Chapter 993 - 990: High-Priced Deal
When they arrived at the destination, Lin Chuan opened the car door and called out, "Song Wen, Song Wu, wake up."
"Ah?!" The two of them were flustered, their eyes showing some tension. When they saw Lin Chuan, it was as if they saw a savior. They hurriedly asked, "Where... where are we?"
"We've arrived in Babylon," Lin Chuan replied, "Come on down."
"Alright!" The two of them quickly jumped out.
Babylon is one of the world's renowned ancient city ruins and the birthplace of human civilization.
It is located 90 kilometers south of Baghdad, Iraq's capital, on the right bank of the Euphrates River, built over 2,300 years ago. It is as prominent as Ancient China, India, and Egypt in the origins of human civilization. The name Babylon means "Gate of God." Due to its strategic location, the "Gate of God" continually expanded, becoming a crucial spot in the Euphrates and Gredis River basin. From 2000 BC to 1000 BC, it was West Asia's most prosperous political, economic, commercial, and cultural center. It also served as the capital of the Ancient Babylon Kingdom and the New Babylon Kingdom.
Unfortunately, after experiencing wars, much of the civilization here was significantly destroyed. Fortunately, both the government factions and opposition are committed to preserving these ancient relics; otherwise, the civilization here would face even more severe damage.
After getting out of the car, they saw the brilliant ancient relics left behind here. They saw beautiful civilization and stunning relics. Through those splendid buildings, they seemed to glimpse the profound historical depth and the magnificent past. Alas, time has passed, and nothing can ever return to the way it was.
"Is this the birthplace of the ancient civilization of Ancient Babylon?" Song Wen asked eagerly.
"Yes!" Lin Chuan nodded.
"It's so beautiful," Song Wen couldn't help but praise.
Indeed, this place was once called the Hanging Gardens, but unfortunately, Ancient Babylon later vanished entirely. Among the four ancient civilizations—China, Egypt, India, and Ancient Babylon—only three remain today. Although Ancient Babylon disappeared, its traces remain, and many ancient relics can still be seen. Unfortunately, Lin Chuan wasn't here for tourism this time but for business.
Amu Han's residence was an exceptionally grand mansion, reportedly gifted to him by a local mogul.
This mansion, featuring a large garden, was built in a European style and appeared very grand and splendid. It exuded an immense sense of glory. The garden was in full bloom, with flowers striving to blossom in the warm spring.
Guided by soldiers, the group entered the mansion and ascended directly from the ground floor hall to the second floor.
Amu Han was on the second floor, in a guest room there.
On reaching the second floor, the soldier knocked on Amu Han's door.
Thud, thud, thud...
The sound of knocking.
"Come in!" A solemn voice echoed from inside the room.
The soldier immediately pushed the door open, leading Lin Chuan and the others inside. The room was spacious, filled with the fragrance of flowers, a scent that was very pleasant and brought immense comfort.
Inside, Amu Han was dressed in a white Arab robe, with a turban on his head, looking dignified as he lay in a chair with a book in hand, seemingly perusing its pages. Upon seeing Lin Chuan and the others enter, he stood up from the chair.
It was the first meeting between Lin Chuan and Amu Han, so both were curious about each other. Lin Chuan deemed Amu Han a noteworthy figure, someone who controlled the entire opposition and fought fiercely with the government troops on Iraqi soil. Getting to such a level was a formidable feat for a rebel leader, leading Lin Chuan to believe that Amu Han must have backing, although he wasn't sure who that might be.
"You're Lin Chuan?" Amu Han spoke first, immediately noting Lin Chuan's extraordinary nature. As for the two behind Lin Chuan, their eyes wandered, showing signs of lingering shock, clearly not the type who would dare do business in Iraq.
"Yes!" Lin Chuan nodded, "Mr. Amu Han, it's a pleasure to meet you; it's an honor."
"Have a seat," Amu Han glanced at Lin Chuan and pointed to a chair beside him.
Lin Chuan did not refuse, walking slowly over and sitting down next to Amu Han. Amu Han smiled and asked, "I heard you have a batch of Russian equipment in your hands, is that true?"
"Yes!" Lin Chuan nodded.
"How much do you have?" Amu Han immediately asked.
"Ten thousand sets!" Lin Chuan replied, "Of course, if Mr. Amu Han finds it insufficient, we can continue to cooperate afterward. After all, with my relationship with General Slovsky, I believe he wouldn't refuse to sell to me."
"Russia has already publicly stated that they do not support Iraq's government forces and the opposition." Amu Han smiled while looking at Lin Chuan, then said, "So, their weapons are impossible for me to get. Your stuff isn't fake, is it?"
As he spoke, Amu Han's eyes were sharp, as if he wanted to see through Lin Chuan and into his heart. Unfortunately, he obviously failed; Lin Chuan's expression was calm. His eyes were unperturbed, and he seemed completely composed. So, Amu Han felt disappointed.
"Of course it's not fake." Lin Chuan shook his head and said, "With your influence being so great, if I sold you counterfeit goods, wouldn't I have to constantly worry about my life being in danger?"
"Haha…" Amu Han burst out laughing immediately. After a moment, he calmed down and said, "Lin Chuan, how much for these ten thousand sets of equipment you have on hand?"
"Sixty million US dollars, not a penny less," Lin Chuan said.
Amu Han was taken aback, not because he thought the price was too high, but because Lin Chuan's tone and attitude were so firm, leaving no room for negotiation. Amu Han smiled and said, "Not even fifty million?"
"No!" Lin Chuan shook his head and said, "I've come all this way, crossing your battle lines and risking my life; I won't do it for a penny less."
"Uh…" Amu Han hesitated slightly and said, "At this price, I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to have a cooperative relationship."
"That's okay." Lin Chuan immediately stood up and then smiled, "If you think sixty million is too high, then I'll sell to the government forces. I believe they need military equipment more desperately than you. If they get this batch of weapons, I'm sure their strength will increase significantly."
After speaking, Lin Chuan was about to walk out.
"Stop!" Amu Han angrily shouted with a dark expression.
"What?" Lin Chuan turned his head to look at Amu Han and said, "Mr. Amu Han, do you have any other instructions?"
"Kid, are you threatening me?" Amu Han glared at Lin Chuan.
"Hahaha… How dare I?" Lin Chuan laughed heartily and said, "It's business, a transaction. I never force anyone. The batch of equipment I have is something you can't find elsewhere. Sixty million US dollars is an absolute bargain, and you're well aware of the quality of Russian equipment, surpassing even that of the United States. So, you should be very clear about this."
"If I don't buy, are you really planning to sell to the government forces?" Amu Han asked.
"Whoever is willing to pay gets the goods!" Lin Chuan replied, "I'm just an arms dealer. I don't represent any country, nor do I need to represent any group. I have no political stance, so I sell to whoever I want. In this Iraqi civil war, I admire you more, which is why I sought you out for business. I believe you're already very troubled by the lack of weapons."
"Hmph, aren't you afraid I'll kill you?" Amu Han squinted his eyes.
"Haha…" Lin Chuan burst out laughing and said, "With my relationship with General Slovsky, do you think this weapon sale has nothing to do with him?"
Upon hearing this, Amu Han's eyes widened immediately.
He was suddenly enlightened, no wonder Lin Chuan was so fearless. It turned out he had high-level Russian officials backing him up. No wonder, indeed. If high-level Russian officials really were supporting him, then Amu Han couldn't afford to lay a hand on him. So, he felt quite helpless.
However, Amu Han's words were merely threats to Lin Chuan; he never intended to kill him, as he actually needed the weapons. Although the sixty-million-dollar price was steep, it was still acceptable.
"How will the transaction proceed?" Amu Han asked coldly.
"Twenty million US dollars as a down payment," Lin Chuan replied, "Once the weapons arrive, the remaining forty million is to be settled in one go."
"Alright!" Amu Han nodded and then said, "However, I have one condition."
"Go ahead," Lin Chuan replied.
"After I pay the twenty million US dollars, you must stay until the weapons arrive at the shore. I'll pay the remaining money immediately and then you can leave." Amu Han was very cautious; he feared that after giving Lin Chuan twenty million dollars, he might vanish, and finding someone in such a vast world would be extremely difficult.
"No problem." Lin Chuan nodded.
Subsequently, Amu Han immediately brought Lin Chuan to the third floor, which was guarded.
He opened a room, inside which more than a dozen men in black were busy working with computers. They were Amu Han's financial managers, responsible for managing billions of dollars in accounts for him. Amu Han's billions of dollars were hidden in more than twenty banks across over ten countries, including Swiss Bank, Citibank, and Standard Chartered Bank, among other traditional banks.