Cabore smiled and said, "No, I imagine you're quite curious about why I sought you out, so let's get straight to the point to avoid any unnecessary suspicion."
"Good, it seems our initial interaction is going well. Now, can you tell me how you found out I've been acquiring Chinese antiques and how you managed to reach Abigail directly?"
"Mr. Devonshire, you should know by now that my ancestors were nobles in Devonshire," Cabore said seriously.
William nodded.
"My family's story is quite similar to yours. The only difference is that your grandfather, Henry Devonshire, inherited the title through debt, later selling off assets to pay it back, whereas my family secretly moved their wealth and gave up the title to evade taxes, which forced us to leave England and settle in Paris.
However, moving to Paris didn't mean the Cabore family cut ties with Devonshire's nobility. In fact, we became more closely connected through certain underground dealings."
"For example?" William focused on Cabore's gaze, smiling. "If you don't mind sharing."
"It's no secret, really. After all, it's been decades. If you're interested, I'll just say it," Cabore chuckled. "For a period after the war, French wine sold for 10 francs in Paris, but in East Germany, it could fetch 100, even 500 francs' worth in rubles.
The nobility had connections in the military and government, and my family, along with others living in Western Europe, had the goods. So, even though the Cabore family lost its noble title after the war, we still lived quite well. We had plenty of spare money to buy antiques, so when the Duke of Devonshire heard you were purchasing Chinese antiques, he called me. He knows I've been short on cash lately, so…"
As Cabore was speaking, he suddenly noticed that William's gaze and attention had shifted away from him, focusing instead on the street outside.
"Mr. Devonshire," Cabore asked, "is there something wrong?"
William snapped back to attention, carefully observing Cabore before glancing at the man dressed in a white suit outside the restaurant. "Wait a moment, Mr. Cabore." He snapped his fingers at a nearby waiter.
The waiter came over promptly, and William pointed to the man leaning against a car door on the street in his white suit. "Please invite that gentleman over for me, thank you."
The waiter followed William's gesture and saw the Asian man looking their way. "Happy to serve, Mr. Devonshire," the waiter said before leaving the VIP room.
William waved at the man in the white suit, then turned back to Cabore. He had now figured out which Cabore this was. Smiling, he said, "This is about your particle accelerator experiment, isn't it?"
"Hmm? I'm surprised your intelligence sources are so good. It's still in the early planning stages, yet you figured it out in less than three days," Cabore said, slightly surprised as he looked at William. Seeing that William had no intention of explaining, he shook his head. "Fine, if someone suddenly approached me, I'd investigate too. It's better that you know; it saves me the trouble of explaining."
Watching the waiter walk out of the restaurant toward the man in white, William didn't turn his head as he continued speaking to Cabore. "I like directness. Tell me, how many Chinese antiques can you sell me, or just tell me how much you need to fund your particle accelerator lab."
"This... this," Cabore stammered, taken aback by William's casual, almost reckless attitude toward money.
William turned to look at the increasingly nervous Cabore, still smiling. "It's fine, Cabore. You're a scientist, not a businessman, so let's cut to the chase."
"Alright, sir. You're definitely a great business partner. Selling off the wealth my ancestors collected does feel a bit difficult. But as a scientist, I must pursue my ideas, and for the future of my family, I can only part with these 'dead objects' that I see as useless."
"How much?" William impatiently cut off Cabore's long-winded explanation. He had no interest in listening to unnecessary talk.
Cabore, feeling intimidated under William's intense gaze, quickly responded, "500 million dollars. If I can deal with you as the Duke of Devonshire and others have, I'll sell you Chinese antiques worth 500 million for only 400 million in cash. If we agree, I'll have the antiques shipped directly to your Oxford Devonshire Castle for appraisal. Once confirmed, you can pay me."
"Heh," William gave a strange smile and said to Daniel Cabore, "That idea of shipping the antiques directly to my castle... your wife came up with that, didn't she, Daniel?"
"Uh!" Cabore's face twisted into an uncomfortable smile.
"Don't worry, it's our first time meeting, and I'm not interested in married women," William said, squinting as he looked directly into Cabore's eyes. "Your wife was also involved in the idea of selling the antiques to me, wasn't she?"
"Yes, yes, Mr. Devonshire," Cabore wasn't foolish. On the contrary, someone capable of independently researching and advancing to the point of needing a particle accelerator was undoubtedly intelligent. In just a few seconds, Cabore's face grew pale as he realized. "Is there something wrong with Anna?"
At that moment, the waiter knocked and entered the VIP room with the man in the white suit. William turned and gestured for the man to come over, then patted Cabore's shoulder. The last pat was notably harder than the others. "The deal is done. For the appraisal and details about the types of antiques, I'll leave you to discuss them with the experts. Is that alright?"
"Alright," Cabore immediately understood William's answer through the force of that final pat. Seeing the man in the white suit approach, he nodded and said, "Mr. Devonshire, I'll discuss the types and grades of antiques with the experts. It's been a pleasure working with you; I won't disturb you any longer."
Cabore smiled and shook William's hand firmly. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. As for the payment and transfer details, we'll stay in touch. Or, if you trust me, you can send the antiques directly to London. As long as there's no problem with them, I'll have the money delivered to your estate."
"Understood, sir. Let's do as you said. I'll have the antiques sent to your appraisal center in London. See you later, Mr. Devonshire."
"Mm, see you later."
Once Cabore had returned to the Chinese experts, William smiled at the man in the white suit. "I didn't expect someone like you to show up so openly on the streets."
"Hah," the man in the white suit sneered, his long, narrow eyes filled with indifference as he looked at William. "I don't recall doing anything that breaks French law."
"Not in Paris, but that doesn't mean you haven't elsewhere—like killing your own master, traitor," William said, stepping back. "Being hunted for so many years by your childhood companion must have been tough. Oh wait, I forgot—you hate that half-long-haired white kid. You probably don't care about being misunderstood."
As soon as he finished speaking, the man in the white suit drew his knife, but before he could react, William had already lunged forward, pressing a Glock to his neck.
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