Chapter 75

That one raw stone had been cut for several hours and still wasn't finished; there were simply too many gems inside. Almost the entire stone was filled with them.

The onlookers were thrilled and couldn't wait. Some snapped photos with their phones or recorded videos, eager to post the news on Twitter and share this incredible discovery with friends interested in betting stones.

Seeing more and more people gather, Patrick and Debra quietly made their way upstairs, sneaking into a private booth on the second floor. Rebecca was left alone to confront Janet.

The raw stone was incredibly valuable; the gems within were beyond Patrick and Debra's expectations. Even Buck, who had helped them choose it, hadn't foreseen this. Buck, experienced in this business, had only vaguely known it was better than others in the shop, never imagining it would be such a precious emerald. If he had known, he would have bought it himself. But it was impossible to turn back time.

Buck's hands sweated with tension as he carefully cut the stone, afraid of damaging the precious gems inside. More and more people were drawn in. Customers kept arriving, sometimes in large groups, lured by the news and rushing to watch.

Once sparsely populated, the shop was now packed with excited, tense people staring at Buck cutting the rough stone. Patrick and Debra, stewing in anger, had intended to give Rebecca a tour of their shop before a day trip to their hometown. But with this unexpected turn of events, they didn't dare go downstairs. It was their hometown, not Maeloria, and many people knew Patrick. Before, the shop only held Patrick's own people, so he wasn't worried. But now, with so many people attracted by the news, there was a chance someone knew them. They couldn't risk being recognized.

It took a full four hours to cut the stone. Afterward, everyone excitedly took pictures on their phones. People marveled, "That massive stone—and it was entirely filled with precious gemstones inside!"

Janet's face paled with disbelief. She couldn't believe her stone was so worthless while Rebecca's was so valuable. However, what Janet thought no longer mattered. News of Rebecca's extremely precious raw stone spread, attracting so much business that, in less than half an hour, all remaining raw stones sold out.

Buck was so busy checking stones that his hand went numb, his facial muscles almost frozen from smiling. He was exhilarated. His sales for the day alone could support his store for the entire year. He wouldn't worry about his store's finances for the year ahead! Most importantly, selling so many raw stones meant a considerable commission. Patrick's visit brought Buck huge wealth; he felt overwhelmingly happy.

After cutting the stone, Buck received a message from Patrick instructing him to give the precious stones to Rebecca. Buck packaged the gemstones and handed them to her.

Rebecca, holding the large lump of raw stone now called a precious emerald, basked in everyone's envious gazes. "She's just lucky. Nothing worthy to brag about," Janet sneered disdainfully.

Rebecca smiled. She realized she was no longer affected by Janet's bullying. Thinking of Patrick and Debra defending her felt good. "If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving first," she said.

"Wait, miss, do you have plans to sell it?" someone asked anxiously. "I'm willing to offer ten million dollars. Can you sell it to me?" Rebecca thought, 'It was bought for 102 thousand dollars, and now it can be sold for ten million dollars?' Janet, seeing Rebecca's huge profit, contorted her face in anger.

"Sir, do you have any other raw stones available?" Janet asked Buck, unwilling to admit defeat. She felt that if Rebecca could buy such a good stone, she could too. She had always been luckier than Rebecca, and spending more money would definitely buy her a better stone.

The raw stones had already sold out, but Buck could get more. He immediately called Patrick. Upstairs, Patrick listened to Buck's report and calmly instructed, "Since she wants to buy, sell it to her. I'll have someone send some over for you!"

The Carter family's mining veins were nearby, so sending stones was easy. They weren't afraid of running out of stock, but of no one buying. Especially for rookies like Janet, buying stones from their store was like giving them her credit card PIN. If they refused, they would feel guilty.

Rebecca left the store with the gemstones carefully packed in boxes and got into her car. She called Debra.

Debra, feeling helpless, asked Rebecca to go home first. They would slip away from the store later and then head home. They had attracted too much attention; continuing to shop or sightsee would expose their identity. Home was their best option. Patrick and Debra had fled in a hurry and hadn't explained things to Rebecca. However, Rebecca wasn't stupid; she could guess some things. So when Debra asked her to go home, she obediently headed home with the precious gemstones.

Rebecca left, but Janet didn't; she wasn't willing to admit defeat and bought another raw stone. Half an hour later, her requested stone arrived. After paying, she had to wait in a long line to have it cut. It was almost dark when her stomach grumbled with hunger. Janet couldn't wait any longer and paid another store owner to cut the stone. The result was the same as her first raw stone—another worthless scrap.