Chapter 316: Making Good Use of the Scraps Can Yield Significant Profits

William was more pleased than surprised to hear that the 92 million dollars he had spent wouldn't even cover one-tenth of the Chinese antiques. He couldn't help but marvel at the deep wealth these old aristocratic families possessed, despite their apparent decline. Just five or six families could produce Chinese antiques of such immense value.

While their family histories were long and illustrious, their foresight was lacking. Moreover, at this time, the purchasing power of Chinese buyers abroad had not yet begun to surge. As a result, these nobles inevitably underestimated the future value of Chinese antiques.

Little did they know, within 20 years, England would truly become a second-rate country. By then, it might not even matter if the Chinese showed no interest in their goods.

But this situation worked in William's favor. If it weren't for these circumstances, he wouldn't have the chance to make such large-scale acquisitions at bargain prices. William sneered inwardly at these short-sighted fools still living in the dream of their empire. It was just as well; it would benefit him.

If he could buy them all, in less than 10 years, these Chinese antiques would quickly be worth 5 billion dollars, and in 15 years, they could even reach 20 billion dollars.

These were far better as family heirlooms than gold. Just with these Chinese antiques, he could secure a place on the Forbes global rich list.

However, he wondered if any of his descendants would turn out to be a prodigal who would sell off the collection he painstakingly amassed.

At the same time, William reflected on how, when one is fortunate, wealth just seems to gravitate toward them without any effort.

Buying them directly wouldn't work; Duke Devon and the others would never agree to that. Not only would it involve paying taxes, but it would also defeat their purpose of ensuring their descendants had enough wealth to pay inheritance taxes.

As he stared down at the dark sea, William thought for a moment and quickly made a decision. He would use the matter of the Guaiacum wood and the Russian mafia as leverage to trade with Duke Devon and the others.

It was a simple calculation: while Chinese antiques would see a massive increase in value in the future, the Guaiacum wood and the attempt to sabotage the Faraday Group would only yield a few billion dollars at best.

The entire Faraday Group was worth less than a billion dollars. Faraday was not Ferrari; it was just a yacht manufacturer. There wasn't much more money to be squeezed from them.

But William had no means, nor did he wish, to deal with the mafia business himself. He had no power or personnel in Eastern Europe.

Now, not only could he exchange the information with Duke Devon and the others for their Chinese antiques, but he could also divert their attention and efforts toward these troubles. This would significantly weaken the Russian mafia, preventing any retaliation afterward—a win-win for William.

Having made up his mind, William spoke into his phone, "Are you still there?"

"Of course, I almost thought you'd fallen asleep," Garris complained over the phone.

"Cut the crap. I'll send someone to inspect and appraise those Chinese antiques. I only want the finest. If they're all junk, our deal is off." Though he was eager to acquire all the Chinese antiques, William knew that wasn't possible. He couldn't appear too desperate in the first transaction. Otherwise, those old foxes would keep the good stuff and offer it as bargaining chips later.

But he couldn't delay too long either. If the value of Chinese antiques started to rise, it would be uncertain whether he could still trade for them.

So, William planned to lay some bait first and focus Duke Devon and the others on money and trouble.

"If you want to make money, bring out the good stuff for me to choose from. If I'm satisfied, I have two ways for you to make a fortune. One is very simple, taking 1 to 3 months with a potential profit of three to four billion dollars. If you're bold, you might even acquire a mid-sized company worth a billion dollars.

The other way could be a bit troublesome; it's based in Eastern Europe. This path should be a long-term venture, but it involves some shady dealings. Once you understand the specifics, whether or not you take action, you'll owe me a two billion dollar information fee. But I guarantee that if done right, making five to six billion dollars a year should be easy. If you're ruthless, earning ten billion dollars in a year won't be a problem."

"Ten billion a year? Then why don't you do it yourself?" Garris asked skeptically. "It sounds like it involves some shady business. Eastern Europe is huge. How can you guarantee we can clean up the opposition?"

"I already told you that business would bring retribution. I don't need that five or ten billion. As for the information, I guarantee it will be accurate, down to how many lovers the key figures in the organization have. I even offer after-sales service. If someone becomes a nuisance, for a fee of one to five million dollars, I can guarantee that person won't last three days."

"Heh, you really are all about the money, William. A paid after-sales service isn't an after-sales service; it's a second charge," Garris retorted. "And you think the big nobles don't have a few people on hand for dirty work? You wouldn't even get a penny."

"Good job, Garris. You've just relieved me of my guilt about raising the price. Now the information is worth three billion dollars."

"Damn," Garris started to curse but stopped himself. He genuinely believed that if he continued, William, that shameless bastard, would raise the price again.

"Thanks. You don't have to hold back. I don't mind if you curse me a bit more," William chuckled sinisterly.

"Fine, you win, William," Garris conceded. If Duke Devon and the others found out they had to pay an extra two billion dollars just because he cursed William, they'd surely label him an idiot, even if they understood it was just an excuse to raise the price.

"Tomorrow, I'll upload the information to a website. Once you access it with the password I provide, you'll owe me three billion dollars. Combined with the previous 92 million dollars, that's 3.92 billion dollars. You can pay with Chinese antiques at a 30% discount. My people will select antiques worth 5.6 billion dollars. Any issues with that?"

"How would I know if there are issues? I'm just the messenger. But personally, I trust your credibility. But shouldn't you also tell me about the simple way to earn three or four billion dollars?"

"Heh, it's more fun to suffer first and then enjoy the sweet. You eat the tough parts first, then the good parts taste even better."

"Screw you. You're just worried we'll choose the easy route and abandon the difficult one. But don't worry. If it's really as profitable as you say—ten billion dollars a year—there are plenty of people who don't care about some vague retribution. Even among the nobility, there are those who can barely afford to keep a mistress," Garris said dryly.

"Haha, that's settled then. My people will be in London in a few days." Finally, William added a reminder, "Take good care of my person. She's a beauty. If any pests bother her, you know what to do."

"Heh, no problem. You're our moneybags now. I guarantee no one will touch your woman," Garris laughed. "Bye-bye."

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