I Spy With My Secret Eyes

Chapter 7

Seeing as the auction came to a “successful” end, Willie greeted everyone with a cheerful smile, “The auction is over. For those who won the raw stones, I’ll offer free on-site service if you wish to cut them here. Otherwise, feel free to take them back and cut them yourself.”

Following his lead, the bidders and onlookers headed toward the stone-cutting area.

Oliver glanced at the raw stone counter and approached one of the staff members. “Hey, I’d like to try my luck again. How much are these raw stones?”

The staff glimpsed at him and waved a hand. “These are 200 dollars each. Take whichever one you like.”

“Okay, I’ll try my luck with one, then!” Oliver casually picked up the stone he had already set his eyes on.

Next, he paid 200 dollars through a QR code at the counter, and the female cashier stamped a seal on the flat surface of the raw stone, indicating that it was a done deal..

Since it was only 200 dollars, Hailey didn’t rush to pay for it, merely following Oliver curiously. “The other raw stone that he has high hopes about is scrap?” she wondered.

At the stone-cutting area, a large crowd had gathered around the stone-cutting machine.

They were observing the cutting of raw stone number three.

Everyone stared with wide eyes, holding their breaths, watching the slightly limping experienced worker proceed with the stone cutting.

Oliver asked the staff to bring his two raw stones over and joined the crowd to witness the stone-cutting process by the

worker.

Excitement filled the air. This was the most thrilling moment in stone gambling, where the fate of fortunes hung in the balance, ready to be determined in the blink of an eye.

Once the raw stone was cut, the experienced worker turned off the switch, opened the lid of the stone- cutting machine, and gingerly retrieved the freshly cut piece. Then, he wiped the remnants of stone debris and fine powder away using a damp cloth, inspected the stone, and shook his head. “It’s a scrap!”

It was a complete failure!

Although the jade core inside the raw stone was not small, it was full of impurities and cracks, thus not very valuable.

Stone number three’s owner blanched and clutched his chest, croaking, “Again… Cut it again.”

He had spent 752 thousand dollars, hoping to strike it rich, but instead, the money had gone down the drain.

The experienced worker remained silent, repositioned the raw stone, and made another cut.

When customers who paid a lot of money for scraps were indignant, the worker generally did as told without objection.

His face was deeply lined with traces of age as he skillfully operated the stone-cutting machine by securing the half piece of stone and making another precise cut.

Once the cut was completed, he turned off the switch, opened the machine’s lid, and used a damp cloth to wipe the cut surface clean before presenting it to the customer.

“Sir, there’s no need to make another cut anymore.”

Despite a second cut, the stone’s inner core remained full of impurities and cracks.

Now, it was beyond salvation.

Stone number three’s owner’s face fell. He muttered in frustration but had no other choice than to accept the outcome.

Witnessing that, the owner of stone number two hesitated for a moment and decided not to cut the stone anymore. Instead, he would ask his worker to do it at home.

In reality, several major players who participated in the session owned gold stores and specialized in selling jade wares, hence having their own workers and machinery.

The experienced worker asked, “Is there anyone else who wants their stone cut?”

Manuel stepped forward. “Cut mine, then. Stone number one.” He then instructed the staff to carry his raw stone over.

The worker examined it briefly. It was the best and most expensive piece on the field today, and its outer appearance looked decent.

“Mr. Camden, how would you like me to cut this stone?”

Manuel simply left the decision to the worker. “You have plenty of experience in cutting stone, so do as you deem fit.”

The experienced worker studied the raw stone and drew a few lines on it with a marker, offering, “I propose we start by cutting along this line. This way, we won’t harm the jade if it’s good. Further down would be the bracelet materials. If it’s good material, you can make at least five or more bracelets and a dozen pendants. If your bet is lucky, this piece will be worth at least 2 million dollars…”

Manuel was delighted to hear that. “I spent 1.04 million dollars on this stone. It’d better be good! Haha!” he replied with a grin.

After deciding on the cutting plan, the worker secured the stone on the machine, closed the lid, and switched the machine

1.

The stone-cutting machine’s lid was dustproof.

As the blade made contact with the stone, an ear-piercing sound resonated.

However, no one found the sound unbearable. They merely stared at the machine intently.

A few minutes later, the sound subsided, and the worker turned off the power to open the lid.

The process was the same as before, but everyone watching held their breaths and fixed their eyes on the scene.

The experienced worker used a damp cloth to clean the cut surface. Though he showed no expression, his eyes evidently dimmed a little in disappointment.

Manuel leaned forward and looked at the stone: The jade was grayish-white and filled with impurities, cracks, and cloudiness.

It was the worst kind of worthless junk!

“Damn it!” Manuel couldn’t help but curse.

If that cut hadn’t revealed the jade core, there would have been a chance for him to ask the worker to make another cut, for the jade core could just have been small

Unfortunately, now that the jade was exposed, the quality of it could basically be determined. Typically, the quality of jade within the same piece wouldn’t vary significantly

There was up to a 99% chance that making another cut would reveal the same worthless junk as it showed now.

The worker contemplated and suggested to Manuel again. How about. I make another cut?”

Manuel answered sullenly, “Go ahead”

The experienced worker no longer spoke, for he had also misjudged. “This stone has such a great appearance and is the highest bid of the day, yet it turns out to be nothing but worthless junk. No one will even buy it for 2,000 dollars. Looks like the 1.04 million dollars spent bidding this has gone down the drain,” he reflected.

After making a second cut, he sighed softly while reviewing the stone

Peering closely, Manuel saw the same fragmented and flawed junk, swearing to himself, “Fuck! This is an utter flop!”

Everyone gathered around felt a chill run down their spine. Although they all had dreams of striking it rich, gambling was ultimately gambling. Nine out of ten times, the house always wins.

Hailey also sucked in a deep breath, discreetly astounded. “Thank heavens Oliver held my hand and stopped me from bidding it. If not, I would’ve been the one losing over 1 million dollars rather than Manuel!” she thought.

The worker scanned the crowd and asked, “Anyone else wants to make a cut?”

Oliver hurriedly spoke up. “I do. Sir, I’ll cut both of my stones.”

He handed the experienced worker the stone labeled as number seven and casually added, “You can cut it however you like.”

Deep down, Oliver was incredibly nervous because he couldn’t be certain about the accuracy of his ability. Therefore, this would serve as the moment of truth.

If there was nothing inside the raw stone, it meant his ability was merely an illusion.

However, if it were accurate and correct, his life would be forever changed.

With such a pair of eyes capable of identifying any object, he would be more confident than even the world’s wealthiest person!

After the raw stone was cut open, the experienced worker powered down the machine, lifted the lid again, retrieved the cut piece, and wiped it with a damp cloth.

“Eh? exclaimed the nonchalant worker all of a sudden. His exclamation immediately drew everyone’s attention. © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Many pairs of eyes were fixed upon the cut surface. The cut section of the raw stone displayed a combination of white and green colors, but the color was relatively uniform and lustrous as if water was seeping through.

“Holy shit! It’s a lucky bet!” someone shouted.

Before Oliver could say anything, Hailey jumped in excitement. “Oliver, you really did it!”

The worker checked out the cut surface and nodded. “The quality of this jade is not bad. It’s negligibly inferior to pure jade, but the color is even. There’s a slight crack on the left side, but the right side is pretty good. At the very least, it can produce two bracelets. Judging from this cut, it’s definitely a lucky bet!”

ice

Right then, someone nearby asked Oliver, “Mate, I remember you spent 1,400 dollars on this stone, right? Based on this cut surface, it’s a real gamble to expect two bracelets’ materials. How about this? I’ll offer you 40,000 dollars. Would you like to sell it to me right away or make another cut and continue the gamble?”

Oliver took a gander at Hailey, who left the decision up to him. “You can decide,” she said.

Oliver nodded decisively and said to the experienced worker, “Sir, make another cut.”

Without further ado, the worker proceeded to do as told.

The jade core in the cut of the stone was similar in size to the previous cut. There were no cracks on this side, and it had good clarity and transparency index.

Manuel was also staring at it, having not expected Oliver to have a lucky bet again.

Manuel sighed and said to Oliver, “You’re so lucky, pal. This is already sufficient for two bracelets and several pendants. After processing into finished products, they can be sold for about 160 thousand dollars. The price of unprocessed jade is typically half of the estimated value. What do you say that I offer you 80,000 dollars?”

Oliver nodded smilingly. “Deal!”

This price was not too far from what his eyes had assessed. The actual prices in this line of business were hard to determine, so 80,000 dollars was more or less close enough.

Unhesitatingly, Manuel took out a checkbook from his briefcase and quickly wrote a cash check for 80,000 dollars.

The duo then exchanged the stone and the check simultaneously.

“Sir, please help me to cut this stone as well.” Oliver handed over another piece of raw stone.

At the side, Hailey appeared to be more nervous than him. This wasn’t about the money, for she didn’t lack it. It was Oliver’s “precision” that got her keyed up. She wondered if this raw stone would bring another surprise.

By then, the worker had already made the first cut. He lifted the lid and wiped off the dust.

Another exclamation escaped his throat as he glanced at the cut surface.

Once more, everyone looked over and couldn’t help shouting, “What the fuck! It’s another lucky bet!”

This cut section had a glossy look, so white that it was nearly transparent and free of impurities and cracks.

It was far superior to stone number seven’s first cut, practically on another level!!

The crowd was speechless and awestruck, unable to believe Oliver’s luck.

“While everyone else met defeat, he got lucky with two stones, and this one was from the scrap pile, no less!” was their thought.

Manuel was green with envy as well. He thought, ‘I spent 1.04 million dollars to bid on the finest-quality stone but ended up acquiring junk, yet this fellow got such a fine jade with a 200-dollar piece of scrap? How absurd!

Furthermore, this cut revealed an extremely high-quality ice jadeite. Although the jade core is slightly smaller, it can still yield three bracelets.’

Indeed, the jade core of this stone was at least one level higher than raw stone number seven from before. It was a piece of high-quality ice jade.

Hailey was also astonished. It took her a while to come to her senses, and she instinctively pinched Oliver’s arın hard.

Oliver winced in pain and glanced at Hailey. She was both happy and smiling, lacking her usual authoritative demeanor. Instead, she exuded the innocent charm of a young lady.

Manuel approached Oliver again. “Young fellow, Lady Luck is seriously on your side! For this stone, I’ll offer you 200 thousand dollars, the price for three bracelets’ materials. What do you say? Are you selling?”

Oliver smiled, “How about this, Mr. Camden? I propose making one more cut to provide you with absolute clarity. If it’s great, I’ll earn less, and you won’t incur any loss. If it’s not, you’ll have a clear understanding of what you’re buying, ensuring a profitable outcome without any risk!”

Manuel knew that Oliver wanted to continue to gamble, but he found the latter’s words reasonable. Hence, he nodded grinningly.

The experienced worker said nothing further. He drew a line and made a cut from the other side.

Once it was done, he closed the switch, lifted the lid, and wiped away the dust.

Everyone scrutinized the cut section. It looked like a block of ice so transparent that it seemed to be seeping water, making it another winning bet!

Judging by the thickness of this cut, there was enough material for four bracelets and several small pendants.

Manuel nodded merrily. “Young fellow, you are truly blessed with good luck. This thickness is enough to make four bracelets and several small pendants. In total, the finished products can fetch between 1.2 to 1.4 million dollars. As such, I’ll offer you 700 thousand dollars for the price of the jade. How does that sound?”

Oliver turned to look at Hailey.

Hailey waved her hand with a beam. “It’s up to you!”

At once, Oliver nodded at Manuel and said, “It’s a deal, Mr. Camden.”

Manuel gaily and promptly took out his checkbook to write another cash check for 700 thousand dollars.

His luck was pretty good today. Although he lost 1.04 million dollars in stone gambling, Oliver’s two stones could earn him. a profit of more than 800 thousand dollars. With good management, Manuel could easily make over 1 million dollars or so and recoup most of his losses.

Raw stone number three’s owner still wore a bitter expression, while raw stone number two’s owner waited to go home to cut his stone in anxiety. Nobody could tell what the result would be, but the chances of him suffering a loss were high.

After the deal was completed, Manuel took the initiative to exchange contact with Oliver and made friends with the latter.

Willie couldn’t help glimpsing at Oliver a few times, thinking, “This young fellow is the only winner out of all the bets today. Does he really have exceptional observation skills, or is it merely dumb luck?”