The sweltering heat of midsummer seemed unable to conquer humanity's great inventions. The roaring air conditioning made Wanda City cool and dry, brightly lit, crowded, and boisterous.
Clutching the pearls, Li Haochen, like a headless fly, was almost disoriented by the prosperous inner city. Fortunately, with the guidance of a cute little girl, he found the city's largest jewelry store – Zilin Jewelry.
Arriving at the entrance, he hesitated again.
"It'll be so embarrassing if they're not worth much!"
Just as Li Haochen was wavering, a familiar voice came from behind.
"Haochen?"
Li Haochen turned and followed the sound. A sweet-looking girl in a floral print knee-length sundress with light makeup appeared before him.
"Zilin? I... almost didn't recognize you." Li Haochen was a bit shy, his face flushing slightly.
Zhang Zilin smiled with dimples, playfully blinking her large eyes. She walked up to Li Haochen and extended her delicate, jade-like hand to examine his forehead.
Pouting and feigning displeasure, she said, "Why do you look taller than before? Hmm, and a lot darker."
"By the way, why are you hanging around the jewelry store? Buying something?" Zhang Zilin asked with some confusion.
"Ah, yes... there is something," Li Haochen scratched his head, feeling awkward and unsure how to begin.
"What's there to be shy about? Are you buying a gift for Qianrong? Come on, I'll recommend something for you, I guarantee you'll be satisfied!" Zhang Zilin enthusiastically pulled Li Haochen inside.
"Hey... wait... wait, I...!"
"Young lady...!"
"...Young lady?" Li Haochen was bewildered and looked at Zhang Zilin doubtfully.
"Young lady? Zilin Jewelry... Zhang Zilin... You, you, you..." Li Haochen suddenly realized, looking at the pure and sweet Zhang Zilin before him with shock.
"Hmph, dummy, so slow to react!" Zhang Zilin exclaimed in playful anger.
"Haochen, look at this bracelet. Although it's rose gold, combined with these few crystals, they complement each other perfectly, appearing graceful and elegant. It's fashionable yet classic, and not expensive, only 360 yuan. I'm making the decision, 300 yuan is enough. Am I being a good class monitor or not?" Zhang Zilin, truly a class monitor, spoke like a machine gun, leaving no room for doubt, and then gave Li Haochen a knowing glance.
Seeing Li Haochen still unmoved, Zhang Zilin swayed her slender waist, pouted her lips, and glared at him angrily.
"Hey, you blockhead, I'm explaining so enthusiastically, at least give me some reaction!"
"That... Zilin, I... I came to sell something, not buy," Li Haochen said apologetically, scratching his head.
"Sell?"
Li Haochen nodded very seriously.
"Then... was I just being overly enthusiastic?"
Li Haochen nodded, displaying a typical male tendency for directness.
"Ouch, why are you kicking me?" Li Haochen cried out in pain.
"Hmph, I want to, okay?" Zhang Zilin feigned anger to cover her awkwardness.
"Take it out, will you?" Zhang Zilin spread her palm and said.
"Take what out?"
"Geez, are you deliberately trying to annoy me? Didn't you say you were selling something, so take it out!" Zhang Zilin rolled her eyes, speaking with a look of anger.
Li Haochen smiled brightly and carefully took out the thickly wrapped large paper ball from his satchel.
"Pfft, what kind of treasure is that?" Zhang Zilin couldn't help but laugh when she saw the paper ball wrapped so securely inside and out.
As layer after layer of paper was peeled away, the true appearance was soon revealed.
Zhang Zilin quickly snatched it up.
"Hey, be careful...!"
Zhang Zilin seemed not to hear, her eyes filled with excitement and tension, all her gaze drawn to the three round, flawlessly white small spheres in her hand.
"They're so beautiful, white as jade, perfectly round, truly high-quality items. And there's a faint salty smell?"
Zhang Zilin caught a faint, almost imperceptible salty scent. She leaned down to sniff, then looked at Li Haochen.
"Did you just come out of the sea?"
"Yes, monitor, your nose is really sharp!"
"Ouch... you kicked me again!" Li Haochen turned his ankle in pain once more.
"You're the one with the dog's nose, not a good word from you. Wait for me, I'll take it in for Master to see!" Zhang Zilin rolled her eyes at Li Haochen and said with a slight pout of annoyance.
...
"Grandpa Li, how is it?"
Zhang Zilin looked at Li Ye expectantly, eagerly awaiting his professional assessment.
"Not bad, not small in size either. They should have been out of the water not long ago. Where did you find them?" Li Ye said with a smile.
"My classmate's. Grandpa Li, what's the price?"
"Your classmate... 35,000," Li Ye said after thinking, quoting a not low price.
Zhang Zilin frowned, looked at the three pearls, and pondered for a while.
"Grandpa Li, would it be a loss for the store to buy them for 40,000?"
Li Ye looked at Zhang Zilin thoughtfully, weighed the matter, and said, "It wouldn't be a loss, just a little less profit."
"Oh, then can you buy them for 40,000?" Zhang Zilin asked pleadingly, her large, watery eyes looking at Li Ye pitifully.
"You little rascal, why are you looking at me like that? Fine, fine, I agree!"
"Yay, Grandpa Li is the best, love you!"
Li Ye's "forced" agreement made Zhang Zilin overjoyed, and she playfully made a heart gesture at Li Ye.
To allay Li Haochen's concerns, Zhang Zilin specifically pulled Li Ye over to him.
Seeing Zhang Zilin come out, Li Haochen nervously fidgeted with the worn corners of his washed-out shirt.
"Zilin, how... how is it?"
"Haochen, let me introduce you. This is Grandpa Li Ye, our jewelry store's chief appraiser."
Li Haochen smiled shyly and politely greeted, "Hello, Grandpa Li."
"Heh heh, young man, you seem quite steady." Li Ye glanced at Zhang Zilin beside him, cleared his throat, and said, "The quality of those pearls of yours is quite good. We've examined them. We'll buy them for 40,000. What do you say?"
"Forty... Forty thousand?"
Li Haochen's voice leaped, his whole body felt as if under a paralysis spell. The cool air conditioning couldn't suppress the fervent rush of blood to his skin; his forehead and palms were covered in fine beads of sweat.
His mind was filled with the number 40,000. The sounds of the outside world seemed to be automatically blocked out. Li Haochen stared blankly at the air, a silly grin twitching at the corner of his mouth.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch...!"
Li Haochen rubbed his earlobe, which Zhang Zilin had just twisted, in pain.
"So you still feel pain, not completely stupid. I thought you were like Fan Jin passing the imperial examination. Alright, come with me to the finance office to get paid!" Zhang Zilin glared and said irritably.
Li Haochen, snapping back to reality, trotted behind Zhang Zilin.
"Am I dreaming?"
"Is this real?"
Li Haochen's mumbling made Zhang Zilin exclaim in exasperation, "Damn it, you're so annoying...!"
...
Holding the receipt, he handed it to the cashier, waiting anxiously.
"Sir, cash or transfer?"
Seeing Li Haochen didn't react, Zhang Zilin nudged his arm and said, "Dummy, they're asking you, cash or transfer!"
"Ca... cash!"
Holding several stacks of red banknotes, Li Haochen's heart pounded. If he hadn't felt the weight of the money in his hand, he wouldn't have believed it was real.
"Silly you, remember to treat us later." Zhang Zilin paused and said, "Also, we go back to school the day after tomorrow to collect our graduation certificates, and there's a party that night. Remember!"
"Graduation certificates..."