The morning sunlight chased away the thin sea mist along the beach. It was ti to say goodbye.
Mia, still recovering from the "heavy toll" and physical exhaustion of the previous night, remained sound asleep and couldn't get up to see him off.
Alexandra and Jennifer, however, looked bright-eyed and energetic — or rather, their eyes carried a certain unusual gleam. They enthusiastically offered to drive Luke to the airport.
Luke didn't think much of it. Since taking a taxi to the airport sounded troubleso, he gladly accepted their "kindness."
However, when he saw the stylishly painted, rather comfortable-looking small RV parked in front of the motel, a faint sense of unease flickered in his mind.
Still, he quickly dismissed it — perhaps they simply thought the RV offered more space and comfort.
The vehicle pulled away from Santa Monica and onto the highway leading to Los Angeles International Airport.
At first everything seed normal. The two girls chatted cheerfully about the scenery along the way, keeping the atmosphere light.
But not long after they set off, Luke sensed sothing was wrong.
Instead of heading toward the airport, Alexandra turned onto a quiet road leading to a nearby state park coastline.
"Uh… did we take a wrong turn? The airport isn't this way," Luke reminded them.
"No mistake, Luke."
"There's still plenty of ti. We'll take you sowhere with a better view for a proper farewell."
From the rearview mirror, Alexandra gave him a charming yet sly smile.
Jennifer in the passenger seat turned around, licked her lips with a heated gaze, and said, "Exactly. Saying goodbye at the airport would be so boring. We've prepared a special 'farewell ceremony' just for you."
Luke's heart sank. He instantly realized he had gotten into the wrong car!
These two vixens had never intended to send him off properly — they had ulterior motives!
Before he could protest or react, the RV made a sharp turn and stopped at a secluded coastal viewpoint.
Rugged rocks and dense bushes surrounded them. The sound of waves crashing against the stones masked everything.
The doors locked!
The next four hours beca the ultimate test of Luke's willpower, stamina, and… a certain remarkable endurance.
The cramped RV interior turned into a battlefield. Two passionate, experienced, and clearly "well-prepared" beautiful Arican girls worked in perfect coordination, their assault relentless.
They seed determined to "verify" and "disprove" the earlier doubts about Luke being "incapable" and "lacking balls" in the most direct way possible.
Luke initially tried to struggle and reason with them, but he was soon overwheld by their enthusiastic tide.
His 11 Constitution and Strength gave him enough "stamina" and "counterattack" ability, but the opponents were two in number and clearly ca prepared with excellent tactical teamwork… so he could only fight a bitter battle.
The "farewell ceremony" was intense, prolonged, and filled with bold, straightforward Arican passion.
One innate convulsive saint!
One innate spasmodic saint!
In the end, both turned into innate cream puff saints!
By the ti Alexandra finally restarted the car with a satisfied expression and headed toward the airport, Luke stared out the window at the rapidly receding scenery, feeling as if half his body had been hollowed out. His mind was in a daze.
He had co dangerously close — so close — to missing today's flight to Little Rock, Arkansas!
In the final monts, he practically scrambled through security.
Watching Luke's slightly disheveled yet composed back disappear into the security checkpoint, Alexandra and Jennifer in the RV exchanged glances. Both saw satisfaction and amazent on each other's faces.
"God…" Jennifer rubbed her sore waist, her voice hoarse. "What the hell is he made of? Is this part of Dragon Kingdom kung fu?"
Alexandra lit a slim cigarette, exhaled a smoke ring, and said dreamily, "I now believe he's not 'incapable'… quite the opposite. He's almost too capable. Good thing there were two of us…"
"Good thing Mia wore him out a bit last night!"
The two chatted in low voices as they drove back to the hotel, occasionally sighing and laughing, full of admiration for Luke's "combat prowess."
Late that night, at Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Luke dragged his exhausted body out of the terminal — mostly from ntal shock and jet lag!
He found a random motel near the airport and collapsed into sleep.
He needed to recover quickly to face tomorrow's real main event.
The next day, following the itinerary he had researched in advance, he rented a car and headed straight for the ultimate destination of his Arican trip — Crater of Diamonds State Park.
This was the only diamond-bearing site in the world open to the public.
For the price of an entrance ticket, anyone could dig, and whatever gems they found belonged to them.
The park offered basic tool rentals and designated washing and initial inspection areas.
This place was the real reason Luke had crossed the ocean to Arica!
The beach vacation in Los Angeles, the encounters, conflicts, and even the wild "RV send-off" had all been smokescreens.
They were ant to make his itinerary look like that of an ordinary tourist, so that if anyone investigated later, his purpose wouldn't appear too obvious — straight to Crater of Diamonds Park.
His plan was simple: from the large quantity of gems he had brought from Westeros, select one sufficiently stunning, priceless diamond and stage a dramatic "lucky tourist discovers a world-class treasure" scene inside the park.
This way, the diamond would have a legitimate, public, and hard-to-question "origin story."
Even if he later had to pay a huge tax bill to the Arican IRS when selling it, the cost was completely worth it for safely "laundering" and legalizing such a massive fortune.
"Paying taxes" was the ultimate money-laundering thod — if your money could be taxed, it was legal. Once taxes were paid, how could it be called laundering?
For the first three days, Luke perfectly played the role of a curious, luck-seeking ordinary tourist.
He wore rented work pants and a sun hat, blended in with treasure hunters of all skin colors from all over the world, and realistically dug and washed dirt with a small shovel and sieve under the scorching sun.
With his fluent English and deliberately cultivated image as a "well-educated Eastern tourist," he quickly struck up conversations with several retired elders and families with children who were also there for the experience, exchanging "diamond hunting" tips.
Like him, many didn't really expect to find anything. They simply enjoyed the "treasure hunt" fun and unique travel experience.
While socializing, Luke secretly observed the park's layout, managent procedures, and especially the key "inspection hall."
He patiently waited for the perfect mont.
On the fourth day, in the afternoon.
The sun scorched the earth. The park was still filled with persistent diamond hunters.
Luke carried a small bucket containing a few ordinary quartz and flint stones he had "laboriously" dug up that day and walked toward the inspection hall.
This hall offered free preliminary washing and simple appraisal services. It was also where "lucky ones" displayed their finds and triggered exclamations.
There weren't many people inside. A few staff mbers lounged lazily by the counter.
Luke waited in line. When his turn ca, he poured the stones from his bucket into the washing trough like everyone else and casually rinsed them with a hose.
Then, he "casually" pulled a chicken-egg-sized "stone" from his pocket — one with a rich, deep pigeon-blood red color — mixed it in with the ordinary stones, and placed it under the running water.
As the clear water washed away the surface dirt, the red stone revealed a breathtaking color and crystal-clear texture under the sunlight!
The staff mber in charge of preliminary cleaning and observation was a white, bespectacled, chubby man. He had been going through the motions until his eyes landed on the red stone.
His entire body froze as if struck by lightning!
His eyes widened, his mouth slowly fell open, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
He grabbed a high-powered magnifying glass with trembling hands, brought it close to the stone, examined it repeatedly, and even scanned it with a small handheld spectroter.
The spectral curve on the screen made him suck in a sharp breath!
The next second, an ear-piercing, ultra-high-decibel scream that nearly shook the roof echoed through the entire inspection hall:
"Oh——My——GOD——!!!"
"You… what did you dig up?! A red diamond?! This big?! My God! This is impossible! This will definitely go down in history!!"
The chubby staff mber's voice cracked from extre shock and excitent. He held up the red stone, turning it repeatedly under the light. The dazzling, fla-like brilliance instantly drew every eye in the hall!
Luke imdiately "reacted." He stepped forward, deftly "snatched" the red diamond back from the chubby man's hand, clutched it tightly in his palm, and put on a mixed expression of joy, vigilance, and a hint of "protecting my treasure": "Hey! This is mine! I found it!"
Only then did the chubby man snap back to reality, but his excitent didn't diminish. Pointing at the diamond in Luke's hand, he shouted incoherently at the other tourists and staff mbers who had rushed over: "Red diamond! It's a red diamond! At least… at least 30 carats! My God! This place has never produced red diamonds! This is a miracle! A miracle!!"
"What? A red diamond?!"
"30 carats?!"
"Where? Let see!"
"God, is this real?!"
"Take photos! Quick, take photos!"
The hall instantly exploded!
Shouts of astonishnt, questions, envious and jealous murmurs, and the clicking of caras filled the air. The crowd surged toward Luke like a tide, all desperate to see this legendary treasure with their own eyes.
That night, social dia and news platforms across Arica were flooded with one explosive story:
#Huge Red Diamond Over 30 Carats Discovered at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas! Finder is an Asian Tourist!#
Videos from every angle of the chaotic inspection hall, the staff mber losing his composure with excitent, and the Eastern young man standing in the center clutching his fist tightly spread like wildfire on Twitter (X), YouTube, and Facebook.
Local television stations interrupted regular programming to urgently broadcast the "miracle in our state."
The largest luxury hotel near Crater of Diamonds Park, top-floor suite.
A soft knock sounded on Luke's door.
He had expected visitors and cautiously checked through the peephole.
Outside were not police or imagined nacing gangsters, but several n in well-tailored, high-quality dark suits with sharp, professional deanors.
One was indeed Black, but equally well-dressed and professional.
Luke opened the door.
The leader was a white man around fifty, with ticulously combed hair and gold-rimd glasses.
He wore a perfectly asured friendly smile — neither overly warm nor lacking respect. He handed over a simply designed yet high-quality business card:
"Good evening, Mr. Luke. Sorry for the intrusion. I am Thor Whitney, Senior Director of the Gem and Jewelry Departnt at Sotheby's New York headquarters.
"We are deeply honored to learn of your astonishing discovery today at Crater of Diamonds Park and have co at the earliest opportunity, hoping to have the chance to provide professional service for such a precious treasure."
His English was clear and resonant, his wording precise and full of the tone of a prestigious auction house.
Luke took the card, glanced at it, and stepped aside: "Please co in, Mr. Whitney."
The group entered the small sitting area of the suite.
Besides Whitney, there were two middle-aged n who looked like technical experts and a young Black man who appeared to be an assistant or security.
"Thank you very much for receiving us, Mr. Luke."
Whitney sat down and got straight to the point: "We co with the utmost sincerity and hope to work with you. Of course, before we proceed to formal discussions and viewing the diamond, we need to perform a preliminary, non-destructive professional appraisal to confirm its authenticity and basic quality. This is both our professional requirent and our responsibility to you."
Luke nodded, indicating he understood. However, he calmly said: "Mr. Whitney, your efficiency is impressive. But before we discuss further or show the diamond, I need my lawyer to be present. This is standard procedure. I hope you understand."
"Of course, completely understandable! This is a very cautious and professional approach," Whitney replied without surprise, his smile widening. "We can wait."
About thirty minutes later, the doorbell rang again.
A well-dressed Asian man in a suit carrying a briefcase walked in. He introduced himself: "Good evening, Mr. Luke. I am Louis Lee. I have been retained by you to provide legal support."
Louis Lee was the Chinese-Arican lawyer Luke had contacted through reliable channels before executing the plan. He specialized in high-net-worth assets and cross-border transactions and had a good reputation in the industry.
With the lawyer present, the atmosphere beca even more formal.
Under Louis Lee's supervision, both sides began detailed discussions.
Luke first presented a photocopy of the official "Discovery Certificate" issued by Crater of Diamonds Park, complete with a serial number and simple description!
This had been issued that afternoon at the park office. Though simple, it carried legal weight.
Whitney examined the docunt carefully and confird it was in order.
Subsequently, under the lawyer's witness, both parties signed a preliminary Letter of Intent for Auction Consignnt, clearly outlining Sotheby's interest in accepting the red diamond for auction and the main frawork and core terms of the future formal consignnt contract.
This included commission rates, insurance, promotion, and legal responsibilities.
After the letter of intent was signed, the most critical step followed — the preliminary appraisal.
Under Louis Lee's supervision and with the entire process recorded on video, Luke took out a specially made small shockproof case from his inner pocket.
He opened the case. The diamond, sparkling with an eerie red light under the lamps, lay quietly on the black velvet lining.
Even though they had been ntally prepared, when they finally saw the chicken-egg-sized red diamond with its rich, pure color and crystal-clear quality — raw yet undeniably brilliant — Whitney and the two appraisers he brought still couldn't help holding their breath. Their eyes revealed undisguised shock and fascination.
The two appraisers put on white gloves and, treating it like a sacred object, carefully transferred the diamond to a padded work table.
They brought out a full set of portable professional equipnt: high-powered microscopes, precision electronic scales, advanced spectroters, refractoters, thermal conductivity testers… and began a ticulous and rapid examination.
The suite fell silent, broken only by the soft hum of instrunts and the occasional low murmurs of technical terms from the appraisers.
Luke, Whitney, and the lawyer waited quietly.
More than thirty minutes later, the preliminary appraisal was complete.
The lead appraiser removed his gloves, took a deep breath, and turned to Whitney. His voice trembled slightly with excitent: "Mr. Whitney, after preliminary appraisal… it can be confird that this is a natural red diamond. Color grade… preliminary assessnt reaches Fancy Red level, with extrely high clarity and exceptionally pure internals. Weight… 43.2 carats."
43.2 carats!
Even more astonishing than the 30-carat figure circulating online!
Even the well-traveled Whitney's pupils contracted sharply when he heard the final number.
The value of this red diamond… was already beyond ordinary jewelry. It was enough to beco the centerpiece of any top-tier auction and potentially set a new world record!
"Mr. Luke, congratulations! This is truly a miracle blessed by God! We at Sotheby's are deeply honored to have the opportunity to be part of it."
Whitney turned to Luke, his tone becoming even more solemn, even carrying a trace of awe.
With the preliminary appraisal complete and the diamond's authenticity and value confird,
Whitney suggested that, for safety and to conduct more detailed appraisal, evaluation, and auction preparation, Luke should bring the diamond and accompany them imdiately to Sotheby's headquarters in New York.
A specially made black briefcase with a combination lock and GPS tracker was brought out.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the 43.2-carat red diamond was gently placed into its custom lining and locked inside the briefcase.
Then a sturdy alloy chain securely cuffed the briefcase to Luke's wrist.
"Mr. Luke, please understand — this is the highest level of security protocol. It protects both the diamond and your safety," Whitney explained.
Luke nodded without objection.
The group wasted no ti. They quickly left the hotel and headed to the airport.
A private Gulfstream jet painted with the Sotheby's logo was already waiting on the runway.
Several hours later, the plane landed in New York.
Under Sotheby's tight security escort, Luke was taken directly into their global headquarters building in Manhattan.
There, the red diamond underwent even more comprehensive, in-depth, multi-day laboratory-grade appraisal and evaluation.
In the end, all the data confird its extraordinary quality.
The next day, in a solemn conference room at Sotheby's headquarters, Luke, accompanied by his lawyer Louis Lee, formally signed the Auction Consignnt Contract with Sotheby's.
The contract terms had been carefully reviewed and negotiated by the lawyer. The final agreed commission rate was 13%.
For a treasure of this caliber — one destined to enter the history books — this was a very reasonable and competitive figure.
Looking at his signature on the contract, Luke felt a huge weight finally lift from his chest.
The "stone" from Westeros had successfully gained a legitimate and dazzling identity on Blue Star's highest stage.
Next ca waiting for the auction and… the astronomical sum that would finally grant him true financial freedom and fuel even greater ambitions.
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