“Look at that—what he just polished is still glutinous jade,” someone in the crowd murmured excitedly. “I’ve got a good feeling about this one. It’s going to skyrocket in value.”
“Not necessarily,” another voice countered. “What if that jade only covers the surface? If there’s nothing inside, that’s a huge loss waiting to happen.”
Just then, a man from the crowd stepped forward politely.
“Sir, you don’t need to grind any further. I saw you pay one-point-eight million for that stone earlier. How about this—I’ll take it off your hands for two million. I’ll shoulder the risk.”
“I’ll pay two-point-one!” another bidder called out immediately.
Mr. Codd smiled faintly. “Sorry, gentlemen. This one’s not for sale.”
In his mind, he’d already lost on a full-gambling rough earlier. His bad luck
