Chapter 23 This Man is Quite Interesting
It had been five years since James had become part of the family through marriage, and Dennis had never given him the time of day, let alone referred to him as "good son-in-law."
But now, James felt a sense of satisfaction. After years of feeling underappreciated, he finally had Dennis's attention.
Pretending not to hear, he continued to section the stone earnestly. The top-grade jadeite exposed more and more, making Dennis's eyes nearly pop out.
He gulped twice and continued in a humble tone, "Good son-in-law, this is indeed top-quality jadeite."
"Mm," James acknowledged and nodded lightly without stopping his work.
Dennis was swimming in a sea of embarrassment right now. He had just thrown a tirade at James, only for James to reveal a piece of exquisite jadeite as if serving him a resounding slap in the face.
Even with his usually thick skin, he can't help but feel the sting of humiliation.
If it had been any other type of jade, he would have ignored James. But this was top-quality jadeite, worth at least several million dollars, so he had no choice but to flatter James.
"May I touch it?" Dennis asked, feeling his face flush even as he spoke. The temptation of the top-quality jadeite was too great for him.
James nodded and said, "Of course."
Dennis, holding back a surge of thrill, reaches out with hands that are trembling ever so slightly. As he touches the exquisite jade, he's on the verge of tears.
Dennis remarked, "Top-grade jadeite, it's really top-grade jadeite!"
Others were even more envious, wishing they could come closer to examine it. Especially Phillip and Juan, who were seething and jealous.
Seeing James about to continue extracting, Mr. Rogers gritted his teeth and exclaimed, "Two million! I'll pay two million for your raw stone! You still have half left to extract.
"Based on my years of experience, this might be all the top-grade jade there is. I'm taking on the risk for you! Making two million from two thousand, you've made a thousandfold profit, young man!"
Mr. Rogers was visibly excited, staring at James intently. If James didn't agree, he seemed ready to pounce.
Someone exclaimed in awe, "Damn, two million! What a profit, what a profit!"
Another remarked, "Turning two thousand into two million, sob... I'm so envious."
Somebody whined, "Why don't I ever come across such good opportunities?"
Everyone's eyes were fixed on James; even Dennis looked tense.
James shook his head again and said, "As I said before, I'm not selling this top-grade jadeite."
He continued to work on the stone, extracting more pieces. The quality remained exceptional, sparkling, and flawless, leaving the massive crowd breathless, their eyes wide with anticipation, afraid to miss any detail.
As James worked slowly, they grew increasingly anxious, wishing they could push him aside and finish extracting the stone themselves to see how much more of the top-grade jadeite they could get.
Meanwhile, several individuals were seated by the window in a loft in the opposite building, one of whom was a stunning woman with an extraordinary figure and an aura of nobility.
She sipped her drink elegantly, watching James across the area with interest, observing everything that had happened, from James being humiliated initially to discovering the top-grade jadeite to his unwavering refusal in the face of a three-million offer.
"This man is quite interesting," she said with a slight smile, brightening up the entire space with her beauty and charm.
Sitting across from her were several men, showing great respect, clearly her subordinates.
"Go, bid six million and see if he sells," the woman said softly as she sipped her drink.
"Yes, Miss!" one of the subordinates answered.
Immediately, a middle-aged man stood up, nodding respectfully to the woman before heading downstairs.
Jennifer kicked James, feeling a bit irritated. She thought James was being ostentatious. "Hey, what are you doing? You won't sell even for three million?" she asked.
James turned around and mysteriously said, "Of course not. I have a great use for this jadeite."
Jennifer, for no apparent reason, was especially irritated by his ostentatious display. She swore at him for being pretentious and chose to disregard him thereafter.
Dennis, on the other hand, rubbed his hands eagerly, forced a smile, and asked, "Good son-in-law, how did you know this was top-grade jadeite?"
James replied, "I don't know. It was just a strange intuition that this raw stone was special, so I bought it."
After listening, Dennis felt somewhat depressed but also somewhat relieved. He thought to himself, 'I was wondering how this guy could gamble on stones. Turns out he was just bluffing, still a useless person.'
Hearing this, Phillip couldn't contain himself anymore. A metallic taste filled his throat, and he suddenly spat out a gush of blood as he felt a great sense of loss for missing the opportunity.
After all, he too had that mysterious gut feeling back then, thinking that this raw gemstone was something special!
"Oh my, Phillip is spitting blood and passing out!" someone noticed.
One scoffed, "Who wouldn't be upset? He was the one who first took an interest in this stone."
Another lectured, "This is why one shouldn't blindly follow others."
As Phillip was carried away after passing out, no one paid him any mind. All attention was focused on James.
Finally, under James's efforts, this raw stone was completely dissected. An entire piece of top-grade jadeite appeared, oval in shape, transparent in color, flawless, as if it could emit magic, and was extremely beautiful.
At this moment, no one mocked James anymore; there was only envy, admiration, and jealousy.
A voice called out, "Young man, can I have a look at this top-grade jadeite?"
A middle-aged man who had come down from the loft walked over to James, smiling. His presence made many in the crowd feel a sense of urgency; it was clear that this man had a strong presence.
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