Bombardier Global 6000

Li Daniu had already mentally prepared himself for Louis’s inability to answer his question. The book he produced this time was none other than the legendary "Harry Potter"—a work said to be worth tens of billions of dollars. Aside from selling over 450 million copies worldwide, the seven-movie adaptation series had also achieved staggering box office success, raking in $7.8 billion.

Yet, compared to the incredible value the book would later create, almost no one believed in it at the beginning. Its author, Rowling, began writing the novel around 1991, but the first volume wasn’t published until 1997. The lengthy wait wasn’t due to the book’s difficulty; on the contrary, Rowling had finished the first draft in less than a year. The delay came from her repeated submissions going completely unnoticed—she received no response at all.

It wasn’t until 1997 that a publisher finally agreed to print the book. That very year, it achieved miraculous sales in the UK, surpassing everyone’s expectations and sparking a global bidding war among publishers.

Many works are dismissed by industry professionals, yet the market often proves them wrong—"Harry Potter" was the perfect example. In contrast, "The Lord of the Rings" was hailed as a classic from the moment it appeared, captivating all who read it with the vast world it created.

When Li Daniu brought out this book, he’d considered the possibility of rejection—after all, Rowling had faced years of it. But to his surprise, thanks to "The Lord of the Rings," Louis didn’t even read the manuscript before agreeing to an exceptionally high royalty rate of sixty percent.

“If you regret it, we can always terminate the publishing contract,” Li Daniu offered considerately. Of course, he’d never admit that if Louis really did cancel, he would abandon him, never again bringing him glory and success.

“Regret? Absolutely not!” Louis exclaimed, then explained, “Last night I was simply distracted by your diamonds, but rest assured, if you give me just one more night, I’ll have every plot point of your new book memorized.”

Although Louis didn’t have high hopes for Li Daniu’s new work, he had immense faith in Li Daniu himself. Even if the book wasn’t outstanding, the fanbase established by "The Lord of the Rings" should guarantee respectable sales.

It was merely a matter of profit margins. Louis had already decided that even if this venture lost money, maintaining a good relationship with Li Daniu was worth it.

“It doesn’t matter whether you read it or not, as long as you don’t regret it,” Li Daniu said.

After discussing some details about the new book’s release, Martin finally finished appraising the diamonds.

“Thank you for your hard work,” said Li Daniu, shaking Martin’s hand with the air of a true leader.

“It’s my honor to serve you,” Martin replied. “If I may ask, do you intend to keep this batch of diamonds, or do you plan to sell them?”

“Sell them, of course,” Li Daniu answered. “In fact, I was about to ask you—since you’re in the industry, do you know any reputable jewelry companies that could take on this lot?”

Martin wiped the sudden sweat from his brow and said, “If I may be frank, the value of this batch is so immense that I doubt any single jewelry company in the world has enough cash on hand to purchase it outright. However, I can introduce you to several well-capitalized firms. If they each take a portion, there shouldn’t be any problem.”

“That’s even better. I’d like to sell as soon as possible, ideally today. You know, it’s risky for one person to be carrying so many diamonds.” In truth, Li Daniu was somewhat vague on the exact value of the diamonds—he guessed it was at least in the ten-figure range, but how many tens he couldn’t say. If Martin had suggested just one buyer, he’d have worried about being forced down on the price.

As for the risk, Li Daniu was only joking.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll contact them right away.”

Naturally, Li Daniu didn’t object. As Martin made his calls, Li Daniu picked up Castro’s report and began reading.

Though he knew diamonds were graded by the 4Cs, he didn’t understand the detailed breakdowns, so he focused only on Martin’s price analysis.

A quick online search for similar diamonds confirmed that Martin’s valuations were spot on, closely matching or even exceeding market prices.

The smallest diamonds in this batch weighed over five carats, each worth more than a million dollars. Some stones exceeded ten carats and, given their quality, each was valued at over ten million dollars.

According to Castro’s tally and Martin’s analyses, the entire batch had a market price of about $2.3 billion.

Martin had used market rates because these were all finished diamonds—just set one in a ring and it could be sold as a luxury engagement ring. For jewelry companies, a little creative work could turn these stones into pieces fit for auction.

As Li Daniu finished reading, Martin returned, having already contacted several jewelers—his connections as a GIA appraiser came in handy.

“I’ve arranged for three companies to meet in Hollywood today.”

“Thank you so much,” said Li Daniu, gesturing at the diamonds on the table. “Pick one as your appraisal fee.”

Professional appraisal—especially by world-renowned agencies like GIA—commands a hefty price. For a batch worth $2.3 billion, the fee could easily reach tens of millions. But since Martin was acting privately, without issuing GIA certificates, his price was lower.

Louis had already mentioned that Martin’s fee would be one-thousandth of the total value.

When Martin picked a diamond worth just over a million dollars, less than his agreed fee, Li Daniu insisted, “Don’t be shy. Even if you and Louis are old friends, rules are rules. Take a bit more.”

“This is enough. Normally, we charge one-thousandth for appraisals, and I’m sure Louis told you. But since your batch is so valuable, I must give you a discount,” Martin replied.

The most Martin had ever earned in a single appraisal was $100,000. Today, after just over an hour’s work, he’d made a million—how could he not be satisfied?

Seeing Martin’s insistence, Li Daniu didn’t push further and signaled Castro to put away the diamonds. Even though he was flush with cash, his outlays were mounting. If he’d known more about diamonds or had industry contacts, he’d have skipped Martin’s fee altogether.

By now it was nearly noon. After treating everyone to a sumptuous lunch, Li Daniu asked Castro to contact American private jet companies.

“You’re buying a private jet?” Martin felt today must be his lucky day. Not only had he made a tidy sum appraising diamonds, but if he helped broker the upcoming deal, he’d benefit even more. He was eager to please this valuable client.

“Yes. Do you have any leads?” Li Daniu was curious—how could someone in the jewelry business possibly have connections to aviation?

“I once met a business owner while appraising jewelry. His company has hit hard times, so he can’t afford to pick up a custom private jet he ordered. If you’re interested, it would likely be cheaper than buying direct from the manufacturer.”

“What model?”

“A Bombardier 6000, currently the top business jet on the market. I don’t know the exact details.”

Li Daniu immediately looked up the specs and found the plane seemed tailor-made for him: a range of 11,112 kilometers, short-runway capability—no need to worry about Tuvalu’s limited airport. As for other features, it was renowned as the world’s finest business jet—what more could he want?

“Contact him for me. If the price is right, I’ll buy it on the spot.”

“When would you like to see it?”

“As soon as I’ve sold these diamonds!”

Selling diamonds to buy a plane—Martin thought to himself that this felt like something out of an African warlord’s story. Without delay, he began making the necessary calls.