Chapter 38: Assets Worth Tens of Millions! An Unexpected Turn!

The old man looked back at Lu Feng, his eyes filled with resentment.

"Old man, go ahead and appraise them. I'll pay whatever the appraisal fee is!" Lu Feng said with a smile; he wasn't the type to be stingy about such costs.

The old man replied, "I, Lin Renhong, am not a man who goes back on his word. If I said I’d appraise them for free, I’ll do it for free. However, these items are covered in dust and look dull. Looking at the dust, they don't seem to have been excavated from underground. Have these been lying idle in some corner for a long time?"

"You have a sharp eye, sir. They’ve been sitting under a bed for I don't know how long," Lu Feng lied immediately.

In truth, these jade ornaments had indeed been left untouched in the world of *After the Apocalypse* for a long time, with no one to claim them.

Lin Renhong didn't press further. If these jade pieces had been left long enough to lose their luster, any potential legal issues would have been resolved by now. After all, the jade industry is different from gold.

He took out a magnifying glass and began appraising the items from the duffel bag one by one.

"This is an ordinary jade necklace. The quality and clarity aren't great. It’s worth about 1,700." As he appraised each piece, he made sure to write the price on a small sticker and affix it to the item.

"This necklace has slightly better quality. Worth about 3,000."

"This bracelet has the most basic clarity. Ordinary jade, worth about 9,000."

...

"Oh, this bracelet is violet jade. The clarity is good, and the craftsmanship is delicate. It should be worth around 30,000."

...

"This is green jade. This necklace is also quite good, ice-variety. That’s worth 60,000."

...

"This ring is of poor quality, broken jade. Maybe worth 5,000!"

Old man Lin Renhong appraised them earnestly, sticking a price tag on each as he finished. Naturally, the prices varied; some low-end pieces were worth as little as 1,500, while the high-end ones were worth tens of thousands. Several of the best-quality pieces exceeded 30,000.

After half a day, the entire duffel bag had been appraised. The old man let out a sigh of relief. "I'm getting old; this nearly cost me half my life." He felt he had made a wrong decision offering free appraisals for his tenth customer. Who could have guessed the tenth customer would show up with a bag full of jade?

Lu Feng asked with a smile, "Old man, do you buy back jade ornaments? I’m planning to sell these."

"You want to sell all of these?" The old man’s interest was piqued. Having retired from a large jewelry company in the provincial capital, he wasn't worried about being unable to offload them; he could simply pass them on to his former employer.

"Except for these few," Lu Feng said, picking out the ones valued over 30,000. He hadn't given his mother or Yang Qingxue any valuable gifts yet, and these would be perfect.

The old man looked a bit regretful, as those were the most valuable pieces in the bag. He then looked at the remainder and said, "I can buy them, but I can't offer you the full appraisal price. There will be a depreciation fee, though it won't be too much."

"I understand," Lu Feng nodded. "Let's sell the rest."

"Alright, let me calculate the total." The old man brought out a calculator and totaled the value of each piece. After deducting the depreciation, he told Lu Feng, "Young man, the total buy-back value for this batch is 1.75 million. Of course, you’re welcome to check other jewelry stores; it’s always good to compare prices."

"I'll take the price you offered, sir," Lu Feng smiled. The old man’s reputation was solid, and his confidence suggested that other stores wouldn't offer much more.

After the deal was struck, the old man placed the jade into a safe and transferred the 1.75 million to Lu Feng. Dealing with this industry, which didn't require invoices, was much easier than handling gold of unknown origin. Combined with his previous 2.55 million, his funds had reached over 4.3 million. Once his cousin and Chen Bo finished processing the gold, adding the remaining 2.55 million would bring his total to 6.85 million—more than enough for the tea factory.

Seeing the bank notification, he felt as if he were dreaming. Not long ago, he was earning a few thousand a month at a steel plant. Now, in such a short time, he owned a Panamera paid for in full, a 120-square-meter apartment, a teahouse, and soon, a tea factory. In terms of assets, he was already a multi-millionaire. All of this was thanks to the game world, *After the Apocalypse*.

After selling the jade, Lu Feng asked the old man to polish the pieces he had kept to restore their luster, then bought some small gift boxes. He couldn't give them away without proper packaging.

After stowing the items in the specialized compartment of his Panamera’s trunk, Lu Feng visited his mother at the hospital. He didn't mention the house, planning to surprise her when she was discharged.

By evening, Lu Feng received a call from Yang Qingxue. All the decorations for their new home had arrived, and she mentioned she had finished setting up the bedroom. This carried a clear implication. He decisively stopped at a nearby pharmacy to buy a box of ultra-thin condoms, as the new place wasn't stocked with them.

Lu Feng drove the Panamera to the Yipin residential complex. Yang Qingxue had not only finished decorating but had also prepared dinner. After parking, Lu Feng took a small gift box containing a beautiful violet ice-variety necklace worth over 50,000 from the trunk.

Outside the door on the 11th floor, he knocked and was greeted by Yang Qingxue in an apron. She looked like a perfect housewife, smiling as she said, "Lu Feng, dinner is just ready. You timed it perfectly."

Lu Feng felt a strange emotion; he had often imagined Yang Qingxue waiting for him with dinner, and now it was happening.

Unfortunately, he saw Lin Jiajia also wearing an apron inside. Otherwise, he felt he might have picked up Yang Qingxue right there. After washing his hands, he sat at the table as she proudly boasted, "Lu Feng, try these dishes. I made them all."

He knew her cooking, and after tasting it, he smiled and handed her the small gift box. "Qingxue, a gift for you."

"What is it?" she asked, pleasantly surprised.

"Open it and see," Lu Feng said.

Yang Qingxue opened the box to reveal the exquisite violet jade necklace. She gasped, "Lu Feng, this is beautiful. It must be very expensive, right?"

"Yes, this cost 50,000!" Lu Feng said with a smile.

"So expensive?" Yang Qingxue was stunned. Lin Jiajia cast a sidelong glance, filled with envy. She wondered if she should have stayed, feeling like a third wheel and a glutton for punishment. Honestly, which young man in Yucheng could afford to buy a 50,000-yuan necklace for his girlfriend?

"Lu Feng, why such an expensive gift?" Yang Qingxue was flustered.

"Because you're my girlfriend. Let me put it on for you!" Lu Feng smiled, took the necklace, swept her hair aside, and fastened it around her neck.

Lin Jiajia watched, feeling like she was just there to witness a romantic display. Her best friend looked stunning with the necklace on. She felt even more stimulated.

After dinner, Lin Jiajia helped wash the dishes and then left, not even asking if Yang Qingxue wanted to leave with her. Why would she leave her boyfriend who just bought her a 50,000-yuan necklace?

With the "third wheel" gone, the atmosphere between Lu Feng and Yang Qingxue shifted.

"The bedroom is all set up," Lu Feng said, his smile turning suggestive.

"Go take a shower first, you're all sweaty!" Yang Qingxue wasn't naive. She hummed and started walking toward the bedroom, but Lu Feng scooped her up: "I'm sweaty too!"

... (Omitted as requested) ...

The next day, Lu Feng woke up feeling refreshed after an indescribable night. As he was thinking, his expression suddenly shifted. He hurriedly checked the world of *After the Apocalypse* and saw a chair smashed into a shelf, causing it to collapse with a thunderous crash. Seeing the scene inside, his brows furrowed.