The moment Wang Guan shattered the giant clam fossil, everyone froze, only snapping out of it after the loud crack echoed.

“Wang Guan, your hands are too fast,” Yu Feibai exclaimed, astonished. “I was just saying it casually, and you actually broke it. That was a perfectly fine fossil; it’s worthless now that it’s ruined.”

“It’s fine, you’re here for everything anyway,” Wang Guan laughed. “Just compensate me for my losses…”

“Get lost!”

Yu Feibai snapped back irritably. “You were impulsive; don't pin that on me.” Despite his words, he was the first to pull apart the fragments of the massive shell, leaning in close to inspect the situation underneath.

Meanwhile, the others were curious as well and gathered around to watch. After a brief look, Yu Feibai sighed deeply. “Wang Guan, you’re in for it now. There’s nothing inside…”

Everyone nodded in agreement, confirming Yu Feibai hadn't lied. Although the inside of the enormous shell was indeed hollow, besides a small pool of seawater, there was absolutely nothing else. There was no pearl the size of a head, let alone any fossilized pearl they might have dreamed of.

“No way, that’s grim?” Wang Guan chuckled, walking over calmly.

“Told you your hands were itching,” Yu Feibai said, throwing up his hands. “Something decent was right there, and you smashed it to pieces, instantly dropping its value by more than half. But it’s no big deal; we still have the other half. If no one wants it, we might be able to use it as a bathtub…”

“That actually sounds kind of reasonable. I’ll have someone modify it and send it to you later,” Wang Guan quipped, then, as if unwilling to give up, he peered left and right inside the giant clam, finally reaching into the puddle of water at the bottom to stir it.

Seeing this, Yu Feibai pouted. “Don’t waste your energy, just accept your fate…”

Yu Feibai stopped midsentence because, at that moment, Wang Guan truly did pull a perfectly round bead out of the puddle.

Wang Guan held the bead up slightly. Its color was a pale blue-white, like seawater, perfectly spherical and lustrous, utterly transparent, radiating a dazzling light under the sun.

“Kao, how is that possible?”

Yu Feibai’s face was a mask of shock and bewilderment. “I saw very clearly; there was absolutely nothing down there…” He continued, his gaze full of suspicion. “Wang Guan, are you playing some sleight-of-hand trick? Did you palm the bead beforehand and are now trying to fool us?”

“Do I need to do that?” Wang Guan looked somewhat exasperated yet amused. He then smiled mysteriously. “Are you sure there was nothing inside? If I manage to pull out another one, what will you do?”

Hearing this, Yu Feibai didn't hesitate. He immediately bent down and plunged his hand into the puddle. His expression shifted dramatically, and slowly, he raised his hand, opening his palm to reveal several beads, similarly radiant, resting there.

“There really is something…” The others stared at the beads, then back at the water in the giant clam, feeling utterly amazed. To their eyes, the water inside the clam shell was perfectly clear; it seemed impossible for anything to be hidden there.

If Wang Guan had pulled a bead out, perhaps it could be dismissed as a trick. But Yu Feibai plunging his empty hand down and grabbing several beads was undeniable proof.

“Qinghua, get a plate.”

At the same time, Yu Feibai exclaimed with excitement, “It looks like there are many more!”

Since there was no proper dish, Tang Qinghua grabbed a wide tea saucer from the cabin. Then, Yu Feibai began scooping and picking out shimmering, bright beads from the giant shell, placing them one by one onto the saucer.

The onlookers were constantly amazed, examining the beads on the saucer. They noticed that the beads were remarkably spherical; when placed on the saucer, they would roll slightly, tracing a circle along the tray. In specialized terminology, these were 'rolling beads' (zoupang zhu); for beads of the same quality, those that could roll commanded a price at least twenty to thirty percent higher than those that couldn't.

Soon, Yu Feibai had fished out all the beads—a saucer completely full, easily over a hundred pieces. Furthermore, each bead was similar in size, and the pale blue-white halos interwove, making the entire display dazzling enough to make one’s eyes water.

Of course, the immediate key wasn't the beads' color or luster, but their bizarre property: the ability to hide themselves within water while remaining unseen by the naked eye.

“Is it the water that’s the problem, or is it the beads themselves?” Yu Feibai pondered. If the water was the issue, then the liquid in the giant clam wasn't water at all, but perhaps some kind of special liquid, possessing immense research value.

“Why think so much? We can find out immediately with a simple test,” Wang Guan said.

As he spoke, Wang Guan paused briefly, fetched a bottle of mineral water, opened it, and poured it directly into the saucer containing the beads. The moment the mineral water overflowed the tray and covered the beads, a miracle occurred.

“Ah, how can this be?”

Everyone stared, dumbfounded. Under the buoyancy of the mineral water, the fully loaded saucer of beads subtly floated up and then instantly vanished. It was as if they had dissolved into the water. At this moment, everyone strained their eyes but could see nothing—only the clear, transparent mineral water in the saucer.

“Could it be water sprites?” someone ventured, expressing doubt.

The so-called 'water sprite' (shui jingling) was actually a type of water-absorbing resin. These small, gel-like beads become transparent when placed in water and come in various colors, essentially a children’s toy.

“Don’t insult these treasures by comparing them to chemical gel balls.”

At this moment, Yu Feibai, filled with both joy and surprise, casually stirred the clear water and immediately pulled out a bead. Instantly, the bead reverted to its original appearance. Its blue-white color shone brilliantly under the sun, radiating a treasure-light so intoxicating it was mesmerizing.

However, when Yu Feibai carefully placed the bead back into the water, everyone clearly watched as it miraculously disappeared again, as if a single drop of water falling into the ocean, instantly merging into one entity.

“What’s going on? These are such magical beads!”

Amidst everyone's astonishment, Master Jiang suddenly shouted, “Mermaid Pearls (Jiao Zhu), these are the legendary Mermaid Pearls!”

“What pearls?”

For a moment, everyone quickly turned to Master Jiang, hoping he could offer a clearer explanation.

“I never expected such a treasure truly exists…” Master Jiang sighed with deep emotion, his expression conveying the feeling of having achieved his life’s purpose and being ready to die contentedly. This lack of intentional gatekeeping, however, only made people more eager.

“Master Jiang, stop lamenting,” Yu Feibai couldn't help but urge. “What did you call those pearls just now? ‘Gel’ (Jiao)? What gel? They don't look like it. I can be sure these are definitely a type of pearl.”

“I didn’t say they weren’t pearls.”

Master Jiang explained, a hint of awe in his eyes. “But these pearls no longer fall under the general category of pearls; they are the legendary pearls coveted by the world… Tears of the Mermaid (Jiaoren Lei)!”

“Tears of the Mermaid?” Wang Guan was momentarily stunned, then his expression turned thoughtful. “You mean the ones from the South Sea where the merfolk live, like fish in the water, yet they weave without tools, and when their eyes weep, they produce pearls—the Jiao Zhu?”

“Precisely,” Master Jiang said, somewhat excitedly. “I am ninety percent certain these beads are the legendary Tears of the Mermaid. Their color is blue-white, and they dissolve into clear water, just like tears. If they aren't the Tears of the Mermaid, what else could they be?”

“Master Jiang, you truly have seen much,” Yu Feibai agreed completely, thrilled. “You are absolutely right; these beads must undoubtedly be Jiao Zhu.”

“Heh heh, this is a priceless treasure!”

After a round of admiration, Yu Feibai grinned slyly. “According to the tropes in Wuxia novels, eating these beads should definitely increase one's cultivation by several decades. If it were a Xianxia novel, these beads would be the giant clam’s Inner Elixir (Neidan), usable to forge magical artifacts, or at the very least, they could be ground into medicine for skin whitening, eternal youth, and so on…”

Yu Feibai was joking, but his casual words struck a chord with the listeners.

“Wang Guan, sell me a few beads,” Qiao Yu winked, a hopeful look in her eyes.

Simultaneously, Su Yu said lightly, “One million each. I’ll take them all.”

There were over a hundred beads on the saucer; at one million each, the total exceeded one hundred million. To casually throw out a figure of a hundred million showed the Su family’s immense wealth.

“Oh?”

Qiao Yu glanced over, suddenly extending two slender fingers. “I bid two hundred million!”

“Three hundred million…”

Perhaps due to natural antipathy between women, the two young ladies from distinguished and wealthy families seemed to take an instant dislike to each other and began competing fiercely.

However, this was not what Wang Guan wanted to see. Just as Qiao Yu was about to raise her bid again, he quickly called a halt.

“I’m sorry, the beads are not for sale.”

Wang Guan said calmly. “Everyone standing outside must be tired. Let’s go inside for tea.”

“Let’s go, let’s go, tea time… We’ll fleece him again once we get ashore,” Yu Feibai chuckled, carrying the saucer and heading into the cabin, followed closely by the group.

Master Jiang hesitated before following, but before entering the cabin, he didn't forget to turn back and reprimand the crew. “What are you all standing around for? Get back to your important work!”

“Oh!”

The crew members snapped back to attention, and after a bout of envy and jealousy, they returned to searching for clues about the sunken ship. However, after diving back underwater, many intentionally or unintentionally lingered near various reefs for investigation…

“Everyone, have some tea…”

Wang Guan was in a good mood. He had every reason to be happy. Regardless of whether they ultimately found the sunken ship, obtaining this large platter of Mermaid Pearls alone made the trip worthwhile.

“Xiao Ye, help me persuade Wang Guan to sell me a few beads,” Qiao Yu was still unwilling to give up, murmuring sweetly. “I’m not greedy; just a dozen or twenty, enough to string a necklace.”

Bei Ye smiled but did not give a direct reply.

Just then, Wang Guan turned around. “Xiao Qiao, don't bother. I truly don't plan to sell these Mermaid Pearls. I intend to take them back to have someone analyze them to see if we can decipher the mechanism behind the pearls’ formation…”

“That’s right,” Tang Qinghua’s eyes lit up. “If we knew the cause and could breed them, it would surely rock the entire world, possibly even changing the status quo of the global jewelry industry.”

“Heh heh, I hope you’re right,” Wang Guan smiled. “If I succeed, I’ll gift you a cartload of Mermaid Pearls.”

“Tch!”

Tang Qinghua sneered. “Stop trying to fool people with cheap imitations. How dare you offer something like that…”