But now, Zero was at least a bit more sensible, he no longer forced his own ideas onto others.
He opened the images and carefully examined the sketches.
That deeply ingrained corporate slave DNA inside him stirred again.
Using the reference pictures he'd sent Yingxing the day before, Zero made a few comparisons and edits. After adjusting all the details on the hairpins, he sent the modified versions to Yingxing.
[Zero: These three are pretty good. I tweaked some small details on the hairpins, take a look. If you think they're fine, just finalize them. List the materials you'll need, and I'll take care of sourcing them.]
Yingxing, "..."
His hand trembled slightly as he held the jade terminal.
He'd thought that with such a high commission fee, Zero would definitely be extremely demanding, that there'd be countless revisions, maybe ten or twenty rounds before approval…
Yingxing had mentally prepared himself for that.
'But… a client who finalized the design the very next day, such a client actually existed?!'
Then came another message from his god-tier client.
[Zero: Take your time, no rush, don't work overtime.]
Yingxing stared at the message, silent for a long time.
Who could understand this feeling? A god-tier client who paid generously, never nitpicked about things outside his expertise, clearly stated his needs, even corrected the drafts himself…
And on top of that, told him not to overwork.
Now he finally understood why Jingliu liked Zero.
To outsiders, Zero might seem like a nobody, someone who had nothing to do with the famed swordswoman of the Xianzhou.
But in terms of character, there was really nothing bad to say about him.
Any other client would've been pointing fingers at his designs, forcing the craftsman to redo everything.
And when you asked what exactly needed to be changed, they'd just say, "It doesn't feel right."
Ask what kind of "feeling" they wanted, and they wouldn't be able to explain it either…
After a dozen revisions, they'd end up choosing the original draft.
This collaboration, though, was downright delightful.
Yingxing was so moved that he decided, once the materials arrived, he'd pull a few all-nighters in a row if he had to, just to finish Zero's three hairpins.
Determined to save his god-tier client some money, Yingxing racked his brains and listed the most cost-effective materials for the job, then sent the list over.
When Zero received the materials list, he simply forwarded it to a bearded company executive, adding the address of the Luofu Craft Commission and asking the executive to prepare everything and deliver it directly to Yingxing.
Professional work should be handled by professionals.
The bearded executive replied enthusiastically, assuring him that everything would be taken care of and promising to find only the finest materials for Zero.
Soon after, the executive sent several photos of unpolished blue diamonds, claiming that their quality and carat weight were extraordinary, and that, in the hands of a master, they could be turned into peerless jewelry that would outshine anything in the entire universe.
[Zero: I'm busy. Handle it yourself. If we're short on credits, let me know.]
After sending that, Zero immediately set the executive's messages to "Do Not Disturb."
The guy was too enthusiastic, constantly messaging him to ask if he wanted to buy a planet, or a star-destroyer ship, and so on…
When Zero didn't respond, the executive switched tactics, trying to sell him all kinds of antique jewelry "popular with ladies," plus bizarre trinkets, hyping them up like they were treasures.
At first, Zero thought the prices weren't bad, so he'd just buy one each time the guy recommended something. But after a while, it became annoying.
Too lazy to bother anymore, he let the executive handle it however he wanted.
Zero, as usual, spent a few days slacking off while waiting for Yingxing and the bearded man to do their jobs.
Then one day, Yingxing contacted him.
[Yingxing: Why are there over a dozen materials on the list I never mentioned? They're really expensive.]
Zero didn't know much about materials, and didn't care to argue, so he just forwarded Yingxing's contact info to the bearded executive and sent Yingxing another message.
[Zero: Wait a bit, I'll have him add you. If you need anything, just talk to him directly.]
A while later, Yingxing messaged again.
[Yingxing: That guy posted on his Moments about a "mystery client", that's you, right? But honestly, aren't those gemstones basically all the same color? Starstone would be cheaper to customize with.]
[Wait, and why did you buy a gemstone-made bamboo dragonfly? What is that?]
Maybe because Yingxing genuinely thought of him as a friend, his tone grew more casual, like he was seriously trying to help Zero save money.
Zero didn't have many friends, so with someone like Yingxing, who knew his identity, he chatted a bit more openly.
As for the gemstone bamboo dragonfly…
[Zero: Because it sounded like a good deal, and it seemed fun, so I bought it.]
On the other end, Yingxing was speechless for a long moment before finally replying.
[Yingxing: Well, at least that executive's warehouse must be a lot emptier now.]
[You seem like the kind of person who'll get scammed out of your entire retirement fund one day buying useless health products.]
Zero, "..."
'What kind of bizarre metaphor was that?!'
He felt personally attacked.
He wasn't some gullible fool. Those antique jewels that cost eight or nine figures each were good deals.
It had nothing to do with his actual age, and he definitely wasn't the type to buy health products.
Then came more from Yingxing.
[Yingxing: Sharing article, "The Ten Common Scams to Watch Out For," brought to you by the Department of Balance.]
[Sharing article, "Beware of Pyramid Schemes, A Must-Read Anti-Fraud Guide for Elderly Xianzhou Residents."]
Staring at those anti-fraud public service posts from the Department of Balance, Zero's eye twitched in irritation as he typed a reply.
[Zero: You seem like the kind of person everyone leaves out of gossip chats, or, if you are included, you'd be the one gossiping right in front of the person involved.]
Yingxing's reply was blunt as always.
[Yingxing: Not really. The last one to hear gossip is actually Dan Heng.]
Zero, "..."
As expected of a blacksmith, talks like a hammer to the face.
[Yingxing: By the way, that hairpin, it's for who?]
Zero confirmed Yingxing's guess and asked him to keep it secret.
It was the first fresh piece of gossip Yingxing had heard in ages, so he agreed immediately, promising to finish the hairpins as soon as possible.
After closing the chat, Zero, with nothing else to do, opened a conversation with Jingliu to share photos of his cat.
Then, unexpectedly, Jingliu invited him out, to have dinner with her and a few others.
[Jingliu: Jing Yuan keeps talking about your cat.]
[Jingliu: When can you let him see it?]
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