I Married A Degraded Alpha
Chapter 174: Hidden Intentions

Chapter 174: Hidden Intentions

The chef was at a loss for words, honestly admitting, "I only know it’s pretty expensive, but I’m not sure about the exact amount. You’re thinking of selling it? With such quality, keeping it as a family heirloom wouldn’t be a bad idea."

Yuri twitched her lips and said, "You’re thinking too far ahead."

"Oh, not at all," the chef said with a hearty laugh. "You’re married already. Having kids is just a matter of time. I’ll keep opening the rest for you. If we manage to get a dozen or so, you could make a necklace. That would be perfect as a family heirloom."

Yuri: "....I was thinking of selling them."

Her tone was incredibly sincere.

The chef choked, unable to hold back his advice, "These pearls are yours, you found them yourself. It’s not the same as buying them. Keep them. Pearls have a way of enhancing one’s beauty, especially ones with such vibrant color. They suit you. When you need money later, you might not be able to buy these."

Yuri frowned, thoughtfully responding, "That makes sense."

"Exactly, keep them. Leave the money-making to your husband, and stop worrying about it," the chef advised earnestly.

Yuri replied, "Making money makes me happy."

The chef sighed dramatically, a helpless look on his face, "Alright, as long as you’re happy."

The chef opened the second Phoenix Shell, his plump hand carefully feeling inside, his expression cautious. "Oh my, another one."

Yuri leaned in closer, boasting, "I’m pretty lucky, aren’t I?"

The chef ignored her, and after extracting one pearl, he continued to feel around, "Two... Three..."

This one Phoenix Shell contained three pearls.

The chef was dumbfounded, too surprised to speak. He handed the pearls to Yuri and proceeded to open the next one.

"Two Phoenix Shells have produced four pearls. This is almost magical."

"Is the ocean producing more pearls this year?"

"Who wants to join a group trip to collect seashells tomorrow?"

"I, a common mortal who can choke on my own saliva, won’t meddle with such luck."

"Let’s be rational, that’s Yuri. She’s an exception."

"....."

Online spectators were burning with envy, all the while trying to remind themselves to stay calm and rational.

After half an hour, the chef had opened all twenty-three Phoenix Shells, revealing a total of thirty-eight pearls.

The chef was so astounded he couldn’t find words.

The online spectators were in shock too.

Only Yuri remained composed.

She cleaned the pearls in water, fondly playing with them, "Their sizes and quality are almost identical. It’s truly amazing."

"The place you visited today must be a treasure spot," said the chef thoughtfully, attempting to probe, "Why don’t you go back there to see if there are more? And perhaps, take me with you?"

Yuri shook her head, "I’ve searched the entire area within a mile. There are no more."

"Ah—" The chef sighed with a sense of regret, but the next moment, he brought up his old point, "You should keep the best eighteen and sell the rest at the auction."

It was a very useful suggestion. This time, Yuri readily agreed, "Alright, I’ll take your advice."

"Keep the shells of the Phoenix Shells as well. These rare treasures can serve as decorative pieces or even be used for making pigment. I’ll clean them up for you and have them delivered to your place later," the chef suggested.

"Alright, thank you," Yuri agreed.

Yuri gathered her pearls, ended her live stream, and picked up her three buckets of seafood, each topped with Phoenix Shell meat.

She decided to deliver one bucket to Xiva first.

Upon seeing the seafood, Xiva was unsurprised and confessed, "I watched your live stream just now. I guessed there must be something for me."

Yuri raised an eyebrow, "You have a knack for prediction. I won’t waste any time then. Please return the bucket to the cafeteria when you’re done. I have to make another delivery."

"Off you go," Xiva said, waving at her with a smile.

For her second stop, Yuri went to the mecha repair department. By the time she got there, the fish, shrimp, crab, and shellfish in the two remaining buckets were frozen, so she didn’t need to worry about them spoiling.

"I brought you some food," Yuri said, leaving one bucket with the old technician. "I’m going to deliver this other bucket, then I’ll come back to learn from you."

The old technician looked at the seafood, then at Yuri, "Be quick about it. We’re going to learn something new today."

"Sure thing," Yuri agreed promptly.

When she arrived at Ron and his sister’s home again, two government workers greeted her.

"No need to offer me a drink, I’m just here to deliver something." Yuri set the bucket down, then quickly climbed back into her mecha and left without even seeing Sonia.

When Sonia heard Yuri’s voice and came out, all she saw was a speck in the sky.

"You two must have a good relationship with her. She even thinks of you when she has good stuff."

"She sympathizes with us," Sonia said, looking at the heater in the living room, feeling warm inside. Yuri was a good person indeed. Even if she pitied Sonia, Sonia didn’t feel uncomfortable about it.

"Is there a chance she is trying to win you over? Being nice to you now so you can’t refuse her later when she offers you a job?"

"That’s unlikely. Right now, everyone on the internet is fighting to work under Yuri. Over three hundred thousand people applied, many of them high-ranking betas."

"Then it’s strange. Is she really just showing pity?"

In reality, Yuri’s intentions were exactly as the government workers suspected: she was trying to win Sonia over.

After all, everyone wanted more betas under their command.

Yuri wouldn’t directly ask Sonia to join her, just leave a good impression. Maybe when Sonia graduates and is choosing which legion to join, Yuri would be her first choice.

And even if Sonia didn’t join her in the end, Yuri wouldn’t have lost anything. It was just a little favor.

Tuss returned home earlier than usual that day. The strong smell of blood was evident even before he entered the house.

"They said you had a good haul today," Yuri said, leaning against the door, teasing him.

Tuss shook his head and said, "I’m still far behind you." He barely managed to earn over ten million, while she had earned in the hundreds of millions.

Dodging past her, Tuss went straight into the bathroom, "I’ve arranged to meet someone to scout a location for a warehouse. Do you want to come and check it out later?"

"Sure, I’ll come with you," Yuri said, going to change her clothes.

By the time they left, half an hour had passed.

"I plan to build a larger warehouse. There are countless planets outside the 458 Defense Line, and I’m sure there are other mineral deposits. It’s better to be prepared and have a larger capacity," Tuss shared his plans with her.

Yuri agreed, "Then we should build more."

"We really should. Today Zeek contacted me. He has already harvested part of the crops he planted on the ore planet and plans to send some over to us. We’re still missing a granary," Tuss said.

"He’s already harvested?" Yuri was surprised. When they left, Zeek was still seeking advice from experts on how to improve the soil.

Tuss nodded, "He harvested a batch. He plans to expand the planting area."

"Then transfer some money to him. Let him hire people if needed, buy machines if needed, and not worry about the cost," Yuri said.

Tuss nodded, "Okay, I’ll transfer it to him right away."