24 Not Letting Her Suffer

All three jadeite pieces had been appraised. Li Jingyi placed the last item, the Ocean-Walking Guanyin jadeite pendant, back into its sandalwood box before speaking: “Mr. Xiao’s collection is truly extraordinary. Even the jadeite pendant of Maitreya, which is the least valuable among them, is worth over a hundred million yuan. These three top-tier jadeite ornaments should all meet Miss Cheng’s requirements. As for which one she will ultimately choose, that will depend on the preferences of the elder herself.”

“What is Mr. Xiao’s view on the prices of these three jadeite ornaments? If you tell me your expectations, I can convey them to Miss Cheng so she’ll have a reference when making her decision,” Li Jingyi asked the most crucial question.

“As a collector and investor, I have my own perspective and market positioning for each of my items. I can tell you the price I have in mind, but I must state upfront: my pieces are generally not for sale. This time, I’m willing to part with one for Mr. Wang’s sake, but I don’t accept bargaining. The price I quote is the final price—if she accepts, we have a deal; if not, we’ll consider it as if nothing happened,” Xiao Yao’s attitude was clear and resolute.

“That’s no problem. I’ll pass your message on to Miss Cheng.” Li Jingyi was already quite satisfied to have persuaded Xiao Yao to sell one piece; matters of price were between Xiao Yao and Cheng Mo. She was merely acting as a go-between and would not get involved.

“So, may I ask what prices you have set for these three jadeite ornaments?”

“The Maitreya jadeite pendant has slightly more white cotton in some areas. Although it’s barely visible to the naked eye, it’s quite evident under magnification. Considering this minor flaw, I’ve set the price at one hundred and twenty million.”

Li Jingyi had expected Xiao Yao’s price to be somewhat inflated, perhaps far above the market value, but to her surprise, his asking price was quite close to her own estimate.

She had appraised the Maitreya jadeite pendant at between one hundred and one hundred and twenty million; Xiao Yao’s price, though at the upper end, was still within the normal range and entirely acceptable.

If Miss Cheng could acquire this Maitreya jadeite pendant for one hundred and twenty million, it would indeed be a stroke of luck.

If this pendant were put up for auction, the hammer price would likely not differ much from this figure. But the buyer would also have to pay a fifteen percent commission, which is no small sum. Of course, the seller must also pay a commission to the auction house, so the final amount received is the hammer price minus those fees.

Xiao Yao had proactively mentioned the pendant’s only flaw, which surprised Wang Chuanjie.

Generally, such a minor defect, especially when it’s barely visible to the naked eye and not obvious even under tenfold magnification, can be disregarded. However, this Maitreya jadeite pendant was so precious that, aside from this tiny flaw, every other aspect was absolutely top-tier and flawless. Thus, even the slightest imperfection affected its pricing.

For jadeite items valued in the millions or tens of millions, such a flaw would hardly impact the price. But for ornaments worth hundreds of millions, especially when all other aspects are perfect, such a flaw cannot be ignored and must influence the price.

Li Jingyi said, “Your pricing is very reasonable. What about the jadeite bangle and the Ocean-Walking Guanyin pendant?”

“The jadeite bangle is high-ice grade, the color is vivid imperial green, and the hue is quite even. Still, compared to the other two, it’s slightly less uniform in color, so I’ve priced it at three hundred and sixty million.”

“The Ocean-Walking Guanyin pendant has no flaws whatsoever; every aspect is nearly perfect. Having both vivid imperial green and azure blue on the same piece is exceptionally rare. The master carver used this extraordinary material to sculpt an Ocean-Walking Guanyin, exhibiting superb craftsmanship and imbuing the piece with immense artistic value—it is, in truth, priceless. If it hadn’t been for Mr. Wang spotting it yesterday when I wore it out, I would have been reluctant to part with it.”

Xiao Yao did not possess only this Ocean-Walking Guanyin jadeite pendant; otherwise, he would certainly never have let it go. He had several carved from the same material—this was merely the smallest among them.

“It is indeed a rare treasure. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to part with it, either. I completely understand Mr. Xiao’s feelings,” Wang Chuanjie responded with heartfelt agreement.

Whether the Maitreya jadeite pendant at one hundred and twenty million or the jadeite bangle at three hundred and sixty million, both were sufficient for Miss Cheng’s needs for a birthday gift. As for the Ocean-Walking Guanyin pendant, whether Xiao Yao was willing to sell it no longer mattered.

After all, the gift was for Miss Cheng’s grandmother. The Cheng family could afford any of these three top-tier jadeite pieces, but whether they were willing to buy—and if the piece would return to the family after the old lady’s passing—remained to be seen.

“Since you’ve already seen it, I’ll add the Ocean-Walking Guanyin pendant as well. Taking weight, craftsmanship, and rarity into full consideration, my price is five hundred million.”

Upon hearing this price, Xiao Bansha, who had been silent all along, was taken aback. She had guessed that the Ocean-Walking Guanyin pendant would be expensive, but she hadn’t expected such a staggering sum.

Her brother had casually worn a jadeite pendant worth five hundred million around his neck yesterday—he truly had nerves of steel! If it were her, she wouldn’t feel safe even if it were locked in a vault.

Wang Chuanjie and his wife’s faces lit up with delight.

This Ocean-Walking Guanyin jadeite pendant was so rare that whether Miss Cheng chose it or not, Li Jingyi had earned her gratitude. Li Jingyi had worked tirelessly these past few days, and her efforts had finally paid off—indeed, she had even surpassed expectations.

“Mr. Xiao, you are exceedingly generous. If you ever need help from us in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask. I won’t claim to go through fire and water, but I promise to do my utmost,” Wang Chuanjie said, not merely out of politeness, but with genuine sincerity.

“Thank you, Mr. Wang. As long as you take good care of my sister at the company and ensure she isn’t treated unfairly, I have no other requests.” Since the opportunity was there and his elder sister was career-driven, it was his duty as a brother to make her work life easier.

Wang Chuanjie quickly promised, “Now that Bansha is working under me, you can rest assured, Mr. Xiao. She won’t be treated unfairly.”