"That gem!" Dustin was full of excitement at the appearance of the red ge
mstone. He had resigned himself to leaving empty–
handed today, but as luck would have it, he chanced upon another
treasure.
"Hmph, what a country bumpkin. What's so exciting about a red gemstone?"
Taking in the excited look on Dustin's face, Jayla looked at him in conte
mpt. "I've got plenty of those at home. Only a country bumpkin like you w
ho hasn't seen the world will think it's special."
Dustin ignored her and focused his gaze on
the red gemstone on stage. Its surface was colored a blood–
like deep crimson, and its shape was similar to a calabash. On the surfac
e, it looked ordinary. However, its desirability lay in its size, and aft
er some processing, it would undoubtedly turn out to be invaluable. In th
e eyes of a professional jeweler, this was definitely the finest red crim
son.
Roderick was
confused. "Mr. Rhys, do you like it?" Dustin didn't seem like someone who
would covet precious
stones, especially with his status. It was just an uncut gemstone. Althou
gh it was a precious treasure, it didn't particularly stand out.
"I must take this item home." His answer was simple, yet full of resoluti
on.
"Alright! As long as you like it, even if I spend my entire fortune, I'll
make sure to get it for you!" Roderick spoke candidly. This was a
rare opportunity for him to impress Dustin, and he was determined to seiz
e it.
"This is an extremely rare gemstone that was recovered from the deep sea.
The starting bid is 50 million dollars. Every subsequent raise must not
be less than one million. Let's start!" After a short introduction, the a
uctioneer declared the start of the bidding. In less than no time, the at
mosphere returned to its fiery state.
"55 million!"
"60 million!"
"I'm raising it to 68 million!"
A flurry of wealthy individuals eagerly raised their paddles, igniting fi
erce competition. Considering the size of the gemstone, a conservative es
timate placed its value at no less than two to three hundred million. As
a businessman, Roderick was naturally well aware of its worth. In order t
o discourage other potential bidders, he promptly raised his paddle and d
eclared, "300 million!"
The previously bustling atmosphere instantly grew heavy as Roderick's wor
ds reverberated through the room. Many shook their heads and sighed in re
signation. They knew that challenging Big Buck Brooks would be futile whe
n he had his eyes on something. No one present possessed the wealth to su
rpass him.
"Mr. Roderick has raised the bid to 300 million. Is there anyone willing
to offer a higher price?" The auctioneer scanned the audience, but the po
tential bidders had all quieted down.
At that moment, Jayla suddenly raised her paddle. "I'll raise
it to 400 million." Her eyes gleamed with provocation, clearly trying to
start another fight with them.
"500 million." Roderick didn't back down.
Jayla flashed a smile. "600 million." She knew they had their sights set
on the gemstone and intentionally raised the bid, planning on taking them
for their worth.
"700 million." Roderick was expressionless.
"800 million." Jayla tilted her head up, seemingly ready to fight till th
e end.
"900 million."