Natural Disaster: Back to the End of the World

Part 32

Yao Ziqing took his elder and second brother to the train station. After seeing them enter the station, he went to buy the items he needed. In the town, there was a small shop run by an ethnic minority, specializing in silver or handcrafted items. The shop was nearly empty, and as soon as Yao Ziqing walked in, he was greeted by the scent of sandalwood. The display shelves were filled with a variety of items, and Yao Ziqing suddenly thought he should order a hundred or so pieces. Although he could retrieve anything he wanted from the space with just a thought, organizing things felt better.

After looking around, he didn't find what he was looking for, but he did see a few intricately crafted daggers. They had some weight to them, and the sheaths hadn't been opened.

A young woman in her twenties, seeing a handsome man enter, blushed and stood aside, trying not to disturb him while stealing glances.

Yao Ziqing didn't like being given a sales pitch, so even though he noticed her glances, he had a good first impression of the shop. He pointed to a row of daggers hanging on the wall and asked, "Are these all pure silver? What are the price ranges?"

The young woman quickly shook her head, as if worried he might misunderstand her if she spoke slowly. "Silver is too soft for daggers. Generally, pure silver ones are rare, unless they are specially made. The one you're holding is silver for the handle but white copper for the blade. It's 798. There are cheaper ones for 298, and others for over 500 and more than a thousand."

Yao Ziqing nodded, examined two more daggers, and suddenly asked, "Can they be used to kill someone?"

The young woman was taken aback by the question and blinked, unsure how to respond.

Seeing her reaction, Yao Ziqing smiled.

The smile made the young woman blush again. She looked down, feeling shy. The handsome man's close proximity revealed no flaws, and he carried a faint, pleasant fragrance, not like perfume but rather like the scent from his clothes. In this hot weather, everyone sweats a lot. Some people's perfume mixes with their body odor, creating a sour smell. However, such a high-quality handsome man must be taken. She could only enjoy the view while she could.

"Do you have small pure silver bottles? They don't need to be big, just small ones, but they must be completely pure silver. Custom-made is fine too."

The young woman smiled. "Yes, we have some over at the counter. I'll go get them for you."

Soon, she brought out several small silver bottles, each no larger than a palm. Some had long necks and flat bodies, while others had handles and round bodies. Confirming they were all pure silver, Yao Ziqing bought all of them and selected several daggers that looked good. In total, he spent over four thousand dollars. The young woman, pleased with the 'big spender' of the day, cheerfully saw him off.

Yao Ziqing placed the items in the back seat of his car, sorted out the silver items, and then went to the antique market. Despite its small size, the town had everything needed. He bought several porcelain vases for just over a hundred dollars, which was quite cheap. He then found a more upscale shop and took the 'upgraded' jade pendant inside for an evaluation.

An elderly man with silver hair, wearing glasses, examined it carefully. "The jade is good quality, and the texture is full, but the craftsmanship is lacking. Such a fine material is a pity." He took the pendant under the sunlight for a closer look, nodding in satisfaction. "The texture is delicate and full. The faint green on it is evenly distributed. It's close to glassy jade. I haven't seen such good material in years. This piece has a lot of potential. If you polish it, the price could easily double."

Yao Ziqing didn't understand and asked, "Sir, how much could this jade pendant be worth?"

The old man pondered for a moment. "Just for the material, it's worth at least five million. However, the poor craftsmanship has ruined its value. If someone doesn't mind buying it and re-carving it, it might still be worth three or four million. If you're in urgent need of money, I won't say much, but it's better to keep it well. Nowadays, there's too much fake jade on the market. What's labeled as glassy jade is often just a façade to fool outsiders. Your jade is top-notch. If you're willing to invest a bit more to find a master carver, it could be worth several times more."