Chapter 31: Chapter 29 A Pearl as Valuable as Ten Thousand Jin of Gold
Huo Sining did not have to wait long before Professor Xie, who handled the pearl with experienced movements, concluded his examination.
After setting down the pearl, he whispered a few words to Su Jinyuan, then smiled slightly at Huo Sining before leaving the office.
Feeling pleased with the results, Su Jinyuan got straight to the point without beating around the bush:
“Miss Huo, after appraisal, your pearl is indeed a newly excavated natural wild pearl. To be honest, I am quite surprised because wild pearls are not only rare but usually small and irregular in shape. It is rare to see one as large and round as this. I wonder how many more you have in your possession.”
A surge of joy rose in Huo Sining’s heart, but she managed to look nonchalant as she replied, “I indeed have a few more. It’s just that I am not sure about the price Mr. Su is willing to offer.”
Having seen Huo Sining casually take out a pearl from her backpack earlier, Su Jinyuan had guessed that she must have more.
But that was mere speculation; he had only asked tentatively, not expecting Huo Sining to give a definite answer. He was surprised to receive her affirmative response.
Su Jinyuan was instantly overjoyed and quickly showed his hand:
“Miss Huo, I am truly sincere in wanting to acquire the batch of pearls you have. A month ago, Jiade Auction House auctioned four Tahitian black pearls, 12 millimeters in diameter with round shape, bright luster, and flawless. The final auction price for those four pearls was one hundred and ninety thousand. Considering that, I am willing to offer fifty thousand per pearl for those you have, what do you think?”
Huo Sining’s heart was pounding wildly. She had anticipated that the pearls wouldn’t come cheap, but she couldn’t help feeling excited upon hearing Su Jinyuan’s offer.
Fifty thousand each, and she had at least forty pearls of this size on hand, which meant she could make two million just from these medium-sized pearls?
“Mr. Su, about your offer…” Huo Sining suppressed the excitement in her heart. Though two million was a substantial amount, she wasn’t blinded by it.
“What, Miss Huo, are you not satisfied?” Su Jinyuan clasped his hands together in a steeple and stared intently at Huo Sining with his deep eyes that resembled the night, trying to put pressure on her.
Huo Sining smiled. She knew that businessmen could be cunning, and Su Jinyuan’s words were clearly ambiguous.
While she was unclear whether the Tahitian black pearls were priced higher than freshwater white pearls, she was certain about one thing: the price Su Jinyuan had offered was merely a probing tactic. This implied that the true value of her pearls was definitely more than that.
“Mr. Su mentioned the auction of Tahitian black pearls just now, and I am a bit confused and would like to ask. Are those four black pearls also, one of mine, pure natural wild pearls?”
The business smile on Su Jinyuan’s face suddenly could not be maintained, and he had not expected Huo Sining to hit the nail on the head.
Seeing Su Jinyuan’s smile fade, Huo Sining knew she had guessed correctly and had played her card right.
She felt a burst of happiness, took a deep breath, and held up her thumb and forefinger to Su Jinyuan: “Fixed price, eighty thousand! If Mr. Su finds it acceptable, then let’s make a deal.”
Just as Su Jinyuan was about to push further, Huo Sining added, “I forgot to tell Mr. Su, I have about forty or so pearls one on hand.”
Over forty? Su Jinyuan’s breath hitched, and he almost couldn’t catch his breath.
The final transaction price was eighty-one thousand per pearl, and as soon as Su Jinyuan heard Huo Sining say she still had over forty pearls, he didn’t hesitate for a second and hastily agreed to the deal.
Fearing that more dreams breed more complications, he didn’t delay after signing the contract. He intended to take Huo Sining to her rented place to get the merchandise right away, of course followed by the ever-curious Su Qingqing.
“Ningning, you’re so amazing! You even managed to bargain with my brother during the negotiation. You have no idea how many people have suffered losses at his hands; those business partners all say my brother is a ruthless demon.”
Having witnessed the negotiation between Huo Sining and Su Jinyuan, Su Qingqing’s admiration for Huo Sining instantly upgraded to diehard fan status. Her gaze toward Huo Sining was filled with nothing but worship, pure and complete.
When they arrived at the old and shabby dormitory where she rented a room, worried that the two siblings would see the basin full of pearls, Huo Sining didn’t invite them upstairs but decided to have them wait downstairs while she went up to fetch the goods.
Huo Sining sorted through the basin of pearls, picking out those that were about the same size as the previous one.
Indeed, there were thirty-four, which, added to the one in Su Jinyuan’s possession and the nine in her backpack, made a total of forty-five.
She carefully packed the pearls in a cardboard box, then hurriedly ran downstairs.
Finally having secured the forty-five pearls, Su Jinyuan carefully inspected them and, after confirming there were no issues, felt a sense of relief.
Soon, Huo Sining’s bank account saw an influx of three million six hundred thousand.
“Miss Huo, it’s been a pleasure doing business with you. If you have any other good items to sell next time, feel free to come to Donghua to find me. Here’s my business card, please take it.”
Once he confirmed that the money had been transferred to Huo Sining’s account, Su Jinyuan took out a personal business card from his wallet and handed it to her.
Internally, Huo Sining scoffed: Buddy, I’m not in the same line of business as you! Today’s deal was completely accidental. I do have good stuff, but you won’t want it. Do you want red and white koi fish? Will you take Huangjiang knifefish?
Even though she thought this, her hand still took the business card.
Seeing the Su siblings eager to leave, Huo Sining didn’t forget to stuff a small bag of tiny pearls into Su Qingqing’s hands.
Though these pearls were irregular in shape and smaller than six millimeters, when ground into “Pearl Powder,” they were beneficial whether applied externally or taken internally, especially since pure wild pearl powder wasn’t so easy to come by.
After witnessing Huo Sining’s negotiation tactics, Su Jinyuan felt somewhat uncomfortable, deeming the girl too calculating, fearing that his sister might be at a disadvantage being friends with such a person.
However, his heart softened the moment he saw the box of small pearls in his sister’s hands.
Despite her young age, this little girl knew how to manage situations. Well, it’s said that one is influenced by the company one keeps. His sister had been protected too well by him all these years, which was why she was so naive. Having a smart friend might not be a bad thing after all.