that can only be seen on the Internet are gathered here.
It really amazing.
Leo led Jack inside and soon arrived at a luxuriously decorated hall.
At this moment, there were already quite a few people standing in the entire hall. All of them were dressed in suits and ties, with elegant conversation and refined manners, looking like a group of successful elites.
When they saw Leo coming, they all nodded and greeted him.
Leo also smiled and nodded.
At this time, Jack's attention was attracted by the display racks on both sides of the corridor.
On rows of display racks are placed carved exhibits that are half raw stone and half jade.
Seeing that he was interested, Leo smiled and explained, "If the rough stones auctioned on the spot are found to be real treasures after being cut, the organizer will buy them back at a high price. Some of them are displayed here."
"I see. That's really grand." Jack couldn't help but admire, and at the same time opened his Celestial Eyes and scanned one of the exhibits.
This is a rough ruby stone, worth 7.2 million.
Jack took a deep breath again. Raw stones worth millions were displayed in the corridor like this. Is this world of rich.
Moreover, there were no glass display cases blocking the way. Jack even discovered that some people in suits and ties picked up some raw stones from the display cases without any hindrance and began to look at them carefully or chat with their companions.