The old man leaned forward, his cloudy eyes suddenly sharp, lit with a strange, restless hope. "Young man, do you still have that purple dragon jade pendant with you? Let me see it again."
Marcus paused. He hadn't expected the old man to still care this much after all these years. It was obvious now that the pendant had stayed on his mind the whole time.
"Sorry, sir," Marcus said, sounding genuinely apologetic. "I didn't bring it with me today."
Trying to ease the disappointment, he added, "Honestly, maybe it's just an ordinary stone. It might not be anything special."
"Nonsense!"
The old man snapped so fast his chair creaked beneath him. His eyes flared with irritation as he pointed a finger straight at Marcus.
