Before she could figure it out, the man greeted politely, "Mr. Bryan, you're here."
"Mr. Kim, sorry to keep you waiting!" Grandpa Bryan replied.
Mr. Kim... That name rang a bell...
Suddenly, a flash of realization hit her-Serena remembered.
Wasn't he the same Mr. Kim who had won the bid for the gemstone rough at the stone auction the other day?
Grandpa Bryan warmly introduced them. "This is Mr. Kim. He's been in the gemstone business for many years and is known for his excellent reputation. He's highly trusted by both his peers and his customers."
Mr. Kim waved his hand humbly. "You flatter me too much! Compared to you, I wouldn't dare claim any expertise."
Then his eyes landed on Serena's face, visibly stunned by her appearance. "And this young lady is...?"
Grandpa Bryan chuckled, "This is Miss Knowles! At yesterday's auction, she stopped me from bidding on that rough stone you cut and lost money on. I brought her along today to help assess your new stone."
Serena felt a bit embarrassed.
Honestly, it was kind of her fault that Mr. Kim lost over a million yesterday.
"Well... I didn't know you'd be the one buying that stone, Mr. Kim... I'm really sorry..."
Mr. Kim waved it off with a generous smile. "Ah, it's no big deal! In this business, wins and losses are up to fate. That particular stone-anyone looking at the skin would've thought it'd yield high-quality gemstone."
Then, as if something just occurred to him, he looked at Serena intently. "Wait, Mr. Ryder said it was Miss Knowles who stopped him from bidding on that stone?"
Serena nodded awkwardly.
"I hope you don't mind me asking-but how did you tell that rough stone was no good? From the surface, it looked top-notch!"
"Uh..." Serena was momentarily lost for words.
She obviously couldn't say it was because she suddenly had x-ray vision and could see inside the stone.
Seeing her hesitation, Grandpa Bryan quickly stepped in, "Miss Knowles likely has some family-secret skills. It's probably best we don't pry."
"Oh, of course!" Mr. Kim nodded quickly in understanding. "Please, both of you, come inside and take a look at this rare giant rough."
The three entered the main hall.
At first glance, Serena didn't feel much about the giant gemstone stone that looked like a small hill.
The stone's surface was rough and weathered-bits of it flaked off when touched. Several large cracks ran across it, one of which cut straight through the entire mass. From any angle, the stone seemed to have little to offer, its size being its only notable feature.
But in the world of gemstones, size wasn't everything. It was the quality that truly mattered.
If it were a piece of premium-grade tourmaline-perhaps a stunning Paraíba variety-just one perfect cut could fetch an eye-watering price. On the other hand, poor grain and color would render even a massive stone nearly worthless.
As expected, Grandpa Bryan voiced his opinion after circling the stone twice. "Mr. Kim, in my opinion, this rough is unlikely to yield anything worthwhile."
Mr. Kim sighed deeply. "You're not the only one who thinks that. I bought it purely for its size, hoping to take a gamble-maybe there'd be something unexpected inside. But every expert I've consulted said it wasn't worth cutting. If I do, I'm bound to lose. Still, I couldn't bring myself to part with it, so I called you here for a final opinion."
Mr. Ryder patted his shoulder reassuringly. "It's the nature of this business-sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Don't be too hard on yourself."
The implication was clear.
Hearing their conversation, Serena felt a twinge of guilt. Yesterday, Mr. Kim had indirectly lost money because of her, and now, she was watching him face another potential loss.
Strangely, the x-ray-like ability she had suddenly acquired earlier seemed to have vanished.
Serena rubbed her eyes in frustration, her emotions swirling-unease, anxiety, and a sense of helplessness.
Just then, a familiar burning sensation started behind her eyes.
Quickly, she cupped her hands over her eyelids, using the coolness of her palms to soothe the discomfort.
A moment later, the burning faded, and when she lowered her hands, she was relieved to find her vision had returned to its heightened state.
Now, she could clearly see the internal structure of the stone, despite its rough and unsightly surface.
There were indeed some fractures inside, and the major crack on the surface extended deep. But with such a large stone, even those cracks wouldn't impact the overall yield. As long as the damaged areas were avoided during cutting, the stone could still be valuable.
In fact, the internal quality was far better than the exterior suggested. Beneath the rough outer shell, which was about three to four centimeters thick, the inner layers of the stone were of excellent quality, even reaching an ice-grade clarity at its core.
Though it lacked the vibrant green coloration of some prized tourmalines, the stone's clarity and structure were remarkable.
Even if it were a solid, colorless stone, the yield from cutting bangles alone could easily surpass the initial investment.
"Mr. Kim!" Serena stepped closer, her voice steady. "How much did you pay for this rough stone?"
"Three million," Mr. Kim replied, holding up three fingers with a regretful shake of his head.
Serena's mind quickly calculated the possibilities. Given its size, it could yield nearly a hundred pieces. Even if each piece produced just ten bangles free of defects, the market value would already exceed the three million price tag.
And with the additional scrap gemstone from the edges, the total could easily fetch six million.
But she didn't share this information immediately. Instead, she asked, "If you were to sell the whole uncut stone, how much would you ask for it?"
Mr. Kim let out a bitter laugh. "It would be difficult to find anyone foolish enough to pay three million for it. If someone offered two millions, I'd sell it."
"You'd sell it that cheap?" Serena asked, surprised.
"I have no choice," Mr. Kim replied. "Losing less is better than losing it all."
Serena nodded thoughtfully, then turned to Grandpa Bryan for his input. "What do you think, Grandpa Bryan? What's this rough stone worth?"
Bryan stroked his beard, contemplating. "In my opinion, selling it whole would likely return its original value, but if it's cut, it might not even fetch two millions."
Serena fell silent for a moment, walking around the stone once more, carefully inspecting its internal structure.
When she returned to Mr. Kim's side, a smile slowly spread across her face. "I suggest you cut this stone open."
"What?!" Both Mr. Kim and Grandpa Bryan turned to her in shock.
***