Wang Yan was forced to come up with such a naive idea due to the cumbersome rules of the auction houses!
Diamonds need to be sold. For someone as financially strained as Wang Yan, no matter how precious the diamonds are, they are worthless if he can't convert them into cash. He was also taking a gamble!
Although there was no sign on the storefront, the interior was clean, with a faint scent of sandalwood wafting through the air.
The pinewood counter was spotless, with a precision electronic scale on top of it.
Behind the counter sat a chubby, middle-aged man in his forties, wearing glasses, polishing a string of beads made of unknown material with a towel.
When he saw Wang Yan enter, the shopkeeper looked up and smiled warmly: "Young man, what do you have to sell?"
Wang Yan immediately had a good impression of him. While glancing around the shop to estimate its purchasing power, he responded, "Diamonds."
"Diamonds?" The shopkeeper was obviously surprised. He set the beads aside and smiled, "I usually deal in gold. Diamonds are rare here. A diamond ring, perhaps?"
"Raw stones," Wang Yan clarified.
"Raw stones? Natural or synthetic?" The shopkeeper sneered, shook his head, gave Wang Yan a pitying look, and said, "Young man, let me tell you, synthetic ones aren't worth much, and even natural diamond roughs are graded. Not every kind is valuable!"
Wang Yan smiled, took out a 20-carat diamond, and gently placed it on the counter. In such a small shop, he wasn't foolish enough to take out a 50-carat diamond.
The shopkeeper's initial playful expression turned serious. He pulled out a pair of white gloves from beneath the counter, carefully put them on, and then picked up the diamond with great care. Taking out a magnifying glass, he meticulously examined every facet of it, his expression growing more cautious with each passing second.
Finally, the shopkeeper put down the magnifying glass, looked at Wang Yan suspiciously, and asked, "Where did you get this?"
Wang Yan could tell that despite the shopkeeper's attempt to maintain composure, his breathing had noticeably quickened. Wang Yan smiled and said, "It's an heirloom."
The shopkeeper mumbled something under his breath and then asked, "Do you have an appraisal certificate?"
Wang Yan rolled his eyes, "No, I told you it's an heirloom. How would I have an appraisal certificate?"
"No appraisal certificate?" The shopkeeper slowly said, still holding the diamond, "Young man, without an appraisal certificate, I can't guarantee the authenticity of this diamond!"
"Just tell me if you can buy it," Wang Yan said impatiently. "If you can, we'll talk about the price."
"Of course, I can buy it, but I need to verify its authenticity first," the shopkeeper said, raising an eyebrow with a sly smile. "Young man, you know how advanced counterfeiting technology is these days. If I misjudge this and lose money, it's on me. But judging by my initial inspection, it seems genuine and of top quality. If it proves to be real, we're looking at a price like this," he said, holding up his thumb in a gesture.
"Ten million?" Wang Yan was tempted. This was the smallest of all his diamonds. A 20-carat loose diamond can fetch around 1.78 million dollars when processed, and his was still a rough stone. A price of ten million was reasonable.
"Yes," the shopkeeper said, admiring the diamond in his hand before looking at Wang Yan. "Young man, I'm a straightforward businessman. I'll be honest with you. My small shop can't handle ten million, but I know someone who can. I can help you make the connection. According to industry rules, I'd take a 10% commission. You eat the meat, and I'll be content with some soup!"
The shopkeeper's words reassured Wang Yan. If the man had offered to buy it outright for ten million, Wang Yan might have been suspicious. But by positioning himself as a middleman looking to make a small profit, he immediately put Wang Yan at ease.
What was Wang Yan lacking?
People and time!
If this man could really help him sell the diamonds, Wang Yan wouldn't mind the 10% commission, or even more!
After all, his diamonds were easy to come by, and right now, cash was what he needed most.
Wang Yan nodded, "No problem."
The shopkeeper smiled broadly and then asked, "Do you have a photo of the diamond? Send it to me, and I'll show it to my boss. He's an expert in jewelry and jade."
Wang Yan suddenly chuckled, "I didn't have time to take any pictures."
"In that case, let me handle it!" The shopkeeper was accommodating and smiled, "Give me two minutes. I'll do a basic specific gravity test first, then I'll take you to see an expert for a detailed appraisal. After that, we'll get a certificate for this baby."
As he spoke, he walked to the back room, looking more eager than Wang Yan.
As the diamond left his sight, Wang Yan felt a vague sense of unease. But before he could say anything, the shopkeeper had already returned from the back room, holding a beaker filled with a solution.
Wang Yan let out a sigh of relief and chuckled to himself. It seemed he was being overly suspicious. In broad daylight, how many conmen could there be?
But then the shopkeeper said something that made Wang Yan freeze.
"Young man, what are you here to sell?"
The shopkeeper's tone was natural, filled with the warmth of a businessman dealing with a customer, just as if... as if Wang Yan had just entered the shop.
Wang Yan's heart sank.
Yes, despite his best efforts to be cautious, he had walked right into a black market scheme!
First, lure him in with a sincere tone, slowly gaining his trust?
Ask him if he has an appraisal certificate or photos to prove authenticity?
…
Scenes flashed through Wang Yan's mind, and he understood everything in an instant. This old fox had led him into a trap step by step!
"Shopkeeper, excellent acting!"
Wang Yan laughed softly and clapped his hands. "It's a pity you're running a jewelry recycling shop—you should be in Hollywood!"
"Young man, I don't understand what you're talking about. We're a legitimate gold recycling business, registered with the Public Security Bureau," the shopkeeper said, his face darkening. "If you want to sell something, I welcome it. But if you're here to cause trouble, I can press this button, and security will be here in three minutes..."
"No appraisal certificate, no photos, so you're sure I can't do anything to you, right?" Wang Yan smiled coldly. "But maybe you don't know who I am?"
"Young man, I don't understand what you're talking about," the shopkeeper said, frowning and lowering his voice threateningly. "I don't care who you are, but I'm running a legitimate business here, protected by law. If you want to cause trouble, I can call the police..."
"You can't call the police!" Wang Yan sneered, jumped onto the counter, grabbed the shopkeeper by the arm, and instantly tore open the space, bringing the black-hearted shopkeeper to his planet.
Space shifted suddenly.
The shopkeeper was stunned. He looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, his face full of horror, and a strangled sound escaped his throat: "Where is this? Who are you?"
"Buddy, have you ever tried bungee jumping?" Wang Yan grinned wickedly, his arms tightly gripping the shopkeeper. The next second, they were both at an altitude of 8,000 meters.
They hovered in the air for a moment.
Then they plunged toward the ground in free fall.
Below, the land stretched out in endless mountains.
The wind howled past their ears as the ground grew closer and closer. The shopkeeper was terrified, his face as pale as a sheet. He clung desperately to Wang Yan's arm, pleading in panic: "Brother, I was wrong! I'll give you back the diamond! Please, just let me go..."
"Okay!" Wang Yan smiled, and with a flick, he sent the shopkeeper away.
"No! Don't let go!" The shopkeeper screamed as he fell, "Please, brother—no, grandpa! Save me! I'm going to die!"