"Of course!" the guy answered me confidently.
I sighed, glanced at him, and said calmly, "Alright, goodbye. Let's work together again sometime in the future."
What an idiot, perfectly embodying the incompetence I've seen in state-owned companies. As a representative of a jewelry company, he doesn't even know the most basic common sense… Legal? Two-thirds of the diamonds on the world market are illegal! European diamond dealers are all involved in diamond smuggling; they just cleverly disguise those diamonds of dubious origin with a veneer of legality… Documents and paperwork—these can all be laundered!
Two-thirds of the diamonds circulating worldwide are illegal, and you dare to shamelessly claim that all your diamonds are legal? What a joke.
******
“Your price is too high.” This was the second diamond merchant I encountered.
This time, he wasn't as foolish as the first person from the state-owned jewelry company; instead, he argued with me about the price.
I said calmly, "The price I'm offering is 15% lower than what you get from the Europeans."
This man frowned, and our subsequent conversation only made me more uncomfortable. Finally, I came to a conclusion…
I see.
His distrust of me and the disagreement over the price stemmed primarily from the fact that I am Chinese! I am of Chinese descent!
Because the supply of diamonds is currently controlled by white people, domestic jewelry businesses in China import diamonds mainly through Europeans. After all, China has no diamond-producing regions, while its diamond consumption has surged to become the world's second largest in the past two years! This combination of market demand and the lack of domestic production forces domestic jewelry merchants to be subservient to European diamond dealers, allowing them to exploit them.
We've become accustomed to others being superior, to high prices, and to... being looked down upon!
"Damn it." I couldn't help but curse after seeing the guy off. He didn't trust me just because I was a Chinese person with yellow skin, just like him! This guy didn't believe that a Chinese person could break the Europeans' monopoly on diamonds, didn't believe that a Chinese person could help them get so many diamonds... Moreover, it seemed that in his mind, since I was Chinese, I should be dealing in low-end, cheap goods, and the quality of the goods must be poor, so the price must also be low!
I couldn't help but sigh... These people look down on themselves, feeling inferior to others, so what's the point of me talking to these good-for-nothings?!
******
The third person I met was a man who was not very old, looking no more than thirty years old, and even a little clumsy.
"I'm from Baoqing Jinlou." He handed me a beautifully crafted business card. I initially felt a slight liking for this seemingly honest man, and upon seeing his business card, that liking increased even further.
There's no other reason than that Baoqing Jinlou is a local jeweler from my hometown of Nanjing.
Due to historical reasons and Chinese characteristics, domestic jewelers, especially established brands, are often named things like XX Gold Shop, XX Silver Shop, XX Gold Store, etc.
As a native of Nanjing, I'm naturally familiar with this brand. It's the largest jewelry company in Jiangsu Province, with branches in several cities across the province, making it a regional brand. Moreover, in my opinion, their business strategy is quite advanced domestically. They've already learned to segment different consumer groups and treat customers at different price levels!
In Nanjing, this jeweler's shops have already differentiated between regular stores and boutiques. The regular stores cater to the needs of average to lower-middle-class consumers, while the boutiques target high-end customers with strong purchasing power.
This jeweler has a very strong market share in gold jewelry, and their strategy is considered quite clever among domestic jewelers operating on a "small workshop" model.
This person seemed honest, but the moment he started talking, my perception of him changed drastically.
"The domestic diamond market now has annual sales of 15 billion RMB, and I estimate it will reach 20 billion RMB next year... This is a huge market. It's just a pity that we've always been led by the nose by Europeans. They firmly hold our lifeline because diamonds are in their hands, they control the market, they can set prices arbitrarily, and they decide how much profit to make. We can't do anything about it. So, although domestic jewelers do deal in diamonds, most treat them as an accessory. A jewelry store without diamonds is simply not presentable. But nobody really values diamonds because we can't make money from them; we still focus on traditional gold, silver, jade, and so on."
"The second point is the cutting process." The man sighed. "Our cutting process is also outdated. You know, the quality of a diamond depends heavily on the cutting process, and in this aspect, we are far behind others... However, if we can cooperate, we are willing to immediately import a complete set of cutting equipment from India and bring in some professionals in this field." He glanced at me after saying this: "The key is that we need to have diamonds first! We need a source of supply."
I laughed. I like this guy; at least he's a smart man, unlike the previous two who were idiots.
Of course, I wasn't stupid enough to show him the whole bag of diamonds. I just took out one and handed it to him: "Two-thirds of the diamonds circulating in the world are smuggled, you should know that. So don't ask me where these come from. I won't tell you even if you do, and even if I did, you'd only be asking for trouble."
He took the diamond, immediately pulled out a small detector from his pocket, examined it carefully for a moment, smiled, and then returned the diamond to me: "Of course, as long as the goods you give me don't violate any national laws in terms of procedures and documentation! As for how these goods came from abroad... I won't ask. Isn't that how Europeans have been doing things for years?"
"It's a pleasure to cooperate!" I laughed and said, "However, I'm sorry, as you and I both know, these things aren't exactly high-level business, so we can't sign any contract. But, to show my sincerity..."
I slowly handed him the diamond: "You must have a girlfriend or wife. Consider this a gift from me to a friend."
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter 126: All Good Things Must Come to an End
Out of habit, I don't put all my eggs in one basket.
So, on the Indian side, I asked Jojo's father to help me secure the necessary channels, and at the same time, I also set my sights on Canada.
As is well known, Canada is the world's third-largest diamond producer.
In Canada, my roots are much stronger than they are in China. Needless to say, this matter was left to the buck-toothed lawyer Zhou, who remained in Vancouver.
However, when I contacted Zhou with buck teeth, he complained about me.
"Boss, I'm your lawyer! But look, ever since I started taking your salary, the work I've been doing is hardly what a lawyer should be doing!"
I couldn't help but laugh.
Indeed, I've practically used Zhou the buck-toothed guy as a jack-of-all-trades. He's done public relations for me, helped me build connections with Canadian customs, and even managed my company's finances for a while! But the one thing... as my lawyer, he's never represented me in a single case!
"So what do you want?"
"Give me a raise." This guy is complaining about being broke to me again.
I tilted my head and thought for a moment, then said, "You... know my seaside villa in Vancouver, right? It's the one I lived in before I got married in Vancouver, where Yan Di and I lived together."
"Yes, I know."
"I'm back in China now, so I'll give you that house. You're my lawyer, so handle the transfer. Just mail me the documents that need my signature."
The guy immediately beamed. But then he told me something else.
"Boss, someone has contacted me. They want me to tell you that they want to meet with you and have a talk."
Who is it?
Bucktooth Zhou hesitated for a moment, then uttered a name: "Big Circle... Thunder Fox."
"No meeting! No talking!" My face immediately changed, and I slammed my hand on the table: "What's there to talk about?!"
Bucktooth said calmly, "He seems to be struggling lately. We've cut off his supply lines in Canada, old Thorin has publicly supported you, and... you've also taken care of the Golden Triangle. He's practically hanging himself. You've also played a trick on them internally. Now that Wang Jiujin has gone back, he's having a great time fighting with him. After Stone talked to you last time, he also persuaded a group of neutral factions to support that Wang Shanhu guy. Lei Hu's situation is very bad now, so..."
"So he came to me begging for mercy?" I sneered.
"I guess so. He wants to talk to you to see if there's any possibility of a peaceful resolution."
"No. Absolutely not!" I said without hesitation. "There's only one way to end this! I want his life!"
The man with the buck teeth sighed, "Boss. Actually..."
“There’s no ‘actually’!” I coldly interrupted Zhou Di, the buck-toothed man. “Attorney Zhou, I know. You always prioritize profit. It’s true that Lei Hu is now at his wit’s end, and if we negotiate with him now, we can ask for whatever we want… but no way! You’re considering the pros and cons, but I’m not! Everything is negotiable, except this!”
This time, Bucktooth Zhou dropped his nonchalant demeanor. He sighed, "Alright, I guess that's the difference between you and me. In that case, let's talk about the third thing. The third thing is the same: there's another person who also wants to meet you."
This time I laughed: "Am I famous now? Why does everyone want to see me?"
“It’s Luo Kaishan,” the buck-toothed Zhou said briefly. “He’s Luo Kaishan, one of the three big bosses in the Big Circle. You’ve taken care of Wang Shanhu, now I’ll trouble you, boss, to figure out how to deal with this Luo Kaishan. But I need to warn you first. This Luo Kaishan is no simple character. He’s not like Wang Shanhu, the kind of guy who gets more timid with age. This guy used to be nicknamed ‘Madman,’ but as he got older, his nickname became ‘Bull Horn,’ because he has a very stubborn and impulsive temper.”
I was silent for a moment, thinking carefully: "Why would he want to see me?"
"My boss!" Zhou with the buck teeth laughed, "You're a hot commodity now! Everyone knows you single-handedly crushed Lei Hu, and you pulled off a brilliant move in Canada, helping Old Solin eliminate an internal traitor and becoming his close ally! Old Solin controls the Canadian drug market; you have the power to decide whose drugs he wants to stock. You've also intimidated the big bosses of the Golden Triangle; you've got the Big Circle firmly under your thumb. You even bribed Wang Shanhu, forcing Lei Hu to the brink of suicide. Naturally, Luo Kaishan will want to negotiate with you. Maybe he even wants to sell himself to you!"
"He might want to work for me, but I might not even want him," I said calmly. "This guy has a tough temper and is difficult to control, far less easy to manage than Wang Shanhu. But..." I thought for a moment and said, "Since he wants to meet, we might as well go ahead. You can act as the middleman and make the arrangements. Is there anything else?"
Buck-toothed Zhou's tone calmed down: "Boss... you gave me your house in Vancouver. Are you not planning to come back?"
"..." I held the phone in my hand, remaining silent for a long time. Finally, I smiled and said, "Attorney Zhou, how much potential do you think we still have to tap into in Canada?"
"That's all." Buck-toothed Zhou understood perfectly.
“Indeed, it’s over.” I tapped the table lightly with one hand and said slowly, “The smuggling business has been on track for the past two years. But the practice of collecting protection money from those smugglers every year couldn’t last long. Those smuggling rings aren’t lambs. They were willing to hand over 100 million to us every year because we controlled Vancouver, the largest port, and they couldn’t change their smuggling routes in the short term. So, they had no choice but to swallow their pride and accept it. But after more than two years, there are still many ports on the west coast of Canada, although they are all small cities. Those smuggling rings have probably laid a lot of groundwork. Once their networks are established, they won’t need to smuggle through Vancouver anymore. We can’t blackmail them anymore. From now on, the 100 million in revenue every year…” "Hopefully! As for our territory in Vancouver… humph, I don't touch drugs. And how much money can you make from seizing territory and collecting protection money? Those big and small gangs were naturally very respectful to me before because I organized everyone to make money by collecting protection money from smuggling groups. But now that the protection money is gone, will they still be as obedient as before…? Obey a yellow man like me? I think it's unlikely. If we want to develop and grow stronger, Canada is Hell's Angels' territory. We can't possibly compete with Hell's Angels for territory… So, it's time to withdraw little by little. Besides, our businesses in Canada have all become legal. The smuggling business is done under the guise of import and export trade through Huaxing Company. We only need to keep a few people in the Canadian branch. I don't need to go there often."
"So, you've decided to go back to China," Zhou with buck teeth sighed.
"And you, my dear Attorney Zhou?" I said with a smile, "would you be interested in coming back to China to help me?"
"No, thank you." To my surprise, Zhou with buck teeth refused without hesitation!
"Why?"
"I'm getting old. My energy isn't what it used to be," Zhou with buck teeth laughed.
Pshaw! I couldn't help but give him the middle finger—even though he couldn't see it.
This old man has six mistresses! For a man his age, such ability and energy are truly astonishing! And his arrangement is quite interesting... He spends the night at a different woman's house every night from Monday to Saturday.
As for Sunday... Bucktooth himself said: Sunday is God's day of rest! God spent six days creating this world, and even God needs to rest on the seventh day! I am no exception.
This guy, who gets more and more of a womanizer as he gets older, still claims he's not getting enough energy?!
Hearing that I didn't speak, the man with the buck teeth laughed and said, "Boss, don't forget, I'm a lawyer! And a Canadian lawyer at that! I studied the European and American legal system, which is completely different from the Chinese legal system. Even if I go back to China, I can't help you. I still prefer being a lawyer to being constantly sent around by you to do those messy things. Most importantly... I've made enough money. As for China, you're in the eye of the storm right now, and I don't want to get involved. Let me play it safe."
As expected, it's still the same.
Self-preservation is practically the only principle that buck-toothed Zhou adheres to!
He has survived several generations of leaders in the North American entertainment circle, from the former boss to Eighth Master, and now to me. He has always stood firm, and his presence has been felt by every leader. This is all because of his principle of "self-preservation"!
Although I knew long ago that someone like Zhou with buck teeth would leave me sooner or later, I never expected him to bring it up on the phone tonight.
With a sigh, I felt a pang of sadness and slowly said, "Alright, all good things must come to an end... Attorney Zhou, since you prefer to stay in Vancouver, please take good care of the Vancouver branch of Huaxing Company for me. Um, could you also lend me the title of legal counsel for the Vancouver branch of Huaxing Company?"
“Sure, but it won’t take long.” Zhou’s voice seemed a little low, but he quickly regained his carefree tone: “Well, this is probably what they call a famous saying in China: ‘Help them get on their horse, then give them a ride,’ right? Hahahaha…”
After hanging up the phone, I still felt a little sad. That buck-toothed Zhou chose a different path from me; he chose to stay outside the circle of controversy... Without a doubt, this guy is really smart, very smart.
Hehe! Retiring?
I'm actually quite envious...
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter 127: The Story of the Wood
Zhou's phone call was practically a hint that he was retiring. Although I felt sorry for him, I couldn't force him to stay.
So, after hanging up the phone, I couldn't help but feel a little melancholy.
Although I knew long ago that a stubborn, clever, and cunning old man like Bucktooth could never be completely used by me, I still missed him because he took the initiative to gradually fade out of my life, after all, we had known each other for several years. It's nice to have one less such a quirky, eccentric, and cunning person around; I'll definitely miss him.
I put down the phone, went behind the table, opened the window, and let in some fresh air.
This is an office in the club... It used to belong to Old Fox Qiao. Of course, it has a new owner now.
Then someone knocked on the door, and I answered, "Come in."
I didn't turn around, but when I heard the sound of high heels on the floor behind me, I knew it must be Yang Wei.
Because, by habit, Yan Di would never bother me when I'm working in the office. She seems quite content with the traditional role of a wife, never coming to find me while I'm working, but quietly staying at home. As for Qiao Qiao… during the day, she's probably busy fooling around at the club; there are lots of fun things there.
Fang Nan seemed to have the best relationship with Yan Di, probably because Yan Di had the gentlest personality. During the day, Fang Nan would usually spend time with Yan Di.
Therefore, the only person who came into my office was Yang Wei.