Selling Jade

Lin Maoxian smiled and said, "I wouldn't go so far as to say 'look after me.' It's just that I heard yours is a rather reputable jade shop in this area, and since I'm in urgent need of cash, I decided to pay a visit."

"Not at all, it is our honor to have you, Mr. Lin. There's no such thing as trouble. Please, come inside." Inoue Nakao led Lin Maoxian toward the reception room.

Meanwhile, at the Mouri Detective Agency in the 5th block of Beika Town, Tokyo.

A young girl opened the door and peeked inside. A middle-aged man was clearly dead drunk, surrounded by empty beer cans, and currently fast asleep on the desk. She closed the door and headed out.

She hadn't gone far when the door suddenly swung open. A young boy wearing old-fashioned glasses asked, "Where are you going, Ran?"

Seeing the boy, Ran Mouri patted her chest and said, "Conan! It's you. You scared me."

Conan continued to ask, "Are you going to see a movie? I want to go too."

"Shh! Keep your voice down, don't wake Dad." Ran leaned down and said with a smile, "A date. I'm going on a date with Shinichi."

Conan smiled and said, "A date! You're going on a date with Shinichi?"

Ran smiled. "That's right. If Dad knew I was going on a date with Shinichi, he'd definitely be furious. You mustn't tell him about this, okay?"

"So you're going on a date with Shinichi! Alright, be careful on your way." With that, he turned and headed back into the room.

"Okay, see you later." The girl waved with a smile.

Conan thought to himself, So Ran is going on a date with Shinichi? Wait!! A date with Shinichi? But I am Shinichi! If she isn't going on a date with me, then who is she going with? She's dressed up so beautifully, and who could have made her lie to me? I have to follow her and see who she's meeting.

In the Jade Pavilion's reception room, Lin Maoxian and Inoue Nakao sat opposite each other.

I'll have to drive a hard bargain later. No matter how good it is, I have to talk the price down. Inoue thought this to himself, but said aloud, "Mr. Lin, since you are here to sell jade, why don't you let me examine the goods?"

"Of course." Lin Maoxian handed over the jade he had prepared.

"Mr. Inoue, shouldn't you invite a professional appraiser?"

"No need for such trouble. I've been in this business for decades and serve as the company's appraiser myself." Inoue took the jade. He touched it, feeling the cool, smooth texture. He nodded and held the jade up to the light, observing the translucent color and the even distribution of green. He then licked it with the tip of his tongue, noting a slightly astringent sensation. He placed a drop of water from a teacup onto the jade; it quickly formed a bead and lingered for a long time before dissipating. Although he was certain it was genuine, he still pulled out his toolkit. He placed the jade under a magnifying glass to check for cracks; those without cracks were considered high-quality, while those with them were inferior. Even if genuine, a cracked piece would lose significant value. After a careful inspection, he found the jade grain smooth and free of any fissures—it was a piece of top-tier jade.

Inoue looked up and set the jade down. "This is genuine, and a piece of top-tier jade at that. If I'm not mistaken, this is an emerald, also known as Imperial Green. The color is rich and steady, the texture fine and flawless, possessing an imperial aura. In ancient times, these were reserved for royalty and rarely circulated. While treasures like this occasionally appear at auctions, they are extremely rare and command a high price."

Lin Maoxian smiled. "It seems Mr. Inoue is truly a connoisseur. This jade not only has great collection value, but it is also excellent for one's health. If I weren't in urgent need of money, I wouldn't be willing to part with it."

The ancients believed that wearing jade was a virtue; gold has a price, but jade is priceless. Having been buried for thousands or even hundreds of millions of years, jade contains a wealth of mineral elements. Thus, people often say that "people nourish jade, and jade nourishes people." If a person is healthy, wearing jade long-term can moisturize it, making its luster and refraction increasingly bright. If a person is in poor health, the body slowly absorbs the minerals in the jade, providing health benefits. For instance, women usually wear jade bracelets on their left wrists because it is good for the heart. Jade pillows are said to sharpen the mind; ancient emperors, particularly those known for their longevity, favored them. Even the Compendium of Materia Medica contains descriptions of the health benefits of jade.

China has long been known as the "Land of Jade." The ancients treasured it as a precious ornament. Ancient medical texts state, "Jade is the most beautiful of stones; it is sweet, neutral, and non-toxic," and claim it is the substance most capable of nourishing the body's vital energy. It was believed that by holding jade in the mouth, its interaction with saliva could "generate fluids, quench thirst, clear heat from the stomach, soothe restlessness, nourish the heart and lungs, moisten the throat, and nourish the hair." Consequently, jade was used not only for jewelry and decoration but also for health and longevity. Emperors and concubines throughout history relied on jade for wellness; Emperor Huizong of Song was obsessed with it, and Consort Yang used jade to cool herself during the summer.

The health mechanisms of jade have been confirmed by modern science. Chemical analysis shows that jade contains various trace elements beneficial to the human body, such as zinc, magnesium, iron, copper, selenium, chromium, manganese, and cobalt. Wearing jade allows these elements to be absorbed through the skin, activating cells and boosting the immune system. This is the basis for the traditional Chinese medicine belief that "some illnesses cannot be cured by medicine, but can be healed by wearing jade." Long-term, gentle massage from a jade bracelet can not only alleviate blurred vision but also store vital energy and nourish the spirit.

Inoue smiled and said, "This is certainly a fine piece. I thank you, Mr. Lin, for being willing to part with such a treasure. May I ask what price you are looking for?"

Lin Maoxian replied, "I had friends offer high prices for this before, but I didn't let it go. What can you offer?"

Inoue probed, "How about 20 million yen?"

"20 million yen? That's only 1 million RMB. Mr. Inoue, you really know how to joke. If your company has no intention of buying this, just say so, and I won't waste any more of your time." He stood up, pretending to leave.

Inoue hurriedly stood up and grabbed his hand. "Not at all, not at all! We are very sincere about this purchase. If the price is too low, we can negotiate."

Lin Maoxian sat back down and smiled at Inoue. "Fine. Since your company is interested, give me a new quote. But I hope you won't make any more jokes like that, don't you agree?"

Inoue quickly replied, "Of course, of course." Since this kid is an old hand and hard to fool, I'll have to quote a normal price. He felt a pang of heartache thinking about such a large sum of money slipping away.

"How about we offer 100 million yen for this jade?"

Hearing a quote ten times higher than the previous one, Lin Maoxian thought, Just because you're a crafty old fox, you think you can swindle me? You don't even look at your own character. My experiences are no less than yours. Forget it, let's just get this over with, take the money, and leave. A little loss is fine.

"100 million is too low. Add another 10 million, and if that works, we have a deal. That's my absolute bottom line," Lin Maoxian said, deliberately keeping a straight face.

Inoue wanted to say more, but after looking at Lin Maoxian's expression, he relented. "Alright then, let's settle at 110 million yen."

If I didn't have things to do, I wouldn't let you make this profit, he thought, but said aloud, "These are my documents. Give me 100,000 yen in cash first. As for the rest, use my documents to open an account for me and deposit the balance. Also, help me buy a mobile phone."

Inoue replied, "No problem. We can finish all of this within 30 minutes. Do you have any specific brand requirements for the phone?"

Lin Maoxian said, "I don't. As long as it has all the necessary functions, that's fine."

"Very well. Please rest here for a moment; we will have it ready shortly. I'll go instruct my staff."

"Good, go ahead." Lin Maoxian watched Inoue walk out, speaking casually. He was lost in thought. Based on what he had gathered, completing the first main quest would be simple—just ask at any police station or find a taxi. However, the second quest wouldn't trigger until the first was finished, so he needed to prepare. Would he be satisfied with just the second quest? Given his personality, he definitely wanted to take advantage of this first world—where the difficulty was only "easy"—to have a proper adventure. But no matter where he was, money was essential to get things done. With this cash, everything would be much more convenient.

Twenty minutes later, Inoue returned, holding an envelope in one hand and documents in the other. "Mr. Lin, here is the 100,000 yen in cash. The rest has been transferred to this bank card. These are the phone you requested and your documents." He handed everything over to Lin Maoxian.

Lin Maoxian first took the documents, checked them carefully, and then put them away. He took the phone, pressed a few buttons, and slipped it into his pocket. As for the envelope, he tucked it away as well.

"Excellent. This has been a very pleasant cooperation with your company. I'll be going now." With that, he walked out.

Inoue watched Lin Maoxian leave. Although he had made a profit on this deal, compared to the money this kid now possessed, it was only a small sum. Should I find someone to pull a job on him? He would have to think about that carefully.