Chapter 41: The Cursed Gem
"Hello, my name is Ling Xiao." Ling Xiao nodded gently at the blonde girl and said with a smile, "You could say I'm a beautician."
Holly Robinson, dressed in a dark blue women's suit with sharply defined features, asked with some confusion, "What do you mean, 'you could say'?"
"Hmm!" Ling Xiao pondered for a moment before explaining in a low voice, "My methods are different from ordinary beauticians, but if you want to become younger and more beautiful, then coming to me is absolutely the right choice. Mikayla Baines was one of my previous clients."
"Oh!" Hearing Ling Xiao say that, a special gleam appeared in Holly Robinson's eyes. If the diamond exhibition today was overshadowed by Julia, then among the female models, Mikayla Baines was the most beautiful.
"Can you elaborate?" Holly Robinson immediately pressed for more information.
"This…" Ling Xiao glanced at the surrounding crowd and said somewhat helplessly, "I use methods similar to massage, acupuncture, and medication to help women maintain and restore their youthful beauty. That's my job. As for more specifics, we can talk privately after the exhibition ends."
With that, Ling Xiao took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Holly Robinson. Holly took it, looked at it for a moment, and then looked at Ling Xiao with interest, saying, "So you're a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. It seems I should find some time to try the medical techniques from the mysterious ancient country of the East."
"Indeed, if you're truly interested, we can have a good chat privately." Ling Xiao carefully sized up Holly Robinson, then raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Miss, I don't think you're even 23 yet, so there's no need to rush into these things."
"Regardless, it's still worth a try." Holly Robinson showed more interest than an ordinary person might. Perhaps women are always like this when it comes to such topics. However, the vitality in Holly Robinson's body exceeded the usual level of interest.
"Hey, Ling, did you see him? That's Scott West!" Suddenly, Holly Robinson pointed to a middle-aged man who was talking to someone not far away. Ling Xiao followed her gaze and saw a well-built, bespectacled, refined man enter his line of sight.
"Hmm?" Ling Xiao suddenly frowned. Although Scott West had been standing there with his back to them, Ling Xiao could still clearly see that when his and Holly's gazes fell upon him, his shoulders couldn't help but tremble slightly. It was clear he had sensed their gaze.
How interesting. Why do I keep encountering people with special abilities tonight? It seems this jewelry exhibition has more to it than meets the eye!
"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Although Ling Xiao's movement was slight, Holly Robinson, who was close by and had been talking to him, still noticed a slight abnormality and looked at Ling Xiao with a playful gaze.
"Nothing." Ling Xiao smiled lightly, looked at Holly Robinson, and said, "Can you tell me more about Scott West's specific background?"
"I don't know all the details very clearly," Holly Robinson glanced at Scott West and whispered to Ling Xiao, "West was born into a family of 'diamond hunters.' His grandfather and father were both diamond merchants. He is the owner of L.J. West Diamonds in New York, a company with 40 years of history in the diamond trade. This time, private diamond merchants were invited, which also marked the first time dealers were invited to display their collections in a museum. So this time, he really brought out two good pieces!"
When she mentioned "good pieces," Holly Robinson's face showed particular interest. Seeing this, Ling Xiao's heart stirred slightly. He vaguely guessed something but couldn't be too sure, as women's interest in jewelry is always extraordinary.
Diamond hunters, as the name suggests, are those who acquire diamonds through various means. Compared to official diamond companies, these diamond hunters often use unscrupulous methods in the process, many of which are not presentable.
Strictly speaking, every one of those diamond hunters is guilty of numerous crimes and has blood on their hands.
Thinking of this, Ling Xiao suddenly felt a sense of impending storm. Two, no, three, or even more had appeared at once. Ling Xiao looked around, not knowing how many people at the scene had an unusually strong interest in those jewels and were willing to resort to any means to acquire them.
"Oh, by the way, Ling, do you know what the last mysterious jewel is?" Holly Robinson suddenly asked Ling Xiao.
"I'm not sure about that, but since it's presented as the final exhibit, its value should surpass the four pieces shown earlier." Ling Xiao pondered for a moment, then continued, "Gems of this caliber are limited worldwide. I wonder whose piece was borrowed for this exhibition."
"All the jewelry displayed at this exhibition should be for sale. I just don't know if the last piece is the same." Holly Robinson said excitedly, "If it really is, then this jewelry exhibition will truly be interesting!"
Ling Xiao smiled lightly, looking at Holly Robinson's sparkling eyes and couldn't help but shake his head slightly. Women, ah!
Just then, the heavy curtains on all four windows were suddenly drawn, and the entire exhibition hall abruptly darkened. Everyone present had experienced numerous jewelry displays before, so they naturally understood what this meant, and they all looked forward to it with great interest.
At this moment, in the center of the exhibition stand, a glass display case slowly rose. As it gradually emerged from the ground, a clear blue light emanated from the glass case in all directions, attracting everyone's attention.
Immediately following, a large purple sapphire appeared before everyone's eyes. It was set in a silver ring, with inscriptions and astrological symbols etched on its surface.
As more details appeared before everyone's eyes, most of the people present couldn't help but exclaim, because this purple sapphire was simply too famous.
"How did this thing end up here? How could the British possibly lend it out?" Holly Robinson leaned close to Ling Xiao, saying with great surprise, her gaze fixed on the sapphire as she spoke.
Before Ling Xiao could speak, he saw a staff member walk to the glass display case in the center of the exhibition hall and introduce it to the crowd: "Distinguished guests, as you can see, and as you all know, this gem is the famous delhi purple sapphire. Her rarity, her beauty, and her legendary status give her an extremely important place in the history of world jewelry! This gem was specially borrowed by Mr. Scott West from the Natural History Museum in Britain for this exhibition. Of course, if you are interested, you can also try to contact the Natural History Museum in Britain."
As soon as the staff member finished speaking, everyone present couldn't help but chuckle. Who would dare to own such a gem?
Yes, who would dare to own such a famous cursed gem? Ling Xiao couldn't help but sigh slightly.
The delhi purple sapphire is a rare Indian gem housed in the Natural History Museum in Britain. However, for 60 years, this gem has been locked away in a cabinet at the museum because it is said to carry a "curse." Many of her previous owners have suffered continuous disasters, even sudden misfortunes.
The delhi purple sapphire was plundered by soldiers during the Indian Mutiny 150 years ago and brought to Britain by a cavalry colonel.
However, after the gem's new owner, Ferris, arrived in Britain, he suffered a series of misfortunes. He not only lost all his money but also became plagued with illnesses. Ferris's son, after inheriting the gem, also encountered the same bad luck. A family friend of Ferris borrowed the gem to play with for a few days, and not long after, he committed suicide.
This priceless "delhi purple sapphire" immediately became a symbol of disaster. People widely rumored that it was "cursed," and anyone who owned it would be plagued by bad luck.
If I only wrote according to the movie plot, the story would quickly fall apart, so I've added some of my own elements to make the plot as rich as possible.
Please do not spray if you dislike it.