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墨書 Inktalez
"Hey! Can I follow you to see some jewelry?" Zheng Yifan had been searching for a full ten minutes before he spotted Ladidia walking out of another jewelry store. She looked downcast at first, but after covering her face for a few seconds to calm herself, she emerged with a bright smile once again.
"Hey! Mr. Zheng, have you not found the perfect engagement ring yet? Your lady must be getting impatient," Ladidia said, finally showing a genuine smile upon seeing Zheng Yifan.
The earlier forced smile had been quite uncomfortable to witness, but now her sincere expression stirred something in Zheng Yifan.
In the apocalypse, he had seen many beautiful women, but they seemed like mere shells of themselves, devoid of spirit, living only to survive.
However, this woman before him clearly possessed more ambition and drive than others.
"I want to follow you and check out various pieces of jewelry. With your recommendations, I'm sure I'll find the perfect one. You don't mind me tagging along, do you?" Zheng Yifan smiled.
"Suit yourself, just don't disturb me while I'm conducting business," Ladidia replied, her mood seeming to dip slightly at the mention of work.
"Of course, I'll make sure to keep quiet."
With that, a new shadow trailed behind Ladidia. Zheng Yifan walking beside the beautiful woman certainly drew attention.
Young men on the street glared at Zheng Yifan standing next to Ladidia, their jealousy practically radiating from them.
"It seems I can really bask in your glory. Look at those guys; they're all captivated by your charm," Zheng Yifan remarked as he walked alongside Ladidia.
Ladidia was tall and wore high heels that nearly matched Zheng Yifan's height. Together, they truly looked like a golden couple.
Of course, the main reason for his newfound allure was his evolved genes, which had become more perfect over time. If it were the old him, no one would have turned their heads on the street.
"Considering you're such a sincere gentleman, I absolutely don't mind," Ladidia said. "You must really love your girlfriend; otherwise, you wouldn't go through so much trouble to pick out an engagement ring for her."
"Maybe," Zheng Yifan replied dismissively.
He then silently followed Ladidia.
Throughout West Capital Golden Street, Ladidia clearly navigated the area with much more familiarity than Zheng Yifan. She knew exactly where the jewelry stores were and which ones were specialty shops, taking the most efficient route to visit the maximum number of stores with minimal distance.
Along the way, Zheng Yifan saw a resilient woman—persistent, unyielding, and never giving up.
These words fit Ladidia perfectly.
"Why do you insist on selling your jewelry in Huaguo? Isn't it difficult to sell in France?" Zheng Yifan finally asked his question.
The jewelry industry in France was booming. Many people from his country traveled there to purchase luxury goods, jewelry, and designer brands.
"Mr. Zheng, what you have is high-end merchandise, world-renowned brands. There’s a saying among Huaguo people: 'As long as it's expensive, it doesn't have to be good.' The wealthy who come to spend in France are all focused on the high-end goods on the Champs-Élysées; only the world’s top brands there can satisfy them. Unfortunately, we at Lopez don’t have that many top-tier jewels. Right now, we’re selling leftover stock from previous years, most of which are low-end products. The sales of low-end products in France are quite poor; only top-tier items can sell well there. As for our supply..." Ladidia seemed to have some unspoken troubles, her mood slightly dimming.
"In Huaguo, we also have an old saying: 'Where there’s a will, there’s a way.' I believe you will succeed. At the very least, your proficiency in Mandarin is impressive enough to astonish me. You should know that my English is still at a stage where no one in the world can understand it," Zheng Yifan joked as he continued to follow Ladidia through various shops.
Whenever they reached larger stores, she would pull out beautiful brochures that introduced the shops inside, making Zheng Yifan's eyes light up. This was the Champs-Élysées—a place he had once longed to visit.
Of course, more than that was his mother’s repeated vows that she would visit at least once in her lifetime. Unfortunately, it remained just a fantasy for her—a dream of stepping into the world’s fashion center to see the people there.
His mother was an intellectual who learned about this place from foreign publications when she was young and had since defined it as a paradise on earth.
Even now, she still hadn’t had the chance to go there.
Zheng Yifan had secretly vowed that once the matters of both worlds came to a conclusion, ensuring the safety of himself and his family, he would take his mother out for a shopping spree, indulging in a lavish spending spree.
Unfortunately, even now, he felt unstable in both worlds, as if money was never enough to spend.
Just like at this moment, Zheng Yifan was still troubled about how to acquire money in the real world. The apocalypse required substantial funds for weapons, food, and daily necessities.
The thousands of people had formed a small society with an overwhelming demand for resources.
Time ticked away with each step he took, while behind him were Ladidia's disappointed eyes.
Looking at this strong woman, Zheng Yifan silently admired her.
She was simply radiating positive energy. Such a charming woman, relying solely on her own efforts without depending on a man.
Along the way, Ladidia also introduced herself.
Her background was enough to put Zheng Yifan twelve streets ahead.
She hailed from an authentic French noble lineage, with her family having been in the jewelry business for over three hundred years. The name Lopez had dominated the French fashion scene for more than two centuries; it was a name known by all in France.
Unfortunately, the current Lopez Jewelry Company had fallen into decline like a setting sun. Two generations of incompetence had led this vast family to disintegration. The name Lopez no longer represented glory but rather overwhelming debt.
All relatives and friends had severed ties with Ladidia; all she had left was the name Lopez, a mortgaged estate at the bank, the company, and debts amounting to over hundreds of millions of Francs.
Ladidia had come to Huaguo to find buyers for those inferior jewelry pieces accumulated over three hundred years. Those ornaments could still fetch billions of Francs despite being remnants stored deep within the warehouse. However, the former Lopez family had looked down upon such trivial amounts of money.
Unfortunately, the entire family was now burdened with debt, all resting on Ladidia's shoulders. Ever since her father's death, her elder sister's fate had already been sealed, leaving only bankruptcy in its wake.
She wanted to keep the family business alive, willing to sell off the inventory from the warehouse's lower levels to provide this debt-ridden company with a lifeline.
All she sought was to do her utmost to allow the pride of her family to survive, even if just for a little while longer.
However, reality was harsh. The time had come when wolves were circling their prey. The three stores on the Champs-Élysées, along with the experienced jewelers and craftsmen, had become targets for those big brands.
These loyal old artisans had remained steadfastly devoted to Lopez, refusing to leave even for the highest offers.
The giants had united against Lopez Jewelry Company, cutting off nearly all sources of supply.
Now, all that awaited Ladidia was a slow demise.
She felt like a person drowning, clinging desperately to even a single lifeline, only to plunge deeper into despair.
Thus, she arrived in Huaguo, searching for the last breath of life. The outcome was cruel. In despair, she felt as if this dreary country was suffocating her, driving her nearly to madness; three months felt like an eternity.
Until today, when she encountered a man on the street—a man who could only be described as "beautiful."
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