After three days of thinking, Xià Zhēn decided to sell the necklace.
She redeemed her remuneration in the Employee System, and the next morning, people from an auction company came to her.
This auction company was the best in the industry, handling over a thousand treasures annually. Xià Zhēn was a little nervous when she first saw the people who came.
It was the system that specifically sent her a message, reassuring her to hand the necklace over to them.
The jewelry appraisal expert from the auction company’s heart broke the moment Xià Zhēn took the necklace out of the glasses case, looking at her with an indescribable expression.
She put on gloves, picked up her tools, and carefully lifted the necklace. Nineteen sapphires of the same color, the largest one as big as an adult’s thumbnail, with a deep and distant royal blue, perfect refraction. Each sapphire was surrounded by white diamonds, exuding a noble and elegant aristocratic aura.
Its condition and design surpassed all necklaces that had ever appeared at international auctions.
The employees accompanying the auction company held their breath. Such a well-preserved necklace, if auctioned by their company, would definitely fetch a nine-figure price after promotion.
"Each one is a top-quality sapphire, and the quality of the surrounding diamonds is also top-tier."
The expert’s hand trembled as he tried to place the necklace on the table, but he stopped after a second. How could such perfect jewelry be placed directly on this worn and rough wooden table.
Seeing this, the student who accompanied him, having good foresight, took out a prepared jewelry box and placed it on the table.
Placing the necklace perfectly in the box, the beautiful blue color against the black velvet lining inside gave off a sense of luxury. Xià Zhēn felt a brief pang of guilt and carelessly put the glasses case on the cabinet behind her.
Glasses case: "I was unworthy."
The person in charge who came with them quickly walked out of the store and into a small alley to call headquarters.
Xià Zhēn watched everyone’s cautious yet joyful expressions. She shifted uncomfortably and took out a bangle from the pocket of her white coat.
"Could you please appraise this for me as well."
This was secretly put in the store by Chūn Niáng before she left yesterday. In the morning, while tidying up the store, she almost dropped the bangle, but luckily Rose reacted quickly and snagged it with a flower branch.
Taking the bangle, the expert carefully examined it with a flashlight: "Old pit glass type with snowflake cotton inclusions, collectible grade, starting at a million."
The person in charge, who had just finished the call, looked at the bangle in the expert’s hand: "Miss Xia, are you selling this bangle too?"
"Both together." In the eyes of someone who appreciates it, it’s a treasure, but in Xià Zhēn’s hands, it was just a stone gathering dust in a drawer.
Next, she discussed the subsequent auction matters with the auction company. Under the system's guidance from last night, Xià Zhēn handled everything with ease.
The auction company had a jewelry auction in Gangcheng in the middle of next month, and the sapphire necklace was perfectly suited to be the finale piece. To show their sincerity, the auction company even reduced the original commission from a percentage to two percent.
With nothing to be dissatisfied about, she glanced at her phone openly in front of them. After the system confirmed the contract was fine, Xià Zhēn decisively signed her name on it.
When they left, there were two to three times more people than when they arrived, especially the bodyguards who were all tall and strong. Standing in the store, they blocked the outside view like walls.
"Zhenzhen, who were those people?" After the auction company left, the proprietress of the restaurant opposite quietly tiptoed over and peeked into Xià Zhēn's store, her eyes full of gossip.
"We're planning to install new equipment in the shop, and they came to check the site."
The proprietress instantly lost interest upon hearing it was about equipment and turned to gossip about Qín Yǔcháo from yesterday: "Where did that young man from yesterday go? He was so handsome. Tell Auntie honestly, is he your boyfriend?"
Xià Zhēn helplessly refuted, "Auntie, where is your mind going? He isn't."
"Your classmate, the one dressed so flamboyantly, said yesterday that he was your kept man." She pouted disdainfully. The girl from yesterday was dressed immodestly and looked like she wasn't a decent person. Few people believed what she said yesterday.
"How could he be a kept man? With that face, if he were to freeload, he wouldn't choose me ah~ I'm not rich and I'm not that good-looking either." Xià Zhēn pointed to her own face. While her face was pretty in a crowd, it was nothing compared to Qín Yǔcháo.
"Then why did you stay so late in the shop last night?"
Xià Zhēn helplessly pointed to the box of late-night snacks piled up nearby: "A film crew came to shoot him last night, many people. Look at that pile of late-night snack boxes, the two of us couldn't possibly eat all this."
The proprietress put away her gossipy demeanor and nodded in agreement. Indeed, with a face like that, wouldn't it be more profitable to be a celebrity than to freeload?
It seemed like it was true, just as the breakfast shop proprietress said, he was here to film. Not to mention, the handsome guy was good-looking and well-mannered, he didn't disturb the residents even when filming in the area late at night.
Having obtained the information she wanted, the proprietress left contentedly.
Xià Zhēn secretly breathed a sigh of relief, watching the proprietress’s back through the window. As the leader of the small street's intelligence network, if she could just placate her, the entire street's information network would be dealt with.
In the afternoon, Xià Zhēn took a taxi to deliver Chūn Niáng’s dental impression to her father’s old friend, and then went to the supermarket to buy Rose the snacks she had promised.
As Xià Zhēn was selecting chocolates in front of the shelf, a system message suddenly popped up on her phone.
【Xiàtiān Dental Clinic】
【Patient Name: Sòng Bó (Zombie King)】
【Patient World: Apocalypse Survival Instance】
【Age: 32】
【Treatment Item: Dental Aesthetics】
【Doctor: Xià Zhēn】
【Time: 2023/05/19 0:00】
【Remarks: %?bsge*@】
What the heck, remarks, and all garbled?
Xià Zhēn leaned against the chocolate shelf, looking at the content on her phone with confusion.
Rebirth in the apocalypse, Zombie King, getting dental aesthetics?
【System, if I accidentally cut my hand while working on his teeth, will I get infected with the zombie virus?】
【No, you are immune to all viruses that appear in the game. However, it is recommended that you prepare more food, as you will be going to the apocalypse.】
Upon seeing the system say she would go to the apocalypse with the Zombie King, Xià Zhēn immediately typed: [Old man on the subway looking at his phone.jpg[]
【What? What am I going to do there? Fight zombies? Or give all the zombies in the apocalypse a dental makeover?】
【The Zombie King has an unfinished wish. The news of you helping Chūn Niáng escape from the Huang Mansion has spread across various instances and game forums. The Zombie King is the first boss to voluntarily book an appointment with you after the Supernatural instance.】
【The first appointment? Will there be more?】
【Yes!】
【I'm just a dentist...】 Xià Zhēn replied helplessly. One incident like the Huang Mansion was enough; more than that was truly not okay.
【But you can do it, can't you? They have been looking forward to it for many years.】
Xià Zhēn leaned against the shelf, speechless. After successfully helping once, it was as if she alone could save all the villainous bosses.
Taking a dentist's salary, doing a life-threatening job.
"Oh~ Isn't this Doctor Xia? Why the long face? Did you have a falling out with your kept man? Did he find another sugar daddy?"
Hearing that disgusting voice, she knew without looking up who it was: Liǔ Qíng, that gossipy woman.
Liǔ Qíng, dressed fashionably, walked over with a few girls, scrutinizing the plainly dressed Xià Zhēn with a sharp tongue: "That's right, your kept man, although he has a bad temper, has a pretty good face. For someone like you, you're truly letting him down."
She rolled her eyes at her and turned to leave, not wanting to argue with her.
But the other party seemingly wasn't going to let her go and took a few steps to block Xià Zhēn's path. Her eyes were full of malice: "Doctor Xia, why are you hiding? Let's talk? How did you get involved with that man?"
Listening to her smear her in public, Xià Zhēn, who was already filled with anger from being tricked by the system, finally exploded. She stared intently at Liǔ Qíng: "You know I'm avoiding you? I'm not an idiot that I wouldn't avoid a lunatic? Instead of having the energy to provoke me, why don't you go get some Botox and a facelift? We're the same age, but the wrinkles at the corners of your eyes could kill flies. You're forcing yourself to look forty when you're in your twenties. With this time, you should read more books, otherwise, when you speak, the jelly in your brain will slosh around with it."
A fluent outburst not only stunned Liǔ Qíng but also successfully attracted the curious glances of the surrounding people.
Liǔ Qíng's face turned red, and she glared at Xià Zhēn, trembling.
"Do you know why you're pathetic? Ever since the first year of high school, you've been relying on men. Will you die without a man? Do you think you're very smart, that finding many men in your twenties and living the life of a rich lady is success? Then what? When he dies and you inherit his fortune, or after a few years when you've aged and become less attractive, another twenty-something girl will replace your position. Aren't you afraid? Is it really worth it?"
She stared directly at Liǔ Qíng, stepping closer and closer until the other party bumped into the shelf, and the snacks fell all over the floor. Only then did Xià Zhēn stop.
Perhaps it was the palpable pity in Xià Zhēn's eyes that made Liǔ Qíng, who had always been unfazed by gossip, seem to shy away.
"I've said all I need to say. You should take care of yourself." After saying that, she gave Liǔ Qíng a look of pity and turned to leave.