Five Pearls in a Row, Black Pearl
The stall owner hesitated.
The merchant said, "How about I offer 50,000 taels for each one?"
Fifty thousand... The stall owner was tempted. He still had thirteen stalls left. If he sold them all, he would have six hundred and fifty thousand, which was a huge sum of money.
That's equivalent to what he earns in several months.
Moreover, not every oyster can produce a pearl, and the probability of producing such a high-quality pearl is extremely low.
The stall owner hesitated, thinking of his family who were waiting for food and drink, but ultimately couldn't resist and agreed.
This businessman was a regular customer and quickly came up with enough money to pay for his goods.
However, he did not open it on the spot. Instead, he wrapped the item up and had his men carry it away, while he squeezed through another group of merchants to see the pearl that had been opened.
Their attitude towards Shen Yu was much better; at least they didn't speak to him in that condescending tone.
"My friend, this pearl you have is quite nice. How about I offer 10,000 green coins to buy it?"
"Don't listen to old Heller. Ten thousand green coins can't compare to its value. I'll offer eleven thousand."
"You're all so stingy! I'll give you 15,000!"
"Twenty thousand!"
Thirty thousand!
The purple pearls that were unearthed are not only large and of good quality, but also very round. What's most rare is that they are all naturally formed. Just by looking at the age of the shell, you can tell that they have been growing for many years.
The older the year, the higher its value.
The stall owner's face changed completely when he saw the merchants scrambling to raise their prices.
He began to regret it, but since he had already sold it, he could only wait for his next trip to sea to see if he could catch any more of these shellfish.
Shen Yu ignored their shouts and instead took out the remaining shells and started opening them one by one.
With a single squeeze of his hand, he opened the incredibly hard shell, one that even an awl might not be able to pry open.
The surrounding merchants tensed up and silently retreated.
I have this feeling that if I accidentally offend this person, my head will be crushed by their bare hands, just like that seashell.
When everyone saw that he wanted to continue opening the seashells, they all gathered in a circle and waited, their faces showing a hint of curiosity and anticipation.
Can a pearl be found inside this oyster? And if so, will the pearl be of such high quality and size?
Thinking about it this way, everyone became a little nervous.
Unlike the merchants who surrounded them.
Shen Yu's mindset remained unchanged. Purple pearls might be rare, but to him, who owned the Anomaly Containment Association, the Yi Gui Company, and several other worlds, they were nothing special.
He owns not only pearls, but also several gold mines.
The Polluted World is such a vast world. Once the surface pollution is removed, it contains a whole world of resources, with countless mineral veins and rare resources. It's just that mining it is time-consuming and laborious.
Shen Yu had no shortage of these rare and precious treasures that ordinary people would consider rare.
For now, it's just for fun.
After the second shell opened, Shen Yu reached into the shell and felt around inside for a while, then touched something hard and round again.
He squeezed that thing out.
A pearl, about the size of a longan, white with a faint pink tinge, was thus extracted.
"Great! Another one has bloomed."
"Although this pearl is not as good as the previous one in terms of quality and size, it is still an extremely rare find."
I'm asking nine thousand for this one!
I'll offer ten thousand.
"You should wait a little longer. It's not too late to bid after everything is up."
Some merchants have already begun to show regret, given the high probability of finding pearls in these oysters—two out of six.
I should have bought everything that was left at the stall.
Of those dozen or so, you're bound to find a few that turn out well; this is a rare opportunity to make a fortune.
What a pity...
The merchant who bought the One entire lot beamed with joy, his lips curling into a wide grin. Luckily, he had the foresight to make a fortune this time.
The stall owner looked rather grim, blaming himself for being greedy and unable to resist the temptation. If he had kept those shells to open himself, even if he could only open one from the rest, he would have earned more than he did now!
It's important to understand that these merchants are currently offering Shen Yu in Green Dollars, which have a higher exchange rate than Xia Currency, and even higher when converted to their country's Hai Zhu Dollars.
If they can find just one pearl and sell it successfully, their whole family can live comfortably for more than ten years.
As for why it can only be a dozen years or so?
That brings us to their country's astonishingly high sea taxes.
They have to pay most of the money they earn from fishing at sea and from trading these seafood products to taxes.
They could make a small fortune, but the lion's share had to be handed over to the suzerain state; it was impossible to get rich quick through these transactions.
You might make a small profit, but those people never lose.
Shen Yu then opened the remaining four shells.
Only one didn't yield a pearl; the others all produced quite a few pearls of good quality.
Three of them are white pearls, and there is one black pearl.
The black pearl appeared.
All the businessmen present stared intently at it.
Their breathing became heavier, and as they stared at the pearl, their eyes gleamed with a greedy determination to possess it.
The merchants immediately began to bid.
"One hundred thousand!"
"Two hundred thousand! I'll offer two hundred thousand!"
I'll offer five hundred thousand!
"Young man, how about we find a place to have a proper chat? I'll definitely give you a satisfactory price."
"Get lost! Do you still want to keep it for yourself? Everyone's watching!"
"Highest bidder wins. Don't try any tricks on me, young man, don't fall for his schemes."
"Yes, with so many people watching, we won't renege on our debt. But if we go somewhere with him, that's another story."
Shen Yu picked up the five pearls and casually put them in a bag.
The merchants felt another pang of heartache upon seeing this.
Such precious pearls should be displayed in the finest brocade boxes and paired with platinum necklaces; they would surely fetch a high price.
The shouts that rose and fell quickly attracted people from the port.
A group of men dressed in suits, looking very gentlemanly, walked towards this side.
"I want this pearl!"
The leading nobleman, with blond hair, held a cane and announced in an arrogant and unquestionable tone.
Upon seeing their demeanor, and especially after noticing the family crest embroidered on the newcomers' clothes, the merchants all fell silent.
A kind-looking businessman whispered a reminder to Shen Yu, "Young man, whatever price they offer, you'd better agree to it. That man's family has connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles."