"My apologies for the wait. I’m Liu Weijie, the owner of this jade shop."
Liu Weijie hurried to the lounge area, putting on a welcoming, business-like smile.
Ye Xiu nodded in greeting.
An Dongye asked directly, "How much can you offer for my White Jade Box?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Weijie was secretly thrilled. This deal is in the bag!
Having been in the antique business for so many years, Liu Weijie considered himself an expert at reading people. An Dongye was too young and too beautiful, with clear eyes and straightforward speech—she was obviously a sweet, naive girl without a hint of guile. As for Ye Xiu, Liu Weijie completely ignored him. The masked man was silent and seemingly bashful, just some timid, reserved type.
"This White Jade Box of yours..."
Liu Weijie sat opposite Ye Xiu and An Dongye, pretending to scrutinize the White Jade Box with great interest before giving his appraisal.
"The material of this box is quite ordinary, and the craftsmanship is rather rough; it’s truly not worth much. If you insist on selling, the most I can offer is 5,000 yuan."
"That much?" An Dongye’s eyes lit up. She had thought a few hundred yuan would be a good price.
Seeing An Dongye so excited, Liu Weijie immediately regretted his offer. If I’d known this sweet, naive girl was so clueless, I should have started at 1,000!
But the words were already out, so there was no taking them back. Besides, even at 5,000 yuan, he was still making a killing.
He said, "If you find the price acceptable, shall I go and get the money for you?"
Just as An Dongye was about to agree, Ye Xiu sneered, "Boss, I know the saying ’there’s no business without deception,’ but aren’t you being a little too shameless?"
"What do you mean by that, sir?" Liu Weijie feigned displeasure and said, "This box really isn’t worth much. I feel like I’m already taking a loss by offering you 5,000 yuan. If you don’t like the price, just take it and leave. I’m more worried about whether I’ll even be able to sell it if I buy it."
Seeing the owner getting upset, An Dongye grew anxious. "Kid, you shut up! Getting 5,000 yuan for a broken old box is already a great deal."
"Since this gentleman thinks I’m a swindler, then perhaps it’s best you take your box and leave, miss," Liu Weijie said, employing a tactic of feigned retreat.
"No, no, no, please, boss! 5,000 yuan is fine, I’ll sell..." An Dongye hurriedly put on an appeasing smile.
Seeing this, the owner was ecstatic. What an absolute fool!
"We’re not selling!"
Ye Xiu stood up and snatched the White Jade Box from the owner’s hands.
"Are you insane, kid?" An Dongye flared up. "I’m perfectly happy selling this White Jade Box for 5,000 yuan!"
"Take it or leave it," Liu Weijie said, seizing the opportunity. "Go out and ask around. If anyone offers you more than 5,000 yuan, I’ll livestream myself eating shit."
"Silly girl, he’s ripping you off!"
Ye Xiu patted An Dongye’s thigh and turned to Liu Weijie. "This is a Hetian Jade Dragon-Patterned Treasure Box, a high-fidelity replica of the renowned ’Jade Cube’. It’s made of top-tier Hetian white seed jade—dense, warm, and flawless. The size, dimensions, and carvings are identical to the original, and it has an age of at least fifty years. A Treasure like this, and you say it’s only worth 5,000 yuan?"
Liu Weijie was stunned. This seemingly timid and meek guy is actually an expert!
"Kid, is what you said true?" An Dongye asked.
"Mhm!" Ye Xiu nodded. "Although yours is a replica, it’s a high-quality one. Considering the material, craftsmanship, and age, it’s worth around 2,000,000 yuan."
"It’s that valuable?" An Dongye was dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, Liu Weijie was utterly floored. He realized Ye Xiu was a true professional; even his valuation was spot-on. This is awkward! I thought I’d run into a couple of fools I could rip off, but one of them turned out to be a master in the trade.
"So, Boss, where are you planning to hold that livestream?" Ye Xiu asked with a smile.
"Ahem..." Liu Weijie’s face flushed with embarrassment. "Well, sir, since you’re an expert, you should know the unwritten rule of ’finding a hidden gem.’ I was just hoping to make a little extra profit," he added with a nervous chuckle.
The so-called rule of ’finding a hidden gem’ meant taking advantage of owners who didn’t know the value of their treasures, buying from them at rock-bottom prices, and selling for a massive profit.
"You dared to swindle me? I’ll smash your damn head in!"
An Dongye was so angry that she shot up from her seat to pummel Liu Weijie, but Ye Xiu stopped her.
"Boss, are you buying this White Jade Box or not?" Ye Xiu asked.
"Yes, yes, of course! I’ll certainly buy such a fine piece. Please, name your price." Liu Weijie glanced fearfully at An Dongye. When she had moved to hit him, he had felt a terrifying aura emanate from her. It created the frightening illusion that he could be killed at any moment.
"1,900,000 yuan. You’re not losing out on that, are you?" Ye Xiu asked.
Liu Weijie’s expression darkened instantly. At 1,900,000 yuan, he certainly wouldn’t lose money, but he wouldn’t make much of a profit, either.
But a profit is a profit! "No loss at all," he said. "Shall we sign the contract now?"
"Mhm!" Ye Xiu nodded.
Soon, the contract was signed. Liu Weijie transferred 1,900,000 yuan to An Dongye’s account, and thanks to Ye Xiu’s covert assistance, the funds arrived instantly.
"Haha! Kid, I owe you big time for today! You helped me make 1,900,000 yuan. Lunch is on me, no question."
Leaving the jade shop, An Dongye was beaming from ear to ear; she had never been this rich in her entire life.
"What are we eating?" Ye Xiu asked.
"Alright, Boss, I’ve decided to show you the high life. Ever been to Qiancheng Farm?" An Dongye slung an arm around Ye Xiu’s shoulder. "Nah, you’ve definitely never been. That’s a place only the rich can afford. A broke loser like you has probably never even heard of it, am I right?"
Ye Xiu just chuckled dryly.
Just then, a message arrived from Qin Qing. "My dear Xiu, a major client came in this morning, and I have to entertain him personally. I had already arranged for lunch, but he suddenly decided he insists on going to Qiancheng Farm. Is it alright if I go?"
Ye Xiu paused for a moment. Qin Qing is going to Qiancheng Farm, too? What a coincidence!
He replied, "You can go. I’ll have the Director of the Security Department accompany you."
In the chairman’s office at Zhulu Group, Qin Qing breathed a sigh of relief after receiving Ye Xiu’s message. She had been genuinely worried he wouldn’t let her go. This client was too important to the Zhulu Group; if she didn’t go, she would risk offending him.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!
The secretary entered the office. "Chairman, Young Master Feng’s car is waiting downstairs."
"Alright, I’ll be right down."
When Qin Qing arrived in the first-floor lobby, the Director of the Security Department, Leng Yue, was already waiting. Seeing Qin Qing emerge, Leng Yue said nothing, simply falling in step silently behind her as they walked outside.
At that moment, a young man with a stylish haircut and fashionable clothes stepped out of an RV parked at the entrance of the Zhulu Group building, holding a bouquet of roses.
His eyes lit up the moment he saw Qin Qing walking out. What a stunning woman!
He approached her with a smile, saying, "If I’m not mistaken, you must be the new Chairman of the Zhulu Group, Qin Qing?"