Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Me and Yoo Geum-yi had other worries. The lighting was minimal, but it did not affect the viewing of the displayed jewels. No matter what was illuminated, they shone brilliantly. Displaying such obviously expensive items without any security seemed reckless.

“Is it normal for a gem exhibition to be this grand?”

I had never been to a gem exhibition before. Pointing at an amethyst larger than my height, I asked Yoo Geum-yi, who responded with a look of disbelief.

“I’ve never seen an exhibition of this scale either. There’s a sapphire over there as big as my torso... It must be fake, right?”

“None of this was here when I came yesterday?”

Seo Jihyuk, holding the neck of an android, looked around the mineral-filled exhibition hall in bewilderment.

“That’s the lighting I fixed, but this place was empty. If these had been here, I would’ve taken one in my pocket.”

From a distance, Baek Ae-young commented incredulously on Seo Jihyuk’s words.

“How could you take something of that size?”

Even the smallest jewel was nearly the size of a human thigh. Considering they were gemstones but essentially rocks, they must be incredibly heavy. I snapped my fingers and said,

“Cable car! There’s one right at the end of the exhibition hall, they must have moved these from the first underwater base to the second and then here.”

“Since the elevator isn’t far from here, they might have used an automated cart or a medic to transport them.”

Seo Jihyuk scratched his head as he spoke. Shin Haeryang glanced at the exhibits and frowned. I asked him, sensing his discomfort.

“Do you have any knowledge about these minerals?”

“No, they are dazzling to the eyes.”

There were huge crystals and aquamarines, and enormous manos. There were emeralds as big as a human head and rubies the size of an arm. The only minerals I could recognize were amethysts, which I had seen in an amethyst cave before, and cinnabar leaking mercury.

The android soon headed towards a diamond displayed in the center of the exhibition hall. As we got closer, it became clear that the diamond was almost the size of two adult fists. Even someone like me, who lacks greed for jewels, was tempted by its brilliance. It was so spectacular that it outshone all other gems around it. I understood why diamonds are so coveted. They overwhelmingly attract attention.

I understood why such gems are given as gifts. All the jewels gathered under the lights made the central diamond the sole focus of attention. I remembered a friend who cried over his bank account while buying a tiny diamond for his wedding. If a diamond was the size of two fists, how much would it cost?Gêtt the latest chapters on no/velbin(.)com

Hearing this, Seo Jihyuk looked at Shin Haeryang, who had an impenetrable expression, and then turned his gaze towards me. I shook my head. I had two bags, but one carried a 6kg cat on my back, and the other had a snake inside. Even just the cat sometimes screamed on my shoulder, and now he wants me to carry a diamond in my bag?

Moreover, while diamonds in photos and videos had always seemed pretty, seeing one in person was somewhat intimidating with its excessive sparkle and brilliance. It felt like watching lightning.

The overwhelming radiance of a human-head-sized diamond was one thing, but I’ve never casually taken someone else’s belongings. The thought of putting the diamond in my bag was frightening enough. I’ve never stolen or even touched someone else’s belongings, apart from maybe taking a sip or a bite of a friend’s snack. But a gem like this is different. Seo Jihyuk seemed particularly regretful about leaving such a large diamond behind.

“Just taking this one would mean none of us would ever have to work again!”

His words reminded me of my family’s situation, and the fact that my first paycheck was in jeopardy due to the company’s current state made me stare at the diamond. Then Shin Haeryang warned Seo Jihyuk,

“You should be more concerned about saving your own life.”

Seo Jihyuk’s mouth dropped open, but he seemed to have no intention of arguing with the team leader who had been carrying and supporting him. His eyes darted among the others and then back to himself with a grim expression. Resigned to his fate as someone being carried by an android, with no chance to carry the diamond himself or entrust it to others, he just sighed deeply. He looked at Baek Ae-young with a lingering sense of regret, but Baek Ae-young didn’t even meet his gaze. Yoo Geum-yi, after surveying the jewels around her, shook her head decisively.

“I’d give up all these gems just to be able to leave here alive.”

Yoo Geum-yi’s tone suggested she was utterly fed up with the underwater base. Baek Ae-young, looking at her, smiled and extended her fist towards Yoo Geum-yi.

“I agree with that sentiment.”

Yoo Geum-yi, initially taken aback by Baek Ae-young’s extended right fist, looked around hesitantly before extending her own fist and lightly touching Baek’s. It seemed that researchers like her were not accustomed to fist-bumping.

Seo Jihyuk let out a deep sigh. Clinging to the android’s neck, he lamented the missed opportunity, repeatedly expressing how regrettable it was to leave such ownerless jewels behind. I could empathize with him, as I was not in a financially comfortable position myself. However, in my current state, carrying gems was out of the question.

If I had the physical strength of Baek Ae-young or Shin Haeryang, maybe I would have considered attempting to take one. But after walking those dreadful stairs connecting the third and second underwater bases, my legs were trembling like a newborn deer’s. Especially after running into the exhibition hall from the deep-sea aquarium in a state of high tension, all I wanted was to collapse and rest. The only reason I was still carrying the cat in my bag, sobbing internally, was because it was a living creature. If it had been a gem, I would have abandoned it long ago.

Baek Ae-young, leading the way, passed a ruby large enough to touch the ceiling and was now walking past an opal the size of two large dogs. Yoo Geum-yi, Seo Jihyuk, Shin Haeryang, and I followed behind.

Seo Jihyuk was still pestering the android, asking if it could send the diamond to his house via courier service or if the android could move it outside the underwater base. Yoo Geum-yi, listening to the android’s monotonous voice responding to Seo Jihyuk’s chatter, suddenly asked the android a question.

“What happens if someone tries to leave the exhibition hall with a gem?”

“All_elevator_operations_will_be_suspended_and_an_alarm_will_sound.”

A chill ran down my spine. Turning around in surprise, both Yoo Geum-yi and Seo Jihyuk looked equally shocked. The primary means of connecting the underwater bases were elevators, and escape pods were meant to be used only in real emergencies.