Cail had already taken out the wooden box and placed it on his bed. He examined the ring and looked for any features that might hint that it was valuable.
"There's nothing," Cail murmured. It still looked ugly. Neither fashionable nor elegant in the slightest.
But then, he noticed something else. There were numbers inside the ring.
6 0 0 0 0 0 0
"What's that? Does it correspond to the metal used?"
Then Cail's eyes widened. "Wait... I don't remember seeing that earlier. When did it appear?"
"Maybe my myopia's just getting worse," he muttered, brushing it off. Deorc was still rambling in the chat.
Deorc: Are you playing with me? You're a dealer right? Are you selling it or not?
An: I'm selling it. But you're being stingy. Don't think I'm some clueless sucker.
Deorc: Fine. Tell me how much you want it for.
Cail stared at the persistent Deorc. This guy... What's he trying to do with that ring?
He decided to mess with him a little. How will he react if I raise the price outrageously? Hmm, number on the ring, I choose you!
An: 6 million.
Just as Cail expected Deorc to back out and curse him out of anger, an eager reply came.
Deorc: Sure! That's final!
Cail was in disbelief. He stood up, pulling the phone closer to his face. "This guy... This guy's nuts!"
What was going on? Was that ring actually worth something? He tried reverse searching it, typing in every detail of the ring, still, nothing came up.
His hands trembled slightly as he typed:
An: Deal. Why did you offer me 2,000 earlier?
Deorc: Just being cheap.
An: So you thought I didn't know what I was selling?
Deorc: (Typing...)
Cail watched as Deorc hesitated to reply. He already had his answer in his mind.
That ring had some hidden value.
An: Sesh... I'm guessing you wanted to get a good deal for a ridiculously low price? Insincere.
Deorc: Sorry, I didn't know your a dealer. I'll raise the pay to 7 million, just treat the extra 1 million as an apology. I hope to get the ring.
Cail took a deep breath. He had a feeling he was getting involved in something he didn't want to touch. As for the word 'dealer', Cail thought that Deorc was pertaining to seller.
But 7 million... That was the kind of money he and his mother could never earn in a lifetime. Could he really let this opportunity pass just like that? This is a once-in-a-lifetime deal!
He stared at his phone, his heart pounding. Talking about this much money made him nervous, especially since he had no clue what he was dealing with.
But money is everything.
An: Sure. When are you available?
Deorc: Is 11 PM tomorrow okay? You decide the location.
An: Sure. Let's meet at the second floor of the Blues Lily restaurant. Bring all the cash.
Deorc: Okay. That's the Blues Lily near Lenden's, right?
An: Yes. Be there on time.
After finalizing the deal, Cail realized he'd been holding his breath the whole time.
That was dangerous. He could get himself killed dealing with someone this shady. Going out at night and meeting with a stranger? That just screamed danger.
But even while blinded by money, Cail had already begun to formulate a plan the moment he chose the meeting spot.
Maybe it'll work.
---
10:00 AM
Post-sleep clarity hit hard. As soon as he woke up, he realized how bold and sketchy the transaction from last night. Did he really just earn 7 million nu from that crappy ring?
He still felt like he was dreaming. Then he got smacked on the back.
"Ah! Mom, what was that for?" Cail took a step back, eyeing his mother warily.
"You've been staring at the wall blankly all day," she said, scrutinizing Cail. "What kind of heavy problem are you thinking that you're sighing like an old man?"
Cail rolled his eyes. "A big one. We don't have money anymore. Can you just stop playing mahjong and curb your shopping addiction?"
His mom didn't get mad. She flopped down lazily onto the sofa and lit a cigarette. She looked at Cail and smile, "What's life if you can't gamble and go shopping?"
"Stop smoking inside the house." Cail waved the smoke away and snapped, "All of that requires money. What's life if you don't have money?"
She didn't answer and just ignored him.
Cail felt a surge of irritation. Their roles were reversed. He, the son, was the one taking care of the mother, not the other way around.
To avoid another argument, he stepped outside and headed to the garage.
The monet he open the door, he was blasted with thick dust.
Cough cough cough."Damn, it's dusty as hell." Cail thought he'd get a lung disease sooner or later living in this house.
He looked around and finally spotted what he was looking for.
In the corner of the garage, covered by a dusty raincoat, was an old motorcycle.
"Using this should be fine." Then a pang of guilt hit him. He was still underage, he shouldn't be driving. But that guilt quickly vanished . This wasn't the first time. Why is he pretending to be meek now?
He hopped on and stepped on the starter. It sounded hollow at first, but after a few tries-
Vromm! Vromm! Vromm!
"Thank God it still works."
The motorcycle had been a gift from his godfather before he and his mom moved out. He'd barely used it. Technically because he didn't have a license... but really, he just didn't feel like going out.
He grabbed his helmet and set it on the seat.
Time to get everything ready for tonight.
"Am I doing too much?" he muttered as he polished the bike.
He shook his head, thinking about how unknown the transaction was. "Nah. I think it's fine."
"...But why does this feel like I'm dealing with something illegal?"
Well before all of that, I should take Blackie to the vet first and get a shot.
---
11:00 PM - Blues Lily
"Deorc, are you sure that ring's legit?" The woman beside him asked. Her eyes flicked between her phone and the dark street below.
"I mean... I think so?" Deorc muttered.
He stood by the second-floor window of the Blues Lily, peering down at the nearly empty road. His long black hair was tied up lazily, and his forehead mark glowed faintly in the dim lighting.
"He said he'd be here at 11," Deorc grumbled. "It's already five minutes pass 11."
He tapped anxiously at his phone, then finally he couldn't hold it anymore:
Deorc: I'm already here. Where are you?
The woman nudged him. "Calm down. These types like to act mysterious, right?"
That's what Deorc is worried about. Dealers are usually willful and insane.
Then his phone buzzed.
An: Look down.
An: I'm already here.