Chapter 12 Cross-border Trade

"More than all of them combined? Can you give me a specific number?"

Facing this rare opportunity, Zhu Yihai naturally wanted to seize it. While delighted, he also understood that whether he could seize this opportunity depended on whether he could introduce a reliable supplier.

There were indeed many reliable suppliers, but the question was how much he needed.

"Probably around 20 boxes!"

Considering his unfamiliarity with the area and the limited time he had, he didn't want to waste any time searching for sellers.

"20 boxes?!"

Zhu Yihai exclaimed in shock. "20, 20 boxes..."

Seeing Zhu Yihai stunned, Li Yi'an asked, "What's wrong?"

"There's definitely a problem, sir. You know how much that is? Each box of cigarettes contains 250 sticks, not packs. And nowadays, even in the U.S., cigarettes are subject to quotas. This many cigarettes, so many..."

Seeing Zhu Yihai getting excited, Li Yi'an calmly said, "Is there a problem?"

"Yes, there is definitely a problem..."

Zhu Yihai said, "With so many cigarettes, unless you buy out all of Chinatown..."

Before he could finish, Zhu Yihai looked outside Chinatown and then lowered his voice. "But I know one person who definitely has enough supply, though he's not Chinese."

"Not Chinese?"

"Right."

"Is he reliable?"

"A lot of goods in Chinatown come from him. During the prohibition era, his family engaged in bootlegging, and now they're in the illicit cigarette trade."

Under normal circumstances, Zhu Yihai would not mention that guy, but now, considering the astonishing commission, he naturally had no reason to conceal anything.

"But dealing with him will require cash. However, you can sell the items you brought with you before going there."

"Alright, help me find a buyer first. The main items I brought this time are watches, I mean high-end timepieces."

"Thank you for your trust. I'll take you there now. Please follow me."

As Zhu Yihai spoke, he led Li Yi'an outside Chinatown.

"Mr. Covell, this is Mr. Li from Europe. You can call him Li."

Taking Li Yi'an to a luxurious watch shop outside Chinatown, they found Mr. Philip Covell.

"Hello, Li."

Covell warmly greeted them. From the watches displayed in the Covell Watch Shop, it was apparent that it was indeed a suitable place.

"Li, you can call me Philip."

Covell warmly shook hands with Li Yi'an. Compared to his warmth, Li Yi'an just wanted to conclude the transaction quickly and start his next plan. So he went straight to the point, taking out a watch from his backpack and placing it on the counter.

"Mr. Philip, hello, nice to meet you. This is the watch I brought. Please take a look!"

Almost as soon as Li Yi'an took out the watch, Covell's attention was drawn to it. He picked up one of the watches and exclaimed, "A Longines Flyback Chronograph, using the 13zn movement..."

Covell meticulously examined the watch with the help of a magnifying glass and a small desk lamp. Li Yi'an and Zhu Yihai sat quietly on the side, waiting for his appraisal.

After examining the watch, Covell had an estimate in mind. Although the war had affected the luxury goods market by impacting supply, it was the supply of luxury goods that was affected. However, even during the war, the wealthy still had demands for luxury goods, and sometimes even higher demands than before, because the war... had made many people rich.

"Do you want to sell it?"

"If you're willing, I can offer $200. Before the war, new watches were sold at this price. Although this watch is from 1938, it's been well maintained."

"200 dollars?"

Hearing the offer, Li Yi'an said directly, "250 dollars. And if you agree, I also have five more of the same model watches, of similar quality."

With surprise in their eyes, both Covell and Zhu Yihai agreed after a little consideration.

Five watches for $1250!

But that was just the beginning. Before leaving London, knowing that pounds were not usable in the U.S. and couldn't be exchanged for dollars, Li Yi'an specifically purchased some watches and cameras from second-hand shops. In London, many people were selling their collections to make ends meet, including watches, cameras, and even antiques and paintings. In London, these items were a dime a dozen. Watches like this Longines Flyback Chronograph were considered mainstream, not particularly precious, but not cheap either, costing around ten pounds each. He also had a few Baume & Mercier watches, but the really valuable one was a Patek Philippe 96 "quantiemelune" wristwatch.

When he took it out, Covell's eyes lit up. These watches had been discontinued shortly after the war broke out and were unobtainable even with money.

"How much would Mr. Covell be willing to offer for this watch?"

The reason for the proactive inquiry, rather than waiting for the other party to make an offer, was because Li Yian had a deep impression of this Patek Philippe. Before he crossed over, he had read a report stating that only seven of the same model were known to exist. The watch auctioned in that report was the eighth piece, never seen on the market before.

And that watch was sold at a high price of 48.85 million Hong Kong dollars at the auction!

If it weren't for raising funds for inventory, he even planned to treat this watch as a family heirloom.

After considering for a moment, Covell spoke up.

"$1,800! Mr. Li, this is definitely the highest price on the market. I don't think anyone could offer a higher price than me."

"$2,500."

Li Yian gave a straightforward response.

"Deal!"

With Covell's prompt agreement, Li Yian couldn't help but express some regret.

"Well, the family heirloom is yours!"

As the words fell, time froze, and the screen reappeared.

[Completed the first cross-border trade, sold eleven used watches, received $5,460 in funds, with a profit of $4,835, and awarded 2,412 experience points!

Great, another system reward has come!