Interstellar to 80s: A Scientist's Farming Mission
Chapter 281 - 283: Wealth Moves the Heart
"Where is it?"
"Is there really that much? I find it hard to believe what this kid said."
The old man at the front, dressed in a gray jacket and black cloth shoes, hurried into the room in just a few quick strides.
The Shopkeeper was the first to rise, bowing respectfully to the old man.
"Master, she’s over here."
"Miss An, this is the Master Appraiser of our Treasure House. We’ve asked him to take a look for you."
When the Master Appraiser saw his most discerning apprentice acting this way, he knew it was almost certainly true.
The old man calmed down and, not underestimating An Ning, proactively extended his hand.
An Ning didn’t like shaking hands, but she was more tolerant with the elderly.
"Hello. The items are here."
After the handshake, An Ning repeated the same motion, unzipping her backpack.
The old man watched expectantly. He had assumed it would be in a wooden box, or at the very least, a velvet pouch.
But as An Ning slowly unzipped her backpack, a ray of sunlight happened to sneak in from behind the old man, spilling into her bag.
The dazzling light refracted from within made the old man instinctively close his eyes, only to snap them wide open a moment later.
"Is this real?"
The Master Appraiser was skeptical, but after exchanging a look with the Shopkeeper—his own senior apprentice—he relaxed.
"Miss, how about we take a look at them on the counter?"
"Alright! I came to your shop first, so you can have the first pick."
An Ning casually held her backpack by a single strap, letting it hang sideways. She didn’t seem to care, but everyone else in the room stared fearfully at the opening, terrified something might fall out.
"Hold it carefully, please hold it carefully! This old man’s heart isn’t what it used to be."
An Ning obediently hugged the backpack to her chest and stood on one side of the counter.
The Master Appraiser gathered his tools and stood behind the counter.
On the counter lay a piece of black cloth.
A very large, black cloth.
An Ning looked at the countertop with satisfaction. "This is a nice cloth."
As soon as she spoke, her hands moved.
Her small, fair hand reached in and grabbed a handful.
Gems spilled from between her fingers, and the few people watching strained their eyes, silently praying, ’Don’t drop them!’
"CLATTER—"
A second handful. CLATTER.
A third handful. CLATTER—
Even the Shopkeeper behind the counter never thought he would hear such a sound in his lifetime.
Counting these was a completely different feeling from counting money.
The group didn’t dare to ask, or even think, about the kind of background someone would need to gather a whole backpack full of such things.
Whether it was legal or illegal, it was far beyond their league.
CLATTER—
After she poured out the fifth handful, the Master Appraiser stopped An Ning.
"That’s enough."
"Alright. You pick."
From beginning to end, An Ning was unnaturally calm.
"Young friend, you’re very confident. Aren’t you afraid of losing any?"
The Master Appraiser didn’t mean anything by it; he was just curious.
Even someone selling cabbages on the street would worry about people swiping one or two. Yet here she was with a huge pile of valuable stones, not afraid in the slightest.
An Ning smiled confidently and said five words.
"You are welcome to try."
Those five words revealed all of An Ning’s confidence and boldness.
The Master Appraiser said admiringly, "What spirit."
He began his work, sighing in silent wonder with every stone he picked up.
The quality was good, the color was good, the cut was good, the clarity was even better, and most importantly, they were all real.
One, two, three...
When the Master Appraiser had inspected the tenth stone, he stopped, took off his gloves, and said, "There’s no need to check any more."
Still smiling, An Ning unhurriedly walked over with her teacup.
"Have you chosen?"
"Yes. We can discuss the price now."
The Master Appraiser nodded, gesturing to a small pile of ten gems. "These ten are the most we can take."
After speaking, the Master Appraiser’s eyes filled with regret and longing as he glanced at the large pile nearby.
An Ning put down her teacup and packed up the remaining gems.
The two parties began to negotiate the price.
The Master Appraiser and his group did not deliberately try to lowball her.
And An Ning didn’t ask for too much, wanting to leave them room for profit.
The entire negotiation was remarkably smooth. It was the first time the Master Appraiser’s team had ever settled a deal—and a major one at that—so quickly.
"Miss An, you are generous in both your wares and your character."
"You’re too kind. It’s also because you didn’t try to deceive me."
An Ning’s words added another label to her in the minds of the Master Appraiser and the others.
Mysterious, powerful, and intelligent.
’This is not someone to be trifled with.’
An Ning followed the Master Appraiser and the middle-aged man out of the shop, heading to the bank to complete the transaction.
Just before they left, the Master Appraiser offered An Ning a word of advice.
"Miss An, I know you have a powerful background, but wealth can stir a person’s heart. When the potential profit is large enough, some people will take desperate risks. It’s best to be careful."
"Thank you for the reminder, sir. I understand."
An Ning accepted his advice, and they went to the bank together to handle the paperwork.
People who owned shops here all had close relationships with the banks.
The series of transfers was processed quickly. The bank manager personally escorted An Ning and the two men out.
At the entrance, An Ning said her goodbyes to the Master Appraiser and shook his hand.
"Thank you for your advice. This is just a small token of my appreciation."
An Ning released her hand, turned, and quickly disappeared around a corner on Antique Street.
The Master Appraiser calmly returned to the antique shop and opened his palm.
"This is it. The Star Stone."
The Master Appraiser looked at his excited senior apprentice, the Shopkeeper, raised the gray stone in his hand, and asked, "You recognize this?"
The Shopkeeper nodded frantically, his words getting jumbled for a moment.
As the master and apprentice huddled together, their heads nearly touching, they peered at the stone that glittered with starlight under the cover of a black cloth. One was shocked anew, while the other couldn’t calm down for a long time.
’Just a small token of my appreciation...’
It turned out there really was a world that "poor people" like them could never comprehend.
Meanwhile, An Ning—who the old man believed to be a reclusive master from a wealthy, well-established family—was sitting on the side of the road, holding a large savory crepe and eating it with gusto. CRUNCH, CRUNCH.
A bite of crepe, a sip of plain water, another bite of a green onion—she ate with pure, happy satisfaction.
As for the backpack full of gems, it lay obediently beside her.
An Ning’s cheeks bulged as she chewed vigorously; the crepe was a bit tough.
Feeling a little choked, An Ning picked up her water bottle and tilted her head back to drink.
In that exact instant, three people appeared in front of her, momentarily blocking her view.
A short man swiftly snatched the bag she had placed on the ground, while the other two "accidentally" fell in front of her, blocking her from getting up.
"A bag snatch?"
An Ning stood up a beat late. Without a hint of urgency, she took a few steps back, walked around the two who had stumbled, and even took a moment to critique their performance.
"A little fake. Go back and practice."
"A real fall looks more like this."
An Ning grabbed one of them with a single hand, lifted him up with great force, and threw him.
She repeated the motion, and the other one was thrown as well.
THUD. THUD. An Ning nodded. "Much more realistic."