Disguised to Buy Jade

Zhou Mei and Miao Ruolan looked at each other.

They were a little excited and a little speechless.

Taking two beautiful women jewelry shopping could certainly be his dream—one might even say it was the dream of every man in the world.

But they both knew it was purely a joke.

They were not going to the jewelry store to flaunt their wealth or throw their money around. They were investigating a case.

Miao Ruolan understood even more clearly that she had never been cast in the role of a beauty. She believed she was at least three streets away from the word "beautiful."

Her real role was that of a fighter! A bodyguard!

Would there be fighting today?

Actually, uncovering such a major case did carry the risk of death...

She understood. Naturally, Zhou Mei understood even better.

"Should we notify Captain Zhang in advance?"

Lin Xiaosu nodded lightly. "Yes!"

Zhou Mei called Captain Zhang. Her message was simple: "We're going to take a look around Fengcheng Jewelry Store. Xiaosu wants you to be prepared."

Captain Zhang sat behind his broad desk without moving for a long time. The cigarette between his fingers burned down to his skin before he suddenly flicked it away...

Fengcheng Jewelry Store.

The largest jewelry store in Fengcheng.

Its owner's surname was Zhang, and he was known as Divine Eye Zhang.

He was a prominent and mysterious figure, the descendant of a jade family from Biannan Province—the province near Qingmian Country. His ancestors had dealt in jade for centuries, and they possessed an exceptional technique for appraising jade.

He became famous in the jade world during a television interview. The host brought out several pieces of raw jade and asked him to analyze their internal composition from their outer skins.

As the saying went, even immortals could not judge jade within stone. Raw jade had always been a gamble.

Yet Old Zhang made his assessments on the spot, then had the stones cut open on the spot. His accuracy was astonishing, and his reputation as Divine Eye Zhang spread far and wide. Along with it came the jade legends of his ancestors' Knocking Fingers to Judge Jade and Reverse Sky Window.

His family ran a company, while he himself had come to Fengcheng and opened Fengcheng Jewelry Store. Social elites and film stars who had done business with him came one after another to visit, and his fame soared alongside his fortune.

Fengcheng Jewelry Store was located in the southern part of the city.

Normally, wealthy business figures did not care much about rent when opening a store. Most would choose the old city district with its heavy foot traffic. Once business was good, the rent hardly mattered.

Yet Fengcheng Jewelry Store had chosen the south side of the city.

Some said this was the bearing of a true elite: elites did not rely on their surroundings; they could improve the surroundings themselves.

Others said it was actually a helpless choice. Fengcheng Jewelry Store had a shop in front and a factory behind it—where could the old district offer such a large space? That was why it had chosen the south side.

It had to be said that once this store opened, all the surrounding shops came alive.

Even the outdoor environment improved.

The broad roadway was where the most luxury cars were parked.

Cherry Blossom Avenue was a hotspot for online influencers.

At this season, the cherry blossoms had only just fallen. Some white blooms, like lingering snow, still hid among the flowerbeds or drifted from the branches.

They lent this patch of earth a unique sense of beauty.

A car pulled up, drawing glances from passersby, because it was a top-tier luxury vehicle from an international brand: Lawrence Dreamshadow!

The three got out.

One man and two women.

The man was naturally Lin Xiaosu.

The women were Miao Ruolan and Zhou Mei.

But at this moment, they looked completely different from usual.

Lin Xiaosu wore a snow-white casual suit over a pale yellow shirt, along with photochromic glasses and a neat little mustache. In a small place like Fengcheng, this appearance would draw attention; even in the provincial capital, Jiangcheng, it would be enough to turn heads.

Miao Ruolan wore a qipao that fully displayed her figure, with a light dusting of makeup on her face. This was probably the most beautiful she had ever looked in her life.

Even Lin Xiaosu looked at her with some surprise. This girl simply never wore makeup normally. Once she did, she was actually quite pretty.

Zhou Mei did not change much. She let down her hair, put on eyeshadow and false lashes, and her whole appearance transformed.

The three of them would have been unrecognizable not only in South City, which they rarely visited, but perhaps even to the people in the shops across from the detective agency.

That was because this was the work of a wedding planning company.

The makeup skills of wedding planning companies were truly at the pinnacle.

They were even more professional at crafting wealthy personas. They could take two ordinary rural newlyweds and forcibly turn them into heirs from two major business conglomerates entering into a marriage alliance. What could they not do?

This makeover took a full two hours.

Both women had asked whether it was necessary.

Lin Xiaosu's answer was: yes!

Why?

If Fengcheng Jewelry Store was truly what they suspected it to be—the real mastermind behind the attempt on Lin Xiaosu's life—then it would certainly be able to recognize them through various channels. At the very least, the person in charge would definitely have seen a photo of Lin Xiaosu on his phone!

The two women exchanged a glance and fully accepted his reasoning. Thus, their instruction to the makeup artists had been: make everyone look unlike themselves.

The immediate result was that, when they came out, they all felt they barely recognized one another...

The three entered Fengcheng Jewelry Store. A greeter hurried over. "Welcome to our store, the three of you. What are you looking to buy?"

Lin Xiaosu smiled. "Jadeite."

His Mandarin was standard, without the slightest trace of the local dialect.

"Sir, you have excellent taste! What price range are you looking for?"

"What price ranges do you have?"

The attendant gave him a sweet smile. "We are the largest jewelry store in the area, and we have all price ranges. This is the budget section, where prices are mostly around a thousand yuan. This is the elite section, where prices are mostly around ten thousand yuan. Over there is the high-end section, where prices generally start at over a hundred thousand."

"A hundred thousand counts as high-end?" Lin Xiaosu said. "Do you have anything even higher-end?"

The greeter's eyes immediately lit up, as did the eyes of several attendants behind the counters.

A hundred thousand, and he still looked down on it.

This was a truly major client.

"Sir, we have a rare treasures section! It is filled with collectible-grade treasures, with prices ranging from millions to tens of millions!"

"Take us there."

"Yes, sir. Ladies, please come up to the second floor!"

The greeter bowed deeply and led them upstairs with a standard gesture.

After they went up, several attendants began chatting. "That handsome guy brought two women with him..."

"Are two women even a problem for rich people? Ten or twenty wouldn't be surprising."

"Exactly. When a wallet is thick enough, the number of women around a man depends on the strength of his kidneys..."

Pah!

All the women spat at her together...

"Guess which one he's buying it for."

"I think the one on the right. That woman is really beautiful."

"But the one on the left has such great poise—quiet and refined, like she has seen all the world has to offer. I think it might be for her..."

Yes, that was probably everyone's consensus.

Zhou Mei had changed into casual clothes and let down her beautiful hair. Other than being pretty, there was nothing remarkable about her... at least, there was no trace of a police officer visible on her.

As for Miao Ruolan, although she was at the most beautiful point of her life right now, she still could not be considered especially pretty. However... she practiced ancient martial arts, which gave people the impression that she had a good temperament.

Heaven knew why everyone thought she was used to grand occasions. It was truly an injustice, because the exact opposite was true—she had never seen such a scene before.

But with her temperament, her presence, and the fact that she had spent the past month focusing on the study of forensic investigation and criminal investigation, her control over her microexpressions was on point. She truly looked like someone who had seen the world.

Inside the rare treasures room, the dim lighting reflected the most beautiful facets of the jadeite displayed in the boxes ahead.

Every piece was extraordinary.

Lin Xiaosu smiled faintly. "Mei'er, Lan'er, pick for yourselves."

Zhou Mei inwardly despised him. You were really getting into character, weren't you? Calling me Mei'er so casually. If you have the guts, actually buy me something. It doesn't even have to be worth millions—would you be willing to spend a thousand yuan?

Miao Ruolan smiled faintly. "That one. Let me see it."

Her voice was soft and clear.

The attendant followed her gaze, and her heart trembled. Estimated price: 3.2 million!

Oh my god, she dared point at a collectible bracelet worth 3.2 million?

When would I ever reach that level?

She carefully took the bracelet out and placed it on a red velvet tray before setting it in front of Miao Ruolan.

"Do you like it, Lan'er?" Lin Xiaosu asked.

"Mhm. I think it's quite nice."

The attendant said, "Miss, you truly have an excellent eye. This is genuine high-ice jadeite. Our boss even gave it a name: Ice Valley Orchid. Look at those threads of green within it, paired with that high-ice base. Doesn't it really resemble an orchid in an icy valley?"

"Ah, Ice Valley Orchid. Husband, it has such a connection with my name!" Miao Ruolan's cheeks reddened.

The moment the word "husband" came out without warning, Miao Ruolan's face turned red.

Zhou Mei's heart trembled.

They were acting today, but this was the sort of play with only the roughest script.

There were no clearly defined lines.

Miao Ruolan calling him "husband"—why did it feel like this girl was slipping in some personal agenda?

Lin Xiaosu smiled. "Have your boss come over. Let's discuss the price."

The attendant's heartbeat sped up again. Discuss the price!

The deal was practically settled; only the price remained.

Once a high-end transaction like this was completed, there would be a generous commission. Even if she had not handled the entire deal herself, she could still receive a bonus. I'm about to make it big...

The attendant quickly called the boss.

Less than five minutes later, a middle-aged man appeared at the entrance to the rare treasures room.

He wore glasses and had long hair tied behind his head, giving off the air of an artist. His face was all smiles. "I'm the owner of this store. My friends call me Old Zhang. May I ask your surname, sir?"

"Li," Lin Xiaosu said. "Li as in plum tree."

"Mr. Li, to have achieved such success at such a young age, you truly are extraordinary..."

"You flatter me."

Boss Zhang said, "This Ice Valley Orchid is genuine high-ice, high-color jadeite. For you to choose it at a glance shows that you have a discerning eye. It also proves that you truly have an affinity with this bracelet."

"Let's get to the point. What's the lowest you can sell it for?"

Boss Zhang said, "Treasures of this collectible grade are rare and hard to come by, so under normal circumstances there is not much room for negotiation. But since I felt an immediate rapport with Mr. Li, I'll give you an auspicious price—2.8 million. I'll let it go to you at that."

"What's auspicious about twenty-eight? Eighteen is better!" Lin Xiaosu said. "1.8 million! I'll take it!"

Boss Zhang's heart also began pounding wildly.

This young man did not know the business.

These days, business was not all that easy. It was genuinely difficult to encounter a fool with money, no knowledge, and the fearless ignorance to go with it...