Chapter 512: Outwitting the Sea Turtle
Translator: alyschu
I discreetly rolled my eyes as a cunning scheme was coming together in my brain. I turned towards Richard, a shocked expression on my face, as I looked at the necklace and said, âMy old boy Chard, it seems to me like the diamond in your necklace is fake.â
âThatâs not possible! I have a certificate for it!â
âOh really?â I chuckled as I said, âI invested in a precious gems business with my uncle when I was younger so I can tell whether a diamond is real or fake with a single glance. Just take a look at this horizontal line on the bottom of the box. Itâs actually straight even though the light is refracted through the diamond. Just based on the principles of the refraction of light, you can tell that this diamond is fake. What did you major in when you were studying abroad? It canât have been physics, right? If not, your common sense wouldnât be so poor.â
Richardâs body shook and he looked rather embarrassed as he replied, âThatâs not possible. If the refracted light is straight, then thisâŠâ
I grinned before I took the diamond out of the box. After that, I pointed inside the box and laughed as I said, âOh, it really is real. Itâs just that this line wasnât straight in the first place.â
Richard wiped the sweat off his brow, âThank godâŠâ
But the fun had just started. I touched the stone and my brows knit together as I spoke up yet again, âOh drat! It looks like itâs still a fake after all.â
âAh!?â Richard very nearly fell off his chair. âHow is that possible!? Itâs still a fake?â
âJust touch it. This diamond actually feels a little warm to the touch, right? But real diamonds donât conduct any heat. No matter whether itâs thrust into a burning fire or steamed, it will still be cold to the touch. So, the only conclusion I can come to is that this diamond is fake.â
âAh?â Richardâs eyes widened into saucers as panic began to seize his heart.
I laughed before I put the diamond back into the box. After that, I simply picked up the menu and started to order dishes without a single care in the world. I acted as if our little episode hadnât even happened.
Sigh, only one fate awaited a turtle who lacked common sense, and that was to be instantly killed!
âŠâŠ
He Yi covered her mouth and clenched her stomach as she tried her best to hold back her laughter. She had already gotten used to my antics by now, so she knew exactly what I was up to. The diamond really was genuine, but Richard had been completely taken in by my act.
But little did he know that the only thing that my uncle dug up from the ground were watermelons!
Once we finished ordering food, He Yiâs mother asked Richard about being nominated for an outstanding youth award after he returned home from his studies. Richard immediately started grinning from ear to ear but his eyes remained fixed on He Yiâs face, neck, and chest. He continued to stare at her even as he talked about his experience overseas and bragged about all of the things he had accomplished in America.
I was howling with laughter on the inside as I heard him make his silly boasts. This fool definitely hadnât done his homework on He Yi before he came for this matchmaking interview. He was entirely unaware of just how high-powered this beautiful lady was.
So I asked, âHey Chard, what exactly did you study in Harvard?ââ
âHmmm? I majored in biology, with a focus in DNA sequencing and genetic analysis. But I chose to study many majors while I was in America, this was just one of them.â He shot me a contemptuous grin as he looked towards me. âBut I donât expect you to be familiar with this subject, yes?â
I chuckled and replied, âOh? Genetic analysis? So that means your studies also touched on genetically modified crops like GM rice, wheat, and soybeans, correct?â
âHmmm, yes. What of it?â Richard was rather confused by my question.
I simply ignored his question and continued, âMost of the countries outside of China have already stopped eating genetically modified food. No one can tell just what sort of side effects eating these crops will have on the human body. But considering how much their DNA has been messed with, it definitely canât be good for us. Thus, consuming these genetically modified foods is far too risky. However, a huge amount of these foods can still be found in China. In fact, I daresay that theyâre flooding the domestic market. So I do sincerely hope that you have had no part in this vile affair, one which threatens the roots of our present and future populace.â
âNo⊠Of course notâŠâ Richard was more than a little flustered by my words.
âOh really?â I didnât let him off the hook. âYour eyes wavered when you said those words, so it looks like youâre suffering from a guilty conscience there, my friend. Iâve heard this about many sea turtles who returned home after studying abroad. They style themselves the elite of society, but in actual fact, theyâve transformed into nothing more than puppets who conspire with the foreigner to drain the lifeblood of our motherland. Iâve heard that theyâve even used things like genetic modification as weapons to harm the motherland. Surely, you arenât one of those people, are you?â
Richard was now thoroughly flustered. He shot up from his seat, his blush reaching even his ears. âI⊠Iâm not!â
I stood up as well and pressed gently down on his shoulder to guide him back to his seat. After that, I smiled and said, âOh, donât be so worried. I believe that youâre not that sort of scum. Because thereâs no way that Aunty would introduce you to Eve if that was the case.â
I suddenly switched the topic by saying, âOh but I must say, that diamond necklace of yours is really beautiful. Hmmm, Iâve actually been wanting to buy a proper necklace for Eve as well. Would you be the better man and allow me the honor of helping Eve put on this necklace? I canât afford it, but I can at least live vicariously through youâŠâ
Richard had barely survived the âgreat battleâ of the genetically modified foods, so he wasnât quite all there. He ended up nodding his head in a dazed and confused manner.
I took the chance to present Buddha with borrowed flowers as I took the necklace out of the box. It had a significant weight to it and this further confirmed its quality. Even He Yiâs mother was a bit confused right now. She had been under the mistaken impression that Richard and I had hit it off very quickly, so she was entirely unaware of the secret war that we had been waging against each other from the very start of this meal.
He Yi was a little shocked by my actions too, but once she saw me give the diamond pendant a light kiss, her eyes started dancing with excitement and a little bit of hope. She even started feeling a little shy and a light blush soon colored her cheeks. But she simply sat there quietly, looking like the most elegant and exquisite statue in the world.
I stood behind He Yi and gently lifted up her hair before I looped the necklace around her neck and carefully fastened the clasp. He Yiâs blush deepened as her mother and Richard both stared at her. She suddenly pulled my arms around her before she turned around to peck me on the cheek. She laughed as she said, âThank you, Lu Chen!â
I felt a little embarrassed by her sudden move. I was really only trying to tease that arrogant sea turtle, and I never expected He Yi to make such an intimate gesture in front of both Richard and her mother.
Ah, Iâm dead. There was no way that He Yiâs mother and Richard wouldnât realise that there was something going on between He Yi and I. As for what this âsomethingâ was exactly, even He Yi and I couldnât quite pin it down.
âŠâŠ
I turned around and returned to my seat. I suddenly gave an awkward laugh and said, âRichard, this necklace is truly beautiful. Since youâve managed to pick such an excellent necklace and it also seems like Eve really likes it as well, how about I buy it off of you? Iâll make this my birthday present to Eve. How about it?â
Richardâs face went deathly pale, âCan.. you actually afford it?â
âWhatâs your bank card number?â
â6220,4590, ***********â
Richard immediately gave me his bank card number and I could see the undisguised contempt in his eyes, âThis is an ICBC card number. Donât tell me that a glib punk like you can actually afford it!?â
I merely smiled back at him before I called my bank. After that, I gave them Richardâs bank card number and said, âICBC, help me transfer one hundred and twenty-seven thousand RMB into this account, thank you.â
The female customer service officerâs attitude was good! She let out a sweet laugh as she replied, âWeâve finished the transfer! Thank you for supporting and believing in ICBC!â
âThank you!â
At this moment, Richard heard a âbeepâ from his phone. He looked at it and saw that he had received a fund transfer message from ICBC. His face immediately grew even paler as he stared at me in a dumbfounded manner. âWho⊠Who the heck are you?â
I grinned as I said, âIâm a member of the Frost Cloud Workshop in a game called Heavenblessed. Thatâs one hat I wear. Iâm also working as the assistant to the HR manager of the GSS Suzhou branch. Is that good enough for youâŠâ
Richard, â...â
He Yi was desperately trying to hold in her laughter. She looked down and discreetly sent me a message: âOmigosh, please donât make him die of an apoplexy hahaha! He came all the way back home just for this. This child doesnât have an easy lifeâŠâ
I couldnât help but chuckle as I sent a message back to her: âHmph, if he didnât try to act in such an arrogant manner, I wouldnât have bothered tormenting him. Whatâs more, I really came here today to eat! It isnât even worthwhile for me to match wits or courage with a man like Richard. He simply isnât worthy! But I just have one question. Eve, do you really like that necklace?â
âOf course I like it! Iâll like any gift that you give me!â
âThatâs good then!â
I kept my phone in my pocket and looked up to see He Yi lean towards her mother. Her hair cascaded down one of her shoulders like a beautiful waterfall and when her gaze met mine, her lips curved up in a smile that was as beautiful and mesmerizing as a drowsy autumn evening.
I was lost in that smile and even Richard had to resist the urge to wipe drool from the corner of his lips. After that, he shot me a look of enmity.
However, I had no inclination or desire to even acknowledge this fellow. The dishes started arriving one by one and our table was soon filled with delicious food. I poured out some beer for He Yiâs mother before very respectfully toasting her. He Yiâs mother didnât seem to have a very bad impression of me either, so she smiled and nodded her head as she accepted my toast.
Finally it was time to eat. I swept the two plates nearest to me clean of food as I ravenously gulped them down like a hungry wolf. I even ate eight maize cakes all by myself.
Helping Lin Yixin defend that territory of hers had made all of us ravenously hungry. We definitely had to have a few more meals on Beauty Linâs tab after this!
âŠâŠ
While He Yi and I thoroughly enjoyed this meal, it had quickly become a torturous experience for Richard. As an âoutstanding youthâ who had just returned from studying at a prestigious university in America, his self-esteem was very high. Yet he had been stymied by me time and again. It was as if he kept slamming in a wall that he simply could not hurdle.
When he suddenly started talking about genetics again, I simply kept quiet. After all, I didnât know a thing about genes and DNA. As a master strategist, I wasnât going to meet my enemyâs strength with my weakness. I waited for Richard to wear himself out before I passed him a cup of tea and asked âDo Americans like to eat Mala Soup?â and that was enough to instantly KO him.
After that, Richard decided to cut his losses and quit while he was ahead. He suddenly excused himself even though he didnât look like he had eaten his fill. But he still tried to exchange numbers with He Yi so he could contact her in the future, it looked like he couldnât bring himself to give up on a super beauty like her! He Yiâs smile was like a refreshing spring breeze, her eyes sparkling like limpid pools of water, as she cheerfully passed him my number. Bloody hell!
âŠâŠ
On the road back home.
âAh, that really hit the spotâŠâ I said as I patted my stomach happily.
I turned around to look at He Yi, who was driving, and said, âEve, what were you whispering to Aunty just now?â
âWe were gossipping about you.â
âOh, what did you say about me?â
âHeeheeâŠâ He Yi giggled before she replied, âMom said that youâre a very naughty fellow!â
I, â...â
Forget it, Iâm okay with being a little bad. Itâs not a bad thing, after all.
âWhat are you going to do when we get back?â I asked.
âIâll go online to sell some items before going to sleep. I picked up quite a few good items when we were fighting Gods of DestructionâŠâ
âBloody hell. I thought we agreed that we wouldnât swallow these items for ourselves! Can you still call yourself our guild leader?â
He Yi giggled before she proudly thrust her 34Ds into the air and said, âSo what if Iâm the guild leader? One canât be silly when opportunity comes calling! Besides, you picked up way more items than me! To think that you still have the cheek to criticize meâŠâ
I grinned as I stared at the seatbelt strapped across He Yiâs chest. That pitiful seatbelt was nestled in between my beautiful guild leaderâs âtwin towersâ, and it looked so stretched that it was about to snap.
Worry flashed through my mind before I remembered that a Lamborghini should have very sturdy seatbelts. At the very least, it was way sturdier than the seatbelts of a Toyota Camry.
It was already nine in the evening by the time we returned to the workshop. Murong Mingyue and Beiming Xue were still online and they seemed to be busy hawking their ill-gotten gains. We could earn tens of thousands of dollars by selling the equipment dropped by the experts in Gods of Destruction and Mad Dragon to normal players. This money was our precious living expenses.
âŠâŠ
There was still a fair amount of time before midnight, so I decided to go online. Letâs take a look at Lin Yixinâs new territory!
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