Chapter 158 Deep Regret
Ronald's words shocked everyone in the Smith Family.
No one expected that James really fought with the midnight hitman.
"Who would have thought that heartless guy would be so lucky, taking down four wanted criminals." Abigail's eyes were only on the bounty Ronald mentioned, and she said, "The bounty is over ten million dollars."
Charles looked a bit embarrassed. "Could it be that he argued on purpose back then?"
Thinking that the midnight hitmen were the type to eliminate entire families, Charles shivered.
If the other party was really after the General Jade, he and Abigail might be lying dead in the suburbs right now. Charles felt a bit guilty toward James.
"What do you mean on purpose?" Addison snorted. "That was his real reaction; he was just greedy for the thirty million. Encountering the midnight hitman was just a coincidence, and he used it to cover up his greed."
"How could a poor guy who moved into our house for fifty thousand after marriage resist the temptation of thirty million?"
Addison continued to belittle James as always. She never wanted to admit that James argued for the safety of her husband and daughter.
"Mom, stop it." Mary was very annoyed. "Stop talking about James, just stop."
She felt very uncomfortable but even more afraid. She never thought that James really fought with the midnight hitman, which meant he wasn't lying about this.
She was afraid she had wronged James.
"What? He did it, and I can't talk about it?" Addison glared. "The fact is, he didn't care about you or your dad for the thirty million. He even ridiculously tried to fool your dad with a piece of junk."
Saying this, she kicked the pendant with her foot, full of disdain.
Seeing the dirty pendant, Charles got angry again and kicked it hatefully. "What a bastard."
'James is really an antique idiot, trying to fool me with a random piece of junk!' Charles thought.
"Mom and Dad, forget it; don't mention him anymore. Anyway, we kicked him out." Christopher smiled. "Mary also divorced him, so he has nothing to do with us anymore. Whether he lives or dies, we don't care."
As Addison and Joseph nodded happily, several Mercedes pulled up outside. The car doors opened, and five or six elderly men stepped out.
Each was dressed in luxurious clothes, exuding an extraordinary aura, clearly from wealthy families.
Charles was stunned when he saw them, especially the one leading, Master Ghost.
He immediately squeezed out a smile and went to greet them, "What brings you here?"
They were all top appraisers in the antique world, three levels above Charles.
"I heard you got the General Jade, so they dragged me over to take a look."
Master Ghost laughed heartily and shook hands with Charles, and said, "I haven't had enough of it yet, so I came over uninvited."
The other elders also greeted Charles.
Addison invited everyone to sit down.
"Master Ghost, I'm sorry, you came for nothing," Charles said, looking embarrassed, feeling even more angry and hateful toward James. If it weren't for him taking the General Jade, he could be showing off now.
"My son-in-law, who moved into our house after marriage, is too greedy for money. No matter how I persuaded him, he wouldn't give it to me, not even to borrow for a couple of days."
"In a fit of anger, I kicked him out, and he took the General Jade with him."
He felt like spitting blood as he spoke. If he had the General Jade now, he would be so proud.
Addison chimed in, "Indeed, what a bastard!"
Joseph and Emily exchanged a glance, a smug smile in their eyes. It seemed James was completely done for.
Master Ghost spoke fairly, "Although James' actions were unkind, the General Jade is technically his. After all, he paid for it and discovered the jade within the jade. Forcing him to give it to you is a bit much."
"Think about it, if the base didn't have the General Jade, would you compensate him the five million?"
The other masters nodded in agreement.
Charles fell silent.
"Even if the jade is his, we're family. Why can't we talk about it?" Addison defended her husband. "Besides, my daughter offered him thirty million, and he still refused, saying it had great significance."
Addison continued, "What use could it have besides selling it for money? He wouldn't even lend it to Charles for a couple of days. He just wanted to see Charles suffer."
Addison concluded, "He's got a black heart."
Master Ghost was taken aback. "That can't be, right? I see James as an upright person."
"That's because you misjudged him," Addison retorted.
Addison kicked the pendant toward Master Ghost. "To monopolize the General Jade, he even tried to fool us with this piece of junk. He said it's worth more than the General Jade."
Charles became irritated. "Don't mention this pendant; it's an insult to our intelligence."
"Pendant? This pendant?"
Master Ghost glanced at it casually at first, then his body shook. He picked it up and wiped it vigorously, his expression quickly becoming excited.
Several masters leaned in to examine it. Before long, they all reached out, their eyes shining.
"Let me see, let me see."
"Let me take a look, give it to me!"
Charles was slightly stunned. "This pendant is just a worthless item; what's so interesting about it?"
Master Ghost ignored him, tore off the red string, and then wiped it with his sleeve, vigorously removing the marks on it.
Then, he placed the pendant on the coffee table and personally poured a cup of hot water over it.
Mary and the others looked bewildered.
Master Ghost poured the hot water over the pendant.
As soon as the hot water hit it, the pendant made a crisp sound and began to shine, the hot water instantly turning into steam.
The mist swirled, light flowed, and various forms of Buddhist temples appeared like fleeting shadows.
Mary and the others could faintly hear Buddhist chants coming from the temples, elegant, pure, and calming.
Master Ghost suddenly knelt down and shouted, "This is the Misty Rain Buddhist Temple, this is the Misty Rain Buddhist Temple."
"What? This is a national treasure?" Charles' body shook violently. "The Misty Rain Buddhist Temple worth fifty million?"
"That's right, that's right, this is the Misty Rain Buddhist Temple." The other masters also shouted, each excitedly approaching, wanting to reach out but afraid of desecrating the treasure.
They wiped their hands on their expensive clothes while circling the pendant, their excitement evident on their faces.
"Charles, sell me this pendant, I'll offer sixty million."
"Sixty million? Ignorant, I'll offer seventy million."
"Eighty million!"
"This pendant should be mine; I specialize in this field."
"Charles, we went through thick and thin together back in the day."
"Stop bickering, I'll offer fourteen million dollars."
Master Ghost and the others lost their usual harmony, each vying with Charles for the Misty Rain Buddhist Temple.
Addison and Christopher were dumbfounded, never expecting the dirty pendant to be worth a hundred million.
Charles suddenly felt utterly ashamed. He wanted to apologize to James, realizing it was indeed a treasure worth more than the General Jade.
Mary's body also trembled, her hands and feet cold, her heart inexplicably aching.
"James, James!"
Before Addison and the others could speak, another person appeared outside.
Lydia, with disheveled hair, rushed into the hall and hugged Mary's leg, crying.
"Sis, please, ask James to help, ask him to talk to Aaron and give my mom a chance. She's so miserable in detention, can't eat well, can't dress well, can't sleep well."
"James can save Addison, so he can save my mom too." She cried pitifully. "Please, as long as James says a word, my mom can come out."
"Lydia, what nonsense are you talking about?" Addison frowned at the words. "I wasn't saved by James; it was Joseph's parents who pleaded for my release."
"Right, Joseph?" She called out to Joseph for confirmation.
Christopher echoed, "Yeah, what can James do for you?"
"Nonsense!" Before Joseph could respond, Lydia was furious. "If you don't want to help, just say so. What Joseph? Could Joseph and his parents solve Mrs. Collins' poisoning?"
Lydia continued, "I happened to be at the hospital for treatment yesterday. Their parents went to the hospital to plead and got slapped by Jacob. It was James who saved Mrs. Collins, and that's why Addison came out safely. James even turned the $1,562,500 medical fee into compensation for Addison. Otherwise, who in their right mind would compensate you for that unethical pill?"
The room fell silent again.
Lydia's words hit the Smith Family like a knife.
Addison was completely stunned, never expecting that she was really saved by James.
Charles instinctively turned around, only to see Mary already in tears.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
