The Immortal King Reborn

CHAPTER 4

Jade and Stone was on the ground floor of one of the quieter office towers. The entrance was modest but immaculate, marked only by a simple brass plaque with the name. Lin Hao took a deep breath, reached for the handle, and stepped inside.

The air was cool and smelled faintly of polished wood and fresh flowers. Glass display cases lined the walls, lit from within to show off rows of gemstones set in gold and silver, loose crystals arranged on velvet stands, and small carved sculptures of jade and quartz.

No one else was in the shop yet. It was still early, and the morning rush had not reached this quiet corner.

A man stepped out from a small office at the back. He was middle aged, dressed in a tailored suit that fit him perfectly, his hair combed back neatly, his expression calm and professional. He stopped a few feet from the counter, looking Lin Hao up and down without making it obvious.

"Good morning," the man said. "How can I help you today?"

"I have something I would like to show you," Lin Hao said. "I was hoping you might be able to tell me what it is and what it is worth."

The man raised one eyebrow slightly. "I appraise items by appointment only. But since you are already here and we are quiet, I can spare a few minutes. I am Mr. Hale, the owner."

"Thank you," Lin Hao said. He reached into his inner pocket, pulled out the pendant, and set it gently on the counter between them.

Mr. Hale leaned forward, looking at the dull chipped stone without touching it at first. Then he pulled out a pair of fine tweezers and turned the pendant over carefully.

He held it up to the light coming through the front window, then set it down and picked up a small magnifying glass to examine the surface more closely.

His expression did not change at first, but Lin Hao saw his eyebrows draw together, saw him lean in a little closer, saw him pause for a long moment before moving the magnifying glass to another section.

"This is very unusual," Mr. Hale said quietly. "The color is right for jade, but the texture is not quite right. And there is no sign of artificial treatment, no dye or resin. Yet it has a quality to it that I cannot quite place. It feels alive in a way. Does this make sense to you?"

"It has energy," Lin Hao said. "Natural energy. And it can hold a charge."

Mr. Hale looked up at him sharply. "What kind of charge?"

"Thermal mostly," Lin Hao said, keeping his answer vague enough to sound plausible without giving too much away. "It absorbs heat and releases it slowly. I have seen it glow when it is fully charged. I am not a scientist, but I know it is not ordinary jade."

Mr. Hale set the magnifying glass down and leaned back against the counter, studying Lin Hao’s face for a long moment. "Where did you get this?"

"I came by it honestly," Lin Hao said. "That is all I am prepared to say right now. I am not looking for trouble. I am looking for a fair price."

"Fair price is relative when I do not know exactly what I am buying," Mr. Hale said. "If it is natural jade of an unusual type, it could be worth several thousand. If it is something else entirely, it could be worth much more or much less. Would you be willing to leave it with me for a few days so I can run some tests?"

Lin Hao shook his head immediately. "I cannot do that. I need the money sooner than that, and I am not comfortable letting it out of my sight. But I can show you how it works. If you have a light or a heat source, I can demonstrate."

Mr. Hale hesitated, then nodded toward a small desk lamp on the counter. "That should be enough. Go ahead."

Lin Hao picked up the pendant and held it close to the bulb for several seconds, then turned it over and did the same on the other side. He did not need the lamp.

He was already channeling a tiny thread of his own qi into the stone as he held it there. Slowly the dull green began to shift, softening, glowing with that same gentle pulsing light that had filled his room earlier. Mr. Hale leaned forward, his eyes widening slightly, his hand coming up to rest on the edge of the counter as if he needed something to steady himself.

The light was not bright, but it was unmistakable, and it was coming from inside the stone itself. Lin Hao let it glow for several seconds, then stopped channeling and set the pendant down. The glow faded slowly, shrinking back into the dull green as if it had never been there at all.

Mr. Hale stared at it for a long moment, then looked up at Lin Hao again, his expression completely different now. The polite professionalism was still there, but underneath it was curiosity and something else, respect maybe, or wariness.

"I have never seen anything like that," Mr. Hale said quietly. "Not in all my years in this business. How is it possible?"

"I told you," Lin Hao said. "It holds energy. I think there are more like it in the world, but most people do not know what they are looking at. I would like to sell this one. And if you are fair with me, I might be able to find more."

Mr. Hale nodded slowly. "I see. And what sort of price did you have in mind for this one?"

Lin Hao took a slow steadying breath. He had no idea what it was actually worth on this market. He only knew how much he needed to get through the next few weeks. "Fifteen thousand," he said. "Cash today."

Mr. Hale did not laugh or show him the door. He just leaned back and thought for a moment. "That is a lot of money for something I cannot fully explain or verify through standard testing methods. And if it turns out to be a hoax, I will have no way to recover the funds."

"It is not a hoax," Lin Hao said. "And you know it. You saw the light. You felt the weight of it in your hand. There is no trick here. Just something rare that you have not seen before."

"Ten thousand," Mr. Hale said. "Cash right now. That is the best I can do without knowing exactly what I am paying for. And if you do find more, bring them to me first. I will pay fairly and I will keep everything confidential."

Lin Hao hesitated. Ten thousand was not enough to pay off all the debts, not even close. But it was enough to clear the immediate deadline. It was enough to buy him time. And it was proof that this plan could actually work.

"Deal," Lin Hao said.

Mr. Hale walked around the counter to a safe set into the wall, unlocked it, and counted out the cash slowly and carefully. He brought the stack back to the counter and counted it again in front of Lin Hao, then pushed it across along with a simple receipt.

"No names required," Mr. Hale said quietly. "Just sign here to acknowledge the sale. And if you do find more, I will be waiting."

Lin Hao signed the paper quickly, folded the cash, and put it into the inner pocket of his jacket where the pendant had been only minutes before. It felt heavier than the stone had, thicker, more substantial. But it was just paper. The real power was the knowledge that he could do this, that he could provide, that he could protect the people he loved.

"Thank you," Lin Hao said. "I will be in touch."

He turned and walked toward the door, his hand resting on the pocket through the fabric. He had reached for the handle when Mr. Hale spoke again from behind him.

"One more thing," Mr. Hale said. "If there are more of these out there, you should be careful who you tell. There are people who collect unusual items like this, and they are not always reasonable about how they go about getting them. I would keep this between us if I were you."

Lin Hao paused, his hand still on the handle. "What kind of people?"

"Collectors mostly," Mr. Hale said. "Some legitimate, some less so. They have connections and resources most people do not. And they do not like being kept waiting any more than your creditors do."

Lin Hao turned his head slightly, looking back over his shoulder. "How do you know about my creditors?"

Mr. Hale did not flinch. "I know a lot of things. And I know what it looks like when someone is running out of time. Be careful, young man. Money is not the only thing that draws attention."

Lin Hao stared at him for a long moment, then nodded slowly and pushed the door open. He stepped out onto the sidewalk, the bright morning sun hitting him full in the face, the cash safe in his pocket, but the warning settling heavy in his mind.

He started walking toward the hospital, his pace steady, his hand still resting on his pocket, watching the people around him a little more closely than before. Everyone looked like everyone else. But Mr. Hale’s words rang in his ears. Money is not the only thing that draws attention. And he had a feeling that was only the first of many warnings he was going to get.