Disguised Purchase of Jadeite

Zhou Mei and Miao Ruolan looked at each other.

They were a little excited, and a little speechless.

Taking two beauties jewelry shopping could certainly be his dream. It could even be said to be 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 and throw their weight around. They were going to investigate a case.

Miao Ruolan understood even more clearly that she had never been cast in the role of a beauty. In her own estimation, she was three streets away from the words "beautiful woman."

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

Would there be fighting today?

Come to think of it, uncovering the truth behind such a major case did carry the danger of life and 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 browse Phoenix City Jewelry Store. Xiao Su wants you to make preparations."

Captain Zhang sat behind his broad desk without moving for a long while. Only when the cigarette between his fingers burned down to his skin did he suddenly flick it away...

Phoenix City Jewelry Store.

The largest jewelry store in Phoenix City.

Its owner was surnamed Zhang, known to all as "Divine-Eye Zhang."

He was a man of great fame and uncanny skill, the descendant of a Jadeite family from Southern Frontier Province—the province bordering Green-Faced Kingdom. His ancestors had dealt in Jadeite for centuries, passing down a unique technique for appraising it.

He had made his name in the Jadeite world during a television interview. The host had brought out several rough Jadeite stones and asked him to analyze their interiors through the outer skin.

Even immortals found it hard to judge the jade within an inch of stone; rough Jadeite had always been a gamble.

Yet Old Zhang had made his judgments on the spot, cut the stones open on the spot, and achieved accuracy so astonishing it shocked the world. Thus, the name "Divine-Eye Zhang" resounded far and wide, along with the jade legends of his ancestors' Finger-Tap Jade Severing and Reverse Sky-Window Alteration.

His family ran a company, while he himself had come to Phoenix City to open this Phoenix City Jewelry Store. Social elites and film stars who had done business with him came one after another to visit, and his fame and wealth took flight together.

Phoenix City Jewelry Store was located in South City.

Normally, commercial magnates opening a store did not care about rent. Most would choose the old district with its heavy foot traffic; once business boomed, high or low rent ceased to matter.

Yet Phoenix City Jewelry Store had chosen the southern part of the city.

Some said this was the bearing of a true magnate: magnates did not rely on their surroundings, for they themselves could transform them.

Others said it was actually a move born of necessity. Phoenix City Jewelry Store had a storefront in front and a workshop behind; where in the old district could they find such a large space? That was why it had chosen South City.

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

Even the outside environment improved.

The broad road was where luxury cars gathered in the greatest numbers.

Cherry Blossom Avenue had become a place for online influencers to check in.

At this time of year, the cherry blossoms had only just fallen. A few white petals, like lingering snow, still hid among the flowerbeds and drifted upon the branches.

They gave this patch of heaven and earth a beauty touched by a unique mood.

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

Three people stepped 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. Let alone in a small place like Phoenix City, this appearance would have turned heads even in the provincial capital, River City.

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 moment of her entire life.

Even Lin Xiaosu looked at her with a trace of surprise. This girl simply never wore makeup normally; once she did, she was actually quite pretty.

Zhou Mei had not changed much. She merely let down her hair, added eye shadow and false lashes, and became a completely different person.

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

Because this was the handiwork of a wedding planning company.

The makeup techniques of wedding planning companies were at the pinnacle of perfection.

They were even more professional at crafting wealthy personas. Give them an ordinary rural couple getting married, and they could forcibly create the feeling of an alliance marriage between heirs of two major business groups. What could they not do?

This makeover had taken a full two hours.

Both women had asked whether it was necessary.

Lin Xiaosu's answer had been: yes!

Why?

If Phoenix City Jewelry Store truly was what they suspected—the real mastermind behind the assassination attempt on Lin Xiaosu—then it would surely be able to recognize them through various channels. At the very least, the person in charge must have had photos of Lin Xiaosu on his phone!

The two women exchanged glances 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 as though they did not recognize one another...

The three entered Phoenix City Jewelry Store. A greeter hurried over. "Welcome, honored guests. What would you like to buy?"

Lin Xiaosu smiled. "Jadeite!"

His words were in standard Mandarin, without the slightest trace of a local accent.

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

"What price ranges do you have?"

The saleswoman smiled sweetly. "We are the largest jewelry store in the area, so we carry all price ranges. This is the affordable 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 premium section, where prices generally start at one hundred thousand."

"One hundred thousand counts as premium?" Lin Xiaosu said. "Do you have anything more premium than that?"

The greeter's eyes lit up at once, as did the eyes of several salespeople behind the counters.

The customer actually did not think one hundred thousand was enough.

This was a major client!

"Sir, we have a collectibles section! Everything inside is a collectible-grade treasure, with prices in the millions and tens of millions!"

"Take us there."

"Yes, sir. Ladies, please come upstairs!"

The greeter gave a deep bow and led them upstairs with a standard gesture.

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

"Would two women even count as a problem for a rich man? Ten or twenty would not 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 in unison...

"Who do you think he's buying it for?"

"I think the woman on the right. She's really beautiful."

"But the woman on the left has such great poise—quiet and refined, like she's used to seeing grand occasions. I think it might be for her..."

Yes, that was probably everyone's consensus.

Zhou Mei had put on casual clothes and let down her lovely hair. Apart from being beautiful, she seemed to be nothing at all... at least, there was not the slightest hint that she was a police officer.

As for Miao Ruolan, even though she looked better than she ever had in her life, she still could not be considered particularly beautiful. However... since she practiced Ancient Martial Arts, she naturally gave people the impression of having good temperament.

Heaven could bear witness that people thought she was used to grand occasions, but that was truly an injustice. On the contrary, she had never seen anything like this.

Yet her temperament, her presence, and the fact that she had spent the past month studying forensic investigation, criminal investigation, and the control of micro-expressions meant that she truly did look like someone who had seen the world.

Inside the collectibles room, dim lights reflected the most beautiful sides of the Jadeite displayed in the boxes before them.

Every piece was extraordinary.

Lin Xiaosu smiled softly. "Mei'er, Lan'er, choose for yourselves."

Zhou Mei sneered inwardly. You really got into character, didn't you? You casually called me Mei'er. If you have the guts, actually buy me something—not even a million-yuan piece. Would you be willing to spend a thousand yuan?

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

Her voice was extremely soft and clean.

The saleswoman's gaze fell upon it, and her heart trembled. Estimated price: 3.2 million!

My heavens, she dared point at a collectible bracelet worth 3.2 million?

When would I ever reach this 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.

"Yes, I think it's quite nice."

The saleswoman said, "Miss, you truly have excellent taste. This is genuine High-Ice Jade. Our boss even gave it a name—Ice Valley Orchid. Look at these threads of green within it. Together with the High-Ice base, doesn't it truly resemble an orchid in an icy valley?"

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

The moment the word "husband" left her lips without warning, Miao Ruolan's face flushed red.

Zhou Mei's heart quivered.

They were acting today, but it was the sort of performance with only a rough script.

There were no clearly defined lines.

Miao Ruolan had called him "husband." Why did Zhou Mei feel like this girl was slipping in some private goods?

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

The saleswoman's heart began pounding again. Discuss the price!

The sale was already a foregone conclusion; only the price remained to be settled.

Once such a high-end deal was completed, there would be a generous commission. Even if she had not handled the entire negotiation herself, she could still receive a reward. I'm going to make it big...

The saleswoman quickly called the boss.

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

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

"Li," Lin Xiaosu said. "The Li from wood and son."

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

"You flatter me."

Boss Zhang said, "This Ice Valley Orchid is genuine High-Ice Jade with superb color. For you to spot it at a glance shows unique Insight Eye indeed. It is clear you and this bracelet are truly fated."

"Let's get straight to the point. What's the lowest price?"

Boss Zhang said, "Treasures of collectible grade like this are things one can encounter but not seek, and normally there is not much room to bargain. But since I felt like old friends with Mr. Li at first sight, I'll offer an auspicious figure—2.8 million. I'll let it go to you at that price!"

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

Boss Zhang's heart also began to pound wildly.

This young man did not know the market.

Business was not all that easy these days. Coming across a sucker who had money, knew nothing about the trade, and was boldly ignorant and fearless was truly no easy matter...