Leveling Up With My Pet

"Perhaps it's truly lost."

The Prince let out another soft sigh, noticing the princess's expression of self-blame.

Unable to bear seeing her so distressed, he reassured her, saying, "At the moment, I haven't been able to locate the necklace, but perhaps I'll be able to recover it later on."

The Prince's words meant to offer solace, but he had little hope of ever finding the lost necklace.

After attempting to console the princess, His Royal Highness commanded: "Notify the city of Huahai that I will not be attending the dinner. I have no desire to participate."

With his departure imminent, Huahai City had planned a farewell banquet in his honor. But with the necklace still missing and his spirits low, the Prince had no interest in attending.

"Understood. I will inform them immediately," replied the person in charge.

Once his subordinate had departed, the Prince lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, lost in thought.

A few moments later, a knock sounded at the door.

The leaders of Huahai City arrived in person, driven to act upon learning that His Royal Highness would no longer attend the dinner.

As the ones who had invited the Prince from Country A, they were eager to ensure that he left feeling content and happy rather than disappointed and disheartened.

"Your Royal Highness," came a voice from outside.

"Ah, Mr. Sun, I see you've come in person," replied the Prince.

After exchanging a few polite greetings, His Royal Highness said,

"I apologize, but I'm afraid I won't be able to attend the dinner."

"Don't worry, Your Highness," replied Mr. Sun.

"From what I understand, there are multiple salvage ships currently working in the area. The necklace is bound to be recovered soon."

"Please don't try to comfort me, Mr. Sun," the Prince responded, his tone resigned. "I'm aware that the chances of finding the necklace are slim."

The leader of Huahai City was visibly relieved and vowed to take action, assuring the Prince that he would personally contact the most capable salvage company in China to aid in the search. He remained optimistic that they would eventually find the necklace.

As Liu Yong pulled outside the hotel, he momentarily gazed at the grand building before stepping out of the car.

Contrary to his initial plan of sending Chen Hu, Liu Yong handled the matter himself.

Upon approaching the hotel's entrance, Liu Yong noticed tight security. Several sets of eyes immediately turned to him as he came.

Despite the strict security measures, Liu Yong's well-dressed appearance made him appear far from suspicious. No one attempted to stop him as he quickly entered the hotel lobby.

He couldn't help but wonder why a five-star hotel would have such a high level of security. Nevertheless, he continued with his plan.

It is worthy of being a five-star hotel; no wonder it is used as a reception hotel for His Royal Highness, the Prince of Country A.

"Sir, you need to register. If you are staying in a hotel, it will not be open today."

That was a security guard, probably a tiny captain or something, with a severe face, without any enthusiasm, as if Liu Yong was a troublemaker.

Mr. Liu's smile was barely visible as he spoke, "I'm not here to check-in today. I've heard that the Prince of Country A is staying at this hotel, and I've come to find him."

"What?!" The team leader's expression became more alert, and two security guards approached Liu Yong from either side, surrounding him.

Observing their defensive stance, Liu Yong sighed inwardly. They seemed to be anticipating trouble.

"I suppose you're not aware that the Prince is offering a reward of 20 million U.S. dollars for the retrieval of a lost necklace," Liu Yong remarked with a wry smile. "Well, I have found that necklace."

"What?!" The people in the lobby, including the team leader, exchanged bewildered looks, convinced they must have misunderstood what they had just heard.

After a few moments of stunned silence, the team leader finally spoke up.

"Is it true? Did you really find the necklace?" he asked.

Liu Yong pulled the necklace out of his pocket and held it up for them to see.

"This is the real deal. You can't fake something like this. Have a look for yourselves," he said.

Though they hadn't seen the necklace before, they had heard descriptions of it, and the chain in Liu Yong's hand appeared to match. "Sir, please come with us. Please wait a moment," the team leader said, leading Liu Yong away.

Within an instant, the captain's demeanor underwent a complete transformation. He appeared watchful and solemn moments ago, but now his disposition had evaporated entirely.

Liu Yong mused to himself at the captain's ability to instantaneously alter his countenance. He had never encountered someone capable of such swift and seamless change, and he couldn't help but think that this talent would go in vain if not utilized in the acting profession.

The team leader enthusiastically ushered Liu Yong to a sofa in the lounge area of the hall, signaling to the security guards that they could depart.

He dashed to the reception desk, eager to share the good news.

Meanwhile, within the expansive living quarters of the presidential suite, the officials of Huahai City sought to console His Highness, the Prince.

Despite their efforts, His Royal Highness remained afflicted with a sense of hopelessness, and without the recovery of his necklace, there seemed to be no hope for his recovery.

An exuberant man, wearing a robe and turban, barged in with such excitement that he even forgot to knock on the door.

"Your Royal Highness, I bring good tidings. Someone has recovered the necklace, and it's currently in the hotel's first-floor lobby!" he exclaimed.

His Royal Highness was left speechless by the stunning revelation.

The officials of Huahai City were equally taken aback by the surprising news of the necklace's recovery.

In response, His Royal Highness urgently beckoned for the person who had found the necklace to get before him.

Liu Yong's escort hurriedly led him to the Prince's location. Upon arrival, a courteous Middle Eastern man donning traditional robes and a turban greeted him with great respect.

"Good day, sir. May I have a look at the necklace?" the man asked politely.

Liu Yong produced the necklace from his pocket and held it up for the man's inspection. It was evident from how the Middle Eastern man efficiently examined the chain that it was familiar to him.

As Liu Yong's demeanor grew increasingly polite, the staff member gestured for him to follow, leading him toward the elevator.

As they made their way through the lobby, they attracted envious stares from onlookers.

"Wow, he managed to salvage that necklace? That's unbelievable!" remarked one bystander.

"If I were to receive a 20 million U.S. dollar reward, I'd be so happy I'd faint!" chimed in another.

"He's really lucky. With that kind of money, he could live a worry-free life," added a third.

The commotion stirred up by Liu Yong's arrival in the hotel lobby left the security guards and the front desk staff unable to remain composed.

The news of the necklace found and the astronomical reward of 20 million dollars had everyone in the lobby buzzing with excitement and envy.

As Liu Yong entered the presidential suite, he was surprised to find several people gathered in the spacious living room. In addition to His Royal Highness and his subordinates, there were also a few oriental faces present.

Among the group of faces, the leading middle-aged man seemed familiar to Liu Yong, as though they had met before.

The middle-aged man looked at Liu Yong with a smile, his eyes filled with admiration.

"What a relief! It's really my necklace! You have no idea how important this is to me. Thank you so much, Mr. Liu," His Royal Highness said gratefully.

Liu Yong nodded, feeling a bit relieved as well.

"I'm glad I could be of help, Your Highness. It was my pleasure to assist you."

The other oriental faces in the room also expressed gratitude and admiration toward Liu Yong.

The middle-aged man who seemed familiar earlier approached him and said,

"Mr. Liu, I am the chairman of a salvage company based in Hong Kong. Your work today has left a deep impression on me. If you ever consider a career in the salvage industry, I would be more than happy to offer you a job."

Liu Yong was surprised by the sudden job offer, but he thanked the man politely and said he would consider it.