If You Could Hear My Heart

“Shen Chi, doesn’t Manman’s life mean more to you than your time?” Bai Xuan was getting angry.

“Enough, Uncle Bai, there’s no need for you to say anything. Fifty million, you transfer it; I will figure out something else.”

“I didn’t even hope that you would help to find Manman. Lately, whenever Manman comes back to the Bai Family, she’s always crying. I ask her, but she says nothing. However, I’ve heard others say that you’ve got another woman outside.”

“Uncle Bai, yes, I have a woman. Originally, I thought Bai Man had discussed this with you, but it seems she hasn’t.”

“Who is it?” Bai Xuan on the phone trembled with anger, “Do you not know that the engagement invitations between you and Manman have been sent out?”

“There have been arrangements for this, and everything was supposed to work out. But I didn’t expect something to go wrong.”

“You still haven’t answered me, who is your woman?”

“Uncle Bai, there will come a day when you’ll find out.”

“Fine, Shen Chi, you’re really great. If I hadn’t asked today, were you planning on keeping it a secret from me or not?”

“I wasn’t keeping it a secret; I made it very clear to Bai Man, but she has not told you.”

“Shen Chi, I heard that the old master hasn’t signed the authorization document for the group. Do you think you’re pulling out of the engagement too soon? It seems unlike your calculating nature to take this loss.”

“I’m willing to take this loss.”

Shen Chi remembered Xu Chaomu; she was his everything.

He was willing.

“Good, very good. Shen Chi, don’t forget, why did the old master choose to hand over the group to you, if not for Manman liking you?”

“I know, the Shen Family has always owed the Bai Family a favor. But I won’t repay it this way.”

“It’s good that you still remember the favor Shen Family owes Bai Family.”

“Twenty years ago, you saved our family’s lives, I, Shen Chi, remember it. However, I’m not willing to sacrifice my lifelong happiness for this; I’d rather be without this life.”

Shen Chi’s memories were blurry, but he remembered that day it snowed heavily, back when he was still a child.

Shen Cexian had a car accident, crashing into a tree, and the entire car fell into the river.

Just when their family was in despair, Bai Xuan happened to drive by and saved the three of them.

Bai Xuan and Shen Cexian were old schoolmates and later, they even discussed arranging a marriage between Shen Chi and Bai Man.

It wasn’t taken too seriously, but unexpectedly, Bai Man really fell in love with Shen Chi.

“Shen Chi, I didn’t want to say these things, just think well on it for yourself. Otherwise, you won’t get this project, and the president of the Shen Group might need to be replaced!”

“Uncle Bai, I don’t need to think about it, nothing is more important than her.”

“You!” Bai Xuan didn’t expect such a response!

“You, tell me, who is that woman?”

“You’ll find out.” Shen Chi stuck to his answer.

Bai Xuan hung up the phone angrily; he felt like he could die of anger because of Shen Chi.

He only learned this morning about Bai Man’s accident, and now Shen Chi had added insult to injury!

Shen Chi wasn’t having an easy time either, with no news of Xu Chaomu, and this abrupt withdrawal of fifty million, which did nothing to help his negotiations with the mine owner!

Shen Chi calmed down, his eyes deeper.

The troublemakers were certainly Shen Shihan and Zhou Peitian’s people.

A cold smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he took out a private seal and a cipher from the safe.

Without this private seal, Shen Shihan couldn’t get his hands on the funds controlled by Shen Cexian.

The money from the Feili Group alone was definitely not enough.

Lucky for him, he had been prepared, having replaced the real seal with a fake one some time ago.

Probably, Shen Shihan hasn’t yet realized he’s holding a fake seal in his hands.

Three days later, there was still no news from Xu Chaomu.

Shen Chi knew he couldn’t wait any longer; he had to return to his country.

There was no more time to delay this project; the only option was to throw money at it.

“Master Zuma, we can talk now.”

Under the sunlight, at the usual spot, Shen Chi sat under the arbor, as Master Zuma slowly made his way toward him.

He was still dressed in that voluminous black robe, his eyes narrowed into slits, toying with the agarwood beads in his hand.

Following him was his female translator, both of them strolling along at a leisurely pace.

The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting a pattern of light and shadow on Shen Chi’s stern face.

The female translator said to the mine owner with a smile, “Zuma, President Shen is really handsome, even more so than your son.”

The mine owner burst into laughter, replying in Afrikaans, “What’s the use of being handsome? Money is what’s most useful.”

“Mine owner, you think about money all the time. Of course, being handsome is useful. There’s a saying in our country, ‘a feast for the eyes’. If I could look at a man like President Shen every day, I’d eat several more bowls of rice.”

“Right, I’ve sent him a few women, and there wasn’t a peep from him; he sent them all back to me.”

“Mine owner, how would he fancy women from South Africa?”

“No, no, no, in the dark, aren’t they all the same?”

The female translator’s cheeks turned red, and she covered her mouth, giggling at his words.

They took their time sitting down in the chairs in front of Shen Chi, and the mine owner spoke first, “President Shen, have you made up your mind? A group offered three billion, but since he didn’t have cash, I didn’t agree to him.”

“Then good, I’ll offer three and a half billion, is that enough?”

“Enough! Of course, it’s enough!” The mine owner’s eyes lit up immediately, “President Shen, you’re so straightforward. However, we agreed on cash.”

“Mine owner, what era are we in? Cash isn’t safe.”

“No, there has to be at least fifty million in cash,” he deliberately emphasized the last two words.

The female translator gave Shen Chi a helpless shrug and slowly said, “This is our mine owner’s usual style.”

“Alright, then mine owner, let’s sign this contract first.”

“No, no, no, no way, no way.” Master Zuma repeated several “no”s in his tentative Chinese, “Cash on delivery, you give money, I sign. No one loses out.”

Shen Chi knew he was dealing with a tricky old fox.

But fortunately, this old fox only cared about money and was not too cunning.

“Okay, then let’s meet tomorrow night, cash on delivery.”

Shen Chi knew that if time permitted, he could still bargain the price and terms to the lowest, but he knew he was out of time.

There was still no sign of Xu Chaomu.

After a bit more small talk, Shen Chi returned to his suite.

The female translator and the mine owner chatted idly while drinking.

“Congratulations, congratulations, mine owner, you’ve got another deposit in the bank.”

“This President Shen didn’t even bargain.”

“Doesn’t everyone say he’s cunning and shrewd? I really didn’t see that,” the female translator said, perplexed.

“It seems like he’s in a rush to close this project.”

“Mine owner, maybe he misses the wife at home.”

“Hahaha, only you would talk so much.”

“But congratulations, mine owner, partnering with the Shen Group is also worth celebrating, cheers.”

The female translator raised her glass and clinked it with the mine owner’s, and the pair sat happily under the arbor, drinking and chatting.