Chapter 28: Appraisal
Chapter 28: Appraisal
Lu Jiaxin also had a fondness for jade, particularly jadeite and mutton-fat jade. She had little interest in diamonds or gold, which led her friends to call her eccentric. Her passion led her to amass a collection of fine jade pieces, the most valuable of which were a Hetian white jade bracelet and a mutton-fat jade bracelet. As for imperial green jade, she had only ever seen it on her wealthy friends. She never imagined that she would now possess an imperial green jade bracelet and a necklace with 108 beads.
Su Heming saw the brilliant smile on her face, as if she were a blooming flower, and asked in confusion, "You really like jewelry made from stones?"
What kind of question is that? It's clear from his attire that he has no sense of aesthetics, but Lu Jiaxin generously forgave his ignorance.
Lu Jiaxin laughed and said, "I like it a lot, and I plan to collect more when I have the money."
She had a generous allowance during college and also worked part-time jobs. Whenever she had money, she would buy various jade accessories. Later, when jade became popular, the value of her collection increased significantly.
Seeing her genuine enthusiasm, Su Heming smiled and said, "A friend of mine owed me some money, but he couldn't pay me back after his goods were stolen. He offered this set of jade jewelry as repayment, saying it had been passed down in his family. I accepted it because of our past friendship. Since you like these stones, I want to give them to you as a gift for our first meeting."
Lu Jiaxin politely refused, indicating that she couldn't accept such a valuable gift. After all, they were neither relatives nor close friends, and this was only their second meeting.
Su Heming insisted, "Don't be shy. Just take it."
Seeing that Lu Jiaxin was still reluctant, he added, "My younger aunt's health has always been fragile, and she nearly lost her life giving birth to Xiao Chen. She survived, but she can't have any more children. By saving Xiao Chen, your mother also saved my aunt's life. This jade jewelry is nothing compared to that."
Then he added, "My girlfriend prefers gold jewelry, so she wouldn't want these anyway. Otherwise, I wouldn't have any to give you."
Although Lu Jiaxin loved jade, she didn't want any trouble. "If your girlfriend changes her mind and wants it back, she might come looking for me and cause a scene. I don't want to get caught up in any misunderstandings or scandals."
Su Heming waved his hand, indicating that he had already broken up with his girlfriend over a month ago, and they were no longer involved. "If you consider me a friend and are willing to maintain a relationship with me, then please accept this gift. If you don't consider me a friend, then forget I ever mentioned it."
Lu Jiaxin thought that although he was a bit flamboyant, he seemed to have a sense of loyalty. She decided it wouldn't hurt to befriend him. "In that case, I won't be polite."
Su Heming reminded her to keep the jewelry safe before preparing to leave.
Lu Jiaxin stopped him and said, "This crackdown on law and order is very serious. You and your subordinates should be careful. If something happens, even if Madam Xie can save you, you'll still suffer greatly."
She was someone who avoided trouble, but Su Heming's generosity had touched her. She felt it was only right to give him a warning, and if he chose not to listen, that was his business.
Su Heming was stunned for a moment before asking in confusion, "How did you find out about this?"
Lu Jiaxin gave him a look as if he were an idiot. How could she reveal her sources? She felt it necessary to investigate the Su family's background; how could someone be so oblivious to the current state of affairs?
Suddenly understanding, Su Heming cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, little sister."
He decided to ask his aunt about it when he returned. If what this young lady said was true, then he would have to lie low for a while.
"Little sister?" Lu Jiaxin was speechless. She pointed to Su Heming's wrist and said, "Do you know why people prefer to keep a low profile and make their fortune quietly? It's because they become a target for jealousy and envy, and that can lead to an early death."
"I don't know the market price of your gold watch, but it's easily worth seventy or eighty thousand. With the average worker in the city earning only seventy or eighty a month, wearing such an expensive watch..."
She left the rest unsaid, letting Su Heming draw his own conclusions. Sometimes, people wouldn't listen unless they realized the severity of the situation themselves.
Su Heming laughed heartily and said, "I'm not stupid. Why would I wear a Rolex worth over a hundred thousand? Little sister, this is a fake. My friend gave it to me, and I'm just wearing it for fun."
Lu Jiaxin looked at the watch skeptically. "A fake? Take it off and let me see."
One of her wealthy friend's partners was a demolition worker who earned fifty or sixty thousand a month in rent alone. He was also quite flashy and had specifically bought a Rolex gold watch to wear. Everywhere he went, he became the center of attention.
Su Heming took off the watch and handed it to her. "If you like it, consider it a gift."
Lu Jiaxin examined the watch carefully. Rolex watches had unique design patterns and used patented anti-counterfeiting technology, making them very difficult to replicate.
While she couldn't be absolutely certain that the watch was genuine in over thirty years, as counterfeiting techniques would become more sophisticated, she currently believed that it was authentic. Examining the anti-counterfeiting marks, she asked, "You said this watch was a gift from your friend?"
Su Heming nodded with a smile. "Yes, a friend from my childhood gave it to me for my birthday a few days ago. Impressive, right? If you like it, it's yours, and I'll buy myself another one."
Lu Jiaxin returned the watch to him and said sincerely, "Su Ge, this watch is real."
She couldn't fathom why someone would give such an expensive watch as a gift and then claim it was fake. If it weren't for her expertise, Su Heming would have been deceived.
Su Heming's heart skipped a beat. "What did you say? This watch is real?"
"I'm telling you with certainty that it's real. If you don't believe me, you can find an expert to appraise it."
Su Heming's face changed, and he asked Lu Jiaxin for paper and a pen. He wrote down a phone number and said, "Keep the gifts safe, and I'll go find someone to appraise the watch. If you need anything, call this number and ask for Su Ge."
After saying this, he hurried off. Once he reached the entrance of the alley, he dismissed his subordinates and rode his motorcycle to find an old man.
He took off the gold watch and handed it to the old man, anxiously asking, "Can you please tell me if this watch is real or fake?"
The old man examined it and smiled. "Rest assured, it's real."
A fake watch with such fine craftsmanship would be worth a few hundred, but a genuine one was worth over a hundred thousand on the market. Su Heming's flamboyant behavior was understandable, but he wasn't stupid. Wearing such an expensive watch would make him a target, especially during this crackdown on law and order. If he were caught... just as Lu Jiaxin had said, he might not die, but he would certainly suffer greatly. He wondered if someone was targeting him and his father or if they were after his aunt.
Su Heming knew he couldn't handle such a big matter on his own, so he immediately called Madam Xie.
After hearing about the situation, Madam Xie fell silent for a moment before saying, "I'll send someone to investigate this matter. In the meantime, you should buy a replica gold watch and put all your current business dealings on hold."
"Okay."
(End of Chapter)
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