Imperial Treasure
Chapter 319 - 228: One Eye, Mouse Head

Chapter 319: Chapter 228: One Eye, Mouse Head

After Sui Yi subtly reminded them, the three did gain something and their spirits lifted. Sui Yi didn’t disturb them any further, since the amounts involved weren’t large and couldn’t compare to hoarding rough jade; the three had been embarrassed before and now playing around served as a good vent.

After all, among the seven or eight pieces of rough jade they had bought, two already showed green. It would be a cause for celebration once cut.

In boredom, Sui Yi glanced toward the small door.

She was curious and bold, and she raised an eyebrow after just a glimpse through the slight crack of the door. Did she just see something?

After a moment, Sui Yi walked over and took out ten thousand yuan, requesting to enter the darkroom.

Seemingly unsurprised by Sui Yi’s decision, Goat Head Freak squinted his long eyes and stroked his beard, "Fine, go in. Take a flashlight with you, but don’t start crying if you get scared, since there’s no one else in there."

Since it was a darkroom, it was naturally pitch-black. It seemed reasonable to take a flashlight, not just for illumination, but for assessing the rough jade as well.

Hey, you might think, "How good could the assessment be in such pitch darkness, and they even charge an entrance fee? That’s such a rip-off!"

But many don’t realize that the best quality rough jade is often stored in darkrooms at private sales. The darkroom is also meant to distract and confuse, yet some people with capital or discernment prefer taking a gamble in the darkroom.

In the dark, one feels more, and the gambling spirit is higher. Of course, the price of the rough jade here couldn’t compare to those outside.

As Sui Yi approached the darkroom, Hu Jie muttered, "Each stone inside is worth millions, can she even afford it?"

Elder Lin laughed and patted his belly, "If she can’t afford it, she’s there for the experience. We come from small places; isn’t it worth it to spend ten thousand to broaden our horizons and have a good story for the holidays?"

Elder Tang chimed in, "That’s right. We villagers have never seen such expensive stones. Just touching them, you’d return home and not wash your hands for a year!"

Yu Quan said indifferently, "I’m not as sleazy as you guys. I just want to see what kind of peerless jewels will emerge from the rough jade these folks bought, and take a few pictures to worship at home."

Pfft!

Someone burst out laughing at the spot, and the faces of the Hu siblings turned red with embarrassment. Hu Lin regretted even more; if he had known better, he wouldn’t have brought his sister along. Look at the face he’d lost!

The folks from Dongling Jewelry also sneered inwardly. The jewelry industry places great importance on relationships. Even competitors don’t openly offend, and no one in the business can claim absolute expertise. Even the most reputed experts wouldn’t dare assert that someone else’s purchase is definitely a dud, let alone a clueless young miss like Hu Jie standing and complaining for two hours straight. Wasn’t she just asking for trouble?

The reputation of Dongling Jewelry would be tarnished if word got out...

And yet these people clearly seemed like wealthy big shots from their regions, radiating an aura of confidence...

While there was an awkward silence in the front hall, Sui Yi had pushed open the door to the darkroom.

The flashlight turned on, sweeping a beam of light across the rough jade which was only a fifth of what was outside, but the pieces were much larger.

Even though it was pitch black around her, Sui Yi wasn’t frightened at all. She walked over and began to feel the rough jade with her palm. Because her Magnetic Sensation was depleted, she had to touch them at close range to sense...

After looking at five pieces, Sui Yi thought that the ten-thousand-yuan entrance fee might have been somewhat worth it. The quality of the rough stones here was indeed much better than outside, where three out of five pieces showed mist and crystal formations, and one of them even revealed green.

However, although the piece was not small, the quality of the jade wasn’t great – it was an oily spinach green, somewhat dim with impurities mixed in and not pure enough. The color was disordered. Moreover, this stone weighed at least four to five hundred pounds, and at a price of three thousand yuan per pound, wouldn’t that exceed a million yuan?

Even though it wouldn’t be a loss, it could only profit a few hundred thousand.

Sui Yi decisively gave up on that large piece and turned her attention to other rough pieces. After about ten more, there was a faint click, barely audible.

But Sui Yi had an exceptional constitution, and her senses were exceedingly sharp. She turned her face and looked around the spacious inner room...

The room felt ancient, perhaps not much different from the outside.

Only larger in area, and somewhat cooler, with a hiss of cold air seeping through the crack under the wooden door.