Chapter 5

"Yubaoxuan" is a store specializing in jade products, well-known throughout City C. It not only offers a wide variety of jade but also operates with integrity and excellent service, with branches in many cities.

As he entered the store, the surroundings were filled with a dazzling array of items. A few young, attractive saleswomen in qipao were quietly introducing the goods to customers who had come to buy jade. Qin Yue walked straight to a corner of the store where he had purchased a jade bracelet the day before.

"Welcome, sir." As he approached the counter, a sweet voice greeted him. Qin Yue saw a beautiful woman walking towards him, her delicate face lightly made up, her long eyebrows, and her hair slightly coiled, all accentuated by a pink qipao that highlighted her slender figure. She was the same saleswoman who had sold him the jade bracelet the day before.

"Hello, I bought a jade bracelet here yesterday. Do you remember?" Qin Yue smiled slightly at the saleswoman.

"Oh~~ It's you? The gentleman who bought the bracelet yesterday." When Qin Yue had come to buy the bracelet, he was in a hurry, quickly selecting one and leaving. The saleswoman rarely saw someone buy things so hastily, so she had a vague impression of him.

Seeing Qin Yue's radiant smile and his deep, piercing eyes, she thought to herself: I didn't notice how handsome this man is, and he has quite a presence. Thinking this, her head lowered, and a blush appeared on her cheeks, adding a touch of charm.

"Yes, do you still have the type of jade bracelet I bought yesterday?" Without noticing the saleswoman's expression, he asked directly.

Qin Yue was somewhat anxious. If the jade really could absorb summoning energy, he would have found a stable source of energy, which would provide him with a large amount of energy points to summon things from his summoning space. Thinking of the numerous powerful skills and items in his summoning space, he felt very excited.

"Um, there's one left. Do you want to see it?" Seeing that Qin Yue hadn't noticed her blushing, the saleswoman secretly breathed a sigh of relief, calmed herself, and took out a bracelet from the counter.

Qin Yue looked at the bracelet in the saleswoman's hand, feeling somewhat nervous but not showing it on his face. He extended his right hand and slowly took it. The moment his right hand touched the jade bracelet, a voice in his mind spoke.

"Ding... Energy substance detected, containing 100 energy points... Absorb?"

The cold, emotionless voice seemed like a heavenly sound to Qin Yue at that moment. "Ha ha ha, if this jade is indeed an energy substance..." A surge of uncontrollable joy welled up in his heart, and his lips trembled.

"Excuse me, do you have more of this type of jade jewelry? Unprocessed raw stones would also be fine." Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the urge to absorb the energy immediately, as the jade would turn to powder after absorbing the energy.

"There are only two or three more pieces of this type of jade jewelry, and there are no unprocessed raw stones left." Seeing Qin Yue's changing expression, the saleswoman was a bit puzzled but answered truthfully.

"Is this type of jade very popular? Why is there so little of it?" In such a large store, there should be a good stock of various types of jade. Why was there so little of this type? Qin Yue was a bit disappointed.

"On the contrary, this type of jade is called 'Green Rock Jade,' a type of jadeite. It is mainly found in the deep forests of countries like Myanmar and Vietnam on the southwestern border of China. It is difficult to mine, and its color and texture are not as good as other types of jade. It has many impurities, and few people like it. Its value is low, but its cost is higher than other types of jade, so few merchants buy it. In the entire City C, only our store symbolically bought some and made a few pieces of jewelry six months ago, and most of them are still unsold." She then took out the remaining three pieces of Green Rock Jade jewelry.

"Um, you're being so straightforward about the flaws of the Green Rock Jade. Aren't you afraid I won't buy it?" Qin Yue knew that saleswomen usually get commissions, and he was puzzled by her frankness in detailing the flaws of the Green Rock Jade.

"Ha ha, our store's principle is to operate with integrity. If I only mentioned the advantages and not the flaws, wouldn't it damage our reputation if you were dissatisfied after buying it? Besides, everyone has different tastes. You might just like this type of jade." The saleswoman smiled.

"Ha ha, that's true." Seeing the saleswoman's gentle smile, Qin Yue inwardly praised: No wonder it's a well-known company. Even the saleswomen have such high standards. He smiled, put down the bracelet, and began to examine the other pieces of jewelry the saleswoman had brought out.

There were three pieces in total: a jade pendant, a ring, and a Buddha statue about 20 centimeters tall. Like the jade bracelet, they were all green, and upon closer inspection, they contained many black and gray impurities. Qin Yue was not very knowledgeable about jade but found the designs exquisite, clearly the result of fine craftsmanship. As he picked them up one by one, the voice in his mind spoke again:

"Ding... Energy substance detected, containing 180 energy points, absorb?"

"Ding... Energy substance detected, containing 80 energy points..."

"Ding... Energy substance detected, containing 60 points..."

The jade pendant could absorb 80 energy points, the ring 60 points, and the Buddha statue 180 points. The energy content varied, likely due to the different sizes. The total energy from the bracelet and the other pieces was 300 points.

"Can I see other types of jade?" Having confirmed that Green Rock Jade contained energy, he wondered if other types of jade also contained energy.

"Sure, we have ordinary jadeite, white jade, black jade... as well as high-quality Burmese jade, mutton-fat jade, and Lantian jade... and top-quality glass-like and rose jade. Which type would you like to see? What style?" The saleswoman patiently introduced the various types.

Looking at the dozens of jade items in the counter, many of which were quite valuable, he said, "Um, can I see one of each type, regardless of the style?"

"Um, no problem. Do you want me to introduce each one?" The saleswoman hesitated for a moment but nodded.

"Thank you, I can look at them myself."

"You're welcome." She then took out a yellow jade pendant from the counter. Without paying attention to the design, Qin Yue took it in his hand. Hmm? No reaction. It seems this type of jade doesn't contain energy. Let's try another one, then red, blue, green...

He picked up and put down various types of jade. The saleswoman, though puzzled by his strange behavior, patiently handed each piece to him and took them back without asking too many questions.

Soon, after returning the last piece of Burmese jade to the saleswoman, he found that none of them contained energy. It seems he would have to focus on "Green Rock Jade" for energy absorption. Qin Yue felt a bit disappointed.

"Sir, none of these are to your liking?" After he had finished looking at the jade, the saleswoman asked, seeing his disappointed expression.

"Um, none of them are what I need." Qin Yue shook his head, feeling frustrated. He then composed himself and asked, "Miss, how much do these Green Rock Jade pieces cost in total?"

"All of them? Let me calculate. The ring is 2800 yuan, the pendant 3900 yuan, the bracelet 5000 yuan, and the Buddha statue 18000 yuan. The total is 29700 yuan. Would you like to pay by card or in cash?" Despite the time wasted due to Qin Yue's strange requests, the saleswoman was still happy to make a sale.

About 30,000 yuan? I only have 5000 yuan on me. I can only buy one small piece. What should I do? If I come back later, it might be sold to someone else.

"Miss, I don't have enough money. Can I reserve them and not let them be sold?" After thinking for a while, Qin Yue decided to delay the purchase and find a way to raise the money.

"Sure, but you need to pay a 10% deposit. We won't sell them for three days. If you don't come to buy them within three days, the deposit will not be refunded. Do you want to reserve them?" Clearly, the saleswoman had dealt with such situations before and handled it efficiently.

"Um, I want to reserve them!" Qin Yue took out 3000 yuan and handed it to the saleswoman. She took the money, wrote a receipt, and handed it to him. "This is your deposit receipt. Please keep it safe. We look forward to your next visit."

Impressed by the saleswoman's good service, Qin Yue took the receipt and smiled at her. "Thank you. May I ask your name?"

"Ah?" The saleswoman was taken aback but quickly recovered. "I'm Zheng Yao."

"My name is Qin Yue. Nice to meet you. You're very beautiful. Goodbye." He smiled again and left before she could react, leaving her staring at his back, puzzled.

After leaving Yubaoxuan, Qin Yue returned to his rented apartment. It was already afternoon. Lying on his bed, he reviewed the day's findings. He hadn't absorbed any energy today, but he had discovered a type of jade that could absorb energy.

"Green Rock Jade" has a low market value and is difficult to mine. It is rarely found in the market, and he had no way to obtain it in large quantities. However, if he paid a high price to have Yubaoxuan's Burmese supplier procure it, it might be feasible, providing a stable energy supply.

The problem was that he lacked the funds. He only had 2000 yuan left and 100 energy points, which were not enough to summon anything. If he could absorb the energy from the Green Rock Jade pieces at Yubaoxuan, he would have over 500 energy points, enough to find a way to earn money in the low-level summoning area. This was the best method.

But it requires 30,000 yuan, and where can I find 30,000 yuan in three days? Borrowing? I don't have many friends in City C. Selling blood? Even though my physical condition is twice that of an average person, selling blood wouldn't get me 30,000 yuan. Pawning items? I don't have much to pawn, just my phone, which is worth a hundred or so yuan, and that's not helpful.

What should I do? He thought and thought but couldn't come up with a solution...

Gurgling... His stomach growled, interrupting his thoughts. It was already 8 PM, and the sky outside was dark. He decided to stop thinking and go eat. Without a solution, he got up, put on his shoes, and went downstairs...