Chapter 19

The Google listing for the Chinese consulate in Zurich is confusing, as two locations are on the map. From what I could tell, one was for Chinese citizens, the other for foreigners. Nora had called and made me an appointment for 1, so I took Guido to lunch, at his favorite restaurant in the city. A tex-mex place called Crazy Burrito.

With both of us feeling full, he drove us just in time for our appointment. The receptionist spoke very good German, and pretty good English. My German was getting there, each night with Nora made it better.

I was ushered to a small office. A nicely dressed man with a rounded face greeted me, “Hello, I’m Wang Po, Mr Barkley, thank you for visiting, what may China help you with?”

“I’m hoping that I’ll be able to do something that will make you happy.”

“Be a rich American and defect to China?” He asked teasingly.

“Even better. I just set up a company in Zurich that is prepared to sell to anyone who cares to purchase, including Chinese companies, computer chips. Any item that they find unable to get from the manufacturer, I’m willing to provide.”

“That is interesting. Very interesting. Can you tell me about yourself, so I can understand what kind of man would make this offer?”

“I was born in Europe, until recently a resident of the Netherlands. My father recently discovered my existence, and using money and influence arranged for me to receive American citizenship. I have no particular loyalty to that country, or the current regime.

“I do have money though, and in discussing how best to increase that money, I decided that this was a viable option.” I handed him the card for ZZ Procurement.

“In addition to procuring electronic components, the primary focus of the business is using my father’s contacts to procure diamonds of specific sizes and qualities for discerning purchasers.

“Since the capabilities mesh so well, and it is a 300 billion a year market, I thought capitalism was the ideal answer to China supply worries.”

He took the card, studying it. “What kind of lead time will you require?”

“For initial orders, two weeks. Once the product has been located then it will be much quicker. I’m not able to procure equipment at this time, only electronic chips. Perhaps in the future I will be able to expand my services.”

“How do Chinese companies receive these products.”

“They place an order, I provide a price. They confirm the order by passing funds to an escrow account at a local bank. I notify them that the order is complete, they come to my warehouse where they pick it up.”

“Very simple process. How are the purchasers protected from cheating and theft?”

“The escrow process provides them a fund release code, they give that to me when they are happy with the order, and I collect the funds.”

“Sounds like a workable system. What kind of premium will you charge for this service?”

“Because if the extensive nature of my father’s contacts, I believe I can acquire most items at wholesale. I intend to resell at retail prices, with discounts for quantity orders.”

“I appreciate the fact that you would not gouge our poor manufactures.”

I pulled out my phone, “China makes the best phone in the world,” I told him, “I intend to see that I can always buy the best.”

He thanked me for my visit, and we shook hands. I left happy that I’d soon be rolling in money. On the way back, I realized I really didn’t have a way to price diamonds. I asked Guido to make a stop. He pulled up to Klausner Jewelry. I got out of the car, and walked in.

I was greeted and asked if I could be helped. Suddenly Mr Klausner went pale, and sat heavily on his stool behind the display counter. He had noticed my ring.

“I’m very sorry,” he began.

I raised my hand to stop him, “Everything that happened after my father’s visit was out of your control.” I told him, “The question is, did you suspect that Mr Haener would attempt to rob my father?”

My power was studying his body very closely, to determine if he was telling the truth. “No. If I had known that a nice man like your father would be troubled by that despicable thief, I would never have provided an introduction.”

He was telling the truth, that made the next part easier, “Then I want to hire you. I want your expert opinion on what a certain diamond should retail for. I think the work would best be done by one of your jewelers in training, but that you could supervise the work yourself.”

“Do you have the diamond here?” he asked.

“I’m sorry, I’m not explaining well. I’ve inherited my father’s contacts for rare diamonds from around the world. I’m setting up a business to procure diamonds on demand. I can take orders, and I can purchase and resell. The problem is that I have no idea if I’m being overcharged by my supplier, or undercharging my clients.

“I would arrange for you to have a computer that would give you a list of data about the diamond being searched for. You would give me the price I could expect to pay for that diamond if I bought it retail. That data would tell me how much to pay, and how much to charge so that I can make an honest profit.”

“There are many other places that could provide this service, why me?”

“I need an honest and honorable man. I believe my father thought that of you. Additionally, I’m going to have questions from time to time about the industry as I get to know it. My father was the expert, but I’ve inherited the reins.”

“What would you pay for such service?”

“What would be fair, I don’t know how much work there will be. Do you prefer a contract, with a payment per evaluation? Would you rather be hired and paid salary as a part time employee? Do you have a relative waiting in the wings with the training, but not ready to take over the store because you are not ready to retire? There are many options.”

“I believe a contract between my store, and your company would suffice. I can hire people as needed, and supervise if there is a growth in demand. What size diamonds are we going to be evaluating?”

“Nothing smaller than 5 carats, and now that I think about it, I’ll probably need to get an independent verification on the quality of the diamond. Is that something you could do in house, or someone you could recommend?”

“I’ll not be recommending anyone to you, or your family ever again,” he said with a shudder, “but I am certainly qualified to perform an evaluation of a diamond.”

“So a price to estimate retail cost, and then if ordered, a price to evaluate the diamonds quality and write up a certificate attesting actual quality. Will I need to build my own testing lab for you to work in?”

“I have my own lab. Can I ask a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Can I see your father’s ring again?”

I slipped it off and handed it to him. He pushed his wheeled stool over to a a microscope, and slid the ring underneath it. He adjusted things for a moment, then set the ring in my outstretched hand.

“Your father,” he began, then paused, “I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name.”

“Adam Barkley Junior.” I said.

“Of course. Your father showed me an impossible ring, and now that I see it again, I find it more impossible. Six perfect diamonds, five of color and clarity I would have sworn was impossible. Yet they show all the marks of being natural diamonds.

“The newest, it is the most impossible of them all. Pink and red diamonds are that way not because of impurities, but because of plastic deformation, a strain on the diamond during creation that causes as many defects in it as it does the color. The color is a product of defects, so the idea that it could be both colored, and without defects!

“It’s impossible.”

“Do you trust me?” I asked him.

“How could I, you show me something that cannot exist, so much that I don’t believe my own eyes! I’m torn between throwing you out and begging to know where such a perfect diamond came from?”