"Hale, what's going on here? I feel like I'm about to lose my life over this," Michale Shaw, who loved to join in the fun and had been a groomsman for his relatives before, knew that the usual practice at the door was to ask for red envelopes or cigarettes; once you gave enough, you were let in.
What's the Payne Family trying to do?
Are they after people's lives?
"Here we are." Martin Yates smiled at William Hale, "Three chances – choose one piece of stone, and as long as jade is revealed, I'll let you in."
Holy moly,
It's gambling on jade!
William Hale wasn't well-versed in this; he only knew that even gods can't predict jade outcome, it's either wealth or ruin with every cut; if it were that easy to guess, no one would be bankrupted over it.
He glanced at the dozen or so stones, seeing no difference between them.
His only choice was to look to his groomsmen for advice.
None seemed to have any idea where to start.