Thanks to another crossbow I assembled and a couple of wooden trinkets, I earned 50 OP yesterday evening. Despite probably being very busy with the hassles of cashing in the ore, finding housing, and moving in the coming days, I set a goal to try to earn at least 50 OP a day. My main strength is the System, and even with money, a home, and some stability in life, the worst thing I could do is relax and stop developing.
"Hello, good afternoon. Am I calling the Manhattan Gold and Silver workshop, correct?" Before heading out into the city, I dialed the number of what I modestly considered the best option for smelting. The voice on the other end, belonging to a woman, sounded professional and pleasant.
"Yes, this is us. How can I help you?"
I paused briefly, choosing the right tone—not too confident to arouse suspicion, but not too timid either. "You see, I have a slightly unusual situation. I recently inherited from my grandfather... several pieces of gold ore. I was wondering if you could help me melt them down into small ingots."
After the words "inheritance" and "gold ore," the intonation in the girl's voice subtly changed, becoming more interested and businesslike. "Of course, we handle that. Can you give me approximate dimensions, weight? Do you perhaps know the purity of the ore?"
"Two pieces in total, total weight is one and eight kilograms. My grandfather said that the purity is high, somewhere around eighty-five to eighty-eight percent, but that's not exact. I think you'll be able to say for sure."
"Absolutely. We have high-precision laboratory spectrometers available, so determining the purity won't be a problem. We can advise you on all matters. When do you expect to arrive?"
"I plan to be there within the next few hours, but I'd like to clarify a few things first. I've read great reviews about you and visited your website, but still..." I deliberately paused, feigning caution. "Can you actually accept part of the metal obtained from smelting as payment for your services?"
"Yes, that's standard practice," the girl replied kindly, and a small weight lifted from my soul. "We'll simply deduct the cost of the work from the final weight of the pure metal."
"Great. Then the second question that concerns me. Can I personally be present during the process? After all, we're talking about serious money, and it's... well, a memory of my grandfather. I'd like to oversee everything."
"I understand perfectly," I could hear notes of sympathy in her voice. "And yes, of course, that's a fairly common request. The process doesn't take long, and our master can even explain everything to you along the way, if you're interested."
That's exactly what I'm interested in, I thought. And to make sure I'm not ripped off in the process, of course. "Wonderful. And the last question, probably. Can I sell some of the gold to you directly? I'll need some cash, but I really don't want to deal with banks and declarations. We're talking about an amount less than ten thousand dollars, to avoid extra red tape."
I was almost certain they would agree. For a workshop like this, buying a little gold from a client who brought them a large order is a profitable deal. They, like pawnshops, will take it at a discount, which I was prepared for. The girl answered almost instantly, without hesitation.
"Of course. We do buy gold, but the price will be twenty-five percent below the current market price. At the moment, that would be approximately $24,562 per kilogram of pure gold."
"Good, that suits me just fine. And what about certification?"
"Don't worry. Upon completion of the work, we will provide you with all the necessary certificates and receipts. They will indicate the exact weight before and after smelting, the purity assay, as well as the cost of our services and the sale amount, if needed. Everything is official."
"Well, I've learned everything I wanted. Thank you very much for the detailed consultation. Expect me within an hour or two."
"Thank you for choosing our workshop. We look forward to seeing you!"
I ended the call and exhaled. Manhattan Gold and Silver is one of the oldest jewelry workshops in New York, and, apparently, one of the most honest. The plan seemed solid.
Plunging the heavy, cloth-wrapped ore to the bottom of the backpack, I felt its substantial weight. The absurdity of the situation was amusing: carrying in an ordinary backpack a fortune capable of changing my whole life. I walked towards 47th Street in Manhattan. That's where the famous Diamond District was located, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
The streets changed before my very eyes. The gloomy brick facades of Hell's Kitchen gave way to glittering showcases and glass skyscrapers of Midtown. The air became denser, filled with the hum of expensive cars and snippets of conversations in dozens of languages. Here, in this melting pot of ambitions, my wealth was just a drop in the ocean. I saw Orthodox Jews with cases chained to their wrists, Arab sheikhs emerging from armored limousines, Asian businessmen discussing deals worth millions of dollars right on the sidewalk. Against their background, I was just another customer. My legend about the inheritance from my grandfather seemed surprisingly plausible here. People inherit collectible Pokémon cards worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and nothing. Just business as usual.