After gazing at the necklace for some time, Prince A placed it down, and the joy on his countenance intensified.
The prince could immediately discern whether the necklace was authentic or not, for it belonged to him.
Setting down the necklace, Prince A expressed his gratitude, saying,
"I am indebted to you for aiding me in the recovery of this necklace. I had feared it was lost forever."
As he prepared to respond, a young man standing beside him, presumably the middle-aged man's secretary, introduced himself, "This is our secretary, Sun."
It dawned on Liu Yong why he felt a sense of familiarity, as the man before him was the esteemed leader of Huahai City. One could spot him quite frequently by keeping an eye on Huahai News.
What an extraordinary leader!
Without delay, Liu Yong greeted Sun Shu Ji, saying, "Hello, my name is Liu Yong. Please accept my business card."
Following his words, Liu Yong handed over one of his business cards. Given that he was in the presence of a prominent leader from Huahai City, it was advantageous to make a favorable impression.
It was especially true for people in business, as many of them sought to win the favor of Sun Shu Ji with the hopes that he would keep them in mind.
Sun Shu Ji took hold of the business card and slipped it into his pocket rather than giving it to his secretary. With a joyful expression, he remarked,
"Ah, so you're Mr. Liu from Global Ocean Services. I heard from my comrades in the Public Security Bureau that your company was responsible for salvaging the guns from the seabed in the arms transaction case that was recently cracked."
Liu Yong was delighted, and a sense of pride swelled within him.
He had never anticipated Sun Shu Ji would be aware of the guns his company had assisted the police in salvaging during the recent arms transaction case. Moreover, Sun Shu Ji was rather impressed.
However, Liu Yong was about to draw closer to Sun Shu Ji when he heard the news that the princess was approaching from the inner room.
"Honey, we've found our necklace!" exclaimed Wang Hao with a tone of disbelief, bringing them fantastic news.
The prince responded, "Indeed, we have found it. We must express our gratitude to this gentleman for his assistance."
The princess expressed her appreciation courteously.
Before everyone was present, the prince placed the necklace around the princess's neck and declared,
"Mr. Liu, the transfer of twenty million US dollars will still require a check."
Liu Yong promptly extracted a bank card from his wallet and offered it to the prince.
"Please transfer twenty million US dollars to this card," he said.
His Royal Highness gestured, and one of his aides brought a laptop and proceeded to facilitate the transfer of twenty million US dollars in front of Liu Yong.
Observing their professionalism momentarily, Liu Yong was reassured that the transfer was smoothly executed. He was reminded that he would receive a text message to confirm the receipt of the twenty million US dollars shortly.
"Mr. Liu, I cannot thank you enough," the prince expressed his gratitude once more.
Liu Yong responded,
"Your Highness, it was my pleasure to assist you. The twenty million dollars have already been transferred to my account. There is no need for you to thank me repeatedly."
After exchanging pleasantries, Liu Yong bid his farewell and took his leave.
As Liu Yong departed, Sun Shu Ji suggested,
"Your Highness, you should attend tonight's banquet. We will see you off."
Having found the necklace, His Royal Highness felt a sense of relief and joy. Without hesitation, he declared,
"I will participate in the event and will be punctual."
Liu Yong's car pulled up at the community entrance where Li Changle lived, marking his return to the No. 2 Middle School in Huahai City.
"You can head back now. I'll contact you when I need the car,"
Liu Yong instructed his driver.
"Boss, why don't I wait around here for you?" asked the driver.
"It's your call, but I don't know how long it'll take, so I can't guarantee when I'll need you," replied Liu Yong.
"That's alright, I'll be around here any night. You can call me anytime," the driver said before driving away.
Chen Hu still served as Liu Yong's driver this time, but instead of the big G, they rode in the luxurious brand-new Cullinan.
As soon as they arrived, Liu Yong navigated into the building where Li Changle was residing and rode the elevator up to her unit.
Liu Yong pressed the doorbell, and the door swung open within moments.
However, it wasn't Li Changle standing in the doorway, but a young girl whom Liu Yong had never met before.
The girl was beaming with delight and looked directly at Liu Yong.
"You must be Liu Yong, Lele's boyfriend," she exclaimed. "I've heard so much about you. Please come in."
Liu Yong was slightly taken aback but stepped inside nonetheless.
Liu Yong discovered that the young girl was Lele's roommate and thanked her before following her into the apartment.
The girl, whose name was Wang Li, was cheerful and talkative. "I'm Wang Li, and I'm not only Lele's roommate but also her best friend," she said.
"Ah, so you're Wang Li. I've heard Lele mention you many times," replied Liu Yong with a friendly smile.
As they continued their conversation, Li Changle arrived, apologizing for not being able to greet Liu Yong earlier.
"Yong, I just went downstairs to pick up a delivery. I was hoping to catch you, but it seems I missed my chance,"
She said with a hint of regret.
Liu Yong replied, "It seems that I had just entered the elevator when you got off from another one. We just missed each other."
Wang Li turned her gaze towards Li Changle and then to Liu Yong, whispering in Li Changle's ear,
"Lele, your boyfriend is so handsome. I'm curious if he's wealthy.
Li Changle smiled at Wang Li and rolled her eyes playfully, silently conveying her message that she was being nosy.
Wang Li grinned and didn't seem to mind at all.
The two girls were great friends, and they talked about almost everything. Li Changle had mentioned Liu Yong several times, but she had never discussed his background, finances, or other personal details with Wang Li.
Wang Li never bothered to inquire, assuming that Liu Yong was like any other young person.
She had heard that he hailed from the same county as Li Changle but from a rural area.
She knew he had only been out of university for over a year, so she assumed he was working at a company like most fresh graduates.
Wang Li was lively and talkative, and Liu Yong found her quite likable.
As the evening wore on and the sun began to set, Liu Yong suggested they all go out for dinner. Wang Li enthusiastically agreed and proposed a newly-opened restaurant located nearby.
Li Changle expressed some reservations about the place, having heard it was expensive. However, Wang Li was insistent, arguing that the restaurant had a lovely atmosphere and served exquisite dishes. She suggested they could choose more affordable options if concerned about the cost.
Li Changle smiled at Wang Li and exchanged a knowing look with her.
She is familiar with her girlfriend's behavior and suspects she chose the restaurant to test her boyfriend's financial capability. Even for a working-class person, dining at this restaurant can be financially stressful, as ordering generously could easily cost half a month's salary.
Liu Yong said, "Since the restaurant has a pleasant ambiance, let's dine there. Wang Li, can you lead the way?"
Wang Li happily replied, "Sure, let's go right now."
The trio descended the stairs, engaging in cheerful conversation before arriving at the restaurant just a short walk away.
Undeniably, the restaurant was exceptional.
Upon entering the restaurant, Liu Yong was immediately pleased with the ambiance. The trio quickly found a seat and settled in. Wang Li, seemingly unconcerned about the cost, ordered an abundance of dishes from the menu as if she were paying the bill herself.
Li Changle looked apologetically at Liu Yong, but he smiled back reassuringly, implying that it was alright and that she needed not worry about the cost of the meal.
