The worker in charge of opening shells walked up with a special knife.
The process of opening the shell was delicate and slow. In order not to scratch any pearl that might be inside, the worker had to wedge the knife in little by little and slowly pry the shell apart, peeling away the crust and barnacles layer by layer.
Even for a strong man, it was extremely hard to open.
Very soon, the hall grew completely quiet.
The shouting and arguing from before disappeared. Only the crisp scraping and cutting sounds could be heard as the worker patiently worked on the shell. The knife edge slid between the stubborn shell meat and the outer layer. Bits of lime and barnacle crust fell to the table like powder.
Everyone held their breath and watched, afraid to miss the first glimpse of what lay hidden inside.
Bai Lingling stood with her hands tucked into her sleeves. Her expression did not change much, but her eyes were focused on the shell as if she was studying something else entirely.
