If You Could Hear My Heart

Shen Chi knew that the contract for his project he had signed held no advantage, but he could no longer stay in South Africa.

Tomorrow, after the cash-for-goods transaction was completed, he would immediately begin his journey back to C City.

Losing tens or even hundreds of millions was insignificant compared to Xu Chaomu.

But he knew that the real challenge would be the payment process tomorrow night, his greatest concern.

This place was notorious for chaos; if someone got wind of the deal and set up an ambush in advance, the consequences would be dire.

Fifty million in cash and bank cards, who wouldn’t be tempted?

Once Shen Chi returned to his suite, he got in touch with his subordinates in South Africa and had them make full preparations. Although the plan was moved up, it had been meticulously arranged back home.

Failure was not an option.

After contacting everyone, Shen Chi remembered something.

Before coming to South Africa, he had planned to pick a diamond to take back.

The diamond didn’t have to be large, but it must be exquisite, because Xu Chaomu was the most beautiful encounter of his lifetime.

Love, neither early nor late; every moment, every drop, day and night.

He visited the local Seide Palace, which was once inhabited by a young princess fond of all kinds of exotic treasures. Since she was the king’s only child, he gathered the world’s rarest wonders for her.

But eventually, the princess fell in love with a lowly knight from her guards, and no one approved, including her loving father.

The princess eloped with the knight, but they were captured by the king halfway through their escape.

The king executed the knight without the princess’s knowledge.

Two years later, the princess discovered that the man she loved had long been dead.

On that day, with a frosty, desolate chill in the air, all living things silent, the princess walked on a gold-threaded red carpet and pierced her own heart with a sharp dagger.

She crawled to her beloved’s tomb, clutching the headstone, her smile desolate and heartbreaking.

Her blood dripped down her dress one drop at a time, and it was said that that year, amidst the wintry frosts, vibrant red peach blossoms suddenly bloomed.

The mountains and fields were all awash with red.

The blood that flowed onto the ground turned into red diamonds.

And in Seide Palace, the most beautiful red diamond was on display.

Shen Chi didn’t believe in these legends; he was after the blood diamonds.

Sure enough, he saw the red diamond at Seide Palace.

Beside a nineteenth-century court lady’s bronze lamp, the diamond quietly exhibited its soft and demure grace, like a serene woman with a blooming smile.

He immediately took a liking to this diamond, but the price was steep.

The cost of one diamond was nearly that of an entire diamond mine.

He did not hesitate, since first impressions are what mattered most.

Just like how he fancied Xu Chaomu, she wasn’t particularly outstanding, even imperfect, but she was his one and only.

This diamond was meant for her, and so was the diamond mine.

By the way, he would package himself for her, too.

But he didn’t have enough funds for a turnover, so he could only negotiate with the owner of Seide Palace to keep the diamond there and retrieve it next time.

Fortunately, although Shen Chi was usually taciturn, he was unmatched in negotiations.

The owner of Seide Palace agreed and removed the diamond from the display case.

“Mr. Shen, I will hold it for you, but you have five years. If you don’t come to claim it by the fifth winter, then this diamond will never belong to you,” the owner said.

“Okay,” he agreed.

There was no need for five years; once he returned home, he would bring Xu Chaomu to retrieve it together.

The owner of Seide Palace placed the blood diamond inside a sealed brocade box and then into an ornate redwood cabinet inlaid with diamonds.

It was then that Shen Chi noticed there were many such brocade boxes in the cabinet.

“Mr. Shen, leave a mark on the box,” the owner prompted.

Shen Chi took the feather pen, thought for a moment, and wrote, “Offering you a lifetime of day and nights,” followed by their names.

Shen Chi, Xu Chaomu.

“The ink from this pen will be gone in five years,” the owner of Seide Palace remarked indifferently, as if used to all life’s dramas. “Brocade boxes without markings will have no owners. I’ll put them back on display for someone else to buy.”

“I will definitely come to take it,” Shen Chi said, his voice low and gaze profound.

“Many have said such things before. The items are yours. Whether you take them or not, you don’t need to tell me,” the owner replied.

Shen Chi knew that many must have said this before, or there wouldn’t be so many brocade boxes there.

The owner locked up the redwood cabinet and then unhurriedly walked back to his palace.

He didn’t say much to Shen Chi, seemingly indifferent to the conflict and drama around him.

Shen Chi walked around Seide Palace once more before departing.

He thought, next time when he came to get the diamond, he would ask Xu Chaomu if there was anything else she liked.

Although he knew her taste was vulgar, unable to distinguish between glass and glaze, she would surely like something here.

The night of the following day arrived swiftly, Shen Chi spent the entire day on the phone, making arrangements.

From withdrawing the money to arranging transportation and securing the contract site, he had people strictly guarding everything.

At night, seven o’clock.

Shen Group’s cash transport vehicle slowly moved forward under the cover of darkness…

Shen Chi was aware of the mine owner’s tricks. The so-called cash was a common ploy of his.

If Shen Chi was not mistaken, the mine owner would stage a robbery to create the illusion of the cash being hijacked, thus gaining even more money.

Shen Chi had made ample preparations for this scenario.

But even the wise can err, and he didn’t have an absolute guarantee of success.

After all, he was on South African turf, not in C City.

Under the night sky, a procession of vehicles drove in line.

Shen Chi’s car was in the middle, his hand holding a bank card worth three hundred million yuan.

Of course, there was also a loaded gun under his seat.

After thirty minutes of driving, there was silence all around. Every member of Shen Group was on edge.

The convoy passed by a manor, and after the manor, there lay barren fields.

Beyond, a small desert.

As they drove along the desert’s edge, Shen Chi’s hawk-like eyes were fixed ahead, vigilant to any movement.

Under the moonlight, the vegetation was shrouded in a thin veil, casting an aura of desolation over the place.

Just as they were nearing the rendezvous location, suddenly, a gunshot rang out. With a “bang,” the leading vehicle’s tire burst!

The burst tire sent the vehicle spinning on the spot, and it came to a screeching halt!

The second car slammed on the brakes, followed by the others coming to an abrupt stop.

Shen Chi’s obsidian-like eyes instantly narrowed, pupils contracting, lips tightening, and facial expression hardening.

His alertness shot up, and his hand reached for the gun on the seat.