"What is this place?" Rick asked the mont they stepped inside the shop. His eyes swept the room quickly, noting the low lighting, faint sll of polished stone, and a few people gathered near trays of uncut gems. The air was quiet but tense, too quiet for a place ant for casual trade. His eyes imdiately narrowed.
Matthew glanced over his shoulder. "Oh? I didn’t realize Mr. Tian was still tagging along." He gave a brief smile, his tone light, but his pace never slowed as they moved deeper into the shop.
Rick didn’t bother responding. He took in the rows of carts lined along the far wall. Most were sealed or covered with linen sheets, but a few had been pulled open, revealing stones that still held traces of dust and soil.
They looked untouched, raw and fresh as if just unloaded from a truck straight from the mines. Suspicious. Too perfect. Rick’s thoughts imdiately turned to what sort of trick these people were trying to pull.
Just then, Cosim stepped forward, arms wide in his usual cheerful welco. "Argent... you’re back," he said brightly, then glanced between the group. His gaze lingered a mont longer on Rick, clearly sizing him up. "Looks like you’ve brought company. Shall we get started with the carts?"
He stepped aside with a flourish, motioning toward the lineup.
Argent walked straight to the middle cart, leaned over the edge, and gave the contents a quick scan. "This one looks fresh," he said, tapping one of the stones with his knuckle. "Should be enough here for a few rounds."
Rick walked past the first cart and eyed the stones with a frown. "What are you doing exactly?"
Matthew picked up a stone and gave it a casual glance before setting it back. "Argent suggested a simple ga. Each of us takes turns picking stones. We cut them open one at a ti. The person with the most valuable gems at the end wins."
"That’s it?" Rick asked, skeptical.
"Well, we can of course make so changes to the rules. How about this, Ghost..." Argent said, holding up a finger. "We don’t bet per round. We pick five stones each round, one at a ti. Whoever gets more gems, or the higher total value, wins the pot."
"And the pot is?" Rick glanced at them.
"Each player puts in a hundred thousand. Whoever ends up with the most gems wins the pot," Argent said. "Simple setup. Straightforward rules."
"That works," Matthew nodded. "And if there’s a tie in gem count, we go by total market value. If neither of us finds a gem, the money goes to the shop. Also, losers pay for the rocks they picked. Fair enough?"
Rick looked at them like they’d lost their minds. "That sounds like a scam." Five rocks? That barely ant anything. What if the entire cart was worthless? This ant that the money would go to the shop! His expression turned even uglier. These two scamrs must be working with the shop!
He had already gone over the possibilities in his head. And all of them were not good!
Rick wasn’t stupid. He could sll a setup when he saw one. They were clearly trying to bait him into sothing. Right?
"Then don’t play," Matthew said. "No one’s forcing you."
Rick folded his arms. "I’ll watch."
Argent grinned. "Suit yourself."
They approached the cart. Cosim stood by with a small tray where each player could place their selected rocks.
"Five picks each," Argent repeated. "We alternate. No changing stones after selection."
"Let’s draw lots for who picks first," Matthew said.
Argent pulled three coins from his pocket. "Number on the back. Highest goes first."
Matthew picked one. It was two.
Argent revealed one.
"Great," Matthew muttered.
Argent bead. "First pick."
He imdiately grabbed a jagged, dark stone from the top of the pile and dropped it into his tray.
Matthew picked a flat, palm-sized rock with a soft shimr near one edge. No reaction from Rick.
The selection continued. Argent started grabbing stones quickly. While Matthew seed more deliberate. Obviously, Rick simply observed the two.
By the end, each of them had five stones in their tray. Argent already looked too confident.
"All done?" Cosim asked.
"We’ll cut them one by one," Matthew said. "Argent’s first."
The first stone revealed nothing. Dull interior, with no color.
Argent frowned. "Bad start."
Matthew’s turn. The technician imdiately sliced it open.
A soft red shimr inside.
"Low-grade garnet," the technician said. "Still a gem."
Matthew placed it on a separate tray marked Score.
Second round. Argent’s stone: blue-green tint.
"Aquamarine. Low clarity."
Argent smirked. "Still better than nothing."
This ti, Matthew’s was empty.
Third round. Argent’s was empty while Matthew’s has a greenish core that was semi translucent.
"Peridot. Mid-grade."
Argent was clearly starting to get annoyed, while Matthew smiled behind his mask. With Rick present, there was no way Cosim or the others could try anything shady without putting their business at risk. Whatever they had planned before was already off the table. Rick’s presence had changed everything, and Matthew knew it. This ti, he was going to make a lot of money. Just the thought of it made him giddy.
Rick leaned on the counter. "So far, two to one. Keep going."
Fourth round. Argent’s stone cracked open, and it had a deep purple glint.
"Athyst. High clarity."
Argent bead as he whooped it and tossed it onto his tray.
Matthew’s fourth was nothing but a white, chalky interior. Nothing.
Rick nodded. "Tied."
Final round. Argent’s last stone shimred faintly. The technician quickly wiped the dust.
"Jasper. Decorative, low value."
Argent let out groan.
Seeing this, Matthew imdiately picked up his last stone and handed it to the technician.
The blade humd.
"Hold on," the technician said. He sliced again, slower.
The gem inside glowed a faint green. Clear, dense.
"Erald. Not top-tier, but definitely valuable."
Argent cursed again. "That’s three to two."
Cosim chuckled. "Winner: Ghost."
Rick didn’t react. He just kept watching Matthew. The guy was acting excited—too excited—and Rick could tell, even with the mask on. Was he always this good at pretending? Rick frowned.
anwhile, Matthew collected the gem tray. "Well, I suppose that’s another hundred thousand well-earned."
Argent simply nodded. It was just the first round, after all.
They might be playing by the rules, but that didn’t guarantee a win for Matthew. Argent remained confident. At worst, the ga would end in a tie, and no one would lose money.
Cosim had already assured him that even he couldn’t tell which stones had gems. There was no guaranteed way to win—only a way to avoid losing. A draw was the safest outco.
"You sure you don’t want in on the next round?" Argent glanced at Rick. If this guy joined them, things would definitely get more interesting.
"No," Rick said with a grin. In his head, he was already five steps ahead.
Whatever scam these two were cooking, he was going to ruin it and enjoy every second of it. Let them try. He wasn’t here to play along. He was here to watch them fail.
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