Free Web NovelChapter 682: Chapter 643: A Close Brush Leads to a Windfall
Miss Lili stared at the gemstones in Zhao Rong’s hand and said excitedly, "Brother Zhao Rong, I think we should get these appraised! Maybe we could even buy all of Alaska..."
Lady Yu Lan shook her head. Gesturing expansively, she said to Zhao Rong, "Brother Zhao Rong, I think these gemstones could buy more than just Alaska. They could buy all of North America..."
Lady Xuelian thought for a moment, then leaned close to Zhao Rong’s ear and whispered, "Brother Zhao Rong, I think the gemstones in your hand could buy both Americas..."
Zhao Rong himself didn’t know the price of the gemstones. He only remembered feeling someone touch his pocket when he brushed past the Eskimo woman. At the time, Zhao Rong hadn’t thought much of it. He had just given the Eskimo woman a small smile and said, "Miss, I’m so sorry for bumping into you..."
The Eskimo woman had returned his smile and said softly, "Brother Zhao Rong, you saved my life. I haven’t even had the chance to thank you, so how could I possibly blame you?"
As Zhao Rong recalled the scene, he thought, It must have been her. When we brushed past each other, the Eskimo woman must have slipped these gemstones into my pocket.
Just then, Miss Lili took an Identifier out of her pocket. "Brother Zhao Rong," she said, "this Gemstone Identifier can accurately assess the price of a gem. Let’s appraise this handful of Gemstone Fragments and see what they’re really worth..."
Lady Yu Lan asked curiously, "Brother Zhao Rong, are you saying the Eskimo woman put these Gemstone Fragments in your pocket to thank you for saving her life?"
Zhao Rong explained to Lady Yu Lan, "Actually, I don’t think it was just for saving her life. Do you remember when the Eskimo Chieftain gave each of us a large piece of narwhal meat? I gave my piece to the Eskimo woman. Perhaps she gave me these Gemstone Fragments to repay me for that."
Lady Xuelian mulled it over. "Brother Zhao Rong," she said, "I think to the Eskimos, these Gemstone Fragments are probably worthless. They just see them as trinkets. But when you gave the Eskimo woman the narwhal meat, which we considered unimportant, she must have felt it was the most valuable thing in the world. So, she took the little decorative gems she had saved up and secretly put them in your pocket as a thank you."
Zhao Rong felt Xuelian’s analysis was correct. He nodded and said, "That must be it. Otherwise, there’s no reason so many Gemstone Fragments would just appear in my pocket."
When the assistant saw that Zhao Rong had traded a supposedly worthless piece of narwhal meat for a handful of Gemstone Fragments, he was instantly filled with regret. "Brother Zhao Rong," he said, "if I’d known a piece of narwhal meat could get so many Gemstone Fragments, I would have done the same thing! I could have traded with the Eskimo woman and gotten rich with you!"
Just then, Miss Lili exclaimed ecstatically, "Brother Zhao Rong, you have no idea! The value of these Gemstone Fragments is outrageously high!"
Yu Lan stepped forward to look at the price displayed on the Identifier in Miss Lili’s hand. She happily announced to Zhao Rong and the assistant, "Wow! The value of these Gemstone Fragments... a single one is equivalent to 1,000 South African blood diamonds!"
Xuelian counted nearly 1,000 Gemstone Fragments in Zhao Rong’s hand. She said in utter amazement, "Brother Zhao Rong, that means the Gemstone Fragments you’re holding are worth the same as 1,000,000 South African blood diamonds!"
Hearing Xuelian’s words, Zhao Rong said in surprise, "I never expected we’d make so much money on this trip to the Arctic Circle..."
Green with envy, the assistant said, "Brother Zhao Rong, your money-making ability is just too incredible. Making a fortune just by brushing past someone... you’ve really blown me away. I’m so envious!"
As Zhao Rong put the Gemstone Fragments into his ring for safekeeping, he said joyfully, "It looks like the funds for my foundation have just grown quite a bit..."
Miss Lili congratulated him. "Brother Zhao Rong, congratulations! Your foundation’s reserves have increased so much. Now you’ll be able to help everyone in the world who needs it."
Yu Lan praised his kindness. "Brother Zhao Rong, you’re a true philanthropist. You’ve worked so hard and earned so much money, yet you can’t bear to spend a single extra penny on yourself. You’re saving it all to establish a foundation to help the old, the weak, the sick, the disabled, and those with no one to depend on. Brother Zhao Rong, your compassion truly knows no bounds..."
Xuelian looked at Zhao Rong, her eyes filled with affection. "Brother Zhao Rong," she said, "only someone as kind and charitable as you, someone who loves helping people, could earn this much money. That’s because you earn money to help others, not for personal spending or a life of luxury."
Seeing Zhao Rong suddenly come into so much money, the assistant said jealously, "If I had Brother Zhao Rong’s money-making ability and could earn so much at once, I’d set up a foundation, too! I’d help people and do charity work!"
Hearing the assistant’s words, Miss Lili immediately exposed his hypocrisy. "Assistant, stop posturing," she snapped. "We’ve been around you long enough. Do you think we don’t know where all your hard-earned money goes?"
Yu Lan revealed the ugly truth about his spending habits. "Assistant, when you make money, you don’t honor your parents or help the poor. You won’t even buy yourself new clothes or a decent meal. Instead, you blow it all at shady bathhouses and so-called ’salons’..."
Xuelian rebuked him mercilessly. "Assistant, Heaven will never grant someone like you, who only spends money in places like that, the same incredible earning power as Brother Zhao Rong. You’re too selfish, and you waste your money on disreputable things."
