Sure enough.

Nathalie Quinlan thought for a moment and agreed: "Okay."

Hansel Kingsley’s tense mind relaxed.

He was about to tell the auctioneer that it was okay.

Just then, the girl slowly spoke: "Since I have to leave The First Research Institute if I lose, what about if you lose?"

"I can’t lose!" Hansel Kingsley was extremely confident, his cloudy eyes seemed to hold all the power, assertive and domineering.

"Tsk." The girl gave a shallow smile, her delicate face carrying a bit of mocking rebelliousness, and without wasting words, she concisely said: "If I lose, I will leave The First Research Institute. If Kingsleys Family loses, how about revealing the secret formula for black powder?"

Hansel Kingsley suddenly looked at her, surprised and with a fierce stare wanting to tear Nathalie apart: "..."

Nathalie didn’t care, meeting his eyes, her dark eyes deep and calm, his so-called warning and fierce gaze seemed to cause no ripples in her, she touched her duckbill cap and spoke playfully: "Kingsleys Family wouldn’t back out of a bet, would they?"

One sentence blocked all of Hansel Kingsley’s retreat.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Hansel Kingsley couldn’t admit he couldn’t afford to lose, nor could the Kingsleys Family he represented.

After all, in everyone’s eyes, Nathalie was just a country bumpkin from outside Inderia.

If the Kingsleys Family, one of Inderia’s three great families, were publicly faced with being unable to accept the challenge from a girl without any background, it would be a huge joke.

However, the secret formula for the Kingsleys Family’s black powder isn’t anything ordinary; it’s the family’s secret.

For a while, Hansel Kingsley’s mind raced.

James Lawrence took the opportunity to whisper a suggestion: "Elder Six, why don’t we call it off today?"

This suggestion didn’t help; rather, it reinforced Hansel Kingsley’s resolve: "Hmph, I’ll teach her a lesson. A mere fledgling dares to ask me for the secret formula of black powder."

After speaking, Hansel Kingsley told the auctioneer: "It’s on, I bet."

James Lawrence saw he couldn’t persuade him.

He could only stand by anxiously.

The bet was set.

One side bet their entire future, the other bet their family’s secret formula, the tension palpable.

The auctioneer briefly explained the rules of stone gambling.

The rules were simple.

Whoever bets on the stone containing diamonds and jade wins, with three stones in total, the highest total value wins, and the winner gets to make a request of the loser.

Before the bet began, the auctioneer solemnly confirmed the demands of both sides, ensuring that one party would have to leave Inderia and The First Research Institute, and the other would have to give up the Kingsleys Family’s black powder secret formula.

Seeing they couldn’t be dissuaded, he proceeded according to the rules.

All items on the auction stage were removed, followed by several stunning women carrying seemingly ordinary stones onto the stage.

A total of twenty or so stones, varying in size.

The green stones even had moss on them, and from their appearance, they looked just like ordinary rocks, differing only in size and shape.

Sadam Vinson accompanied Nathalie Quinlan out to select stones at the auction.

He was a bit uneasy and quietly asked the girl: "Nathalie, are you sure about taking such a big gamble?"

"Well, we’re already in it. Even if there’s a problem, we can only keep playing, taking it step by step." Nathalie seemed relaxed, even in the mood to joke.

Sadam Vinson conceded to her, gave her a thumbs-up, and shut his mouth, refraining from complaining.

Hansel Kingsley also left the box with James Lawrence to choose stones.

He looked serious, seeming confident, not exchanging words with the girl throughout.