The Sapphire Necklace Was Fake

Lin Xiaofei heard what they were saying and didn't know how to comfort them.

Her family had money, but they couldn't come up with that much at once to help the Cheng Family.

"I don't want to end up penniless. I got plenty of gifts at my birthday party. I'll sell them to raise the money." Yang Su had to hold on to everything she had, so she chose to sell her birthday gifts.

Even after making that decision, she refused to part with the Sapphire Necklace.

"It's not enough. Not nearly enough!" Cheng Hai shook his head.

Yang Su had received plenty of gifts, but few were valuable. Only the ones from her three sons-in-law were worth much. Even if she sold them for their original prices, they wouldn't bring in one and a half million, let alone now that they had likely depreciated.

"The necklace has to go too," Cheng Hai said through gritted teeth.

"No!" Yang Su insisted. She had coveted that necklace for ages and had finally gotten her hands on it. She'd worn it for only a few days, and now she was supposed to sell it? She couldn't bear to.

"Fine. Then we'll wait until we have to sell the house and car, or until the company goes bankrupt. We'll lose everything and end up on the streets." Cheng Hai gave a bitter laugh. He had lost all hope. He got up and trudged toward the bedroom, deciding he might as well sleep.

"Wait..." Yang Su called out.

Cheng Hai turned. Yang Su slowly raised her hands and reluctantly took the Sapphire Necklace from her neck. She had struggled with the decision for a long time.

Faced with losing everything, Yang Su finally chose to give up the necklace for now.

"But I won't sell it. I'll pawn it." Yang Su loved her necklace. She had given in, but she still refused to sell it outright.

Either way, she would get less than it was worth. If she sold the necklace, it might never be hers again. If she pawned it, she could still redeem it.

Cheng Hai considered this. It was their best option, and he had finally persuaded Yang Su. "All right. Let's get it appraised by a pawnshop or a lender first."

The argument was finally over. Lin Xiaofei didn't come out to stop them from making their decision. Some people needed to learn a hard lesson. She hoped they would learn from this one.

Exhausted from arguing, the two drank some water and went out.

Gong City Pawnshop.

It was the most established pawn company in Gong City. Its business covered everything from land and forest holdings to jewelry.

"We're here to pawn a Sapphire Necklace worth over three million."

As the saying went, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse. Yang Su didn't believe a word Zhang Yang had said. She was certain her Sapphire Necklace was real. Even though she had been reduced to visiting a pawnshop, she remained as arrogant as ever.

Once inside, she didn't bother greeting anyone. She announced why she was there and boasted that she owned a Sapphire Necklace worth over three million.

"Hello. May I see the necklace?" The receptionist followed procedure, even though she only worked at the front desk. They would have to get past her first.

"What's there to see? Would you even know what you were looking at?" Accustomed to looking down on people with less money, Yang Su considered the receptionist beneath her.

"I'm sorry, but it's procedure." The receptionist gave a cold smile. She rarely met people like this. Today had been an eye-opener.

"Look, then!" Yang Su took an exquisite jewelry box from her bag and opened it for the receptionist. She immediately snapped it shut again, as though another glance would somehow diminish the necklace.

"Please, come inside." The receptionist couldn't judge the jewelry, but she had confirmed it was there. She gestured for Cheng Hai and Yang Su to enter, then immediately called ahead.

"Are you two here to do business with us?"

They had barely stepped inside when a capable-looking woman approached. Dressed in a neat, professional uniform, she dipped her head in welcome and offered her hand.

"I'm Fang Fang, the department manager in charge of jewelry. I'll be assisting you personally today," she said with a smile.

Now that she was dealing with someone of suitable rank, Yang Su was pleased. She extended her hand. "Hello, Manager Fang!"

They went straight into Manager Fang's office and sat down. An assistant brought them tea.

"Please make yourselves comfortable. If you'd show me the Sapphire Necklace, I'll take a look." Manager Fang nodded politely and got down to business.

Fang Fang oversaw the jewelry department, but even she rarely saw a necklace worth over three million. She was eager to see it.

"Here it is. I paid 3.99 million for it, so of course it's a fine piece. The sapphire is absolutely genuine." Even though she had come to pawn it, Yang Su couldn't resist showing off. She spoke proudly as she took out the jewelry box.

Manager Fang kept smiling. Whatever a customer claimed, she wouldn't comment before seeing the item herself.

In fact, Yang Su hadn't paid 3.99 million for the Sapphire Necklace. She had inflated the price in hopes of borrowing more against it. The actual price had been only 3.6 million.

When the box opened, Manager Fang's eyes widened and her brow furrowed. Inside lay a gleaming Sapphire Necklace, pristine and apparently unworn.

Before coming, Yang Su had taken it off, wiped it with a soft cloth, and arranged it in the box as it had been originally. The large sapphire pendant, nearly the size of a pigeon's egg, was especially dazzling.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. A close friend bought it for me. I only got it for 3.99 million because of that connection. Otherwise, it would have cost at least five million!" Yang Su continued flaunting her connections and wealth.

But as Manager Fang examined it, surprise gave way to indifference. She took out her tools, tested the necklace, and shook her head helplessly.

"I'm sorry, but our company won't accept this piece as collateral. Please try somewhere else. I have other work to attend to." Manager Fang arranged the necklace back in its box, stood, and handed it to Yang Su.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand." Cheng Hai was stunned. She had looked at the necklace and rejected it without even discussing how much they could borrow.

Unease rose in him. He remembered what Zhang Yang had said: the necklace was fake. Could it be...

Cheng Hai couldn't bring himself to finish the thought. The more he considered it, the worse it seemed.

"What's wrong?" Yang Su was baffled too. Manager Fang had examined it. Surely she should at least name a price, however low.

Seeing their shock and confusion, Manager Fang realized they didn't know. She sat down again, opened the box, and told them, "This necklace is fake. The platinum and the small diamonds around the edges are real, but everything else is fake. The sapphire pendant is fake, and so are the stones surrounding it. It isn't worth much."

"What?!"

Cheng Hai and Yang Su stared at each other, thunderstruck.

"How is that possible? A close friend bought this necklace for me. How could it be fake?" Yang Su refused to believe it.

Manager Fang shook her head with a faint, incredulous smile. "The necklace never left your sight. I couldn't have switched it. If you don't trust my appraisal, you can have someone else examine it."

With that, Fang Fang stood again, making it clear the meeting was over.