Huaqing City had been no more than a small market town a little over a decade ago. But after Bai Tianqi founded his sect on Huaqing Mountain, ten li outside Huaqing City, the place underwent a transformation that overturned heaven and earth. After several years of development, Huaqing City had taken shape. Though it could not compare to some of the great, prosperous cities, it still qualified as a medium-sized city. Plenty of merchants passed through, so the city was exceptionally lively.
It was especially so of late, with many more people from the martial world arriving in the city for the sixtieth birthday of Bai Tianqi, the Huaqing Sect's sect master.
"Oh, my dear shopkeeper, stop looking. Those new clothes fit you perfectly," a clerk said with a laugh when he saw his shopkeeper repeatedly straightening his clothes.
"Really? They really fit?" The shopkeeper smiled slightly at his words, then asked.
"Really. Would I lie to you?" the clerk said with a laugh. "Shopkeeper, isn't it just Boss Wu coming for an inspection? Do you need to be this nervous?"
"What the hell do you know?" The shopkeeper glared at the clerk, then said, "Boss Wu oversees the Heavenly Qilin Pawnshop branches in more than a dozen cities. He has enormous authority. If I accidentally offend him, do you think I'll get to keep my job?"
The clerk chuckled and said no more. Although he did not know what sort of man that Boss Wu was, he certainly knew the Heavenly Qilin Pawnshop. It was the foremost pawnshop under heaven, with branches all over the country.
"By the way, have you prepared those few valuable items among the goods our branch has taken in lately?" the shopkeeper asked.
"Shopkeeper, don't worry. I sorted everything out last night. Rest assured, I won't spoil your important business," the clerk said with a laugh.
The shopkeeper smiled and nodded, then stood at the pawnshop entrance, waiting for the Boss Wu he had spoken of to arrive.
An hour later, an utterly ordinary carriage stopped outside the pawnshop. Its driver was an old man dressed in brown hemp clothes. His hair was half gray; clearly, he was getting on in years.
"Master, we've arrived at the Qinghua City branch." The old man climbed down from the carriage, lifted the curtain, and spoke respectfully.
The shopkeeper standing at the entrance had already recognized them. He hurried forward a step, bowing slightly, and when he saw a middle-aged man in purple brocade emerge from the carriage, he hastily called out, "Chen Gui, shopkeeper of the Qinghua City branch, pays his respects to Boss Wu."
"Oh, Shopkeeper Chen. Sorry for the wait. There are rather a lot of people in the city, so the carriage was a little slow getting here," Boss Wu said with a slight smile.
"With Boss Wu honoring us with his presence, any wait would be worthwhile," Chen Gui said respectfully.
Boss Wu merely smiled without saying anything and walked into the pawnshop.
Chen Gui hurried ahead to lead the way, going all the way to the rear hall. Once Boss Wu had settled into the seat of honor, Chen Gui hastily reported on the branch's affairs.
"Not bad. Although the Huaqing City branch is newly opened, its monthly takings are quite considerable. I think that in another six months to a year, it should be able to match some of the branches in outlying areas," Boss Wu said with a nod.
Seeing Boss Wu nod, Chen Gui felt the stone in his heart finally drop. Although Boss Wu appeared perfectly amiable now, Chen Gui knew that his expression could change in an instant. Especially if a branch's business failed to satisfy him, dismissal would be the best outcome; at worst, one might not even keep one's life. Of course, great risks brought great rewards. As long as he did his job as shopkeeper well, his yearly income was substantial. Compared with others in the same trade, he earned at least ten times as much as a shopkeeper in an equivalent position.
"Boss Wu, our branch has come across a few fine treasures recently," Chen Gui said respectfully.
"Oh? Is that so? Redeemable pledges or outright forfeitures?" Boss Wu asked.
"Boss Wu, I wouldn't dare break the rules. Naturally, they're outright forfeitures," Chen Gui hastily said. Of course he would not dare try to fool Boss Wu with items held as redeemable pledges. After all, with redeemable pledges, their owners would still come back to reclaim them once they had the money. Those were the pawnshop's rules. Naturally, outright forfeitures presented no such issue. They were effectively sold to the pawnshop, so there was no question of redeeming them.
"Then bring them out for me to see!" Boss Wu naturally understood Chen Gui's meaning. He had only called them fine treasures, but their value was probably more than merely fine. After all, with Boss Wu's discerning eye, ordinary treasures were beneath his notice, and presumably Chen Gui knew that too.
Chen Gui clapped his hands. The clerk hurried forward carrying three brocade boxes, placed them on the table, and withdrew.
"Boss Wu, please take a look. This first piece is a Glazed Jadeite Nine Galloping Horses." Opening one of the brocade boxes, Chen Gui took out a jadeite carving of nine galloping horses.
"Mm, this jadeite can indeed be counted among the finest, and the carving is also the work of a master. It must be worth no less than three thousand taels of silver. How much did you get it for?" Boss Wu asked.
"In answer to Boss Wu, I spent only five hundred taels on it." Chen Gui could tell that this treasure had not caught Boss Wu's eye.
"Not bad. Spending five hundred taels of silver to buy something worth three thousand-you certainly have a knack," Boss Wu said with a smile.
"Boss Wu, I acted strictly according to the rules. There was absolutely no forced buying or selling. It was only that the original owner of this jade carving suffered a calamity at home and urgently needed money, which let me get it cheaply," Chen Gui hastily explained.
"That wasn't what I meant. You handled this very well. What are the other two pieces?" Boss Wu continued asking.
Not daring to hesitate, Chen Gui hurriedly took out the second treasure.
"Gold and Jade Coral! That is rare indeed. I never expected little Huaqing City to have a treasure like this. It seems I underestimated it somewhat." After glancing at it, Boss Wu still spoke indifferently.
Chen Gui's heart gave a lurch. He felt that his own standards were already quite high, but he had never imagined that Boss Wu's standards would be so far beyond his expectations. Neither of these two pieces had caught his eye at all.
At that thought, he could only pin his hopes on the final piece.
"Boss Wu, I nearly misjudged this last piece myself. It was only later, by chance, that I discovered something unusual about it," Chen Gui said.
"Really? I have a fairly high opinion of your discerning eye. Even you misjudge things sometimes?" These words did stir a little interest in Boss Wu. After all, every shopkeeper of the Heavenly Qilin Pawnshop was an expert at appraising treasures. Otherwise, they would never have been recruited to run a branch. Its standing as the foremost pawnshop under heaven was no idle boast.
"It's this Jade Thumb Ring!" Chen Gui said, carefully taking a pale bluish-white jade thumb ring from the brocade box.
Boss Wu took it from Chen Gui, held the Jade Thumb Ring before his eyes, and examined it. His brows furrowed slightly as he said softly, "This Jade Thumb Ring seems quite ordinary."
"Hmm?" Boss Wu suddenly let out a sound of surprise and doubt.
Hearing that sound from Boss Wu, Chen Gui knew he had probably rendered a great service this time. It seemed this treasure had finally caught Boss Wu's eye, and his chances of being transferred to a more prosperous branch in the future were now much greater.