SWNOVELS Chapter 98
On the first floor of the exhibition hall, Kevin and Yvette wandered around aimlessly, occasionally stopping before moving along again. Whenever they encountered a promising raw emerald, Kevin would pull out a mini flashlight, magnifying glass, and other professional tools from his pocket, examining the emeralds like an expert.
But with his limited budget, he only inspected emeralds priced around several hundred thousand dollars.
They had already covered nearly half the area, checking out numerous emeralds, but Kevin was still unsure whether any would yield high-quality emeralds
Yvette trailed behind him quietly, as if she were invisible. Yet, no matter where she went, people couldn’t stop murmuring words like “pretty” and “beautiful.” She pretended not to notice, but Kevin was getting more attention just because she was with him:
After surveying the entire area, Kevin had pretty much made up his mind, eyeing two raw emeralds. One was a white 170- pound raw emerald, and the other was a black one of nearly the same weight. Both were within his budget, but due to his limited funds, he could only choose one.
Torn between the two, Kevin was filled with indecision as both seemed to have the potential for high-quality emeralds.
Yvette walked leisurely with her hands in her pockets, appearing completely at ease. When she saw Kevin pause in front of a raw emerald, she turned and walked back to him. Clearing her throat, Yvette asked softly, “What’s up?”
Kevin was a bit surprised. He hadn’t expected Yvette, this seemingly aloof beauty, to actually show concern. After a moment of hesitation, he glanced at the raw emerald in front of him and then pointed to the black emerald he’d seen earlier in Zone A “Which one do you think has high-quality emeralds inside?” he asked.
Kevin looked at Yvette with anticipation, assuming she might have some knowledge, considering her presence at the event. Surely, she wouldn’t have come all this way just for sightseeing, he thought
Yvette glanced at the two emeralds before casually pulling her hands out of her pockets and pointing toward another emerald in the far corner. This one, however, weighed only around 11 pounds and was priced at tens of thousands of dollars. Kevin followed her gaze, baffled.
He had noticed that emerald earlier, but not because it stood out rather, it seemed pitifully small compared to the larger ones weighing tons. Nobody had shown any interest in it.
Typically, such raw emeralds were included by organizers as filler, meant to deceive outsiders unfamiliar with the trade. A family of jewelers as experienced as the Garcia family would never consider such a store.
Kevin glanced at Yvette’s unreadable face. He didn’t want to let her down, despite knowing she was likely inexperienced. Though she means well, she’s just a novice, he thought.
Yvette, still calm, lowered her gaze slightly and raised an eyebrow. “Hurry up and place your bid,” she said coolly
Kevin hesitated for a moment before sighing. Fine, just to please her. It’s only around 100 thousand dollars. I guess it’s money lost, he thought. “All right… I’ll go right now. Wait here. It won’t take long
For these types of bids, it’s all about first come, first served. It should only take a few minutes, and I can even have the emerald cut right here. There’s always someone cutting stones on-site to excite the crowd. Nothing drives impulse buying like that, Kevin reflected.
After Kevin left. Yvette leaned against a large raw emerald and polled out her phone, scrolling casually. Suddenly, a commotion arose from the distance. Her ears perked up, and she recognized a familiar voice. With a thoughtful expression. she tucked her phone away and made her way toward the source of the noise.
In Zone D, Martin, Kevin’s uncle, was engrossed in a massive, one-ton emerald. As the second eldest in the Garcia family, he was known as Mr. Garcia in the jewelry world. He was carefully assessing the raw emerald, estimating a 90% chance that it would yield high-quality emeralds.
However, this raw emerald had attracted the interest of many, including the Garcia family’s long-standing rival, the Jones family. The Jones family had sent their general manager, Edward Jones, a seasoned veteran, who was also eyeing the same raw emerald.
Priced at 43 million dollars, the raw emerald was still within Man’s budget, but going all in on it would severely limit his ability to purchase other raw emeralds. He was in a difficult position.
If this raw emerald didn’t yield high-quality emeralds, his bidding journey could end early, leaving him with nothing for the remaining three days. On the other hand, walking away from such a potentially valuable raw emerald was a tough pill to swallow.
As Martin hesitated. Edward strolled over with a smug smile. “Well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Garcia Eyeing this one too? I was just about to head to the counter and claim it. Your family’s been doing quite well with emeralds this year; how about letting me have this one
As soon as Edward made his remark, the crowd around the raw emerald surged forward, excitedly discussing it was sure to contain high-quality emeralds, encouraging Martin to place a bid. Zone D quickly became the center of attention.
Martin could feel Edward’s mocking gaze. The Garcia family had had a rough year, with finances strained by less successful ventures, and Edward knew it. Gritting his teeth, Martin glanced at the massive raw emerald, trying to ignore Edward’s smug face. 1- Martin began.
But before he could continue, a voice interrupted, “Since Mr. Jones wants this emerald so badly, why not do him the favor of letting him have it, Mr. Garcia?” The crowd went silent in shock, unsure of who had spoken.
Yvette stepped out from the crowd, hands in her pockets, wearing a casual yet defiant smile. Her gaze was cool and unbothered. Some had noticed her earlier, but now their murmurs grew louder.
“Who is this Aplothian woman, and why is she getting involved one person muttered.
“She doesn’t seem to understand how things work here. Speaking out of turn during the bidding is a big no-no,” another whispered
“But she’s stunning!” someone else added.
“Let’s hear what she has to say,” suggested another.
Martin frowned in irritation. ‘She’s just a woman who tagged along with Kevin. What right does she have to speak up like this?’ he thought
Edward smirked, recognizing Yvette as the woman who had been with Kevin and assuming she was his sugar baby.
“Mr. Martin Garcia, surely you’re not going to take advice from her, are you? I saw her hanging around with Mr. Kevin Garcia. Seems like he knows how to enjoy himself, bringing a woman along to an event like this.” As he spoke, Edward shot Yvette a disdainful glance.
“You’re spouting nonsense!” Kevin shouted, his voice cutting through the crowd. After completing his paperwork, he noticed the commotion and walked over, realizing Yvette was involved. There was nothing going on between him and Yvette. Hearing Edward’s insults, Kevin couldn’t stand by any longer.
“Kevin, stop!” Martin ordered immediately. Any conflict during a bidding event could result in both parties being blacklisted, a serious consequence neither family could afford. Kevin froze in place, his face flushed with anger, but he held back.