Demons Beside You

Chapter 254: Artificial? Natural?

“Mr. Chen, you can’t do this to me. Do you know what I put in to help you buy natural pearls? How can you do this to me?” Spike was freaking out.

He’d really lost too much this time. He’d thought that there would be good news in the natural pearl market, so he’d been buying them up crazily these days. But before good news came, he heard that Mr. John had already stopped buying natural pearls.

By the time he processed this, it was already too late. He’d borrowed from the bank with high interest to buy the pearls.

The market price for natural pearls recovered to the original price. This wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was that even though the price had recovered, the market order hadn’t.

The market wasn’t that big since no one really needed natural pearls. With the recent rises and falls, no other sellers would touch natural pearls in the following period. The items were stuck in his hand now.

If he waited a few months, he could definitely sell them. However, the bank’s interest couldn’t wait. Each day was pressing at his limit.

Plus, the thing that he regretted the most was that Zola’s fashion company—his original partner—had ended the contract. This affected his business greatly. The bank also started chasing after his debt because of this.

Chen Zhao scoffed. “You were the one who wouldn’t sell to me, so I bought them from someone else. Now you’re blaming me?”

“Mr. Chen, it’s my fault. Please forgive me. Please give me another chance.”

“One minute’s up. Goodbye.”

Chen Zhao hung up. He didn’t want to waste time with Spike. The man had asked for this himself. It wasn’t like Chen Zhao wanted to mess with him.

If Spike hadn’t done those things, he might not have gotten rich overnight, but he still would’ve made a profit.

Chen Zhao didn’t know how much Spike had lost. He didn’t want to know either. It had nothing to do with him.

He got into the car after leaving the hospital and drove to Ethan’s.

Sitting at the counter, Li Qing saw Chen Zhao and immediately went over. “Mr. Chen, this is the peace knot that I made for you. It’s just a little gift. Please take it.”

“Huh?”

“Chen, Li gave me one too,” Ethan said from the counter. “Does it actually work?”

“It’s the thought that counts.” Chen Zhao accepted the peace knot. “Thank you.”

Chinese people usually hung a peace knot in their cars. It was a custom and habit.

Chen Zhao looked at the knot. It was very detailed, unlike the machine-made ones usually sold in China. Li Qing must have made it herself. Chen Zhao discovered that he couldn’t figure out how it was made.

“Auntie Li, your weaving method is so detailed. I think you can make some to sell at the motel. You’ll definitely have a market.”

Li Qing shook her head. “I can’t just make a few. I’ve only made these two in two months.”

“Is it that hard?”

“It’s handed down the generations. Kids aren’t even willing to learn. Now that it’s in my hands, the tradition might get lost.”

There was an undertone of sadness in her voice. Chen Zhao didn’t know if it was for the craftsmanship or the loss of her child.

…

Coastal Rescue Team

“Fali, your necklace is so pretty.” A female lifeguard looked at Chen Zhao’s pendant. She couldn’t look away.

The other women crowded around too.

“Is that a real ruby?”

“No way. How much would such a big ruby cost?”

“It’s probably man-made.”

“But it’s so pretty. The touch and luster don’t look man-made.”

What did women wear pretty jewelry for? In addition to adding to her beauty, it was also for showing off. Fali wasn’t an exception. She was satisfied to get praise from the other girls.

“It’s so pretty. Fali, can I look?”

The girl took the Redmoon Heart and started touching and studying it.

“The cut is so precise.”

When she placed it under the sunlight, the entire Redmoon Heart shone with a dazzling color. The color took one’s breath away. All the girls cried out in surprise.

This caught the men’s attention. Robio walked over.

“Let me see.” He took the Redmoon Heart. “This isn’t artificial fiber or stone. It’s an all-natural gem.”

Robio pointed it at the sun and then gazed at it with his hands over the stone. “Fali,” he said. “You shouldn’t wear something so expensive to work.”

“Huh? But Chen said it’s not a ruby.”

“If it’s artificial, it won’t have the inner refraction. Artificial stones have a phosphorescence effect and the light goes straight through. This stone is at least 30 million dollars. You better put it somewhere and not take it out so easily.”

The women all stared at Fali incredulously. They couldn’t help but be jealous. They all knew Chen Zhao but didn’t think that he would be so generous.

Not only did he gift Fali a sports car but he also gave her such an expensive necklace. If they’d known that this Chinese man was so rich, they would’ve snatched him up first.

“It’s this expensive?”

“It’s just an estimate. If you want a more accurate appraisal, you can find a professional agency.” Robio clapped. “Okay, break’s over. Back to work.”

None of the women could look away from the Redmoon Heart. It was honestly too tempting. It was especially attractive to girls.

Wearing it, Fali was even more beautiful.

After hearing what Robio had said, she didn’t dare wear the necklace either and quietly put it away. The women didn’t look away until they saw Fali take it off.

Even though she didn’t dare wear it anymore, she was still satisfied with the eyes of the others. Everyone had a shallow side, including Fali.

People always compared themselves to each other subconsciously, from looks to figure.

Fali didn’t put it back on until after work. The other girls could only look and sigh.

On her way back home, she also bought a bottle of red wine.

“Chen, when are you coming back?”

“Soon. Is there a problem?”

“I can’t call you if there’s no problem?”

“Oh, I’ll come back as soon as possible.”

When Chen Zhao came back, he realized that Fali had prepared a candlelit dinner.

While they were getting intimate, Dell’s call came, ruining the moment. “Chen, do you know what the wine that Risfar gave you was?”

“No. Why?”

“It’s an 1842 red wine from Rawls Wine Cellar.”

“And?”

“That bottle had just been sold for 1.2 million dollars at the spring red wine auction. The one who bought it was Risfar.”

Chen Zhao choked.