Early the next day, Elisa boarded the bus to the county town and took a taxi to the largest mall in the town.
This was the first time Elisa had been to the mall after spending so long in this place, and she concealed her trembling heart due to excitement.
As Elisa looked around, she memorized the route and searched for the jewelry store. After some inquiries, she finally found a jewelry store where she could sell her jewelry. Elisa glanced at the decor and then focused her gaze on the jewelry in the glass case. It all seemed too ordinary, and for a moment, she was unsure how to price it.
It was only when the salesperson saw her wandering around that they asked her, “Madam, what kind of jewelry are you looking for?”
Elisa asked directly, “Is your boss available?”
The salesperson’s smile froze for a moment at the direct request for the boss. She concealed it discreetly and said, “Our boss is not here, but the manager is.”
“Could you please ask your manager to come over? Thank you.”
The other person was beautiful, with a gentle attitude and a soft voice. The salesperson couldn’t quite read her and hurried to call the manager to avoid any delays.
The manager hurried over after receiving the call, observing the woman sitting in the store, her demeanor elegant as she drank water.
When Elisa lowered her eyes, her features softened considerably. When she raised them, her dark, expressive eyes seemed to possess an air of authority, both beautiful and serious. It was rare to see such contrasting auras harmoniously coalesce within her.
The manager had encountered many wealthy individuals and had already concluded at first sight that this woman was either wealthy or noble. She didn’t seem like she was here to buy jewelry but rather to conduct business. It seemed that only the boss could handle her.
Even though this was a small county town, they had seen a lot. Nowadays, many wealthy merchants liked to return to simplicity, residing in villas on the outskirts to rejuvenate.
“May I ask your name, miss?” the manager approached and inquired.
Elisa set down her glass and stood up. “Elisa Powell.”
“Miss Powell, hello, here’s my business card.”
Elisa took a glance at it. “Annalise, hello.”
“Miss Powell, are you here today to pick out jewelry?”
Elisa shook her head and calmly said, “No, I’m here to sell jewelry.”
“To sell?”
“Yes, I saw the sign outside that says jewelry can be sold here.”
Annalise’s smile almost faltered. “Could you show me the jewelry?”
Elisa sensed the change in her attitude. She furrowed her brows, opened her bag, and took out a jewelry box. “Annalise, can you tell me the value of this necklace according to the store’s standards?”
Annalise casually glanced over, but as her eyes met the necklace in Elisa’s hand, she froze.
Having worked in the jewelry store for over a decade and received relevant training, she immediately recognized that the necklace was of substantial value. Not to mention the rest, the diamonds on the surface alone indicated authenticity.
Annalise’s gaze turned serious and focused. This necklace might outshine even their most valuable display.
Jewelry holds a strong allure for women, and Annalise’s eyes gleamed as she looked at the necklace.
“Are you sure you want to sell this necklace?”
“I am.”
“I can’t decide on the selling price. I will have to call our boss. Please wait a moment.”
“How long will it take for your boss to come?” Elisa asked.
“He lives nearby, not far from here, but it depends on whether he’s available. I’ll call to find out,” Annalise said as she took out her phone and stood up. “Let me pour you another glass of water.”
Annalise went to the back to call the boss, as there were some things that were not convenient to discuss in front of Elisa.
In less than three minutes, Annalise came back out. “Miss Powell, our boss will be here shortly. Please wait a moment.”
“Okay, thank you.”
“No need to thank me; it’s what we should do.”
As they waited, Annalise began to make small talk, inquiring about where Elisa lived and her family background, believing that understanding each other would facilitate negotiations.
“Miss Powell, could I ask what your expected price is?”
“I will consider the prices you offer.”
From her words, Annalise could tell that the woman in front of her was currently in need of money.
Since she needed money, that made things easier. She surreptitiously sent a text to the boss.
“Miss Powell, let me take you inside to sit; it’s not suitable to discuss matters out here.”
“Alright.” Elisa stood up and followed her inside. There was a separate meetingarea inside, equipped with a desktop computer.
Elisa quietly sat down in a chair, picked up a glass of water, and looked around, biding her time.
Not long after, the sound of footsteps was heard. Elisa looked up to see Annalise, accompanied by a man.
The man had a portly figure, swaying as he walked, his face oily and round, with a small nose perched behind a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. When he looked at people, he liked to squint, giving off an air of disdain.
Annalise made the introductions first, “Miss Powell, this is our boss, Mr. Liu.”
“Miss Powell, hello, hello.” Mr. Kasprak walked up to Elisa, extending his hand, his face beaming, his small eyes gleaming, unable to conceal his shrewdness.
Elisa seemed familiar with this kind of situation and her body reacted before her mind. She confidently shook hands with Mr. Kasprak.
Mr. Kasprak got straight to the point, “Miss Powell, where are the pieces of jewelry you brought?”
Elisa opened the jewelry box, observing Mr. Kasprak’s expression. His disguise was excellent, but from the surface, Elisa was certain that he had already estimated the value of the necklace in his eyes.
A flicker of amazement passed through Mr. Kasprak’s eyes. Although he had already been told over the phone that the necklace was stunning and valuable, he hadn’t expected it to be more so than he had imagined.
This necklace was definitely not something that came from a small place.
Deep within Mr. Kasprak’s eyes, a sharp glint flashed, “Twenty thousand, sell it or not?”
Elisa couldn’t help but marvel at his audacity. He actually thought that twenty thousand would be enough to send her off, clearly treating her as an ignorant pushover.
Twenty thousand wouldn’t even cover the cost of milk powder and diapers for her baby.
“Mr. Kasprak, after working in the jewelry business for so many years, don’t tell me you can’t even recognize the standard value of a piece of jewelry?” She stared at him unwaveringly, her gaze piercing, exuding a sense of oppressive coldness, despite her lack of expression, her sharp eyes still gave off an overwhelming pressure, magnifying her imposing presence.
She pointed at the jade on the necklace. “Setting aside the value of this jade, each of these diamonds alone is worth at least five figures. Even if I were to sell them one by one, each wouldn’t be worth merely twenty thousand.”
Ever since he made his offer, Mr. Kasprak had revealed his greedy nature, fixating on the necklace in her hand with avarice, his saliva almost visibly swallowing back down his throat.
Elisa’s sharp words startled him, and he broke out in a cold sweat. He laughed awkwardly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t look carefully just now. Let me take a good look.”
Elisa pushed the jewelry box toward him, “Take your time to examine it.”
She sounded emotionally detached, her voice cool and composed, emanating an indifferent and oppressive aura from within.
Mr. Kasprak also knew that this woman was not simple. He felt a pang of anxiety and fetched a magnifying glass from his toolbox, sitting down to carefully inspect it.
The more he looked, the more amazed he became. This piece was extremely rare. If he guessed correctly, it should be a custom-made limited edition, with only one in the entire country.
The price was not much different from what the woman had mentioned; it might even be higher. In total, the estimated value was definitely over three million, if not more. It had an extremely high collectible value.
Having this necklace displayed in their store would undoubtedly overshadow their rival’s storefront.
Mr. Kasprak glanced at the woman, his eyes filled with curiosity: Who is this woman exactly? Why would she be wearing such expensive jewelry in a place like this?
He had heard that she was quite conservative in her pricing, and it seemed like she was in need of money, judging by how she was assessing the bids.
Mr. Kasprak thought to himself: Could she be someone from a bankrupt wealthy family here to escape debt? But looking at her imposing demeanor, there was not a shred of the desperation of someone on the run from debt.
Mr. Kasprak, with a tone of trying to please, asked, “I wonder, what’s your price range for this?”
“One million dollars.”
“Well…” Mr. Kasprak looked troubled. He could afford it, in fact, based on the actual value of his collection, it was worth no less than four million. Offering a mere one million seemed like a win for him. But, as people tend to, he couldn’t resist the urge to haggle, thinking he might get it for even less, trying to take advantage.
Moreover, in business, there’s no harm in being shrewd.
“To be honest, this price is too high. This is just a small county town; we can’t raise that much money here. Moreover, even if I bought it, no one here would spend so much on a necklace,” he implied, trying to lower the price.
“And how much do you suggest?”
Seeing the other party’s attitude soften, Mr. Kasprak spoke again, “Five hundred thousand.”
Cutting the price in half.
Elisa almost laughed in exasperation, “It seems Mr. Kasprak isn’t truly serious about doing business with me.”
“Miss Powell, how can you say that? Where am I insincere?”
“I’ve already clearly told you the value of this necklace, and you should know that a four-million-dollar item being offered at one million is already the lowest I can go.”
“I know, but this small place truly can’t come up with that much money.”
“Oh really?” Elisa had been observing Mr. Kasprak the entire time she spoke, not missing a single change in his expression. Finally, she noticed his eyes flicker subtly to the lower left, and she knew he was lying.
“One million. If you really want it, I don’t believe a large store like yours can’t come up with it. I was actually thinking of taking it to the city for auction, but considering the distance and the hassle, it’s too troublesome. This necklace was a gift from my ex-husband, and I just want to sell it as quickly as possible. I don’t want to waste any more time on it,” Elisa said, her face displaying a hint of disdain without any attempt to conceal it.