Chapter 49: Her Suggestion
Xu Youyou wasn’t ignorant about the true value of Imperial Purple jade.
She cast a half-smiling glance at Sun Lao’er and said, “The quality of this jade material is on par with the Zhaoyi Star.”
The Zhaoyi Star was a massive 9,499-carat violet jade pendant, currently the world’s largest glass-type violet jadeite, which had sold for six billion yuan years ago.
That jade’s raw stone had weighed about 3.8 pounds, while the piece Xu Youyou had just weighed in at thirteen pounds.
Sun Lao’er gave an awkward laugh and said, “The Zhaoyi Star was a finished jewel. Its raw jade weighed twelve pounds, but its purchase price back then was only two billion. Even if I buy yours, I’ll need to commission a master craftsman to make finished pieces, and processing fees aren’t cheap. My offer is already quite fair.”
Xu Youyou shook her head. “That raw stone was sold for two billion—ten years ago. Prices have skyrocketed since then. Using the same pricing now is just taking me for a fool.”
Bald Liu seized the moment and said, “I’ll offer 3.5 billion. Miss Xu, if you’re satisfied with this price, we can seal the deal right now.”
Xu Youyou’s jade had a well-proportioned shape, making it ideal for high-end jewelry. Just a glance was enough for Bald Liu to start calculating how many sets of jewelry he could craft and how much profit he could make.
But Xu Youyou still felt this price was too low. However, Sun Lao’er seemed unwilling to raise his bid further, as if he had already conceded.
Five minutes later, another bidder stepped forward: “Four billion.”
Xu Youyou recognized him. He had appeared when she sold her previous Imperial Green jade, carrying the demeanor of a big shot. He seemed to have a strained relationship with Cen Mingzhu.
“Miss Xu, you can consult an expert. My offer is already generous, and I truly can’t go any higher. I know you’re close with Miss Cen, but even she just spent ten billion—she can’t afford this piece.”
Hearing this, Xu Youyou immediately called a few industry experts.
After selling her previous Imperial Green jade, she had deliberately expanded her network for exactly these kinds of situations.
After receiving their professional evaluations, she turned back to the man and said, “Deal.”
The experts had estimated its value at around four billion. Although Xu Youyou didn’t particularly like this buyer, she couldn’t find a better one at the moment.
Despite her immense wealth, she had no interest in hoarding valuables. No matter how stunning this Imperial Purple jade was, she preferred seeing money in her bank account over a piece of jewelry.
The transaction was quickly finalized under the watchful eyes of the crowd. Once Xu Youyou confirmed that the funds had been transferred, she turned to Lu Shaoyan and said, “Young Master Lu, if you had insisted on staying in the warehouse a bit longer, you might have had a different outcome. Unfortunately, you preferred to listen to Miss Gu’s advice.”
With that, she left with her bodyguards.
Lu Shaoyan suddenly realized that he could have bought this stone at a high price. But Gu Xueying had persuaded him to let it go.
The thought that he had just lost out on four billion made his chest ache as if a chunk had been ripped out.
Before he could react, the other stone gamblers in the room suddenly distanced themselves from Gu Xueying, their body language practically screaming that they wanted to escape her presence.
Their comments were cutting:
“Isn’t Miss Gu a bit of a jinx? Good thing Miss Xu didn’t take her advice, or she would’ve suffered a massive loss.”
“She’s still here? I don’t even dare buy stones while she’s around.”
Gu Xueying heard their mutterings loud and clear. Her eyes reddened with anger—she had never been humiliated like this in her life.
She instinctively turned to Lu Shaoyan for help.
But he was still drowning in regret over his lost fortune and completely failed to notice her distress.
Gu Xueying frowned. This entire place disgusted her—she never wanted to return. She stomped her foot in frustration and stormed out.
By the time Lu Shaoyan snapped out of his daze, she was already in a private car.
“Young Master, should we follow Miss Gu?” his driver asked.
Still agonizing over the four billion he had lost, Lu Shaoyan shook his head. “Take me home… No… Take me to Nightfall Bar…”
The pain of losing out on four billion was suffocating. He needed alcohol to numb it.
Meanwhile, in Xu Youyou’s car, her system suddenly flashed a notification:
[Congratulations, Host! You have completed a Hidden Treasure mission and earned a reward: Primary Account Balance Doubler Card (Max Limit: 10 Billion).]
Xu Youyou: !!!
“Why is there a limit? Why can’t it just double my bank balance indefinitely?” she asked.
[This is only a primary Doubler Card. Once you acquire an advanced one, the limit will be different.]
Xu Youyou’s current bank balance was already over ten billion. Without hesitation, she activated the Doubler Card.
Moments later, her phone buzzed with a bank notification. She counted the digits several times to be sure, and when she confirmed that an additional ten billion had been deposited, she barely managed to suppress a scream.
“You’ve all worked hard recently. I’ll be giving you bonuses,” she told her driver, Xu Fang.
Hearing this exciting news, Xu Fang kept her focus on the road but struggled to contain her joy.
Xu Youyou was pleased with her professionalism.
When she returned to her luxury residence in Tomson Riviera, she had barely opened the door before her dog, Guai Guai, pounced on her.
“Woof woof! Why didn’t you take me with you? I was bored to death at home!” Guai Guai barked in protest.
Xu Youyou felt a rare pang of guilt. She ruffled the little dog’s fur and said, “Next time, for sure.”
Her phone rang—it was Ouyang Ouyang.
“Boss, the video platform has transferred last month’s revenue share,” he reported.
“Got it, I’ll check it.”
Compared to the billions she had just earned, the video platform’s two million in revenue felt like spare change.
Ouyang Ouyang went on about various company matters before finally grumbling, “Boss, you really need to hire a proper manager. I’m juggling both the production crew and the company—it’s too much.”
Ouyang Ouyang’s true passion was film production. Managing the company had only been a side job. But with Xu Youyou gallivanting around like a free spirit, he had been forced into an executive role.
Xu Youyou rubbed her nose sheepishly and, for once, felt a bit guilty. “Okay, I understand. If the production team faces any issues, let me know. You don’t have to handle the company anymore.”
Ouyang Ouyang let out a cheer.
Two days later, when his short drama bonus hit his account, he was even happier.
As night fell, Xu Youyou planned to find a headhunter the next day to recruit a new company manager.
But before she could even start, her system flashed another notification:
[Hidden Treasure mission activated. Please proceed to the target location immediately.]
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