Edward arrived at the MY Mall soon. His tall figure and handsome face made him the focus of everyone there. Countless ladies showed great interests in him from the moment he got off the car. Those didn't matter. He ignored everyone and made a beeline to the Dora Jewelry.
"Welcome to Dora Jewelry, Mr. Mu." The manager of Dora Jewelry had been waiting there after getting the phone call from his assistant. The president of FX International Group must be treated with the utmost care.
"Good evening, Manager Chen. You've worked hard." Edward smiled in a friendly way as he always respected his employees.
Thank you, Mr. Mu. I should have sent the necklace to your house but Aaron said that you were on the way, so..." The manager was in his forties. He was not the type that you would notice in a crowd but he was not bad-looking either. He showed great respect to Edward.
"It's okay. I'd love to fetch it for my wife. Where's the necklace? I'd like to see it, please," Edward said in a gentle voice as he walked to the counter. He had only seen the necklace once so it was necessary for him to double-check whether it would look good on Daisy.
"Mr. Mu, take a seat. I'm going to get it for you." The manager went to the safe.
Edward didn't sit down but decided to look at the jewelry being showcased. He would like to see if there was any other jewelry that would suit Daisy.
"Mr. Mu, here is the Ice Rain. Take a closer look, please." The manager went back with a deluxe box. He opened it and showed it before Edward. The diamonds sparkled brilliantly under the soft light like they were emitting coldness. Maybe that was why it was named "Ice Rain".
"Great!" Edward took the box, sat down on a sofa and picked up the necklace with the utmost care he could muster. He enjoyed the glittering stones and creative settings. The design of the necklace was actually simple but the most valuable part of the necklace was the purity of the diamonds. Moreover, the pendant was a small but vivid flying red phoenix. The designer combined the elements of fire and ice. It was a surprise how the two contradicting elements came up really harmoniously.
"Mr. Mu, you really have an eye for jewelry. This is the latest necklace this year. Only ten have been made because of their cost. We are lucky enough to have one of them." The manager introduced the necklace to Edward and wondered what excuse he should make to the guest who had given the down payment.
"Really? Just pack it for me." Edward put it back into the box with satisfaction. He couldn't help but wonder how beautiful Daisy would be in the necklace.
"Yes, Mr. Mu. But here's the thing, how should I explain this to the guest who already gave us the down payment?" The manager asked carefully. That could destroy MY Mall's reputation if not dealt with properly. Therefore, he decided to ask Edward.
"Well, what about this? Pay the guest the marked price in double and give the expense claim to Anna. I'll pay for it." After a short pause, Edward made the decision. Though he didn't know how much the guest had paid in advance, he believed that he or she wouldn't mind taking the double of the marked price.
Thank you, Mr. Mu. I think it would be okay with that." The manager was finally relieved after hearing Edward's words. He would be confident enough to negotiate with the guest with what their boss just promised.
"That's it. I need to leave. Have a good night." Edward stood up. He was about to walk out when a man and a woman suddenly entered the shop in hurry and almost bumped into him. Edward stepped aside at once to dodge them.
"Manager Chen, I'm here to fetch the necklace. Give it to me." Melissa set her mind on the Ice Rain, so she didn't notice that Edward was also there.
"I'm so sorry, Miss Xue. The necklace was sold." The manager came forward and gave an apologetic bow. After all, customers should be treated like kings.
What? The necklace was sold? Are you kidding? I gave the down payment this morning and told you I would fetch it this afternoon. Now you're telling me it's sold? How can you break your promise like that?" Melissa yelled in a sharp aggressive tone. She really liked the necklace and she didn't want to miss it.
"I'm so sorry! We will pay the marked price in double. Are you okay with that? Miss Xue, please have a look at other necklaces here. There may be something else that suits you better." The manager began to lobby Melissa. There would be no need for them to pay the liquidated damages if she had interest in buying something else. He knew that Edward would not mind the money but then there were still ordinary people who couldn't make such amount of money all their lives.
"Double marked price is only two million dollars. Do you think I will be satisfied with two million dollars? Just cut the crap! I only want the Ice Rain. Since you sold it, you have the responsibility to give me the very same." Melissa addressed in a patronizing tone as she rolled her eyes at the manager. She looked down upon salespeople. She thought them as people from the bottom of the society, thus, they didn't deserve to be talked to with politeness.
My apologies, Miss Xue. The necklace is the latest model this year and there are only ten of it in the world. I won't be able to find you the same necklace right now. Actually, we only have to pay the double deposit. But as we are in the wrong, we are willing to pay you the marked price in double. We think that we are generous and kind enough. Miss Xue, please understand us." It was the first time that the manager met a guest who thought so little of two million dollars. But if so, why didn't she just buy the necklace that morning? Things wouldn't be like this if she had bought it earlier.
"Fuck you! What do you mean by that? Do you mean that we have no money? I'm warning you, watch your manner. We are not beggars!" Shaun shouted as he grabbed the manager by the collar and looked at him fiercely.
Sir, I didn't mean it that way. According to the law, paying the deposit only means you have booked the necklace but it doesn't mean you own it. We still own the right to decide to whom its ownership would go. We have the right to sell the necklace to others." Ignoring the vicious look from Shaun, the manager explained in a calm way. Shaun, however, turned a deaf ear to the explanation.
"Fuck off! Are you deaf? My girlfriend said she loved the necklace. We paid the down payment this morning, and we are here now. Why did you sell it? Do you think we have no money to afford it?" Shaun thundered while still holding the manager's collar tightly. Melissa was downright upset for missing the beloved necklace. She didn't even notice that someone was staring at her with disdain from behind.
"I didn't say you had no money to buy it. Miss Xue said she would come back and buy the necklace before four in the afternoon. It's already six in the evening now. So, Miss Xue broke her promise first. We thought she wouldn't come back so we sold the necklace to another guest. We actually have enough reasons not to pay you the liquidated damages but our boss is kind enough to offer two million dollars to Miss Xue." Manager Chen still explained in a clear way in spite of his collar still being grasped by Shaun. After all, he was a professional manager.
"You mean we should take the blame, huh?" Melissa asked in a chilly tone. She hated Shaun like poison. When she came to the hotel where he stayed this afternoon, he threw her into bed and had sex with her the whole nine yards. That was why she came here late.
"Damn it! How dare you? You are asking for death!" Melissa's instigation finally burst Shaun's poor temper. He raised his right fist high and was about to punch the manager's face. He was so close to hitting the man when a calm yet authoritative voice suddenly came from behind.
"If you dare punch him, you'll be sorry." Shaun and Melissa turned their heads and saw Edward approaching. Edward gazed at Shaun with a teasing smile as he completely ignored Melissa.
Who the hell are you? How dare you have a finger in the pie?" Shaun raised his chin and cast a scornful glance at Edward. Edward looked familiar to him but Shaun was unable to recall who the man in front of him was.