Chapter 23: The Green Dew Imperial Jade

"What the heck? What does 'sharing a room' mean?" Zeng Shen was startled by the system prompt.

"Why does that sound so weird?"

"Wait, is that woman the Tier 3 Water Deity?"

Realizing this, Zeng Shen wanted to use the Eye of Insight to confirm, but the glamorous woman had already left the office.

So he casually directed his ability towards Shi Mingqiang, who was approaching them.

The information revealed that Shi Mingqiang was just an ordinary human who perished during the cataclysm.

"Indeed, that woman is the true Tier 3 Water Deity," Zeng Shen mused.

He had initially thought the deity might be Li Yuqing's uncle and was planning to trigger the "subdue" and "defeat" tags on Shi Mingqiang to earn first-time survival points.

But it turned out to be the financially struggling woman?

This realization meant he could potentially track her down and earn points by "subduing" and "defeating" her regularly.

But even if she was in need of money, how would he find and approach her?

Shi Mingqiang, after the woman left, approached Li Yuqing and sat on the sofa across from them, smiling.

"It's been a while, little girl. You've grown even more beautiful."

Then, turning to Zeng Shen, he said, "I saw you two holding hands on the security camera, so this young man wanting to sell some raw jade must be your boyfriend?"

Li Yuqing blushed slightly, nodding, "Yes, his name is Zeng Shen, and we were in the same class in college."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Shi," Zeng Shen offered his hand.

"You seem like a fine young man. Xiaoqing has found a good boyfriend," Shi Mingqiang said, shaking Zeng Shen's hand briefly. "I heard from Xiaoqing that you found some jade stones at a quarry, and recently one revealed an emerald."

"Yes, I split it with a kitchen knife, and when I saw green, I stopped," Zeng Shen explained, placing the fist-sized stone from his backpack onto the table.

Shi Mingqiang wasn't initially concerned about what kind of jade Zeng Shen had found, but when he saw the vibrant green sheen in the stone's crevice, his eyes widened, and his breath quickened as if his entire being was drawn into the gem.

"It's so beautiful, an absolute gem."

Shi Mingqiang murmured, taking the raw jade from Zeng Shen and examining it intently.

After about a minute, he calmed his excitement, cradling the jade as he addressed Zeng Shen.

"You've got something special here. Just from the green sheen in this crevice, I can tell it's Green Dew Imperial Jade."

"What's Green Dew Imperial Jade?" Zeng Shen asked, puzzled.

"It's the finest of Imperial Jades, incredibly rare. A thumb-sized piece can fetch thirty million at auction. The visible green in your raw stone alone is worth at least fifty million."

"Wow, at least fifty million!" Li Yuqing's eyes widened.

Though she'd seen a lot of money, she hadn't expected Zeng Shen's jade to be so valuable. Hearing the estimate from her uncle, she couldn't help but gasp.

Shi Mingqiang nodded, "And that's just the raw auction price. If my design team turns it into jewelry, it could go for at least two hundred million."

"Are you serious, Uncle Shi? Two hundred million!" Li Yuqing exclaimed.

"Green Dew Jade is worth the price. It contains energy that science can't yet explain, said to enhance health and immunity with long-term wear," Shi Mingqiang explained.

Li Yuqing turned to Zeng Shen, excited, "Brother Shen, you're rich! This jade is worth two hundred million."

Shi Mingqiang smiled, "That's my conservative estimate. If your boyfriend agrees, I can have our top jade carver evaluate and peel it. If it's larger than expected, the price could multiply."

Though Zeng Shen was generally indifferent to money, hearing such staggering figures made his heart race.

He knew the jade was valuable but underestimated its worth, expecting perhaps a few tens of millions.

But the market value far exceeded his expectations, just from the small green sliver he had uncovered with a knife.

If the entire stone revealed a palm-sized jade, it could easily fetch eight hundred million.

And he had a whole stash of similar jades in his inventory, with a mine back home.

Such immense wealth was overwhelming.

No matter how indifferent one might be to fame and fortune, achieving inner peace in the face of such riches was challenging.

Taking a deep breath, Zeng Shen said, "Sure, I'll leave it to you, Uncle Shi."

"Great," Shi Mingqiang replied, visibly excited as he called to arrange for the top jade carver to come over.

Meanwhile, the glamorous woman had returned to the 21st floor to negotiate her own jade stone with Shi Mingqiang's rival.

But without fully peeling the stone, the rival wouldn't sign a risk agreement, subtly mocking her for trying to get something for nothing.

This made her furious, and she returned to the 20th floor to reconsider with Shi Mingqiang, planning to have her jade peeled if necessary.

Her intuition told her that her stone likely held only a small amount of Imperial Jade, far less valuable than she hoped.

As she approached Shi Mingqiang's office again, he was chatting with Zeng Shen, treating him like a potential nephew-in-law while waiting for the jade carver.

"Mr. Shi, I hope I'm not interrupting," the woman said, knocking lightly at the door with a forced smile.

Shi Mingqiang stood up, greeting her, "Not at all, Ms. Liu."

"I'd like to continue our discussion about my jade," she said.

Shi Mingqiang nodded, "We can, but if you insist on a risk agreement, it must be after the jade is fully peeled."

After a moment's hesitation, the woman seemed to make a significant decision. "Alright."

"Please, have a seat. I'll be right back with the carver," Shi Mingqiang said, checking his phone before heading out.

The woman entered the office, intending to sit in the desk chair. But as she walked in, her attention was immediately captured by the fist-sized stone on the table in front of Zeng Shen.

More precisely, it was the deep green sheen in the stone's crevice that caught her eye.

Though not an expert in jade, her instincts told her this stone was far more valuable than hers.

Without hesitation, she sat across from Zeng Shen and Li Yuqing, asking softly, "Are you also here to have Mr. Shi develop your jade?"

Zeng Shen, who had been contemplating how to find and earn points from this woman, grinned internally as she approached him, replying calmly, "Yes, I unexpectedly acquired a piece of jade. Mr. Shi said it could be worth a two billion risk agreement."

The woman's breath hitched.

Zeng Shen's smile broadened slightly, sensing that she had taken the bait.