Chapter 21 Truly Exceptional Jadeite! (Part 2)
James didn't mind Phillip's bad attitude; the corners of his mouth lifted, revealing a meaningful smile.
"Mr. Rogers, I'll take this raw stone," James declared as he pointed to the seemingly unremarkable raw stone.
After what had just happened, no one was competing with James anymore. They all thought James was a complete fool who didn't understand jade gambling.
Moreover, this raw stone was too ordinary. Taken out separately, it was completely just an ordinary stone. At most, it was a bit darker in color. It didn't have the conditions to produce jade, let alone top-grade jadeite.
They also stopped, one by one, ready to watch James make a fool of himself.
Juan and Phillip laughed the happiest as if they had already seen the scene of James being taught a lesson by Dennis.
Mr. Rogers nodded and said, "Alright, the starting price for this rough stone is two thousand dollars. If no one bids against you and you can produce two thousand dollars, the stone is yours."
Mr. Rogers was impatient, eager for James to purchase the stone and end this embarrassing situation that was affecting his business. The jade enthusiasts present were now holding back from buying stones, waiting to see James make a fool of himself.
"Is there anyone else interested in this rough stone?" Mr. Rogers half-heartedly called out twice. As expected, no one stepped forward to bid. To them, spending two thousand dollars on a piece of rock was foolish.
"No one is bidding. If you can produce two thousand dollars, the stone is yours," Mr. Rogers said somewhat impatiently. He hoped James would quickly purchase the stone, get it over with, and move on.
James fumbled in his pocket and retrieved a worn-out wallet, discovering five hundred dollars tucked inside.
He hesitantly turned to Mr. Rogers and said, "Boss, I've only got five hundred dollars on me at the moment. How about I give you this now, and if I unearth top-quality jadeite, I'll double it later?"
The room fell silent for a moment, then erupted into laughter.
Someone jeered, "Hahaha, this is hilarious! He's got only five hundred bucks on him, can't even afford a two thousand dollar stone."
Another ridiculed, "This dude is such an idiot; I wonder what kind of hell Dennis raised in his past life to get stuck with such a son-in-law, poor soul."
Somebody added, "I was wondering why Dennis was so critical of him, and it turns out the guy's a total dud."
Phillip was even slapping Dennis on the shoulder, laying into him, and said, "Dennis, your son-in-law, he's quite the oddball."
Dennis clenched his fists, his face reaching the peak of displeasure. He was dead set on it; once he got back home, he was going to give this useless son-in-law a piece of his mind!
Mr. Rogers chuckled and shook his head, refusing, "No, it must be a straightforward transaction."
"Alright," James replied and shook his head in resignation. Despite the ridicule from the crowd, he showed no sign of shame on his face.
Instead, he walked up to Jennifer, and asked, "Honey, I only have five hundred yuan on me. Can you lend me one $1,500?"
Jennifer sighed, feeling speechless to James. How could someone stoop so low?
"James, do you have no shame at all? With so many people waiting to see you make a fool of yourself, don't you feel embarrassed?" Jennifer questioned as she glared at him.
James looked at Jennifer calmly and said, "It's precisely because so many people are waiting to see me fail that I must persist."
Jennifer laughed, a mix of disdain and disappointment evident in her expression.
She remarked, "Do you really think this piece of junk can yield top-quality jadeite? What are you thinking? Anyone with eyes can see it's just an ordinary stone Mr. Rogers put out for show. You're treating it like a treasure!"
"Honey, trust me, okay?" James insisted as he gazed at Jennifer earnestly and confidently.
Jennifer was taken aback for a moment, then took out a wad of cash from her bag and slapped it into James's hand without bothering to count.
She said fiercely, "Top-quality jadeite, huh? If you can't find it, you'll see how I deal with you!"
James's mind raced, and he retorted, "And if I do find it?"
Jennifer hesitated for a moment, not expecting James to be so defiant even at the brink of failure.
She coldly replied, "If you can find it, you can do whatever you want."
"Really?" James's eyes lit up as he spoke, and he couldn't help but glance at Jennifer's graceful figure.
Jennifer felt uncomfortable under his gaze and involuntarily recalled James's rough behavior towards her earlier. Her face flushed.
She yelled, impatiently, "Alright, as long as you can make it!"
She didn't believe for a second that James could find anything valuable; it was as absurd as the sun rising in the west.
"Great!" James controlled his excitement, handed the money back to Mr. Rogers, counted out two thousand dollars, and said, "Mr. Rogers, here's two thousand. I'll take this rough stone."
He spoke confidently, but to the onlookers, he seemed clueless.
Mr. Rogers took the money, quickly counted it, nodded, and said, "The stone is yours. Would you like to start working on it now or take it home to work on?"
Before James could respond, Juan stepped forward and said, "Definitely work on it here. It's more fun to do it on the spot."
Many others agreed with his words, speaking one after the other.
One sneered, "Exactly. We've never seen top-quality jadeite before. Let's broaden our horizons, haha..."
"This is so embarrassing!" Dennis grunted again, deliberately moving to the side, unable to watch any longer.
"Alright, let's work on it here," James agreed, seeming oblivious to the mocking and anticipation of his failure, smiling brightly.
James even requested, "Mr. Rogers, could you lend me the tools? I'm afraid others might damage the top-quality jadeite inside."
This statement elicited another round of laughter, as everyone saw James as a laughingstock, eager to witness his failure.
"No problem. I'm also curious to see if you can find top-quality jadeite," Mr. Rogers chuckled and gave James the tools.
"Thank you, Mr. Rogers," James replied gratefully.
As James took the tools, he seemed to transform for a moment, surprising everyone with his demeanor.
They were momentarily puzzled before James reverted to his usual self, leaving them wondering if they had imagined the change.
With meticulous care, James began to work on the stone. His movements were deliberate and skilled, gradually reducing the size of the rough stone.
"When did this piece of trash learn how to work with stones?" Dennis questioned and frowned.
Jennifer watched James with a confident air, suddenly feeling uneasy. Could this man really find top-quality jadeite?
Meanwhile, Phillip, Juan, and the others sneered, anticipating James's impending failure.
However, at that moment, as James carefully removed the final layer, a layer of bright green emerged!
In an instant, the nearest person to James was Mr. Rogers, who stood up abruptly, knocking over the tea table in front of him.
Mr. Rogers exclaimed, "Wow, this is... top-quality jadeite!"
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