chapter 20 Are you sure you can afford it?

Strolling and snacking through the streets, Stanley Du soon arrived in front of the Silver Phoenix Jewelry Store. Silver Phoenix is a well-known jewelry chain in Province A. Walking into the store, the female sales associates glanced at Stanley Du’s plain clothes and couldn't be bothered to give him the time of day. They thought Stanley Du didn’t have much money and wasn’t worth their time. Stanley Du browsed on his own and took a liking to a new diamond necklace. Just then, a man and two women entered the jewelry store. One of the women was Dinah Yang. “What are you doing here?” Dinah Yang was also surprised to see Stanley Du. “I was about to ask you the same,” Stanley Du said with a smile. “Introduce me to your companions.” After Dinah Yang's introduction, Stanley Du understood the identities of the other man and woman. The woman was Joan Su, Dinah Yang's distant cousin. Joan Su’s mother is a cousin of Elen Zeng. The man was Leonardo Zheng, Joan Su’s fiancé. Joan Su and Leonardo Zheng planned to get married at the end of the year. Today, Leonardo Zheng was accompanying Joan Su to try on wedding dresses and take wedding photos. Dinah Yang had agreed to be Joan Su’s bridesmaid, so she was also trying on a bridesmaid's dress today. After taking the wedding photos, Joan Su wanted to shop for jewelry, so Dinah Yang had to keep her company. Unexpectedly, Dinah Yang ran into Stanley Du here. “So, Stanley Du, what did you use to win over Dinah Yang? How long have you two been dating?” Joan Su glanced at Stanley Du’s clothes and casually asked. “I relied on my thick skin and my persistent spirit,” Stanley Du replied. “Haha.” Stanley Du's response amused many people in the store. “You’re quite the joker. So why are you at the jewelry store? Who are you buying for?” Joan Su asked bluntly. Stanley Du didn’t respond to that. “Joan, keep it down,” Leonardo Zheng chided Joan Su and then cheerfully asked Stanley Du, “Stanley, where are you making your fortune?” “I work at Yang’s Hospital. The salary is low; not really a place to get rich.” “You have to work harder. As a man, how can you get married without money? How will you support a wife and kids? Are you planning to rely on the Yang family to support you?” This advice seemed genuine, but it was actually sarcasm. Leonardo Zheng, in fact, also had unsavory intentions towards Dinah Yang. Unfortunately, he had already slept with Joan Su. Joan Su was assertive and domineering, and the Su and Zheng families had business dealings. If Leonardo Zheng left Joan Su for Dinah Yang, Joan Su and her family would definitely settle accounts with him. Leonardo Zheng's parents, wanting to continue business with the Su family and preserve their economic interests, would surely punish Leonardo Zheng for betraying Joan Su. The cost of betraying Joan Su for Dinah Yang was simply too high. Leonardo Zheng couldn’t afford to play that game. Thus, Leonardo Zheng had to bury his unsavory intentions for Dinah Yang deep in his heart. Stanley Du's financial situation was far inferior to Leonardo Zheng's. At least, that’s what Leonardo Zheng thought. But Stanley Du, this poor guy, had managed to win the beautiful Dinah Yang, which made Leonardo Zheng extremely jealous. Whenever he got the chance, Leonardo Zheng would mock Stanley Du, the poor nobody. He was very cunning, using the pretext of advising Stanley Du to work hard and earn money to ridicule him subtly. “Stanley Du, let me tell you, Dinah Yang’s parents, my aunt and uncle, are all greedy for money. If you don't have a fortune of five to six million, they certainly won't let you marry Dinah Yang,” Joan Su said while browsing diamond rings. Stanley Du could only nod and give a wry smile. Meanwhile, Dinah Yang was somewhat displeased with Joan Su. As Joan Su picked out a diamond necklace, the saleswoman quickly pitched, "Miss, you have great taste. This necklace is a top seller in our store. The price is very auspicious, 201314, which sounds like 'love you for a lifetime' in Chinese. How lucky! If your husband buys this for you, your marriage will surely be forever happy." Tsk tsk, this sales skill was really all about flattery. "Hubby, I really like this necklace. Buy it for me," Joan Su cooed. "Can... can we get a discount?" Leonardo Zheng winced at the price. His family ran a small business. They had some money, but they were content with their modest wealth. Spending two hundred thousand on a necklace was painful enough to hurt for a year. "What discount? Discounts are so embarrassing!" Joan Su glared at Leonardo Zheng and whispered low, "Dinah Yang and that poor Stanley Du are watching us." Hearing this, Leonardo Zheng clenched his teeth and bought the diamond necklace. He couldn't afford to lose face in front of Dinah Yang and Stanley Du. "You're so good to me, hubby." Joan Su gave Leonardo Zheng a kiss on the cheek, pleased with her new necklace. Leonardo Zheng, feeling smug, asked Stanley Du, "Why don't you buy some jewelry for Dinah Yang? Her birthday is coming up, right?" "If you don't have enough money, my husband can lend you some," Joan Su said insincerely. If Stanley Du really asked Leonardo Zheng for money, it would mean Joan Su's husband had totally overshadowed Dinah Yang's boyfriend. Watching this couple jointly insult Stanley Du, Dinah Yang's face turned extremely sour. She knew Stanley Du was capable. If he had agreed to Mrs. Yao's terms and sold his cooking secrets, he would have had thirty million by now. Thirty million could have slapped the smirks off Leonardo Zheng and Joan Su's faces! Unfortunately, Stanley Du hadn't agreed to Mrs. Yao's terms. He didn't earn that thirty million. With just his salary and savings, he couldn't even afford the cheapest piece of jewelry in this store! Just when Dinah Yang thought Stanley Du had no way to strike back, Stanley Du said to the saleswoman, "Show me the most expensive diamond necklace in your store." His words were like a bomb, shocking everyone in the store except Stanley Du! What did he just say? He wants to buy the most expensive diamond necklace in the store? How could he, a poor guy, afford the store's most expensive necklace? "Sir, are you sure you're not joking with me?" the saleswoman scoffed. "I'm not joking with you." Stanley Du smiled calmly. "Why, do you doubt I can afford jewelry?" "I didn't mean that. Please wait. The manager personally handles our most expensive diamond necklace. I need to ask her." A few minutes later, the saleswoman returned with a somewhat sultry-looking woman. "Manager Wei, this gentleman wants to see the most expensive diamond necklace in our store." The saleswoman pointed at Stanley Du, explaining to the sultry woman. "Sir, are you playing a joke on me?" Judy Wei glanced at Stanley Du's clothes and said with contempt, "We're running a business here. I'm very busy every day. I don't have time to mess around." "Why do you assume I definitely can't afford the most expensive diamond necklace in your store?" Stanley Du spoke coldly. "Just because my clothes are ordinary, you think I'm a poor guy?" Judy Wei was taken aback, then crossed her arms and retorted, "Our most expensive diamond necklace is called 'Eternal True Love,' priced at 5201314. Are you sure you can afford it?"