The next day, Sasha brought Su Ruiyi and Ou Yunchen to several well-known jewelry stores in the city.
Su Ruiyi: "This one is big, but it has quite a few flaws inside."
Su Ruiyi: "The color of this one isn't pure enough."
Su Ruiyi: "This isn't green enough."
Su Ruiyi: "I can't quite explain it, I just don't like it."
After browsing all morning, Su Ruiyi hadn't liked anything, and Sasha was starting to feel embarrassed.
Sasha: "Yiyi, my eyes are starting to blur. They all feel pretty much the same."
Su Ruiyi: "Could it be that the really good ones haven't been brought out yet? These don't give me that feeling of a heart skipping a beat."
Sasha: "That's impossible. Karvey gave instructions, and these jewelers wouldn't dare to fool me when my husband is involved."
Su Ruiyi: "Does that mean there aren't any gems in the entirety of Cobaltia that I like?"
Su Ruiyi sighed, casting furtive glances at the gems. There were a few she was quite fond of, but she couldn't show it...
Sasha: "It's okay. The mine is working every day. If you don't find anything, you can just stay here for a year, and you'll eventually find something you like."
Su Ruiyi: "Huh? What's going on outside?"
As they sat in the store, a crowd had gathered outside, seemingly scrambling for something.
Sasha: "It's probably gem hunters checking out the goods."
Su Ruiyi: "Why aren't they sitting and looking like us?"
Sasha: "Those surrounding the crowd are small miners who secretly dig up raw stones, unpolished. Some gem hunters specialize in buying raw stones."
Su Ruiyi: "There's such a thing? Then I have to go and see."
Sasha: "It's very dangerous. There are thieves mixed in."
Su Ruiyi: "What are we afraid of? We're not carrying any money."
Sasha: "Not carrying money?"
Ou Yunchen: "Karvey mentioned that you only accept cash and transfers here, so we didn't bring any money. If we find something we like, we can just transfer it from the bank."
Sasha: "Oh..."
Su Ruiyi pulled Ou Yunchen and pushed her way into the crowd. This was a great opportunity; with so many people, Karvey's surveillance wouldn't be effective.
"Boss, look at mine..."
"Boss, mine is huge..."
"Boss, I'll give you a good price..."
Ou Yunchen: "How much is this one?"
Small Miner: "Two thousand."
Others shouted, calling it a worthless stone, and accusing the child of always trying to pass off rocks as gems!
Ou Yunchen also felt it wasn't a gem, though it did have a faint green glow.
Ou Yunchen: "I'll take it."
This immediately set all the gem sellers on the street abuzz. A rich, foolish gem hunter like this – why wouldn't they try to sell him their junk?!
And so, the crowd around Ou Yunchen grew larger.
Ou Yunchen: "Don't rush. I'll buy anything my wife likes. Let her take a look."
Su Ruiyi: "Come here, one by one."
Ou Yunchen seized the opportunity and squeezed out of the crowd. He grabbed the small miner with the stone and moved to the side.
Small Miner: "Boss, I won't lower the price."
Ou Yunchen: "Do you want to make money?"
Small Miner: "Yes."
Ou Yunchen: "Are you a local?"
Small Miner: "Born and raised, one hundred percent authentic."
Ou Yunchen: "I need to find someone who knows everything about everyone in this city. Who should I look for?"
Small Miner: "You this..."
Ou Yunchen: "How many of these worthless stones do you have? I'll buy them all."
The small miner reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of ordinary stones...
Ou Yunchen took the small miner to the bank to withdraw money. The small miner had never seen so much money before and tried to run as soon as he got it, but Ou Yunchen grabbed him.
Small Miner: "You wanted to buy it yourself, I didn't force you..."
Ou Yunchen: "You still haven't answered my question."
Small Miner: "You can ask my brother. His name is Anse. He's the head of our mining area. He knows everything about this city."
Ou Yunchen: "Tomorrow, bring him. Same spot, I want to see him."
Ou Yunchen released him, and the small miner vanished in a flash.
***
Karvey and Sasha looked at Ou Yunchen and Su Ruiyi's haul...
A table full of worthless stones...
Karvey: "You guys..."
Ou Yunchen: "Were we scammed?"
Karvey: "It seems so..."
Ou Yunchen: "Sigh... It's my first time being a gem hunter, a bit inexperienced..."
Sasha quietly nudged Karvey and whispered, "It's alright. They have money. Let's just consider it a lesson learned."
Su Ruiyi: "I want to go again tomorrow."
Karvey almost spat out the water he was drinking. He had never seen such a foolish gem hunter.
Ou Yunchen: "Okay. Actually, it's not important whether we can buy good gems or not. The important thing is that my Yiyi is happy."
Su Ruiyi: "Mm-hmm!"
Sasha: "Alright, then we'll go again tomorrow..."
For three consecutive days, Ou Yunchen became a god of wealth in the eyes of the poor, and Ou Yunchen and Su Ruiyi collected quite a few 'treasures'.
Through the small miner's introduction, whenever Ou Yunchen went to the bank to withdraw money in the following days, the young man named Anse would always be with him.
Ou Yunchen: "Did you find out?"
Anse: "I did. There is indeed a secret experimental base in an abandoned mine in Xishan. However, it's designated as a military zone, and unauthorized entry is prohibited."
Ou Yunchen gave Anse a stack of money, payment for the information. Anse, in turn, pretending to be generous, gave Ou Yunchen a bag of what looked like the most decent gems they had found recently...
Ou Yunchen: "I need a phone that isn't monitored."
Anse's eyes darted around, and he slowly retreated into the crowd, disappearing.
What could Cobaltia, a hell on earth, do to Ou Yunchen?
These poor people were the best cover. So what if he was in hell? Give them money, and these demons would carry Ou Yunchen to heaven on their hands.
Here, money was the most useful tool. There was no information that couldn't be bought with money.
Another week passed, and Anse finally managed to get Ou Yunchen a phone that could only make calls.
Anse: "Are you really going to the Xishan mine?"
Ou Yunchen: "Why?"
Anse: "I heard that place is haunted."
Ou Yunchen: "I'm scarier than ghosts."
Ou Yunchen smiled and carefully put the phone in his pocket.
Anse: "Good luck."
Ou Yunchen: "Why haven't I seen the little miner recently?"
Anse's expression suddenly turned sad.
Ou Yunchen: "What's wrong?"
Anse: "He's dying..."