Chapter Twelve: How Fascinating It Is to Change Someone Else’s Fate!

"You...!" The woman stared blankly at the crystal in her hand, hardly able to believe it. A stranger she’d barely exchanged a few words with had gifted her a ten-carat diamond—was it just a glass marble meant to deceive her? Who would carry a ten-carat diamond around and then, in public, hand it to a woman he didn’t even know?

Yet, to encounter someone capable of lifting her spirits during a time of despair and gloom was, perhaps, a stroke of fortune.

Maybe she really should try a bit harder!

“Thank you for your ‘diamond.’ I’ll keep it safe,” the woman smiled, then drank the iced water Wang Zheng had poured for her earlier, rose, and walked out of the bar. Unlike her gloomy silhouette before, she now appeared far more spirited.

“Goodbye!”

Watching her vanishing figure, Wang Zheng broke into a happy smile. They would meet again!

“Are all Africans like you, carrying glass marbles around to trick women?” Bai Bing’s cold voice drifted from behind. How could a penniless man possibly hand a ten-carat diamond to a stranger? A diamond of such quality could easily fetch tens of millions.

“Have I ever deceived you?” Wang Zheng looked at Bai Bing’s sneering face and asked.

“Not yet,” Bai Bing considered and replied.

“If I haven’t tricked even you, how could I possibly deceive her?” Wang Zheng said with a smile, rising from his chair and heading out. “Besides, I never lie to women!”

…

Returning home, Bai Bing finally escaped the noisy surroundings. She indulged in a relaxing bath, then emerged from the bathroom, wrapped only in a towel, drying her damp hair with another. Her fair, soft, and supple skin was completely revealed, and her beautiful, cold, and elegant face was like a lotus emerging from water.

She was about to head to her room when she noticed Wang Zheng sitting in the living room, head down, busy with something on the coffee table. Her curiosity piqued, she walked over and saw dozens of sparkling crystal grains on the table—some as small as popcorn, others as large as walnuts. Wang Zheng was counting them one by one, occasionally inspecting them with a magnifying glass.

“What are you doing?” Bai Bing asked.

“Nothing, just playing. Go to bed, don’t wait for me,” Wang Zheng replied with a hint of ambiguity. Now, where was he in his count? Damn, he had to start over!

If it weren’t for the towel wrapped around her, Bai Bing would have loved to teach this man a lesson. Yet, the more he said “nothing,” the more she suspected there was something going on. She needed to learn everything she could about this man—it would greatly aid her persuasion work in the future.

Bai Bing sat beside Wang Zheng, eyeing the grains on the table. She had already secretly checked his little pouch; apart from alcohol, there was nothing inside. So where had these things come from?

Wait!

Looking at the crystals on the table, she suddenly tossed aside her towel, grabbed the magnifying glass, and examined one of the grains carefully. Her brows furrowed, her expression grew increasingly serious, finally turning to astonishment. Unbelieving, she checked several more, her delicate lips parted wider and wider, as if she wanted to swallow all the “stones” on the table.

“These... diamonds? You...!” Bai Bing stared at Wang Zheng in shock. It wasn’t that she hadn’t seen diamonds—she owned a very valuable diamond bracelet, though all the stones were only the size of rice grains. But to see so many, of such high quality and large size, all at once—it was a first. Each walnut-sized diamond, with its clarity and craftsmanship, could easily be worth hundreds of millions!

“Do you want one? Here, take it!” Wang Zheng said, placing a ten-carat diamond in front of Bai Bing and continuing his examination of the others.

Bai Bing swallowed unconsciously. Even the popcorn-sized diamond was worth at least ten million, yet this man offered it as casually as if it were just an ordinary stone.

Wait—a sudden thought struck her, and she grabbed Wang Zheng’s arm, exclaiming loudly, “The diamond you gave that woman at the bar—was it real?”

Wang Zheng looked up at her and nodded.

“Yes.”

He genuinely didn’t see what was so astonishing about a small diamond. Ah, so much to learn, so little experience...

“How could you give such a precious thing to a woman you don’t even know? Even if you’re trying to win her over, isn’t that too extravagant?” Bai Bing said regretfully, blaming herself for not stopping him earlier.

“Don’t you think it’s interesting?” Wang Zheng smiled, showing not a hint of regret over giving away a ten-carat diamond. In fact, he seemed delighted. Looking at Bai Bing’s remorseful face, he continued, “That woman’s eyes were filled with despair. I have no doubt she would have killed herself after leaving the bar. Such a beautiful and sorrowful flower, if it were to wither like that, wouldn’t it be tragic? That small ‘stone’ means nothing to me. But for her, it’s not just money—it represents perseverance, an eternal faith. Something dispensable for me could change someone’s fate. Isn’t that fascinating?”

“What if she’s a con artist?”

“A con artist? Ha!” Wang Zheng chuckled. “There are more good people than bad in this world. I don’t believe a beautiful virgin, at the brink of despair, would cheat me. Besides, I was the one who approached her. If I’m deceived, I’ll accept it willingly. And a diamond can change a con artist’s fate, too. Maybe she’d give up her profession, maybe she’d get robbed while showing it off, maybe her partners would kill her over the loot. Isn’t it all interesting?”

“Where did you get all these diamonds? I never saw you take them out before. Didn’t you say you were penniless?” Bai Bing pressed him with a barrage of questions.

“If I carried so many diamonds with me, do you think I could get past customs? And with all those detectors at your headquarters, I’d rather not have them confiscated,” Wang Zheng answered with a grin. “Half of the world’s diamonds come from Africa—why shouldn’t I have so many? As for where they came from... when I went to clean up at the bar today, my servant handed them to me.”

“The restroom? Why didn’t I see anything?”

“Haha, I asked you to come pee with me, you refused. Don’t blame me,” Wang Zheng said, teasing as he examined the diamonds.

“By the way, that diamond is your payment for these few days. Once I find a place, I’ll move out. Then we’ll be even. I won’t bother you anymore, and you shouldn’t come looking for me—”

Before Wang Zheng could finish, Bai Bing pushed the diamond back into his pile. Wang Zheng looked at her in confusion—was there really a woman who didn’t like diamonds?

“What, is it too small? Want this big one?” Wang Zheng held up a hundred-carat diamond and asked.

“No!” Bai Bing shook her head. “That way, you’ll owe me. Then I’ll have reason to bother you.”

Wang Zheng frowned at her words. This woman really was infuriating. She looked noble and cold, yet acted so shamelessly. Seeing her determined gaze, Wang Zheng ignored her and returned to his diamonds. If he wanted to leave, she couldn’t stop him.

Seeing Wang Zheng silent, Bai Bing smiled triumphantly, as if she’d won. But her gaze returned to the diamonds—after all, it was her first time seeing so many, so large. Even jewelry stores wouldn’t have such a collection. She casually picked up a walnut-sized diamond, weighing it in her hand—it was heavy.

“Eight years in Africa, you’ve done well for yourself. No wonder you plan to leave the organization—you’ve struck it rich and are ready to enjoy life back home. These diamonds must have cost you quite some effort, right?” Bai Bing said, holding the diamond up to the light.

“They’re just a few stones. I’d never waste effort on them.”

“Don’t exaggerate, as if you have so many!”

“Not that many—might just fill your bathtub, at most!”

“…”