The lock also couldn't withstand the hammer's attack and fell to the ground in no time.
When the box was opened, before you could even see what was inside, a strong, fishy stench hit you.
The four people were so disgusted by the stench that they quickly moved away, waving their hands as if trying to drive it away.
Inside the box were four white, waxy objects, one large and three small.
Ah-Can frowned: "What is this thing? Why does it smell so bad?"
Feng Ye stared at the four white, waxy objects, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.
Could it be that thing?
It is said that before it is processed, the fragrance is very faint, almost undetectable, and instead has a fishy or musky smell.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, and he unconsciously started walking towards the box.
The other three, seeing his actions, assumed he had recognized them.
"Brother Ye, do you recognize what this is?"
Ah-chan asked curiously.
Feng Ye did not respond at the moment.
Although he guessed what it was, he wasn't 100% sure and needed to confirm it again.
When he reached the box, the strong stench had dissipated, leaving only a faint fishy smell.
It's probably because it was sealed in a box and sunk to the bottom of the sea, so the fishy smell couldn't dissipate and accumulated over the years, which is why it became so strong.
He picked up the smallest piece, examined it closely, and then smelled it.
Instantly, a strong, fishy stench filled my nostrils again.
Although he was used to the smell of fish, he couldn't help but frown.
This smell isn't very pleasant; it's quite different from the smell of fish.
However, he also detected a faint fragrance in it.
It really is that thing!
Now he could be completely certain.
Suddenly, he no longer found the fishy smell unpleasant; in fact, he was somewhat intoxicated by it.
This is an absolute treasure!
And it's white too, it's top-notch!
This thing is worth far more than gold.
Seeing that he remained silent and had a lewd grin on his face, Ah-Can couldn't wait any longer and walked over as well.
After smelling that faint fishy odor, he still frowned: "This thing stinks, so what good could it be?"
"Yeah, Ah Ye, what exactly is this?"
Feng Jiaqing and Feng Jialing were also very curious and crowded around, waiting for his answer.
Feng Ye looked around, then whispered like a thief, "This is a treasure, a treasure even better than gold and silver."
"Judging from your expression, we know it's something good, but what exactly is it?"
Feng Jialing's face was full of curiosity and eagerness.
Feng Jiaqing glared at him and urged, "Hurry up and tell me, stop being so mysterious."
Ah-Can's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly realized something, exclaiming excitedly, "Could this be...?"
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't immediately recall what it was called.
"That's right."
Feng Ye nodded firmly.
"It's true! We've struck it rich! We've struck it rich..."
Ah-chan was overjoyed; his smile stretched almost to the back of his head.
"What is it? Stop playing games."
Feng Jiaqing and Feng Jialing were completely bewildered by their cryptic words and were getting increasingly anxious.
"Ambergris, this is ambergris!"
Ah-chan finally remembered and blurted it out.
Ambergris?
Upon hearing this, Feng Jiaqing and Feng Jialing were both shocked, their mouths agape and their pupils constricting.
They looked at the four white, waxy objects and felt like they were dreaming.
This foul-smelling stuff is actually ambergris, such a rare treasure?
And how did they get so much all at once?
Feng Ye nodded firmly: "Ah Can is right, it's definitely ambergris."
Ambergris, also known as dragon's belly incense, is an opaque, solid, waxy lumps that emit a long-lasting fragrance when burned. It has a unique sweet, earthy aroma, hence its Western name, "grey amber."
According to deep mythology, ambergris is formed from the saliva of the Dragon King, hence its name.
In reality, ambergris is a substance formed from the intestinal secretions of sperm whales.
During digestion, sperm whales secrete an oily substance that coats hard objects such as squid beaks that are difficult to digest, forming lumpy stones.
Some sperm whales will vomit it out, while others will expel it from their intestines; only a small number of sperm whales will keep it inside their bodies.
Ambergris discharged into the sea is initially light black, but gradually turns gray, then light gray, and finally white under the influence of seawater.
Among them, white ambergris is of the highest quality.
It must be soaked in seawater for over a hundred years to remove all impurities before it can become a top-grade ambergris.
Ambergris extracted from the intestines of a dead sperm whale is of no value.
It must float and soak in seawater for decades (ambergris is lighter than water and will not sink) to acquire its high status.
Since ancient times, ambergris has been used as a high-grade spice, and only royalty and nobility could enjoy it.
Because of its rarity and high price, it is also known as "floating gold" at sea.
The four pieces of ambergris they obtained were of the finest white quality, truly priceless treasures.
"It really is ambergris!"
Feng Aqing and Feng Jialing were both surprised and delighted, each picking up a piece and looking at it over and over.
Ah-Can no longer disliked the fishy smell. He held the largest piece with great affection, as if it were the most precious treasure in the world, stroking it back and forth.
"Brother Ye, this piece I have here weighs about fifteen pounds, plus three smaller pieces, how much do you think it's worth?"
"this……"
This stumped Feng Ye.
All he knew was that this stuff, like gold, was priced by the gram.
Different qualities result in different prices.
Even the lowest quality ambergris is more expensive than gold.
However, given current prices, he couldn't estimate exactly how much it was worth.
"It's hard to say exactly how much, but it's definitely more valuable than the box of gold and silver in front."
"ah?"
Three exclamations rang out almost simultaneously.
They all knew about ambergris. Although they had never seen the real thing before, they had heard that it was a rare and precious treasure.
But I never imagined that something weighing less than 30 pounds would be so valuable.
Ah-Can silently calculated the value of that box of gold and silver in his mind.
You wouldn't believe it until you did the math, and the results were shocking.
Before calculating, he just thought that if he made a fortune, it must be worth a lot of money.
After the calculation was completed, he was immediately stunned.
This number is too large.
That box of gold and silver ingots, based on current gold and silver prices, is worth an astronomical figure, at least five or six million.
However, Feng Ye said that the value of these four pieces of ambergris was higher than that box of gold and silver.
Does that mean the value could be over ten million, or even higher?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
