Invisible Security Guard
Chapter 97: Going Home for Dinner

Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Going Home for Dinner

What Yusuf Zuck brought back was far from just "not bad." It’s important to know that in the market there’s a distinction between genuine and fake jade. With today’s technology, many can age inferior jade to make it look like ancient jade, and they can even manufacture synthetic substances into high-grade jadeite.

Therefore, even in the antique market, where some have been collecting for a lifetime, there is a chance of being deceived.

However, whether it was the jade Yusuf procured last time or this time, he was never fooled.

Miles O’Brien was the first to notice something special about the few pieces of jade that Yusuf had left behind because after he left, she returned to the shop and began to study them closely.

But... the more she looked at them, the more she was astonished by these casually bought pieces of jade; their water content, skin, and texture were all top-notch quality.

When Boss Harper and Boss Liu returned, they saw Miles using a microscope to appraise the jade and curiously joined in, only to be shocked themselves.

Bryce Harper asked about Yusuf’s treasure-hunting process in detail, while Miles simply said that Yusuf had picked them up casually at a street stall, had her sell them afterward, and he had gone to the airport to pick someone up since he was busy!

Just like that, the three experts looked at each other in stunned silence for a while, until finally, Boss Liu declared that Yusuf was a master, at least more adept at appraising jade than the three of them.

At five o’clock in the afternoon, as soon as Yusuf returned, the three couldn’t wait to hear what he had to say.

But how could Yusuf tell them about his telekinesis?

"Yusuf, this jade cup, Han Dynasty’s Emmet Burch, I’ve repolished the skin, you take another look and see how the effect is?" After a brief silence and not receiving a clear answer from Yusuf, it was Miles who broke the silence, handing over the Emmet Burch cup.

"It looks crystal clear and translucent, I remember in the novel ’The Smiling Proud Wanderer,’ it said something about matching wines with specific cups, right? How much is this cup worth?" Yusuf asked while examining the Han white jade cup. After the polishing, it was flawless, appearing almost transparent, and very beautiful.

"I’ve already sold it, Uncle Liu took this cup for nine million," Miles said with a smile, "By the way, how much did you buy it for?"

"It was either two or three hundred, I can’t remember exactly..." Even hearing the figure of nine million, Yusuf was not excessively excited. He was now able to remain calm in the face of both praise and criticism.

"Oh dear, oh dear, a real expert, Yusuf. How about you come help at my shop? You can name your price. Of course, you keep whatever you find treasure hunting like this, I only need you to help me bet on stones at the annual Myanmar or Yunnan jadeite conferences," Boss Liu suddenly threw out an olive branch, thinking it would be hard not to make a fortune if he could collaborate with Yusuf.

"Not bad, Yusuf. With me, Old Liu, and you, how about we cooperate?"

"Uncle Liu, Uncle Harper, I am now Yusuf’s financial advisor. If you have any business inquiries, you can talk to me. Yusuf doesn’t know much about antiques!" Miles said with a laugh.

"How could he not know?" Boss Liu asked, widening his eyes in disbelief.

Miles chuckled and said, "Yusuf, Uncles Liu and Harper mean that instead of working for them, you would cooperate with them in betting on stones in Myanmar or Yunnan, and you guys can work out the details."

"Betting on jade?" Yusuf narrowed his eyes, as actually, the reason he wanted to open a shop and make big investments to earn a fortune was precisely to bet on jade.

Haven’t eaten pork, but haven’t seen a pig run? He had heard all the tales of how betting on stones had become incredibly popular over the years, with sayings like "one cut brings life, one cut brings death, one cut makes one rich, one cut makes one poor."

And what he wanted to do was exactly that because this was the fastest way to make money. He could use a minimal amount of working capital to trigger a seismic shift in the jade betting industry and reap returns dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of times over through compounding interest.

This was his current ambition. An ambition to rapidly accumulate wealth and prosper.

Of course, he had never bet on stones before and didn’t know the specifics.

"Uncles, I don’t understand stone betting. Can we talk about this in a few days? You both want these jade artifacts, right? How much?" Yusuf didn’t inquire about the price of each piece but looked towards Miles.

"Eighteen million plus, the check is with me," Miles O’Brien said with a smile.

"Alright then, thank you, both of you bosses. Dinner is on me tonight!" Yusuf Zuck laughed heartily.

"You’ve cleaned both of us out, who else is going to treat if not you?" Bryce Harper laughed, and Boss Liu also chuckled. In truth, treasure hunting was a pretext; the jade they bought could still turn a profit when sold. They had connections, so selling these was not difficult!

"Now, can you take a look at this sword for me? I got it for a hundred and eight. Uncle Liu, please help with the appraisal!" Yusuf Zuck grinned.

"Hmm, let me see!" Boss Liu nodded and picked up the rusty ancient sword.

He first examined the exterior, then the patterns near the hilt. But after a long while, he was still frowning.

"Let’s go back to my shop. The rust is too severe; I need to treat it lightly first before anything else," Boss Liu said as he stood up.

"Okay, let’s go together," Bryce Harper was also curious to see if the ancient sword could possibly be authentic.

The four of them stood up, went downstairs, and after walking less than a hundred meters, they arrived at Boss Liu’s shop, which was a variety store. It didn’t only sell jade but also calligraphy, painting, the Four Treasures of the Study, porcelain, and the like—every kind of antique was amply stocked in the room.

Back in the shop, Boss Liu instructed his assistant to prepare a basin of water mixed with some chemical concoction, and then he soaked the sword in it while the four continued to drink tea.

About an hour later, he took up sandpaper and various other small tools, then put on gloves and began working on the sword.

During this time, Yusuf Zuck and the others watched him with great curiosity.

And as they watched, they witnessed a miracle. After Boss Liu’s treatment, the ancient sword, which was originally covered in rust, began to gleam, and two characters in the clerical script became visible on the blade.

"Jiao Long!" After drying the sword and placing it back on the table, Boss Liu took a deep breath, "Judging by the era, it’s from the Northern Song Dynasty. Only the Royal Family would dare to use the words Jiao Long. This sword is authentic, but its specific historical value requires further study."

"You’ve got quite the knack, buddy. One hundred and eighty bucks and you strike rich again!" Boss Liu looked at Yusuf Zuck and said.

"I remember a few years ago, a guy bought an ancient sword for twenty-five dollars and then flipped it for a hundred and fifty thousand. Boss Liu, what about this sword? How much is it worth?" Bryce Harper asked with a smile.

"Swords are different from jade or calligraphy and painting; probably around a hundred and fifty thousand. Yusuf, if you want to sell it, I’ll take it for a hundred and fifty thousand. I have a friend who specializes in collecting ancient swords."

"It’s of no use to me; a hundred and fifty thousand it is," Yusuf Zuck didn’t hesitate. After all, he hunted these antiques for the money, and only the cash in hand truly counts!

Boss Liu didn’t haggle either, promptly taking out his checkbook from his bag, filled in the figures, and handed the check to Yusuf Zuck.

And Yusuf Zuck passed it to Miles O’Brien, asking her to keep it safe for him.

After fussing around for half a day, and with nightfall upon them, the four stepped out of the shop, laughing and talking, ready to go have dinner.

However, just as the group was about to leave the Ruiz Family Garden, Ruth Wilcox made a phone call to him.

Yusuf Zuck didn’t keep it from Miles O’Brien and picked up the call directly.

"Yusuf, where are you? Can you accompany me to buy groceries? We’ll eat at home tonight; I am leaving tomorrow," Ruth Wilcox said calmly.