Zhane nced at Hera, noticing her excitement and the sparkle in her eyes. He chuckled and began showing her around. However, Hera wasn’t interested in the smaller stones. "Could you show me where there’s a higher chance of finding rarer jade?" she asked directly.
Zhane seemed to have hoped she would start by buying a smaller stone to experience the thrill of stone betting, but she was clearly focused on something more valuable.
Zhane instantly stopped in his tracks, staring at Hera as if trying to process what she had just said. He wondered if he was overthinking or if she simply didn’t realize how much those higher-value stones actually cost.
Zhane began exining in a thoughtful and informative manner, not wanting to dismiss or embarrass Hera, but rather to help her better understand stone betting. He started by discussing jade in general, including its significance and the different types, before going into detail about the price differences between stones and the various levels of the pagoda where they could be found.
Currently, they were in the mostmon area, essible to everyone, where middle-ss buyers typically gathered. Next was the first level of the pagoda, located on the ground floor, where the stones were priced higher, ranging from $3,000 to $10,000.
The second level, located on the second floor, featured stones priced between $30,000 and $100,000. Above that was the invitation-only section, where most stone auctions took ce. Here, stones that had already been inspected by experts were sold, with prices starting at $500,000 and reaching into the millions, depending on expert evaluations.
Even though the stones on the third level were already evaluated by experts, there was still a chance that the evaluations could be slightly off, and the jadeite inside might be worth less than estimated. That’s why everyone bidding on these stones brought their own inspector to assess the jadeite’s value. Of course, they were always given time to thoroughly inspect the stones before bidding.
If more than one person was interested in the same stone, a bidding process would begin, with the highest bidder winning the stone. However, if only one person showed interest, they could purchase it at the set price.
As Zhane continued exining, he had already taken Hera to the first level. There, well-dressed young men and women were browsing, while middle-aged and older individuals were busily inspecting stones disyed on well-arranged tables. This setup was much more refinedpared to themon area, where stones were simply stored in crates and people had to dig through them to find what they wanted before making a purchase.
As Hera listened to Zhane’s exnation, she scanned the table where stones of various sizes wereid out. Although there were fewer people herepared to themon area, there were still more than a dozen present early in the morning. With a mischievous smile, Hera looked up at Zhane. Her curiosity piqued by his exnation, she was eager to explore the second and third levels of the pagoda and decided to check them out next.
Zhane quickly understood Hera’s intentions and realized he couldn’t stop her. With a helpless chuckle and a shake of his head, he led her to the elevator. If exploring the second and third levels would make her happy, he was prepared to cover her purchases without a second thought.
With a delighted glint in her eyes, Hera excitedly clung to Zhane’s arm, eager to satisfy her curiosity. This was her first time stone betting, and although she didn’t have high expectations, she was keen to try her luck and experience it. If she won something, she could turn it into an essory and gift it to either her grandfather or a friend. As a first-timer, she thought <i>’Winning something would be like sharing my luck with someone special.’</i>
She smiled giddily, and her enthusiasm was so infectious that Zhane began to rx and get caught up in her excitement. He chatted animatedly with her about jades and stone betting, fully embracing the moment, but he didn’t realize it yet.