CHAPTER 281: CHAPTER 199: THE MEANING OF THE FU FAMILY (DOUBLE CHAPTER)

After speaking, Qi Yun and the others left Demira’s residence.

Back in the car, Qi Yun handed over a cigarette and asked, "Demira is just a councilman, can his attitude really have such a big impact?"

Ye Hanwen took the cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag: "Although he’s just a councilman, 90% of South Africa’s diamond mines are concentrated in Kaken City, so many times, the South African Government has to respect his opinion."

"But nothing’s absolute, we can only hope his words work this time."

...

Time quietly slipped by, and finally, two days later in the evening, Ye Hanwen received Demira’s call.

"Mr. Councilman, how are things going?" Ye Hanwen eagerly asked.

During these short two days, news came from the mine that it had been harassed by small armed groups four more times, yet thankfully, no one was killed.

On the phone, Demira sighed: "I clearly supported your company in today’s meeting, hoping to reopen negotiations to resolve certain conflicts, but the people above did not adopt my opinion."

"I’ve done my best."

The cigarette held between Ye Hanwen’s fingers was crushed out forcefully. Although he already knew the South African Government was adamant, he hadn’t expected them to completely disregard Demira’s stance.

It seems this juicy piece of the mine has already been considered some people’s possession.

After a long silence, he sighed and replied, "I understand; thanks for your help, Mr. Councilman."

With that, he hung up the phone.

Seeing his grim expression, Qi Yun immediately deduced the outcome.

"The plan failed; the South African Government is stubborn, and Demira’s influence isn’t useful," Ye Hanwen said in a low voice.

Qi Yun frowned upon hearing this and asked, "What’s the mine worth now?"

If it’s something that high-level people are so fixated on, it’s certainly not just a matter of a few tens of millions.

Ye Hanwen took a gulp of beer and replied, "According to previous exploration results, the diamonds inside are enough for us to mine for ten years, making at least twenty million US dollars annually."

"And even though our company’s performance hasn’t increased much in the past two years, there are many high-quality diamonds stored in bank safes that haven’t been released yet..."

Twenty million a year, two hundred million over ten years, in USD...

Converted to Chinese yuan, that’s nearly 1.3 billion, with a 5% share, that equals 65 million!

"The South African Government wants to snatch 65 million from their pockets!" Thinking this made Qi Yun uneasy.

He opened a bottle of beer, took two gulps, and asked, "Are there other ways?"

Ye Hanwen shook his head in frustration: "I’ve maintained some connections, but those people’s influence isn’t enough to decide the course of this matter."

"Given the current situation, unless we find a big shot whose clout makes the South African Government wary, this diamond mine will most likely be snatched away by those bandits."

Qi Yun listened, mind racing, as he took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

Seeing Qi Yun silent, Ye Hanwen took out his phone and started a video conference with General Manager Bi and Manager Li, informing them of the current situation.

Both sighed helplessly on hearing the news, realizing they were now at others’ mercy.

Even if they exposed the matter, it wouldn’t help because such events, if not common in Africa, are certainly not isolated cases.

Despite this, people constantly flood in to try their luck because the rewards are enticing.

With quiet on the other end of the line, Qi Yun exhaled a long smoke ring, sat up, and said, "Have you heard of Beijing’s Fu Family? Are they influential enough?"

Upon hearing this, not only Ye Hanwen beside him but also General Manager Bi and Manager Li far away, were all stunned.

After several seconds, Ye Hanwen excitedly asked, "Qi, can you get the Fu Family involved?"

Qi Yun crushed the cigarette butt, seriously replied, "Not certain, but I can try."

Ye Hanwen’s eyes lit up with hope: "The Fu Family is seriously weighty! Qi, you haven’t been abroad for long, you might not know their international status."

"Let me tell you, even Germany’s leader would have to lean in to light a cigarette when meeting the Fu Family head."

Qi Yun laughed, "Is it really that exaggerated?"

Manager Li, on the other end, chimed in: "It really is that exaggerated."

"If the Fu Family were to withdraw investments from Germany, twenty percent of their workers would be laid off, and their business isn’t just limited to Germany; across Europe and even globally, wherever there’s profit to be made, the Fu Family has some presence."

"If you could get the Fu Family involved, the one drooling over our diamond mine would come groveling at your feet tomorrow."

Qi Yun smacked his lips, realizing that what he’d learned about the Fu Family online was just a piece of the puzzle...

No wonder they’ve been a prominent family since the early Qing dynasty; they truly are elites...

He coughed lightly and said, "Since we’re all on the same side, I won’t hide it. I do have some dealings with the second in command of the Fu Family, but whether he’ll step in, I can’t guarantee."

"Also, I personally think we should express some sincerity first, to make discussions easier."

General Manager Bi quickly agreed on the line: "Naturally, Qi, if you have ideas, feel free to express them."

Qi Yun did not hesitate and stated: "I propose we release some shares, gifting them to the second in command of the Fu Family, making him a shareholder too. Wouldn’t that secure the diamond mine’s operations?"

This might seem like a loss, but it’s actually hugely profitable.

Putting aside the diamond mine, just having the Fu Family’s involvement would allow our company to go into any lucrative industry, who would dare oppose us?

There are barely a handful of entities bold enough to challenge the Fu Family, especially in capitalist countries, where even governments have to respect them.

With none of them responding for a while, Qi Yun was puzzled; given their experience, they should understand such reasoning.

As he was about to explain, General Manager Bi’s voice came through: "I think Qi’s proposal is excellent, but I think it could be slightly altered."

"Qi doesn’t have many shares, and the Fu Family connection is his, so I suggest that Li, Ye, and I release some shares. What do you think?"

"I agree," Ye Hanwen quickly responded.

Manager Li also spoke on the line: "I have no issue."

After hearing this, Qi Yun smacked his lips, realizing they were considering his interests; no problem then...

With the two agreeing, General Manager Bi continued: "Let’s settle on 20% for now, and if it works, Li, you talk to Deputy Squad Leader Zhou to release some shares."

Manager Li contemplated: "Wouldn’t that upset him?"

General Manager Bi laughed coldly: "Frankly, the value he provides to the company compared to what he takes annually doesn’t equate.

"If this works, we won’t need to manage such relationships moving forward; the Fu Family will suffice."

Qi Yun felt a stir in his heart.

From General Manager Bi’s words, his relationship with Deputy Squad Leader Zhou isn’t deep; it’s mere mutual benefit exchange.

This was what Qi Yun hoped for, considering General Manager Bi was a decent person, worth befriending, and he didn’t want to be on opposing sides unnecessarily.

"Of course, everything depends on the result of Qi contacting the Fu Family; if things don’t go well, you wouldn’t need to approach him, just keep it as usual," General Manager Bi added.

Seeing the matters settled, Qi Yun lit a cigarette, stood up, walked afar, and dialed the Fu Family’s second in command whom he had seen in Beijing.