Luke was staying at the five-star luxury hotel provided by Sotheby's. As their honored guest, he could reside in their affiliated hotels for free until the item was successfully auctioned or withdrawn from sale!
The next evening, Luke received shocking news: the Arkansas state governnt had stepped in!
They claid the red diamond was a discovery of major significance and could not be privately owned — its ownership belonged to the governnt of the United States!
The atmosphere in the hotel conference room was heavy.
On one side of the long table, Luke sat with his hands clasped on the polished surface, his knuckles slightly white from the pressure.
Across from him were two senior representatives from Sotheby's, their chief legal counsel, and his own Chinese-Arican lawyer, Louis Wang — the man with gold-rimd glasses who spoke at the speed of a machine gun.
Outside the window, New York's dazzling night skyline glittered, but no one in the room was in the mood to admire it.
"Mr. Luke, that's the situation."
One of Sotheby's vice presidents — a middle-aged white man with impeccably combed hair — gently slid a docunt across the table.
"The Arkansas state governnt's legal basis is an extended interpretation of 'important mineral discoveries belong to the public,' combined with the vague clauses in Crater of Diamonds Park's 'discovery must be reported' rules. They moved very quickly, clearly because they had internal contingency plans ready, or… were driven by certain interests."
Louis Wang imdiately spoke up, his eyes sharp as a hawk behind his glasses: "Contingency plans? Driven by interests? This looks more like outright robbery after seeing a fortune worth a king's ransom!"
"The park's notices and ticket terms have never clearly stated that all excavated minerals automatically belong to the governnt or the park. Otherwise, who would even bother going? This completely destroys the foundation of comrcial integrity and is a serious infringent on private property rights! Mr. Luke entered legally with a ticket, excavated legally, and reported his discovery in accordance with the law."
"The state governnt's current actions constitute classic 'ex post facto legislation' and selective enforcent. We have a very strong chance of winning."
Another Sotheby's representative — a capable woman — nodded in agreent:
"Public opinion is already on our side. The information we just released is having a significant effect. Keywords like 'governnt robbery,' 'discrimination,' and 'scamming tourists' are trending on major social platforms and news sites."
"The public, especially those who enjoy outdoor treasure hunting and value private property rights, are strongly opposed. This has created a favorable environnt outside the courtroom."
Luke remained silent for a mont, absorbing the information.
He was not a true "treasure hunter," but this red diamond was a critical part of his plan to obtain a massive amount of legitimate startup capital on Blue Star. It could not be lost.
Although he had plenty of gold dragons in Westeros, they needed a reasonable origin on Blue Star.
Cashing in gold was the most damnably difficult thing — he would need to buy land and claim he dug it up, but… he didn't have the money to buy the land in the first place.
This diamond was the "reasonable" solution.
He raised his eyes and scanned everyone present: "I deeply appreciate Sotheby's willingness to provide full assistance. The additional 2% commission is a token of my sincerity."
"But what I need is not just public opinion and lawyers. I need to ensure that, no matter the court's outco, the value of this diamond and my rights are protected to the greatest possible extent."
"If… and I an if, in the worst-case scenario the diamond is ruled to belong to the governnt, what counter-asures or compensation plans do we have?"
Sotheby's chief legal counsel — an elderly man with white hair but sharp, energetic eyes — spoke slowly: "Mr. Luke, we have analyzed this. The probability of the worst-case scenario is not high. But if it does happen, we can demand full and imdiate market-value compensation based on the relevant laws regarding 'governnt eminent domain.'"
"And the market value will be determined by our Sotheby's appraisal and the anticipated global bidding frenzy from top collectors. That will be an astronomical figure. The state governnt's budget would likely find it extrely painful. This is a form of pressure."
"Additionally, we can appeal to federal court. This would beco a long and expensive legal battle. For state officials eager to seize the diamond as so kind of 'political achievent' or 'interest,' it would also be a heavy burden. Ti, money, and public opinion are all our weapons."
Luke nodded, feeling slightly reassured.
Professional teams were different. They didn't just see the lawsuit itself — they saw the subsequent ga.
"Good. Then what do we need to do over the next three days?"
Louis Wang opened his schedule: "Tomorrow morning, I need you to work with and our expert team to double-check every detail — including your ticket purchase receipts, your tiline of activities inside the park, and the video and photo records of the exact mont you discovered the diamond!"
"Even if the park's surveillance 'accidentally' fails, our own preparations must be flawless. In the afternoon, the PR team will coordinate with you. We may selectively accept interviews with one or two authoritative dia outlets to shape your image as a legitimate, lucky individual who firmly believes the law will protect private property. Rember — you are the 'lucky discoverer,' not a 'mysterious tycoon.'"
"As for the courtroom…"
The Sotheby's vice president continued: "You may not need to testify in person. That depends on the other side's strategy and the judge's decision. But you must remain available at all tis. Additionally, we have already contacted several highly respected law professors specializing in mining law and constitutional property rights. They are willing to serve as expert witnesses."
The eting lasted another hour, finalizing many details. By the ti it ended, night had fallen outside the window.
Luke returned to the top-floor suite Sotheby's had arranged for him.
The huge floor-to-ceiling windows offered a full view of New York's sea of lights, but he had no mood to appreciate it.
He walked to the liquor cabinet but ignored the expensive foreign wines. With a thought, a silver flagon from Westeros appeared in his hand, filled with the strongest "Dragon Fla" from the "Magic Goblet" tavern.
He took a sip. The fiery liquid slid down his throat, bringing a sense of reality.
Two worlds, two identities. Now on Blue Star, he faced a thorny challenge as well.
The struggles in Westeros were full of blood and directness, while Blue Star's rules were wrapped in layers of law, public opinion, and capital. It looked civilized on the surface, but the cruelty beneath was no less ruthless.
He opened his laptop and checked the direction of news and social dia.
Sure enough, hashtags like #ArkansasRedDiamond, #GovernntRobbery, and #DiamondPitScam had already shot to the top of trending lists.
Sotheby's PR was ruthless. The released images of the state governnt's official letter were crystal clear, with strong and domineering wording that easily provoked public resentnt.
The comnt sections were filled with heated argunts:
"If the park rules say you can't truly own what you find, then what's the difference from scamming people?"
"A 43-carat red diamond! If it were , I wouldn't want to hand it over to the governnt either!"
"This is protection of the nation's important geological heritage! Support the state governnt!"
"Protection? I think so people just want to line their own pockets! Who knows whose private collection this diamond will end up in?"
"What about the Asian kid who found the diamond? He should co forward and speak!"
Public opinion was fernting, like a pot of water slowly coming to a boil.
Luke closed the webpage and took another sip of wine. He recalled Petyr Baelish's aningful words: "Chaos isn't a pit. Chaos is a ladder."
Now on Blue Star, this chaos triggered by the diamond might also beco a ladder for him to stand firmly.
However, the way he climbed it had to follow this world's rules.
Three days later, at the New York Federal District Court.
Luke did not enter the courtroom itself. He waited in the rest area behind the public gallery with Louis Wang's assistant.
Through the glass, he could see the corridor packed with reporters who had rushed over after hearing the news.
The trial was long and intense.
The Arkansas state governnt's legal team insisted that the red diamond possessed "irreplaceable scientific value and symbolic national significance." Citing certain vague state regulations and federal mineral resource managent principles, they claid ownership.
They even brought a geologist to explain that the diamond might have "major significance" for geological structure research in Arkansas and even North Arica.
Listening to all this nonsense, Luke's mouth twisted… Major my ass. This thing ca from Westeros. If anyone should be suing over it, it would be "Old Man Martin" coming after . Who the hell are you people?
Louis Wang and Sotheby's legal team countered fiercely. They presented a detailed chain of evidence: Luke's legal ticket purchase record, textual analysis showing the park's visitor guidelines contained no clear ownership transfer clause, precedents where other tourists had taken small finds without being pursued, and — most importantly — emphasis on the protection of private property rights under the Fifth Andnt of the U.S. Constitution, opposing governnt seizure without reasonable compensation.
The legal experts invited by Sotheby's sharply pointed out that the state governnt's actions constituted classic "abuse of power." If this precedent were set, it would severely damage the credibility of civilian exploration and the tourism industry.
"Bang bang bang…"
During the trial, the judge repeatedly interrupted the lengthy statents from both sides, asking sharp and crucial questions.
Court was recessed twice, and both sides held tense off-the-record negotiations.
When the judge finally struck the gavel, announced a temporary recess, and stated that a preliminary ruling would be issued the following afternoon, everyone breathed a sigh of relief — but their hearts remained tense.
Leaving the courthouse and facing the surging dia, Louis Wang stood in front of Luke and issued a brief statent: "My client firmly believes the law will protect everyone's legitimate property. We await the court's fair ruling."
Luke, wearing sunglasses and saying nothing, was quickly escorted by security into the waiting car.
In the car, Louis Wang removed his glasses and rubbed his brow: "The judge's attitude is relatively cautious, but not bad for us. He did not imdiately support the state governnt's ergency ownership claim. This shows he at least believes more thorough review is needed."
"Tomorrow's preliminary ruling will very likely reject the state governnt's ergency request, allowing Sotheby's to continue holding the diamond until the final judgnt, or require both sides to provide more evidence. This will buy us more ti to continue mobilizing public opinion and applying pressure."
Luke watched the streets flying past outside the window: "So, a stalemate?"
"Yes, a stalemate. And a stalemate is usually unfavorable for a governnt that wants to obtain sothing quickly." Louis Wang showed a shrewd smile.
"Especially when the item is being held by the world's top auction house and has already beco a global focus. Every day the state governnt drags this out, the pressure from public opinion and potential political risk increases. I suspect soone will soon propose a settlent."
Luke nodded slightly.
This was remarkably similar to certain negotiations in Westeros — only the chips had changed from armies and grain to legal clauses and public opinion.
Not long after returning to the hotel, a senior executive from Sotheby's called. His tone carried a hint of relief: "Mr. Luke, we've received so… unofficial communications. The Arkansas state governnt is under heavy pressure."
"Several lawmakers have publicly questioned how this matter is being handled. They may be willing to sit down and discuss a compensation package."
"Compensation? Not ownership?" Luke asked.
"They probably won't easily give up ownership — that involves face and political stance. But a solution like 'in consideration of public interest, granting the discoverer a huge reward while retaining so of his rights' is highly possible. What we need to do is negotiate that 'reward' and 'rights' to sothing infinitely close to the market auction price."
Luke understood.
This might not be the most perfect victory, but it could be the most realistic and beneficial solution.
What he needed was money — legitimate, massive funds. As for whether the diamond ended up in a museum or so tycoon's safe, he didn't care.
After all, it was just a stone… and he had plenty more in his space.
"Then let's negotiate," Luke said. "The bottom line is that my economic interests cannot be damaged. You and Louis will oversee the specific terms."
After hanging up, Luke walked to the window.
Night had fallen over New York once again, with lights beginning to glow.
This sudden storm seed to be developing in a controllable direction.
But he was once again reminded that on Blue Star, especially when huge interests were involved, "luck" alone was not enough. He also needed strength, capital, professional teams, and a masterful command of the rules.
He thought of Casterly Rock in Westeros and the Iron Throne in King's Landing.
The two worlds were not so different at their core.
He needed greater power, whether in the dinsion of ice and fire, or in this steel forest before him.
He checked the ti. It was night on Blue Star, which ant it was morning in Westeros.
Today in Westeros, he had an appointnt with Tyrion Lannister — that suprely intelligent dwarf — to discuss a new deal involving "special steel" and "fine wine."
Perhaps he could draw so more wisdom from that dwarf who understood the rules of the ga so well, to deal with the unfinished chessboard on Blue Star.
He needed a few hours of rest, then he would cross over again and begin his "other day."
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