Chapter 653: Value

In this era, there had already existed a specialized profession known as scavengers.

Moreover, given the current employment situation and the dismally low garbage processing and recycling rate, anyone attempting to do this on a large scale would have a 90% chance of only suffering losses.

Wu Ming disregarded the trash that Na Wei had painstakingly sorted out and approached another pile of items.

These were the small “somewhat interesting” trinkets that Na Wei had searched out from the massive garbage dump, following Wu Ming’s instructions.

Although 99% of them were indeed real waste, there were still one or two items with considerable value.

“Hmm?”

For example, after taking a round, Wu Ming found several broken grayish-white plaster fragments. When pieced together, they formed a mermaid statue.

“Looking at these lines and the mermaid’s scales, this should be in the style of the Luokai period about 300 years ago. It can be considered an artwork, although not created by a renowned artist. However, if properly glued back together, it still holds some collectible value…”

With extensive knowledge and an insatiable thirst for learning, Wu Ming’s appreciation skills had rapidly improved.

Especially since his mental capacity exceeded that of ordinary people, enabling him to distinctly perceive the historical traces on authentic antiques. Within a small range, practically nothing could escape his detection.

Finding old items in the garbage dump and identifying their origins with his appraisal knowledge could transform these previously worthless items into antiques and artworks!

After all, during the previous war period, amidst all the turmoil and chaos, who really cared about these things? Coupled with the chaos of war, many valuable items must have been scattered and then discarded by ignorant people as trash. However, with the return of peace, the value of antiques would rise again.

Wu Ming’s plan was to find a few items with some value and then take them home for James to sell.

There was no need for priceless treasures; even ordinary items could significantly improve the family’s financial situation.

Of course, for this purpose, he still needed to continue the cover of recycling other waste paper and steel.

Moreover, Wu Ming had a small personal hope.

In his past life, weren’t there always plotlines in novels about finding treasures while scavenging? Perhaps by doing this, he might also find some extraordinary items. Although the probability was very low, it didn’t mean it couldn’t happen, right?

…

“I’m back!”

In the evening, after dealing with the batch of waste paper and scrap steel, Wu Ming took a five-jiao coin reward, gave a bitter smile, and then returned home.

“Hi, Steven, how was your ‘business’ today?”

James and Mrs. Straling exchanged glances, both feeling proud and accomplished in discovering their son’s little secret.

“Not bad! I’ll continue tomorrow.”

If including the mermaid statue, this return rate was somewhat satisfactory for Wu Ming.

“Uh…”

James and Mrs. Straling looked at each other in surprise. They had originally thought Steven would be greatly discouraged, so why did he still seem so spirited?

“Steven!”

James’s face suddenly turned serious. “If you want to help your classmates, there are many ways to do it. You don’t have to do this specifically!”

“Are you trying to act like a good guy and deliberately give money to Na Wei?”

Wu Ming rolled his eyes inwardly. After thinking for a moment, he still took out the mermaid statue. “Brandon, Angelina, go out for a bit!”

When Wu Ming spoke with a stern expression, he naturally exuded an air of authority. Although James and Mrs. Straling valued their son’s opinions greatly, Brandon still grumbled a bit discontentedly but ran back to his room and slammed the door shut.

“What is this? A toy? The design is pretty good…”

James casually remarked.

“This is a mermaid statue from the Luokai period, with very few remaining. I think its value should be between 100 to 300 gold coins. Of course, if it weren’t already broken, the price would be even higher!”

“Ha!”

James spat out a mouthful of water in surprise. “What did you say?”

Even during his most prosperous time, 300 gold coins was still a significant sum for him.

“This is my harvest from scavenging today. Got it? You take it and sell it tomorrow, but remember, it’s a family heirloom, not something picked up off the street!”

Wu Ming emphasized.

“Dear, this seems to be genuine!”

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Straling recalled, “I once saw a statue similar to this one. It was priced at 3000 gold coins back then, of course, that was the price for an intact one!”

“Haha… We’re rich!”

James exclaimed joyfully, “Right, this is our family heirloom. Hmph! No one can question it, after all, your mother still has a quarter Viscount bloodline!”

“Huh?”

Wu Ming stared at Mrs. Straling, something he genuinely didn’t know.

“Speaking of which, that place is practically a treasure mountain…”

James said with a grin, “Maybe I won’t work tomorrow and go scavenging with you!”

“You?”

Mrs. Straling rolled her eyes, “Even if antiques were placed in front of you, you probably couldn’t identify them! Our little Steven is the best!”

She kissed Wu Ming’s cheek, “How did you think of this?”

“I didn’t go to the city’s auction house and exhibition for nothing…”

Wu Ming had already prepared an excuse, “After realizing how valuable those things were, I especially used my position as a prefect to get a library access card and borrowed many books on the subject…”

“Steven, you’re a genius!”

James picked Wu Ming up and tossed him into the air, stopping only after Wu Ming strongly protested, “Haha… You have the talent of an antique appraiser! No! You’re already a great appraiser. Goodness! If it weren’t for your young age, you could already try getting a job as an appraiser…”

James swallowed hard, “Even the lowest-level appraiser at an auction house earns several times more than me…”

“Mm… I plan to do this during this holiday, and also, I think these items should appreciate in value as peace continues. So don’t sell them early, and…”

Wu Ming added a few more reminders, prompting continuous nods from James and Mrs. Straling.

…

Many changes occurred during this summer vacation.

Brandon and Angelina felt it most acutely. First, the family’s meals improved significantly, with daily supplies of butter, white bread, and fried chicken and roasted meat.

Then, they moved out of the noisy apartment building and relocated to a mid-district area of the city, renting a villa similar to their previous home.

After obtaining a large amount of start-up capital, James was finally able to start his own business. Riding the wave of economic recovery, he quickly became successful.

At this time, the secondary school department of Saint George School also began its new semester.

“You can drop me off here. Goodbye!”

Wu Ming nimbly jumped out of the steam-powered car and waved his hand at James inside.

For a businessman, driving a steam-powered car was ultimately more dignified than riding a bicycle or taking public transportation, making it easier to gain a partner’s trust.

James naturally understood this principle. After being persuaded by Wu Ming, he finally sold a few old antiques and picked out a decent second-hand steam-powered car from the used car market.

From then on, the Straling family’s life seemed to return to its previous track. Mrs. Straling’s recent smiles had gradually increased, and she seemed to have become younger.

The secondary school of Saint George was not in the same direction as the primary school but located in the suburbs, away from the industrial area, with a quite pleasant scenery.

“Hey!”

At that moment, a group of new students were handling their registration, with Vidi and his parents, and Philip, Alice, and a few other close friends nearby. Seeing him, they waved energetically.

“Hey, how was your holiday?”

“Not bad, but you must have had a great time!”

Vidi examined Wu Ming’s outfit and immediately realized that his friend’s family circumstances had greatly improved.

“Yeah, my family started a small business. Thanks to the Kingdom’s blessings, we’ve finally seen some improvement. I came here to handle my registration myself. Where’s the registration point?”

Wu Ming smiled and replied.

“Let me show you the way!”

Vidi volunteered to lead the way. “The rules in the secondary school are much looser than in elementary school. Besides the daily scheduled classes, there’s a lot of free time…”

He seemed very excited.

“Oh?”

Wu Ming blinked. “The school allows that?”

“Yeah, we can have a good time for a while!”

Vidi laughed heartily, very happy.

“Don’t listen to Vidi’s nonsense, Steven!”

Suddenly, Alice, the girl next to him, interjected. She seemed to have developed a lot during this period and had become more interested in beauty. “In the secondary school, besides the courses, you must also join a club!”

“Detective Club, Kendo Club, Business Club, Wisdom Club, Physics Club, Chemistry Club… you must choose one to join, and it’s very important!”

Alice emphasized, “According to the information I’ve gathered, the secondary school’s academic studies are just to consolidate the basics, while these clubs are the key to determining your future direction and focus… For example, if you want to apply for the Royal Police Academy, you’d better join the Detective Club; for a military academy, the Martial Arts Club and the Wisdom Club; if you want to become a researcher in the future, then the Physics Club and the Chemistry Club… “

She leaned in closer and lowered her voice: “These clubs not only organize targeted learning exams and training regularly, but I’ve also heard that the club presidents are key candidates on the recommendation list! So, what do you want to do in the future?”

“This… I don’t know…”

Wu Ming shrugged: “Let me see first…”

In his heart, he silently thought: “After the cramming education, they’re implementing specialized training again? So university is just further education? Seems quite reasonable!”