Chapter Fifty-Five: Master Jin

Leng Xue’s face was filled with indulgence, showing no hint of discomfort at all. Boss Jin, too, seemed unconcerned. At that moment, two of his men entered—the very same bodyguards who had carried the bouquet of roses the other day.

“Go, bring out the other tea set. It’s a gift for Miss Qianyin,” Boss Jin instructed with his characteristic generosity. If others treated him as a friend, he naturally reciprocated.

One of the bodyguards immediately went to fetch the tea set, while the other happened to be carrying the rough emerald stone. It hadn’t been cut yet; it must have been stored away all this time, but it was kept spotlessly clean, without a speck of dust.

Hearing these words, Qianyin simply smiled, raising the precious cup to her lips and taking a sip of tea. She found it sweet and mellow, and the jade cup perfectly maintained its warmth.

Boss Jin sipped his tea as he watched the two of them, noticing their eyes fixed on the emerald stone. He wondered to himself: could they be interested in gemstones as well? If so, it would be no bad thing to have such talented people by his side.

Once he finished his tea, Boss Jin gave the bodyguard a meaningful glance. The man immediately placed the emerald on the table, then stood at attention beside it—clearly well-trained.

Boss Jin rose and stroked the rough stone, his gaze never leaving it. Yet he spoke to Qianyin: “Miss Qianyin, are you interested in gemstones as well?”

Qianyin stepped forward for a closer look, then shook her head. “Not especially. However, I’d like to commission a few four-leaf clovers from you, made from this emerald. The price is negotiable.”

Hearing this, Boss Jin realized he had a customer at his door. Anything fashioned from emerald would be expensive, but four-leaf clovers? He didn’t actually have a designer for such pieces, though he did have carvers.

Seeing his hesitation, Qianyin pressed further: “Has someone already reserved this stone?”

Boss Jin quickly replied with a smile, “Not at all. The thing is, I don’t have a designer here. I’ve looked through all my previous designers’ sketches, but none truly satisfied me. Besides, I’d need blueprints to carve four-leaf clovers.”

Leng Xue fell silent at this. He actually had such skills. When he had worked as a killer, he had learned many things, including design, and was quite adept at it. Although it might seem odd for a man to study jewelry design, he had been extremely passionate about it at the time.

Qianyin felt helpless; she had no interest in design herself. She only cared for beautiful things and didn’t know any designers. Wasn’t this a bit troublesome?

“Bring me paper and a pencil. I’ll give you ten designs, and in exchange, we’ll take four four-leaf clovers for free. I guarantee no one else could create or copy these,” Leng Xue offered, intent on obtaining the emerald clovers at no cost. His designs were never so cheap.

Boss Jin nodded. He trusted anyone around Qianyin to be highly skilled. The clovers wouldn’t be large, and with such a sizable emerald, they could make hundreds—he stood to lose nothing.

Upon hearing this, the bodyguard quickly fetched several sheets of clean white paper and pencils from the design studio. The other designers, seeing the bodyguard collecting supplies, looked on in curiosity—had Boss Jin found some extraordinary designer?

Designers were free to move about, so three came over at once: a middle-aged man, a young woman, and an elderly lady.

Qianyin, seeing Leng Xue so composed, couldn’t help but admire him; these people truly were skilled in everything.

Leng Xue took the paper and pencil and swiftly began to imagine countless designs in his mind, all tailored for Qianyin. His sketches were lifelike and quick; the first was a four-leaf clover, in two unique versions, both exquisitely beautiful.

The second was a swan, with a structure reminiscent of a phoenix, yet unmistakably a swan—no one had ever depicted one so stunning. Whether the carver could realize this vision was another matter.

The third was a seashell, dreamy and ethereal. Each design was labeled in his beautiful handwriting. In his work, there was not a hint of the lethal aura one might expect.

Boss Jin studied each one intently, nodding as he went—they truly were remarkable, unlike anything he’d ever seen. The other three designers were equally astounded, quietly in awe.

They realized their own talent and inspiration were lacking; they hadn’t worked hard enough. They had once believed themselves unsurpassed, but now, someone had broken the mold, and they recognized the need for personal growth.

Boss Jin noted their shock and admiration without comment. These sketches were certainly worth the value of the emerald.

Easily, Leng Xue completed ten designs and handed them all to Boss Jin without so much as a backward glance. Boss Jin, overjoyed, tucked them away as if they were treasures. He immediately had someone deliver them to the carvers, with another person carrying the emerald stone after them.

When all was done, Boss Jin poured them each another cup of tea. Qianyin received her own tea set, and upon examining it, found it identical to the previous one—only even more beautiful, a vivid red of striking charm.

Qianyin and Leng Xue sipped their tea quietly, observing Boss Jin. He was surrounded by many people, but could they truly protect him?

Boss Jin soon sensed their strange gaze and asked, “Miss Qianyin, is this all you came for today?”

“There is something else,” Qianyin replied. “I’ve discovered someone is plotting against you, so I came to warn you. And I want you to pay us to stay by your side.”

She stated her purpose clearly, unwilling to make things difficult. If Boss Jin valued his life so little, they would simply leave.

Qianyin had said all that needed saying. The rest was up to him.

Boss Jin was taken aback, his eyes full of doubt. He knew these were dangerous times—several of his associates had narrowly escaped harm recently, so he had increased his security. Having amassed such wealth and status, he had no desire to die young.

After ten minutes of silence, Boss Jin finally asked, “What’s your price?”

“I want your piece of Black Polaris Stone,” Qianyin replied. Only that would be enough to secure their efforts and to convince outsiders.

Boss Jin hesitated. The stone was precious, and the price steep. But compared to his life, was the Black Polaris Stone truly more valuable?

“I swear on my life, with me here, you will live a long, long time,” Qianyin promised once more. After what had happened during the recent robbery, he knew her skills—how could he not be tempted?

Boss Jin gritted his teeth and agreed. Qianyin nodded in satisfaction; this was precisely the outcome she had hoped for.