If no one competed for a stone, it could be won at a low price. However, if there was competition and others bid against each other, the price of the raw stone would rise, but at least they would know the base price.The second method was sealed bidding. In this case, after selecting a stone, one would remember its number and write one bid on a slip, placing it into the bid box. The highest bid would win after the final review.The auction was divided into four zones: A, B, C, and D. Zones A and B were for open bidding, while zones C and D used sealed bidding. That day’s focus was on open bidding. For sealed bids, participants would submit their bids after reviewing the stones, and the results would be announced the following day. Everyone entered Zone A, taking note of the stones they were interested in and setting mental price limits. In the afternoon, based on their analysis and stone numbers, they would participate in the bidding.The exhibition area was filled with piles of
As expected, Lindsay noticed that Sarina’s method of examining the raw stones lacked any professional insight. She was simply using her hands to feel the magnetic energy, which felt like cheating. No wonder Sarina always walked away with a fortune at both public and private auctions.Lindsay also realized she wasn’t the only one watching Sarina—many people were closely observing her. In fact, several were noting down the stone numbers that Sarina had inspected and recorded. However, Lindsay noticed Sarina was being cunning. A few stones she recorded had little to no chance of containing gemstones from a professional standpoint. It was clear she was intentionally misleading those who were following her every move.Sarina moved quickly, barely touching the stones before jotting down their numbers, unlike the other gemstone experts who took their time to thoroughly examine and analyze the material. By the end of the morning, Sarina had already finished inspecting all the stones in
Sarina knew she couldn’t leave. She had to stay until the bidding ended and the stones were revealed. However, a strange sense of panic crept into her heart. This sudden reaction felt eerily like she was suffering from backlash. After a while, the burning sensation in her body gradually subsided, but along with it, her fortune seemed to slip away as well. She could feel it—her luck was draining, weakening with every passing moment. Panic surged inside her. What was happening? Why was her fortune continuously fading?Once her body had recovered enough, Steven helped her back to her seat. The moment she sat down, Sarina’s first instinct was to search for Lindsay. She had a strong suspicion that this backlash and the loss of her fortune had everything to do with Lindsay.Sure enough, as Lindsay returned from the restroom, their eyes met. Lindsay gave her a faint smile, one that carried a hint of mischief. This confirmed Sarina’s fears—Lindsay was behind this. The ominous feeli
Sarina’s abrupt exit naturally drew attention and confusion from the crowd. What was happening with her? While it was allowed to leave mid-auction to continue inspecting raw stones, her sudden dash raised eyebrows. Others, too, occasionally left to recheck their selections, but it had to be done before the bidding closed on those stones.Seeing Sarina rush out, Steven and the gemstone experts from the Fox family quickly followed her. Only Selena remained seated, her expression calm. Ever since Sarina had stolen her fortune, Selena had felt drained and weak. But now, a new sensation was washing over her, like a slow resurgence of energy. It was as if the heavy burden she had been carrying had lifted.This shift confirmed that Lindsay’s plan had worked. After Sarina ran out, Selena couldn’t resist glancing over at Lindsay. Sensing her gaze, Lindsay turned her head slightly and winked.Selena’s eyes reddened, an overwhelming urge to cry bubbling up inside her. She held it back a
Mia had heard from Lindsay about Selena’s painful past, how she had been swapped at birth and later mistreated and oppressed by her so-called family. Feeling sympathy for Selena, Mia handed her a tissue and gently patted her back, offering silent comfort. She didn’t tell her to stop crying—sometimes, crying was the best release.Selena took the tissue and, between sobs, said, “Thank you.” There was something about Mia that felt warm and comforting.Mia continued to gently pat her back. "You’re welcome. After we get back to the capital, you can stay with me for a while. We’ll look out for each other."She lived alone in a company-provided apartment, and when Lindsay asked if she could help care for Selena for a bit, Mia had agreed without hesitation.Sniffling, Selena responded, “Alright.” This would be the first time she’d live with anyone other than those two oppressive families. Back when she was in middle school, she had begged to live at her school dormitory, hoping to escape
Steven, holding his cheek where Sarina had slapped him, stared at her in disbelief. She had berated him before, but this was the first time she had actually hit him. His expression darkened. "Are you out of your mind?"Sarina glared at him. "You ruined the open bidding—don’t you deserve to be slapped?"Yes, this was all his fault. If he hadn’t bumped into her, the water wouldn’t have spilled onto her notebook. Although her ability had temporarily vanished, she could have at least faked her way through this auction. Now, with the open bidding underway, she had no way to participate. There was no way she’d take responsibility for this—Steven had to be the one to blame.Steven, seething with anger, forced a bitter laugh. "I barely touched you, and that’s my fault now? Instead of wasting time blaming me, why don’t you get back to work, write down the numbers again, and we can still make it in time for the bidding?"Despite his fury, he knew he had no choice but to hold back. As lon
Sarina had no choice but to proceed with the bidding herself, relying on the numbers provided by the gemstone experts. As she called out bids, Lindsay, having anticipated Sarina’s emotional state, instructed Howard to deliberately raise the prices. Sarina, full of frustration and determined not to lose, stubbornly followed every bid.Just as expected, every time Howard raised the price, Sarina matched it, unwilling to let him win. She was so consumed with the idea of beating him that she kept bidding, even when the prices skyrocketed beyond the actual value of the stones. After Howard backed off, Sarina found herself having won over twenty lots, each one far above the standard bidding price.It wasn’t until her mind cleared that she realized what had happened—she’d been played. Her face darkened, and she ground her teeth in frustration, her hatred for Howard and Lindsay intensifying. She could only hope her luck hadn’t completely run out and that the stones she won would still rev
As everyone’s eyes focused on Sarina, her expression shifted, and she felt deeply humiliated. Ever since she had gained the ability to detect gemstones within raw stones, she had always been the center of attention, celebrated wherever she went. She couldn’t let anyone know that her powers had vanished, so she directed her frustration at the gemstone experts.With a stern face, she snapped, "What kind of stones did you pick? Useless, the lot of you! How could every single one be a bust? I thought I’d give you an opportunity to prove yourselves, but you’ve only disappointed me."Her words left the gemstone experts from Fox Gemworks embarrassed and furious. As professional experts, they felt deeply insulted by her accusation. It was clear to them that Sarina, now the target of mockery, was deflecting the blame onto them. Although they were seething inside, they knew better than to argue with her.They had done their best under the circumstances. With only half an hour to review so m
In the vibrant district of the historic town, the streets were lined with vintage boutiques and various artisan stalls. Lindsay's group visited the town’s administration office and rented a temporary booth.Alex and Justin eagerly borrowed a table and chairs, setting up the booth. Following Lindsay's instructions, they also bought a piece of white fabric and worked together to create a simple sign. The production team provided markers and other supplies.Lindsay glanced over at Benedict and said, "Benedict, I’ll let you handle writing the banner."She was eager to observe his writing and the energy he gave off while doing it.Benedict sighed inwardly—this girl was constantly trying to test him. After a moment’s thought, he nodded. "Alright, I’ll write it."He grabbed a marker, uncapped it, and wrote in bold letters across the white fabric: “Fortune Telling, Divination, and Tarot Readings.”Lindsay watched him closely, noticing the fluidity of his movements as he wrote, his posture exud
Justin added, "My mom’s been trying to get me to help Olivia and distance myself from Lindsay. She’s also said plenty of nasty things about Lindsay. This time, not only did I ignore her, but I even pushed back. It probably pissed her off, and now she’s taking it out on Lindsay."Alex, clearly upset, said, "You should talk to her and tell her to stop fixating on Lindsay. Lindsay hasn’t done anything to provoke her. It’s ridiculous."He was frustrated that Justin’s mom had been stirring up trouble, making Grace even more difficult to deal with.Justin nodded. "Alright, after the show is over, I’ll have a talk with her."He also felt his mom was acting out of line. Back when he liked Lindsay, her disapproval at least made sense. But now that Lindsay had kicked him to the curb, his mom’s continued obsession was baffling.Although they were speaking softly, Lindsay and Benedict, walking ahead, heard every word.Lindsay found the situation with Abby baffling as well. A woman who fawned over
After Lindsay left, the other guests quickly followed, leaving only Alex standing there awkwardly. He spoke briefly to the production staff, and they soon shifted the cameras away from that area. Alex then walked over to Grace, saying, "Mom, since Lindsay won’t lend it, let’s just drop it."Grace shot him a cold glare, her expression dark. "How can you be so heartless? The one lying in bed is your fourth brother. Are you hanging around Lindsay all the time just to learn how to be cold and ruthless?"Unable to contain her frustration toward Lindsay, Grace directed it at Alex instead.Alex sighed in exasperation. "Even if we need help, it has to be something she’s willing to do! We’ve wronged Lindsay enough as it is, so why do you keep trying to guilt-trip her? Brandon’s situation isn’t Lindsay’s fault. Why don’t you go find Olivia? She’s the one who caused all this, maybe she can fix it. After all, whoever’s behind her is no easy target."Right now, all Alex felt toward Lindsay was gui
Grace held back her anger and said, "It'll only take a few minutes. I have something important to discuss with you."Lindsay sat back down in her seat. "Fine, go ahead."The livestream was on, and Lindsay was fully aware of it—she was doing this on purpose.Grace was about to speak when her assistant whispered something in her ear. Her expression changed, and she subtly shifted her body to turn away from the camera.Then she looked at Lindsay. "Can we talk outside?"In her rush to find Lindsay, she had almost forgotten that this was a live-streamed variety show. She didn’t want to be on camera, much less discuss such personal matters in front of an audience.Lindsay, however, refused. "If it's important, say it here. If not, then don’t say anything."Grace’s expression darkened. "It’s because it’s important that we need to talk privately."She emphasized, "It’s not appropriate in front of the camera."Lindsay just smiled. "Unless it's something shady, what’s wrong with saying it on cam
Lindsay thought about it for a while and figured that if Grace was coming to find her, it was probably for Brandon. The only thing she could want would be the artifact in her possession.Alex saw her reply and couldn’t help but smile wryly. His sister was indeed sharp and saw right through it.He sent a voice message, repeating what the head of the Divination Association had told them. "Mom just wants to borrow the artifact from you to suppress Brandon’s condition."Lindsay replied, "Tell her not to waste her energy."Seeing that message, Alex knew right away that she wouldn’t lend it out. It didn’t surprise him—his sister could be ruthless when she wanted to be."We can’t convince her otherwise, not even Dad can stop her... sigh," Alex added. When their mom’s temper flared, she wouldn’t listen to anyone.Lindsay didn’t seem to care. "Then let her come. I’m not going to do her any favors."Alex recalled the conversation between their parents at the hospital and decided to warn her, "M
Recently, Grace had been spending more time with Abby, often meeting up for outings. Over time, Richard noticed that Grace's anger towards their biological daughter had deepened. Abby had always disliked Lindsay and showed more favoritism towards Olivia. She must have been stirring up trouble and egging Grace on whenever they met. With time, Grace was bound to be influenced.Grace, clearly annoyed, said, "You even want to control who I make friends with? Aren't you going too far? What's wrong with me getting along with Mrs. Ford and spending more time with her?"Richard felt cornered. "I just think there's something off about her. Her intentions in getting close to you don't seem good. That's why I'm trying to give you a heads-up."Grace didn't believe him at all. "I think you're overthinking it. We’ve always had a decent relationship. We’re just closer now, that’s all.""What do you men know about women’s matters? Don't interfere." She now had plenty to talk about with Abby. Jenny wa
Richard glanced at Grace with clear disapproval. “This whole mess was caused by Olivia and Brandon. What does any of it have to do with Lindsay?”He could tell that recent events, and the embarrassment caused by their sons, had left his wife feeling bitter. It seemed she had begun to project that frustration onto Lindsay, despite the situation having little to do with her.Grace crossed her arms defensively. “If it wasn’t for her ongoing fight with Olivia, Brandon wouldn’t have gotten involved. He’s her brother. Doesn’t she owe him some consideration now that he’s in this condition?”Richard frowned. “What exactly are you trying to say?”Valarie, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up, her displeasure clear. “I see it differently. It’s Olivia and your son who started the trouble, and all Lindsay did was defend herself. Are you really looking to embarrass yourselves even more?”Grace shifted uncomfortably, feeling the sting of her mother-in-law’s words. “I’m just thinking abou
Given the Harper family's persistence, there was no way the Divination Association could avoid a thorough investigation. Seeing that Randolph wouldn’t back down, the official left, courteously escorted out by Randolph, who, for the moment, had ceased his protests.Valarie carefully placed the multicolored stone inside a small protective pouch before securing it around Brandon's neck. Though he felt a slight relief after putting it on, the bad luck continued. As the official had warned, his misfortune was too severe for one artifact to fully contain.Randolph tried every connection he had, attempting to borrow a second artifact, but came up empty-handed. Time slipped by, and evening approached before they could find any further solutions.By the time Richard and Grace arrived at the hospital, they were met with the weary faces of their parents. Feeling guilty for everything his father had gone through, Richard bowed his head. "Dad, Mom, I'm so sorry you had to go through this today."
Hearing their words, the hope that had briefly flickered in Brandon’s eyes quickly faded, leaving him more devastated than before. "Grandfather, I know I was wrong," he muttered, finally realizing the truth. His foster sister had been nothing but trouble—far from trustworthy, she had been a constant source of harm. Meanwhile, his real sister, though harsh and distant, had proven to be far more reliable. Regret gnawed at him deeply.Randolph sighed, his voice heavy with disappointment. “Knowing you’re wrong doesn’t change anything. It’s too late now.”Turning back to the two mystics, Randolph asked, “If you can’t break the curse directly, could you at least help suppress his misfortune? Maybe with a protective charm or some kind of mystical object?”Despite his frustration with his grandson’s foolishness, he couldn’t just leave him to suffer.Both mystics exchanged uneasy glances. “We don’t have the ability to suppress his bad luck with charms.”“For something like that, you’d need t