Eddie

Eddie couldn't believe the gall Zorad had. How could Zoran withdraw the treasure that was rightfully his? The Bleeding Diamond was already marked as Eddie's own, something that the fate sisters had given him after years and years of toiling in this small little shop.

The Beings must have pitied him and now this treasure had fallen right into his lap. The Bleeding Diamond would skyrocket his wealth and fame inside the Royal District because once they found out Eddie had one in his shop, they would come flocking towards him. He might even have to move to a bigger place to accommodate his new customers.

Eddie giggled to himself. Zoran must be an idiot who didn't know the true value of the Bleeding Diamond with the way he handled that precious treasure. But don't worry, he assured the Bleeding Diamond. He was already planning on purchasing a state-of-the-art safe made of Adamantium fit only for the Queen of gems herself. He would use a silk glove to handle it, unlike Zoran who touched it with his grimy hands.

In his mind, the deal was already done. The moment Zoran showed the Bleeding Diamond in his sight was the moment he vowed to do everything he could to obtain it.

"How will I know if it is genuine? I need to touch it to see if it is the right texture. Do you know how many idiots come to this store and show me a fake gem?"

Zoran smiled and shook his head. He kept the Bleeding Diamond stored in his pockets, which greatly irritated the shopkeeper.

Usually, this kind of tactic would work on his usual customers. Anyone who tried to sell gems would want their treasures to be properly inspected and tested to see if it was genuine or not. It was important to prove that it was genuine so that the seller could ask Eddie for a high price worthy of the prized gem.

But Zoran knew that once Eddie had his hands on the Bleeding Diamond, he would never let it go. He would have to take it back from Eddie by force, and he was not planning on doing that for now. He couldn't kill Eddie yet, he had other plans for him.

"So you're just a third-rate jeweler who can't even see the genuinity of this Diamond? I better go to someone else."

Zoran, without another second, turned around and walked away. This sent Eddie into a panic. He didn't think that Zoran would call off his bluff as easily as that. He bit his lips. Right now, he was fighting a mental struggle with Zoran, and whoever wins this silent battle would dictate the course of the negotiation from here on then.

It was negotiation 101 to never reveal your cards and act as aloof as possible. He should never let Zoran know that he desperately wanted the Bleeding Diamond or else Zoran would ask for a tremendously high price. He had to accept that loss and pay up that high price or risk the Bleeding Diamond going to another dealer.

"Wait!" Eddie shouted. This would reveal his intentions to Zoran, but he couldn't risk losing the Bleeding Diamond right after he laid eyes upon it. He had to have it; it was his destiny.

Zoran smiled and walked back to the counter to start the negotiations. He held up the Bleeding Diamond for Eddie to see and said, "how much are you willing to pay?"

Eddie frowned and took a piece of paper and wrote on it using a quill and ink. His expression turned serious as he wrote a series of calculations for the price of the Diamond, taking into account the size, luster, and how symmetrical the lattice formations were to give Zoran an accurate price.

He looked at Zoran and adjusted his top hat as he said, "10,000 Liongs. That is a fair price that would lose me money. I wouldn't even do this if I wasn't in need of a Diamond right now."

Lying was as easy as breathing for Eddie. If Zoran didn't get scammed thousands of times from his perfect acting back in his previous life, he would have also fallen for that trick. But Zoran was no amateur when dealing with slimy storekeepers.

"Ah? That's a fair price?" Zoran asked.

Eddie's smile widened. "Yes, yes, very fair! You wouldn't get a better price than right here. As a matter of fact, if I were you I wouldn't even go to another store, they're not as generous as me and would just scam you."

Bullcrap, thought Zoran. He didn't know how many times Eddie said that to him in his past life, only to find out years later that he had been duped for thousands and thousands of Liongs.

"If I were to sell you some iron ore, how much would I get for a handful?" Zoran asked.

Eddie was a little bit annoyed that Zoran changed the topic, but he didn't want Zoran to get upset and retract his Diamond, so he entertained the question.

"For a handful, I can buy that from you for a high price of 10 Liongs!"

20 Liongs was the standard price for an iron ore for a few kilograms. As expected of Eddie, he didn't miss the chance to scam anyone regardless of the circumstances. He probably thought of Zoran as just another cash cow that he could milk while gaining all the profits.

That was what happened to him back in his previous life. He worked hard in the mines, toiled the harsh conditions that led him to contract black lung, and yet almost half of his earnings would be scammed by Eddie.

He didn't care that Zoran was coughing up blood as he hauled iron towards his shop, he still heartlessly swindled the half-dead Zoran. He counted his money while watching others work for him.

"Now, are you willing to sell that Diamond?"

Zoran shook his head and pushed past the memories of his hardships out of his mind because now, it was time to get what was rightfully his.

Of course, Eddie did not know of Zoran's plans. He just thought of the helpless little boy as another clueless beggar who was going to hand-deliver him the greatest treasure that he will ever come across. That wouldn't be the end. He would let Zoran experience the joys of having money because for beggars like him, 10,000 Liongs was the most money they would ever get in their lifetime.

He would even throw in an extra 5,000 Liongs so that Zoran would feel indebted to him. Then, and only then, would he squeeze Zoran for all he had. He would let Zoran work the mines for all his life and bring him an endless supply of profits. Black lung, who cares? After all, beggars like him were an endless supply in the Garbage district.

Come on, idiot. I'll take that priceless Bleeding Diamond and reap all the profits for myself!