"Okay, thank you, David..."
After the accountant left, William returned the bank draft to Zhuang Rui with a big smile, then took out a quotation from his desk drawer and placed it in front of Zhuang Rui.
"Mr. Zhuang, this is the list of diamonds to be auctioned this week and the starting bid prices. You can take a look at the list first, and if you would like to see the actual diamonds, I can get them for you..."
Anyone who can come up with 200 million euros is already a very important client of the exchange. After opening the list, William pointed to it and said to Zhuang Rui, "Mr. Zhuang, look at this one. This is a diamond mined last August, weighing 48 carats. The starting bid is only 5 million US dollars. And look at this one. This is the largest diamond mined last year, and it's a pink diamond. The starting bid is 15 million US dollars. I believe Mr. Zhuang has the financial strength to buy it..."
William, acting as if they were old friends, sat down next to Zhuang Rui and went to great lengths to introduce the diamonds on the list to Zhuang Rui, as if he wanted to empty Zhuang Rui's pockets of every last penny.
"Damn, this thing is more expensive than jadeite," Zhuang Rui cursed inwardly. You know, one carat is only equivalent to 0.2 grams, and fifty carats is only about 10 grams, or one-fifth of an ounce, yet it can sell for tens of millions of US dollars, which is much more expensive than top-grade jadeite.
"Mr. Zhuang, please open this again..."
Seeing that Zhuang Rui didn't seem to care, William pointed to another diamond.
"Thank you, let me take a look..."
Zhuang Rui smiled and glanced at William, interrupting him. If he bought the items as William suggested, his father-in-law in Hong Kong would definitely fight him to the death.
Zhuang Rui came to the south this time to help Qin's Jewelry and his own Qin Ruilin purchase a year's worth of rough diamonds. He dared not spend the money recklessly.
Currently, the price of loose diamonds on the international market, depending on their luster and color, is generally between 4,000 and 10,000 RMB per carat, which translates to approximately 400 to 1,000 euros per carat.
Of course, for some extremely rare pink diamonds and larger diamonds, the prices are not appropriate. For example, 50 one-carat diamonds may only cost 500,000 RMB, but a single 50-carat diamond may cost 5 million or even 50 million RMB.
For example, a rough diamond weighing over 55 carats was produced in South Africa a few years ago and was eventually auctioned off to a jeweler for $12 million. The mine that produced that diamond was then directly acquired by an American company for $100 million.
The diamonds that William just introduced to Zhuang Rui are the same; the weight and purity of a diamond can increase its price by tens or even hundreds of times.
So even though Zhuang Rui brought a lot of money this time, if he only chooses top-quality diamonds, he can probably only buy a few dozen at most.
"Hehe, Mr. Zhuang, please take your time looking around. Just call me if you need anything..."
William knew that his actions had offended the young man, so he stood up, poured Zhuang Rui another cup of coffee, and sat quietly beside him.
"Based on the annual sales volume of Qin's Jewelry's numerous chain stores across Southeast Asia, we would probably need at least 30,000 loose diamonds ranging from one to three carats, which would cost around 80 million euros... In addition, we would need to purchase some diamonds ranging from three to ten carats with higher purity and quality, which would also cost around 80 million euros. The remaining tens of millions of euros could be used to purchase a few top-quality diamonds..."
Zhuang Rui secretly calculated in his mind that the tens of thousands of loose diamonds did not need to be of very high quality, but it would be best if they were from a batch of auction items. As for the other two types, Zhuang Rui would need to carefully select them.
"Hmm? That's acceptable..."
Zhuang Rui saw a batch of auction items, totaling more than 28,000 loose diamonds, all from the same mine, with a starting bid of 41 million euros, which was also the highest price in this package auction.
"Mr. William, could you please provide a few auction listings?"
These loose diamonds were all of average quality, and Zhuang Rui didn't need to inspect them at all. After taking the auction slips from William, Zhuang Rui filled in the lot numbers and then wrote down the auction price of 82 million euros.
Staff are not allowed to view the customers' bid prices, so William waited until Zhuang Rui finished filling out the bid form and sealed it in a special paper bag before approaching Zhuang Rui and saying, "Mr. Zhuang, would you like to purchase some single diamonds?"
With William's experience, he could naturally tell that Zhuang Rui was buying loose diamonds. However, with such a big client, William would be reluctant not to sell a few top-quality diamonds.
"Mr. William, could you bring this pink diamond, this 48-carat diamond, and these others, for me to examine?"
William's efforts paid off; upon seeing the diamonds Zhuang Rui pointed to, he nearly fainted from happiness.
Chapter 814 Diamond Deal (Part 2)
The diamonds Zhuang Rui mentioned all had starting bids of over $500,000, including a pink diamond worth $15 million and a 48-carat diamond.
William mentally estimated that the diamond Zhuang Rui wanted to see was worth at least fifty million US dollars.
In fact, Zhuang Rui wasn't very interested in the $15 million pink diamond, because such a diamond would definitely have a starting bid of over $30 million.
Zhuang Rui currently only has a little over 40 million euros left, which is about 50 to 60 million US dollars. If he buys this pink diamond, he won't have the funds to purchase other high-quality diamonds.
However, since he had come to South Africa, Zhuang Rui naturally wanted to see some top-quality rough diamonds that were still unprocessed.
“Okay, Mr. Zhuang, please wait a moment, I’ll bring you these diamonds right away…”
William noted down the numbers of the more than forty loose diamonds over five carats that Zhuang Rui had selected, as well as the six or seven top-quality diamonds. Then he hurriedly left the office to prepare the diamonds for Zhuang Rui to inspect.
However, Zhuang Rui's wait was quite long. More than twenty minutes later, William walked into the office with an apologetic look on his face and said, "Mr. Zhuang, I'm so sorry, since you didn't make an appointment beforehand, these diamonds are currently being inspected, so you'll have to wait a little longer..."
According to the exchange's regulations, they would arrange each person's viewing time based on the application submitted by the licensee. Zhuang Rui's interference naturally disrupted their arrangements, so this situation is quite normal.
"It's alright, Mr. William, please make the arrangements as soon as possible..."
Zhuang Rui knew the rules and waved his hand to indicate that he didn't care. As the world's largest diamond trading venue and an annual diamond trade fair, there were bound to be many people looking at the goods.
"Definitely, definitely..."
After William left with his assurances, Zhuang Rui waited for another half hour. Apart from a white girl with freckles coming in to pour him a glass of water, William never appeared again.
Zhuang Rui was getting a little impatient. He stood up and opened the office door, ready to ask what was going on, when he saw William carrying a square metal box, walking out of another room alongside two black men and a yellow-skinned Arab man.
Behind them were two white men carrying submachine guns, presumably security personnel from the stock exchange.
Leading the way was an Arab man, around thirty years old, with short hair and wearing brightly colored clothes, a stark contrast to the suits and ties worn by everyone at the diamond exchange.
Behind the Arab youth, a black man was walking out while pointing at William, looking unhappy. William's attitude surprised Zhuang Rui; he kept nodding and saying sorry.
It's important to understand that although South Africa is governed by black people, their status is still very low. The country's economy and energy resources are controlled by white people. In other words, the entire country of South Africa is essentially working for Western countries.
White people in South Africa enjoyed many privileges, which were left over from the colonial era. Although Mandela abolished most of these privileges after coming to power, white people still held a high status in South Africa and had always looked down on black people.
William's respectful attitude towards a young black man, who was likely just the young Arab man's servant, made Zhuang Rui take a second look at the Arab man.
After dropping the group off at the entrance of the exchange, William wiped the sweat from his brow, then picked up his suitcase and turned to walk towards Zhuang Rui.
However, the Arab man did not leave the exchange. When he saw William walking towards Zhuang Rui, he suddenly grinned at Zhuang Rui, revealing his snow-white teeth.
Although Zhuang Rui didn't recognize the man, he still politely returned a smile. What angered him was that after the Arab man smiled, he suddenly raised his right hand, spread his thumb and forefinger into the shape of a pistol, and pointed it at his temple as if to fire a gun.
"What the hell? Are you sick in the head?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned for a moment when he saw the man's actions, and then he became angry. Judging from the man's behavior and the unfriendly look in his eyes, he was not joking with him.
"f...u...c...k!"
Arabs may be rich, but they shouldn't do such an insulting thing to you. Zhuang Rui opened his mouth wide, mouthed a curse in English, and then crossed his hand across his throat.
Although Zhuang Rui didn't want to cause trouble, he wasn't afraid of trouble either. At worst, he would just skip the trade fair and go back to China. He didn't believe that this person could do anything to him.
Upon seeing Zhuang Rui's actions, the Arab man was visibly taken aback, then his face darkened with anger. He gave Zhuang Rui a thumbs-up, then turned his head slightly and said a few words to the black man beside him.
“Zhuang… Oh my God, Mr. Zhuang, please come in, please come in quickly…”
William was walking towards Zhuang Rui. At first, he was a little confused when he saw Zhuang Rui make this move, but when he turned around and saw the Arab youth, his face immediately showed a look of horror. He grabbed Zhuang Rui and pushed him into the room.
Two armed security guards followed them into the room. Their job was to ensure the safety of the goods during the customer's inspection, and they ignored the silent conflict that had just occurred.
"My God, Mr. Zhuang, how could you have offended that person?"
After entering the room, William's expression was still somewhat grim. He said, "Zhuang, you need to be careful. That man is a scoundrel; he'll definitely come after you..."
“Mr. William, he provoked me first. He just made a shooting gesture at me…”
To be honest, Zhuang Rui was also annoyed. What had he done to deserve this? That guy had made a threatening gesture at him for no reason. Was he supposed to just lie on the ground and cooperate with him?
However, the fact that the Arab man could frighten William to this extent suggests that he must be someone of considerable importance.
William sighed and said, "Sigh, you shouldn't have left the room. That way, he wouldn't know who wanted to inspect the goods. Zhuang, you really don't understand the diamond trade..."
The reason why diamond exchanges conduct separate auctions and prevent dealers from meeting each other is to ensure the privacy of their clients to the greatest extent possible.
It's important to understand that diamond transactions often involve hundreds of millions of dollars, making them a target for many criminal groups. If word gets out, even staying in the police station might not be safe.
"William, tell me who that person is?"
Zhuang Rui knew all that William was saying, but he wasn't a god who knew he would run into William and his guest coming out of another room the moment he stepped out. What Zhuang Rui was concerned about now was, just who was that Arab who harbored ill will towards him?
"He is a general of Libya..."
William said.
"General, so young?"
Zhuang Rui looked at the man, who appeared to be only in his early thirties, and realized he was a general, which piqued his curiosity.
“My God, he’s Gaddafi’s son!” William was very unhappy that Zhuang Rui had interrupted him, and continued, “Do you know who Gaddafi is? Do you know what kind of power he wields in Africa and the Arab world? Young man, you shouldn’t have provoked him…”
Upon hearing the name Gaddafi, Zhuang Rui's expression finally changed. Although he didn't concern himself with politics, he had just read a book written by the famous journalist Donald Duck, which contained some factual accounts of interviews with Gaddafi.
Gaddafi is a controversial figure, with opinions about him being mixed. Some see him as a "savior," a "national hero," and a "revolutionary leader," while others view him as a "madman," a "lunatic," and a "supporter of terrorism." But regardless of their stance, both supporters and opponents must acknowledge the fact that Gaddafi led a nation of approximately six million people out of poverty. In 1981, Libya's per capita national income reached $11,000, making it the wealthiest country in Africa.
Even after years of Western economic sanctions, Libya remains one of the wealthiest regions in Africa, with its citizens enjoying compulsory education and a comprehensive healthcare system.
Gaddafi came to power through a coup. After taking power, he immediately expelled Western forces from the country and launched a revolution. It can be said that in Libya, Gaddafi was the only God and was respected by many small African countries.
A man who has been hated by Western countries such as Britain and the United States for decades is living a fulfilling life, which is admirable. However, Zhuang Rui's encounter with his son in Africa is not a pleasant thing.
Gaddafi's seven sons and one daughter were involved in numerous industries in the country, including oil, gas, hotels, media, distribution, communications, and social infrastructure.
Libya has proven oil reserves of approximately 43 billion barrels and proven natural gas reserves of 1.48 trillion cubic meters. Gaddafi's children have made a fortune solely from oil and natural gas exports.
Every year, hundreds of billions of dollars flow into the pockets of Gaddafi's children. It is speculated that the capital invested overseas by Libya also belongs to them, amounting to about $70 billion. Gaddafi's children have also purchased a large number of properties overseas.
The person Zhuang Rui met was Muta, Gaddafi's youngest son. This guy was irritable and brutal. Relying on Gaddafi's power, he committed all sorts of evil deeds in Libya. He was once accused of assaulting his followers while in Switzerland and was "detained" by the Swiss police. He was just like Saddam Hussein's son Uday back then.
"Zhuang, I suggest you leave here after the bidding tomorrow, that way Muta won't be able to do anything to you..."
After explaining Muta's personality to Zhuang Rui, William kindly advised Zhuang Rui that he had been working here for five or six years and was well aware of the lawless behavior of the children of these African countries. Even if Muta killed someone in South Africa, he would still have diplomatic immunity.
"Thank you, William, I will seriously consider your suggestion..."
Damn it, this Muta is a complete princeling from Libya! Zhuang Rui felt a little annoyed. If we're talking about serious matters, I could be considered a third-generation official in China, right? How come I never enjoyed the same treatment as them?
However, Zhuang Rui wasn't afraid of that Muta. After the bidding was completed tomorrow afternoon, he would just pack up and leave that evening. Anyway, he wouldn't be flying over Libyan airspace on his way back. No matter how capable that guy was, he couldn't possibly send out fighter jets to shoot him down over another country, could he?
Besides, there's only one day left until the bidding opens. Muta probably hasn't even figured out his own background yet, while Zhuang Rui is already on his way home.
"Zhuang, as a friend, I still hope you can be careful..."
William saw that Zhuang Rui seemed unconvinced and sighed inwardly. He knew that Muta was a very petty and vindictive person.
A Western journalist once published some negative news about Muta in a newspaper, and Muta hired an assassin to kill the journalist in the street, which caused a huge uproar in Western countries.
However, since Gaddafi always ignored Western countries, the matter was eventually dropped. Muta, however, never dared to travel to Western countries again, otherwise he would be charged.
Having spent the last few years holed up in Africa and Arab countries, Muta, perhaps out of sheer boredom, started a diamond business. Leveraging his considerable wealth and his father's influence in Africa, he monopolized rough diamonds in several countries.
Of course, the power dynamics within South Africa are complex, and Muta does not yet have the capacity to monopolize the South African diamond business.
"Thank you, let's look at the diamonds first..."