“Thirty thousand dollars?”
Coleman and Powell both looked at William in unison.
Coleman was so amused by William’s offer that he burst out laughing. “Young man, why don’t you go play somewhere else?”
Powell also scoffed, “Kid, do you even know what this is? Thirty thousand dollars?”
“Radiant Empress Pearl,” William said calmly. “It was once owned by Theodora, the Byzantine Empress. Theodora was a famous empress in history, known for her wisdom and influence.”
William had seen this pearl before. Theodora had received it as a gift during a diplomatic mission. Due to its radiant beauty, she named it the “Radiant Empress Pearl” and often wore it. The pearl became synonymous with Theodora, and as her reputation spread across different countries, the pearl was eventually buried with her in her tomb upon her death.
Now, the Radiant Empress Pearl had resurfaced, carrying a very strong impure force. Apart from a powerful empress like Theodora who could suppress this impurity, it would bring ill omen to ordinary people.
Coleman was actually carrying it in his pocket; wasn’t he inviting death?
“Theodora’s possession?” Coleman’s eyes lit up. If it really belonged to Theodora, then the value of this pearl would be very high.
Powell frowned. He could see the pearl’s exquisite craftsmanship and the pale golden hue with a hint of purple light.
What would the price be for something belonging to Theodora of the Byzantine Empire?
“Kid, what do you know? If you’re ignorant, don’t talk nonsense and go play somewhere else.” Powell chuckled dismissively, not caring if what William said was true or not, for he would not admit it either way.
Even if it was really Theodora’s possession, Powell would not acknowledge it.
Because he couldn’t afford that price.
William briefly explained the history of the pearl to them and then turned to Coleman, “You must have just obtained this pearl, haven’t you? Have you noticed that you feel drowsy every day, only feeling alert around noon? Do you experience cold sweats and nightmares at night?”
Hiss—every single word was spot on.
Coleman was surprised. As a tomb raider, he couldn’t not believe in sinister spirits.
What’s more, everything William mentioned was accurate and he had never told anyone about it. This made him believe William’s words even more.
Powell snorted, “Absurd! If this pearl really is as you said, a gift to Theodora during a diplomatic mission, it should be a lucky item. Besides, what you said is too far-fetched.”
He stared at the Radiant Empress Pearl and said to Coleman, “Coleman, I’ve also looked at it. This object may date back to the period between AD 527 and 548, but it is certainly not Theodora’s Radiant Empress Pearl. Have you ever heard of Theodora owning such a pearl?”
There’s no record of this pearl in history.
But William knew it all too well.
“This pearl has a huge impact on you,” William said directly to Coleman, ignoring Powell. “You were supposed to live for a few more years, but you’ve been carrying this pearl for God knows how long. Even if you sell the pearl now, you will not survive more than three days. Sell it to me, and I can extend your life by a few years.”
“Hahahaha! Young man, you have a knack for playing a mystic!” Powell’s eye for quality was certainly good. Even though he could not confirm the authenticity of William’s claims, he knew the pearl was valuable and would be profitable if acquired.
Coleman was still hesitant. It was evident that Powell intended to buy the pearl. Even if it were valued as an antique from the period between AD 527 and 548, it would surely be worth at least ten million dollars.
But if what William said was true, and he wouldn’t live past three days…
Coleman gritted his teeth and said to Powell, “Mr. Ward, name your price!”
He decided to sell the pearl to Powell.
He obviously couldn’t bear to sell it to William for thirty thousand dollars.
Besides, why would he believe William’s claim that he wouldn’t live past three days? How could one person know another’s lifespan? Such an idea was beyond belief.
Tomb raiders were naturally accompanied by impure forces. They chose this profession knowing the risks and were not afraid of death.
Take a gamble. Maybe he could get rich overnight!
“What, not surviving three days, what unclean things, it’s all nonsense!” Powell laughed and said, “Eight million dollars, if I resell this pearl, it should fetch at least ten million dollars or so. You have to let me make a profit, right?”
As a tomb raider, the origins of the items he had were definitely not legitimate. The trade was also illegal and it was hard to find major buyers. People like Powell, who could easily pay millions for his pearl, were rare.
Moreover, William had just spoken so ominously.
“Ten million dollars! Not a penny less! Otherwise, I’ll sell it to this guy for thirty thousand!” Coleman finally made up his mind, his face resolute. He was risking his life on this deal. If this transaction went through, he’d decided to quit tomb raiding for good, ready to enjoy the rest of his life. There was no denying that William’s words had indeed frightened him.
Powell hesitated for a moment, glanced at William, then gritted his teeth and said, “Alright! I’ll buy it!”
Seeing that they had already agreed on the deal, William said nothing more, and continued walking forward with Alice, as if he had seen nothing.
“Is that pearl really Theodora’s?” Alice whispered in William’s ear, “I can see that the man does look unwell, but I really don’t know of any such pearl in history. You didn’t deceive him, did you?”
William smiled without answering. Did he need to say anything?
He had already given that tomb raider a chance to live.
In the entire world, probably only William could save his life, but for ten million dollars, he had chosen death.
The two continued walking forward. William saw many valuable items, but the sellers weren’t fools. The prices they quoted were all well over thirty thousand dollars.
“Maybe I should ask my grandfather for some money,” Alice said, walking with William for two hours on the street without him buying anything. She began to doubt if William could make the amount of money he wanted.
If William wanted to turn thirty thousand dollars into a million, it would actually be simple. He could buy a slightly more expensive item for thirty thousand dollars, sell it, buy something more expensive, and repeat the process. With his ability, he could certainly do it in less than three hours.
But William found it too bothersome and simply didn’t buy anything.
With his telekinesis, he casually took a teacup from a box at home and walked with Alice into the “Eternal Life Emporium.”
“Where in here can we find cheap treasures?” Alice frowned. How could they possibly buy cheap items in a large antique store like this?
True treasures were recognized by those who owned them, so there was no way to make a profit here.
William smiled and said, “I’ll just sell a cup.”
“What?” Alice looked at William in confusion.
William handed the cup to Alice and said, “You sell it. Just ask for one million dollars.”
Huh? 𝒷𝒹𝓸𝓿𝓁.𝒸ℴ𝓶
Alice took the teacup from William’s hand. Wasn’t this the teacup they used at William’s house?
She remembered that William had four of them.
And this thing was to be sold for one million dollars?