Chapter 617: Book 5: Chapter 216: Old Wang

“Holy crap… These might be real.”

Old Wang’s drowsiness vanished in an instant. He weighed one of the gold coins in his hand, then fished out a loupe from his chest pocket, placing it over his left eye to examine the coin more closely.

“Hmm, this color and luster… its purity is impressive.”

“How much do you think it’s worth?” Luna asked.

“Well… the amount is significant; we’ll need to estimate carefully.”

“Make it quick,” Luna demanded coldly. Having no interest in their calculations, she strolled to a display case and began surveying the jewelry before her. The pieces were beautifully crafted, many of which were unlike anything she had seen before.

Although Luna doubted the upper limits of technology could surpass certain thresholds, she had to admit that it allowed ordinary people to create extraordinary items. The increase in productivity for mortals in this realm was unmatched by the talent and resources required for magic and martial arts.

“Huh? What kind of material is this? It looks like jade but it’s not jade.” Luna picked up a jade bracelet and examined it closely, realizing it didn’t seem to be made of pure jade as the label suggested.

“A-Ah, t-that’s just a display piece. It’s not for sale,” the shop assistant explained with a stiff smile, quickly snatching the bracelet back and placing it in its box.

After shutting the box, the shop assistant pointed toward a more secluded area of the shop. “Miss, if you’re interested in purchasing something, you can look inside; the quality of the items is much better than what’s outside.”

Luna regarded the shop assistant thoughtfully but nodded and said, “No problem, I’m just looking around.”

“In that case, let me introduce you to—”

“No need. I’m not looking to buy just yet; I’m simply browsing.” She brushed aside the shop assistant’s eager offer to show her around, then turned to the manager. “How much longer will it take?”

“Soon, soon,” the manager replied, wiping the sweat from his forehead. After addressing Luna respectfully, he glanced at Old Wang, who was still scrutinizing the gold coins.

“These coins… could they be from…?” he asked.

“From what?”

“You know… grave robbing…” the manager mouthed.

“No. These coins can’t be more than ten years old,” Old Wang replied confidently.

“Then could they be…?” The manager ended his question by mouthing ‘stolen.’

“Even less likely.”

Old Wang glanced at Luna and lowered his voice. “I didn’t look closely just now, but I was shocked—not just because she’s attractive. Did you see the jewelry she was wearing? They’re all top-grade pieces, the kind an ordinary person might never even lay eyes on in their lifetime. Just one of those could be worth more than all these gold coins.”

The manager inhaled sharply, and a spark of realization lit up his eyes.

“So, how much should we appraise for these gold coins?”

“Round it up to this amount.” Old Wang gestured a five with his fingers.

“How much can we earn from that?”

Old Wang glanced around, ensuring Luna’s attention was elsewhere. He leaned closer to the manager and discreetly indicated a figure with his fingers.

“That sounds promising. With that, we’ll hit our performance target for the month!” The manager smiled widely.

“Are you stupid?” Old Wang elbowed him. “You think you’re a manager but you’re just another employee. Why worry about targets? Will it get you a raise?”

“So you mean to say…?” The manager’s expression suddenly turned thoughtful.

“I know how much these gold coins are really worth, and you know what it costs to collect them. Let’s just say we can do a little math in between to…”

Old Wang left his sentence hanging, but the manager quickly grasped the implication. His eyes sparkled with understanding as he calculated the potential profits. With a determined nod, he slapped his thighs.

“Let’s do it.”

“Nice,” Old Wang replied, giving a thumbs-up. “Let’s go out for a meal in two days; my treat.”

“Come on, you miser! I don’t want to eat at some roadside stall again; it doesn’t suit my status.” The manager rolled his eyes at him before quickly putting on a bright smile and approached Luna.

Old Wang stomped his foot angrily. “What’s wrong with roadside stalls? They’re tasty and cheap—way better than spending thousands for a few bites at some Miche-something-starred place!”

The manager acted as if he hadn’t heard Old Wang’s comment, jogging up to Luna with a grin while rubbing his hands.

“Miss, the gold coins have been accounted for. To round it up, I can offer you a price of three hundred thousand.”

Luna, who had been watching their exchange with quiet amusement, said nothing. She allowed the manager to quote a price that seemed too low and simply nodded. “That works.”

“Then… just to confirm, you’ll be settling in cash, correct?”

“That’s right.”

The manager hesitated slightly. “In that case, you may have to wait a bit. No one has that much cash on hand right now, so I’ll need to go to the bank to withdraw the money first.”

“Make it quick,” Luna replied expressionlessly.

“Of course.”

The manager smiled broadly, his old face blooming like a chrysanthemum flower. With a bounce in his step, he hurried out the door like a happy rabbit in spring.

Luna continued to examine the jewelry, her gaze occasionally sweeping over the surrounding decorations. While she found much of it somewhat tacky, she couldn’t deny its novelty—there was plenty to catch her interest.

“Umm, miss…” A voice interrupted her thoughts.

Luna turned to look at the middle-aged man known as Old Wang.

“What is it?”

“I know this may seem presumptuous, but… could I take a look at the jewelry you’re wearing? I can’t help it; I’m just excited to see it.” Old Wang rubbed his hands together nervously.

Luna studied him carefully. He appeared nearly fifty, with a scruffy beard and unkempt clothing that suggested he hadn’t been taking care of himself. A faint odor of stale alcohol clung to him.

He emanated the air of someone down on his luck, though he had certain skills to put food on his table.

“No,” Luna refused bluntly.

Old Wang’s smile froze on his face. “Eh…?

“If you know it’s a presumptuous request, then why ask?” Luna covered her nose with her hand and frowned. “And I hate the smell of alcohol, especially cheap wine—it really turns my stomach.”

“Uh… I’m sorry…” Old Wang’s face shifted through shades of embarrassment. He momentarily scowled but quickly replaced it with a look of utter humility.

“I’m really sorry. My child did poorly on an exam last night, and I drank a bit to cope. I’ll get out of your way now.” Old Wang stood up, slightly hunched, and prepared to leave.

Luna raised an eyebrow, silently observing his fists clenched tightly beneath his sleeves.

Heh, how interesting.