At 1 a.m., the earth was still shrouded in darkness, with towns, villages, and harbors all in a deep state of slumber.
On the sea, the chilly wind whipped up layers of waves, with no birds in sight above and no fish below.
At this moment, near the dark coastline, a rubber dinghy was silently paddling towards the shore, while not far away, a black object resembling a whale was slowly swimming.
Four shadowy figures quickly disembarked from the dinghy, with one of them reminding the others on board:
"Tell Captain Hessen that we'll be back after completing the task, and the password remains 'two long, one short'! Stay on the island until we return!"
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"Arslan! Arslan! Get up, there's work to be done!"
This slightly hoarse voice came from an elderly man with graying hair and a slightly hunched back. Despite his slow movements, his bamboo cane struck with precision, prompting the person still nestled in bed to jump up.
"Grandpa! What are you doing? It's still early! Why not let me sleep a little longer?"
This voice sounded somewhat youthful, and its owner, indeed only eighteen or nineteen years old, was slender and still yawning.
"Who told you to go crazy with that bunch of rascals last night? Huh? Serves you right! Hurry up, get dressed and come out. There's work to be done, it's four Germans! Be smart, don't mess it up!"
The old man seemed too excited; he coughed as soon as he finished speaking, pounding his right hand on his back repeatedly.
"I got it, Grandpa! You stay at home today, and when I earn some money, I'll buy you cough medicine!"
The young man quickly put on his pants and padded jacket, picked up an old woolen cap from beside the pillow, threw a rough cloth bag over his shoulder, put on his shoes, and dashed out of the door.
In Turkey, many people the same age as Arslan went to the battlefield, but Arslan was an exception. Before the war started, he worked as a handyman with his uncle on a German steamer. When the war broke out, that unfortunate steamer was captured by the British, and it took the uncle and nephew duo many twists and turns to return to Turkey. Soon after, Arslan's uncles and cousins were all conscripted, but the recruiting officer thought he was too weak. As a result, throughout the entire war, Arslan relied on his elderly grandfather. He usually helped people shine shoes on the dock and worked part-time as a translator. During his three years on the German steamer, he learned to speak German fluently enough. Also, because Turkey joined the Allies, there were quite a few people who came to Antalya Harbor during the war and spoke German.
When Arslan reached the door, the employers were already waiting for him there.
"Sorry, gentlemen, for keeping you waiting!"
Although Arslan's German was not very standard, he had no problem communicating with Germans.
"No problem, can we go now?"
Standing before Arslan, this man spoke fluent German, but Arslan couldn't discern the specific accent — after all, he had only spent three years on a German steamer, so how could he have a deep understanding of the various German accents?
Nevertheless, Arslan calmly scrutinized the employer before him. This person was at most three or four years older than himself, towering over him with a physique that he envied. He had the typical style of European nobility, wearing a white shirt underneath a navy velvet tuxedo. A black bowtie was carefully fastened around his collar, and he wore an unmarked woolen overcoat reaching below the knees, paired with gray trousers and a high-quality pair of leather boots. His demeanor was elegant but not ostentatious, and coupled with his young and charismatic face, Arslan felt that this person must be very popular among women in Germany.
Behind this employer stood three more people, judging from their facial features and physique, they were also Germans. Among them, one was dressed exceptionally well, about the same age as Arslan, but what frustrated Arslan was that this person was also a head taller than him, with a physique that served as an excellent clothes hanger, making anything he wore look good. Clad in dark-toned attire that exuded nobility in both fabric and style, based on Arslan's experience working odd jobs on the steamer, these two were either rich or noble, individuals not to be underestimated!
As for the other two behind them, they were dressed plainly, each wearing a cheap hat. The one on the left had an unusually robust physique, clearly a bodyguard, while the one on the right, although not tall, appeared very seasoned, perhaps a sharpshooter.
"No problem, sir! Before we depart, may I ask, are you here for tourism or business?"
Arslan inquired very respectfully, performing a European-style bow towards the other party. However, such a gesture from a plainly dressed Turkish man might seem a bit awkward.
"Business!"
The man who spoke earlier responded succinctly.
In Arslan's eyes, this young man might be slightly inferior to his companions in terms of looks, but he exuded a maturity beyond his years. His calm and deep blue eyes, proud nose, and well-groomed hair all contributed to his charm. However, a small scar beneath his neat hair seemed to detract from his overall aesthetic appeal, evidently limiting his hairstyle options.
"Gentlemen, let me explain here. The daily fee for business guidance is 100 pounds (Turkish pounds, equivalent to Turkish lira). If the deal is successful, an additional one-thousandth of the transaction amount will be charged as commission! Are you both okay with this?"
The two employers exchanged glances before the slightly older one spoke up, "We'll pay after the deal is completed. As for the commission, you can choose between one-thousandth of the transaction amount or 100 pounds."
After some thought and a glance at the demeanor and attire of the two, Arslan responded, "One-thousandth!"
"You're quite clever!" nodded the older man approvingly. "Deal! Now, please take us to the jewelry store with the best reputation around here."
"You're very astute too!" Arslan teased, winking mischievously at the man. "Choosing reputation over size!"
Two hours later, in the oldest jewelry store in Antalya Harbor, after scrutinizing three crystal-clear granules under a specialized magnifying glass several times, the elderly appraiser, who was also the owner of the store, finally nodded. He then raised two fingers towards Zhang Hainuo and muttered something in Turkish.
"He says he can offer 200,000 pounds, but he can't go any higher!"
The young Turkish guide conveyed the message to Zhang Hainuo. Due to the devaluation of the Turkish lira during the end of World War I, Zhang Hainuo had to use the value of physical goods as a reference since he wasn't aware of the current exchange rate between the Turkish lira and the British pound. He quietly asked his guide:
"How much does it cost to buy a small boat or a freighter here?"
The local guide, who had just been hired by them that morning, thought for a moment. "A new ship costs between 40,000 and 50,000 pounds, while an old one would be no more than 20,000 pounds!"
Zhang Hainuo discussed with Otto again and asked him to convey to the shop owner:
"We're willing to deal with his friend for 200,000 pounds!"
After the guide relayed this message truthfully, the sixty-year-old Turkish man immediately greeted Zhang Hainuo and Otto with joy, hugging them in turn, then muttered something to them in Turkish.
"Mr. Solak says he sincerely invites you both to have lunch together, and the money will be raised in two hours!"
Lunch was secondary to Zhang Hainuo's plans. He decided to use this place as his "fencing point", so he gladly accepted the shop owner's invitation and asked the guide to convey to him that if they could pay with some gold, silver coins, or gold bars, he could make a small concession on the price.
As a jeweler, Mr. Solak naturally would not refuse such a profitable opportunity.