Chapter 33: The Die is Cast

"I know you're no ordinary joe, but this time, you might have bitten off more than you can chew," Rowan Erickson said, her pretty face tinged with worry as she whispered to Henry Carson. Henry just chuckled, offering no reply. The buzz of the stone-cutting machine filled the air as it roared to life, cutting through the stone as per Henry's confident instruction. The crowd had written Henry off as a sure loser, but curiosity tethered their gaze to the cutting table, none willing to look away, not even Larry Anderson who watched with a facade of smug assurance. "Damn..." "Look, it's going up..." "Is that green I see?" As the blade completed its pass, the crowd erupted, astonished that such an unassuming piece of jade could turn a profit. Henry's eyes were mere slits, betraying nothing, as he fixated on the emerging stone. It was of the same 'glutinous rice jade' category as Larry's piece, yet this one's hue was a cut above, shimmering with an exceptional quality that even in a ma