Chapter 121 – 125
Chapter 121 – 125 An Understated Dominance
Chapter 121
“Why are you here?” Dahlia was surprised to see Dustin. When she saw the pretty lady standing beside him, she couldn’t help but frown. Her heart clenched in jealousy.
“Was Natasha not enough for him? He still wanted more women?” Dahlia wondered to herself.
“Men are all playboys after all!” She concluded in her mind.
“Dustin, you guys know each other?” Ruth looked between the two of them, feeling a little awkward.
“We do. She’s the president of Quine Group, Miss Dahlia.” Dustin explained.
“So it’s her!” Ruth’s gaze immediately turned hostile.
This woman in front of her was her sister’s greatest love rival. She certainly has to keep an eye on her. She must not let the two of them rekindle their love!
“Humph! How do we keep running into each other? How unlucky of us!” Florence’s face was full of contempt.”
“Dustin! How impressive! I can’t believe you got another girl with you so soon! You really are a gigolo!” James mocked. At the same time, he was envious of him.
“Damn it! I’m much more incredible and yet I still don’t have a girlfriend. And yet, this piece of trash changes his girls every time I meet him. First, it was the queen of business, Natasha. Now he has this new pretty girl! The world is so unfair!” James thought to himself.
“Oi! Was it the two of you making a ruckus?!” Julie scanned Dustin and Ruth, looking annoyed.
“It was me.”
Ruth stepped forward and chirped, “Boss, This Lumianth Root is ours. Name a price.”
“Humph! Do you think it’s yours if you say so? Who do you think you are?”
Julie said in an unfriendly tone, “Let me tell you, I already paid five million dollars for this Lumianth Root!”
“Pretty lady, we need this Luminianth Root urgently. I hope you can do us a favor.” Ruth asked kindly.
“Who are you to be asking me for a favor? Scram!” Julie was stubborn and ruthless.
“Hm? Boss, she offered five million dollars, right? I’ll give you eight million dollars!” Ruth frowned and declared boldly.
“Eight million dollars?!”
Everyone was shocked at the number. Especially the shop owner. His eyes were sparkling with excitement.
The other customers were also watching the scene, amused.
“Hey! What are you doing? You’re picking a fight on purpose, aren’t you?!” Julie’s face darkened.
“This precious treasure deserves such a high price. Do you have a problem with that?” Ruth was only doing what she thought was right.
“Bitch! You want to play this game? Fine! I’ll pay ten million dollars!” Julie yelled.
Florence’s face turned as pale as a ghost as she heard that.
Five million dollars was already her limit. Ten million dollars would cost more than her fortune.
Without hesitation, Ruth replied, “I’ll pay 12 million dollars then.”
“15 million dollars! End this deal now! Boss! You know the first come first serve policy. This Luminianth Root is already mine. If you dare to sell it to someone else, I’ll destroy this shop of yours!” Julie roared and snatched the wooden box before everyone could say a word.
“Alright, alright. Luminianth Root is yours!” The shop owner agreed reluctantly. But the truth was, he was extremely happy.
“Boss, why are you selling it to her? I can give you 12 million dollars!” Ruth was not pleased with the outcome.
“It’s not about the money. Business is about credibility. This lady ordered the Luminianth Root first, so it should be hers.” The shop owner played along with Julie.
“Did you hear that? So what if you have money? What’s mine is mine, you can’t take it from me!“Julie smiled joyfully as if she had won a battle.
On the other hand, Florence who was standing behind Julie was devastated.
15 million dollars!
She was going to be broke!
Chapter 122
Seeing Julie’s joyful face, Ruth clenched her teeth and held back her anger.
“Pretty lady, I really need this Luminianth Root. Can’t you just sell it to me? I’ll pay you 20 million!” Ruth tried her best to rein in her emotions.
“So what if you have money? You want my Luminianth Root? Dream on!” Julle hugged the wooden box closer to her body, looking proud of herself.
“You-!”
Ruth was at her limit. She had never been treated like this before ever since a young age.
In the end, she gave up. “Dustin! I don’t care anymore! You handle it yourself!”
Looking at the situation, Dustin could only ask, “Julie, what are you planning to use the Luminianth Root for?”
“That’s none of your damn business!”
Julie glared at him and declared firmly. “Listen up you guys, I will never sell the Luminianth Root to you guys no matter what you say!”
“That is a huge Luminianth Root. You won’t be able to finish it if you’re planning to use it as a medicine-”
Before Dustin could finish, Julie interrupted rudely. “Shut up! So what if I can’t finish using it? Even if I waste it and have no use for it, I will never sell it to you guys!”
Dustin frowned at her words. He never imagined her to be so unreasonable and petty.
“Boss! Card!” Julie snatched the card from Florence’s hand and passed it to the shop owner swiftly.
No matter what, she wouldn’t go back on her words!
“Julie! Well, 15 million dollars is too much, don’t you think?” Florence’s legs almost gave away.
That was her entire fortune!
“Aunt Florence, it’s just 15 million dollars. It’s nothing. When I earn money, I’ll double it and give it back to you!” Julie promised confidently.
The corner of Florence’s lips twitched as she heard that.
“Don’t know how many blue moons it would take for you to earn that huge amount of money.” Florence thought to herself.
After the transaction was done, Julie was in high spirits. She mocked Ruth and Dustin, “You guys haven’t seen anything precious like this, have you? I’ll be kind and let you guys see it for the first time!”
After finishing her sentence, she immediately opened the wooden box.
Everyone peeked into the box, and the only thing they could see was a Luminianth Root that was the size of a palm.
The Luminianth Root was dark greyish. Its flesh was scrawny and wilted. It looked dry and had no signs of life.
Upon contact, the root crumbles into powder. A piece of its surface falls out.
“Huh?”
Julie frowned and asked, “Boss, are you sure this is Luminianth Root? Why does it look so suspicious?”
The item in front of her was way different from what she had expected.
“Of course! I harvested this Luminianth Root myself yesterday! It’s definitely the real thing!” The shop owner grinned.
“Why does it look like it’s dead?” Julie was suspicious.
“Boss! Did you just scam us by selling us a fake Luminianth Root?” Florence was shocked and worried.
“How could I?”
The shop owner smiled meekly. “This Luminianth Root is definitely real. It’s just a little ugly, but it is still the real deal”
“Boss, that isn’t ethical of you.”
Dahlia looked at the Luminianth Root and pointed out “It is a Luminianth Root, but this one is obviously wilted. There’s no sign of life at all. It’s the same as a piece of wood. How could you sell it for such a high price?
“What? A piece of wood?!”
Florence and Julie were shocked to the core when they heard this.
No wonder it didn’t look right. It was a defective product.
“Damn you fatty! You lied to us! Hurry and give our money back!” Florence roared, her face red from anger.
“That’s right! Hurry up and give us a refund!”
After coming back to her senses, Julie chimed in.
Did he really think he could scam her 15 million dollars for a piece of trash?!
Chapter 123
“Look here, we’ve laid out our terms clearly. You were the ones who insisted on buying it. I didn’t force you guys at all.” The shop owner said indifferently.
“Stop the crap! I don’t want this Luminianth Root anymore. Hurry up and give me a refund!” Julle grabbed the man by his collar and roared.
“What? Are you trying to stir up trouble in my shop?”
The shop owner’s expression did not falter, and he quickly clapped his hands once.
Soon, a group of brawny men came out from the room behind.
Seeing the fierce looks on their face, Julie and the rest were immediately stunned and silent.
“Are you guys tired of living? How dare you stir up trouble in Mr. Walter’s shop?”
“Anyone could tell that they’re brainless, they have no clue about the rules here.”
“Exactly! They don’t even check the item before raising their bid. Doesn’t that say something about their stupidity?”
The crowd started gossiping.
“What? You think that I’m scared because you have a few men?”
Florence glared at him, putting up a brave front as she threatened, “You son of a bitch! I’m warning you, you
better give me a refund right now or I’ll sue you for fraud!”
“Go ahead, sue me as you please.” Mr. Walter remained unfazed by her threats.
“I really did sell you a Luminianth Root. No matter where you ask, this is what you get. As for the price, you were the ones who added it. It has nothing to do with me. There’s no use in suing me!”
“You-!” Florence clenched her teeth. She didn’t dare to lift a finger because of the men.
“You fat bastard! Why didn’t you mention anything about the Luminianth Root being defective?” Julie said, pissed at the turn of events.
“Before you paid, I already passed the Luminianth Root to you. Now, you’re blaming me because you didn’t open and check it yourself?” Mr. Walter retorted assertively.
Julie’s blood started to boil at his statement. However, there was nothing she could do.
Although she wasn’t the one who paid for it, the feeling of being scammed was still frustrating.
“Hahaha! 15 million for a piece of wood! That’s hilarious!” Ruth mocked without remorse.
Now she finally had the chance to pay them back for making fun of her.
“Mind your own business!” Julie barked.
“Actually, now that I think about it, I should thank you for not selling it to me. Otherwise, I would’ve been the one who’s scammed!” Ruth laughed.
“You–you!!”
Julie was fuming, steam was coming out of her ears and her face flushed red in anger.
One could almost see the daggers in her eyes.
“Miss, didn’t you say you want to buy Luminianth Root? We’ll sell it to you. Just give us 20 million dollars.” Florence looked as if she’d seen an angel She immediately brought the Luminianth Root to Ruth.
“Do you think I’m stupid? Are you really asking 20 million for a piece of trash?” Ruth mocked.
Although she was rich, she wasn’t stupid.
A wilted Luminianth Root had no use for medicine.
“If you think that’s expensive, then I’ll lower the price for you. Is 15 million okay?” Florence begged once again.
Right now, she only hoped to sell it out as fast as possible. Otherwise…
“No.” Ruth refused firmly.
“10 million! 10 million is good, right? We’re already making a loss here!” Florence begged frantically, and sweat started to form on her face.
“Do you think this thing is still worth 10 million dollars?” Ruth asked, looking at Florence as if she was crazy.
“Five million! Just five million dollars!”
Florence was on the verge of tears. Her eyes darted around the room. “Anyone, please! Will someone be generous enough to buy it for five million dollars?!”
Right now, she could not ask for the original price. She could only hope for minimizing her loss.
“Stop wasting your energy. Only an idiot would buy this piece of trash!” Ruth pursed her lips.
Right after she finished her sentence, a voice rang from behind.
“I’ll buy it for five million dollars.”
Chapter 124
“I’ll buy it for five million dollars.” Dustin’s voice captured several customers‘ attention. They all looked at him as if he had grown another head.
Anyone who’s in the right mind would be able to tell that this Luminianth Root was defective. Only an idiot would buy a Luminianth Root in that condition.
“Dustin, have you lost your mind? Why are you spending five million for a piece of trash?” Ruth was shocked.
Although it wasn’t a lot of money for her, it was still a dumb decision.
“You, you really want to buy it?” Florence could not believe it.
“What? Do you not want to sell it?” Dustin asked.
“I’ll sell it! Of course, I’ll sell it!”
Florence nodded her head repeatedly as a smile bloomed on her face.
Although she still made a loss for selling it for five million dollars, it was still better than nothing.
“Dustin, this Luminianth Root is obviously useless. Are you sure you want to buy it?” Dahlia asked in surprise.
“Oh, silly! What are you talking about? This Luminianth Root is a precious gem!” Florence was taken aback.
She finally got a chance to sell it out. How could Dahlia suddenly sabotage her?
“What if he changed his mind?” Florence was worried.
Dustin nodded. “Of course, I’ll buy it. At least I think it’s very useful.”
“Yes, of course! This is a precious Luminianth Root, the rarest you can find in the world! You’re definitely getting all your money’s worth for five million dollars!” Florence pitched frantically. It was as if she’d met her saving grace
“Dustin! Five million dollars is not a small amount! Do you even have that much money?” James questioned.
“I don’t, but she does.”
Dustin pointed towards Ruth who was standing beside him.
“Me?” Ruth was stunned. She rolled her eyes.
“I won’t do such a dumb thing!”
“Can you take it as me borrowing your money? This is extremely important to me.” Dustin asked earnestly.
“Alright, alright! I give in. Here, take your five million dollars. You better remember this as a lesson.” Ruth couldn’t refuse.
After all, five million dollars was not a lot for her.
In the end, they managed to secure a trade.
After receiving the money. Julie couldn’t help but laugh. “Dustin! You really are dumber than I thought! The Luminianth Root was obviously defective and yet you still insisted on buying it! I praise you for your courage!”
“Thankfully there’s an idiot to fall for it, otherwise we’d make such a great loss!” Florence gloated.
“Five million for a piece of trash, how amazing!” James laughed mockingly as he shook his head, enjoying the show.
“How would you guys know that this is a piece of trash?” Dustin remained unfazed.
“Are you blind? Can’t you see? It’s wilted! If it’s not trash then what is it?” Julie mocked.
“That’s only what you think. In my eyes, it’s a priceless treasure.” Dustin smiled.
“Priceless treasure? Looks like you’re not just blind, you’re brain–dead! You think a piece of trash is a priceless treasure! I can’t believe those words just came out of your mouth!” Julie started laughing uncontrollably.
“How dumb and clueless can you be!” James pursed his lips.
“Have you guys thought about why this Luminianth Root wilted?” Dustin said with a smirk.
“What?”
Everyone was shocked.
“Why?”
Ruth was curious.
Dustin smiled. Instead of replying, he took the Luminianth Root in his hand and slammed it onto the ground.
With a loud “Thunk!“, the Luminianth Root shattered to pieces.
“Dustin! Have you lost your mind?!” Ruth was shocked to the core.
Dustin just shattered the thing that they bought for five million dollars!
“Has he really lost his mind?” She wondered, clearly in disbelief.
“Even if you’re rich, you shouldn’t trash like that!” She thought.
“He’s brain–dead after all!” Julle laughed louder.
Chapter 125
“You’re hopeless.” James thought he was looking at an idiot.
“What on earth are you up to?” Dahlia also frowned at the scene.
She really could not understand his outrageous behaviour.
Ignoring the crowd’s gazes, Dustin reached down to the shattered Luminianth Root and started to search for something.
Soon, a crimson red, finger–sized Luminianth Root appeared.
This small and delicate Luminianth Root was red as blood. It was even emanating an odd smell.
One could tell that it was no ordinary item.
“That’s odd, how could there be a smaller Luminianth Root?” Ruth was confused.
“Is it possible for Luminianth Root to give birth?”
At that moment, Mr. Walter seemed to realize something and exclaimed. “No–no way! Could it be—that’s a Blood Luminianth Root?!”
Everyone in the room went wild at his statement.
“What? Blood Luminianth Root? Mr. Walter, you’re not kidding, are you?!”
“That’s right. I’ve seen it in a book, this is truly a Blood Luminianth Root!”
“Oh my God! I can’t believe that I get to see a Blood Luminianth Root with my own eyes! How exciting!”
The crowd broke into a discussion.
Some were surprised, others were envious.
“Wait! What’s a Blood Luminianth Root?” Ruth looked around, not understanding what was going on.
“Blood Luminianth Root is also one of the Luminianth Root variants. However, it is more precious and rarer than a normal Luminianth Root! You could say that it’s the King of Luminianth Roots! It is an invaluable treasure!” Mr. Walter gulped, looking elated.
“Invaluable treasure? Then how much would it cost?” Ruth asked out of curiosity.
“Blood Lurninianth Root is extremely valuable. If I were to auction it, it would cost more than ten billion dollars!” The words from Mr. Walter’s mouth shocked everyone in the room.
“What? Ten billion?!”
Everyone could not believe what he just said.
This was an amount that none of them could afford even if they had sold all their possessions!
“How–how could it be? This tiny thing is worth ten billion dollars?” Florence’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Ten billion is just the reserve price. If it were really to be auctioned, it might even be higher!” Mr. Walter exclaimed.
His words drained the last bit of color from Florence’s face.
This Blood Luminianth Root was hers. Yet, she sold it out for five million dollars. From ten billion to five million. dollars…
The difference was just too big!
“How could this happen? No! This can’t be!”
At that moment, Julie and the rest were in shock, unable to accept the situation.
Who would’ve thought that a Blood Luminianth Root could be found inside a wilted Luminianth Root?
“Dustin, my man! I can’t believe you’re so lucky! You managed to discover a Blood Luminianth Root. These five million dollars were well spent!” Ruth burst out laughing.
Even for someone like her, she had never seen anything that was worth ten billion dollars.
“You! Thanks for your sacrifice, otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to get our hands on such a valuable treasure. To be fair, this was supposed to be yours. What a shame, you guys weren’t able to recognize the value of it. Thanks to your losses, we’re able to get it for such a cheap price! Ten billion dollars! How wonderful!” Ruth shook her head and sighed.
Her words pierced into their hearts.
Julie and Florence turned red in anger, looking as if they had fallen into a pool of mud.
That was a treasure worth ten billion dollars!
Because of a small mistake, they gave it away to them.
They were really down on their luck!