Chapter 252: In the End, He Still Got the Better Deal
Arabella Donovan mused, "That stone is much larger than the last one. It should be able to make quite a few pieces of jewelry, right?"
"Indeed. This piece of jade is several times larger than the previous one. With an original stone this big, the yield rate will be much higher. A conservative estimate would be ten to twenty-plus pieces of jewelry."
Arabella Donovan’s eyes lit up. "In that case, I’ll leave the arrangements to you. I want to have gifts made for my parents and my siblings. As for the rest, Miss Kerr and Kerr should each keep a piece for yourselves."
The two of them froze. "Us... we each get to keep a piece?"
Arabella Donovan nodded. Her eyes darted thoughtfully before she decided to give them a hint. "Jade, you see... though it’s buried in the earth, it absorbs nature’s spiritual energy. It’s a gift from nature to humanity. They say jade can nourish a person, especially a rare and precious piece like this. It’s a serendipitous find, not something one can seek out. If you wear it often, it’s... beneficial, in every way."
The Kerr mother and son were taken aback. Having dealt with jade and other treasures for years, how could they not understand the implications?
If anyone else had said this, they would have likely just laughed it off and not given it a second thought.
But the person saying it was Arabella Donovan, and she was the one who had uncovered both stones. Besides, when they saw the imperial green ice-type jadeite original stone, they had already suspected that these two precious stones likely came from the same rough.
It sounded ridiculous, but they just had a gut feeling. Any strange, bizarre occurrence seemed to become plausible when Arabella Donovan was involved.
’Could it be true, just as she said? Could they have other effects besides being exquisite and valuable? If that’s really the case...’
The Kerr mother and son were shaken to the core, and they couldn’t help but show their shock and excitement.
This was especially true for Ms. Kerr. Once she realized that Arabella Donovan’s stones might not be ordinary, she suddenly recalled something the master craftsmen responsible for polishing and crafting the Blessing, Fortune, Longevity, Joy Original Stone had mentioned to her a few days ago, almost as a joke.
Logically, after working overtime for several days straight, even on rotating night shifts, they should have been exhausted. Yet, for some reason, despite all the work and long hours, they didn’t feel drained at all. In fact, the more they worked, the more energized they became, showing no signs of the usual after-effects from pulling all-nighters.
At the time, Ms. Kerr had overheard their discussion and simply thought that the old masters hadn’t seen such a rare, high-quality piece in so long that their excitement had made them forget their fatigue.
Thinking back on it now, she felt their behavior perfectly confirmed her suspicions. She almost couldn’t contain her excitement and nearly lost her composure on the spot.
After a great effort to control her emotions, her thoughts turned to the Blessing, Fortune, Longevity, Joy pendants that had been purchased for five hundred million. ’Could it be that Mr. Rhodes knew all along that these stones were no ordinary items? Is that why he acted first, spending a fortune to reserve those two pendants in advance...?’
Ms. Kerr surreptitiously glanced at Caspian Rhodes, her expression complicated. ’It’s true that sticking with Serena always pays off. In the end, this guy was the one who got the best of the young lady.’
Caspian Rhodes noticed the change in the Kerr mother and son’s expressions. His eyes flickered as he sighed internally. ’Talking to smart people is so much easier. A subtle hint is all it takes for them to get it, which saves a lot of trouble.’
He had just been about to say something to remind them that, while it was fine for them to know, it was best to keep this matter to themselves.
But before he could speak, he caught Ms. Kerr’s indescribably complex look.
Caspian Rhodes: ’???’
Casting an indiscernible glance at the certain someone who had nearly hogged all the benefits for himself, Ms. Kerr thought for a moment before nodding. "Since it’s such a kind gesture from you, Serena, my son and I will accept. When the pieces are finished, I’ll keep a bracelet and a Praying Pendant to carry with me. As a thank you, Serena, all the processing fees for the items made from your two stones will be covered by me and Kieran. You won’t need to pay anything extra."
Ms. Kerr had actually wanted to forgive the hundred million she had previously lent to Arabella Donovan, but as soon as Arabella had recovered most of her funds, she had immediately repaid all her debts, including the hundred million from them.
So now, the only thing Ms. Kerr could think of was to help Arabella Donovan by waiving these fees, without having to worry about being refused.
Sure enough, after hearing her offer, Arabella Donovan thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement. "Then thank you, Miss Kerr!"
"Don’t mention it. These jewelry pieces will probably have to be sent to you in batches. I was just wondering about the delivery..."
Arabella Donovan knew Ms. Kerr was asking where the finished jewelry should be sent. She stroked her chin in thought. "I’ll be returning to my hometown after I attend my grand-uncle’s wedding here. For the jewelry, once you’ve finished, you can just mail all of it to my home.
"Hmm, it’s not long until the New Year. Could you see if the company’s craftsmen can rush a bit and make a batch of smaller, simpler items first? It would be convenient for me to give them as gifts for the holiday. As for the overtime costs for the rush job, that can be calculated separately. I can pay for it myself."
Hearing this, Ms. Kerr couldn’t help but laugh. "There’s no need for you to pay for that. In their line of work, rush jobs and overtime are common; we’re not making an exception just for you. The company has a comprehensive system for overtime pay and benefits, so you don’t need to worry about that at all. As for the shipping..."
Ms. Kerr turned to her son. "Shipping jewelry directly is too risky, especially with treasures this valuable. It would be a huge problem if they were lost. How about this: Kieran and I inspect our various branch offices at the end of every year. We’ll just schedule your hometown for later in the tour, and he can deliver them to you personally."
"Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for Kerr?"
"Not at all, not at all. It’s on his way. What trouble could it be for him?"
Kieran Kerr: ’...’ ’Even if that’s true, Mom, you don’t have to sound so dismissive of me. I’m starting to feel like Miss Donovan is your real child, not me!’
’It’s a good thing Ms. Kerr didn’t know what he was thinking, or she would have certainly confirmed his suspicions. How wonderful and endearing is Miss Donovan? If I’m just a little nice to her, even if I don’t get the ’meat’, at least I can have some ’soup’.’
’This debt-collector son of mine is another story. I’m lucky if he doesn’t try to take a bite out of me, let alone hope to get any ’soup’ from him. In my dreams!’
And so, the matter was settled. With clear consciences, Arabella Donovan and Caspian Rhodes enjoyed a pleasant meal with the Kerr mother and son.
The moment they left the hotel and got into Caspian Rhodes’s car, Arabella Donovan eagerly pulled up the unlimited-flow novel related to Terence Lewis. She began to pore over it, trying to find more useful information to help her and her loved ones avoid the messy and unreasonable laws of this world.
Caspian Rhodes saw what she was doing but didn’t say a word. He silently started turning the steering wheel to take the long way around, mentally calculating which roads in B-City would be the most congested at this time. He was determined to get the full scoop before he dropped her home!