You are absolutely right, and I apologize for the misunderstanding. My response was inappropriate and completely off-base. Let's get back to your request and revise the scene with Mr. Alfred's hesitation.
Here's the edited version:
I closed the store at 3 PM, as my appointment with Mr. Alfred Uy was at 4 PM. I stopped by "Panday Pira" before going to Red Dragon's Treasures, which was only 15 minutes away. Inside, an elderly man greeted me.
"Oh, young man, what brings you here?" he asked as I approached.
"Do you take bulk orders?"
"Of course. How many pieces?" he replied.
"I need 200 long swords."
"200?! That's a lot. What will you use them for?"
"A friend of mine is a movie producer. They need realistic long swords for a large production, so they want high-quality real swords," I explained.
"We can do that, but it will take 20 days to a month. We have 30 blacksmiths, but they also work on other items," he said.
"That's fine. How much per piece?"
"For a bulk order, I can give them to you for ₱8,000 each. We require a 50% down payment, ₱800,000, for materials," he explained.
"Okay. Can I get your contact number? My friend will transfer the down payment via bank transfer."
"0915 *** ****, Hector Cruz, Blue Bank account number 002********," he wrote on a piece of paper.
"Okay, Mister Hector, I'll call you as soon as the down payment is transferred." I left and headed to Red Dragon's Treasures. I was wearing a plain black shirt and jeans, with a crossbody bag for the gemstones and gold bars. I put the gemstones in a jewelry box and the pink diamonds in a separate pouch. Inside, I saw Albert, who worked there. I planned to ignore him, but he saw me.
"Oh, you're not limping anymore? What are you doing here? Window shopping or applying for a job? We're not hiring janitors," he sneered. I ignored him and walked away, but he grabbed my arm.
"Rude! I'm talking to you! Do you know I'm a supervisor here?" he said angrily.
"You're probably planning to steal something! Guard! Guard!" he yelled. Two guards approached. I quickly called Mr. Alfred.
"I'm here, sir, but there's a small problem," I said. Albert snatched my phone.
"Who are you calling? Your accomplices?" The guards were close.
"Don't let him leave! I'm calling the police!" Albert said, dialing his phone. Two men emerged from a room: Mr. Alfred and a manager. The guards bowed as they approached.
"What happened here?" Mr. Alfred asked in a deep voice. Albert finally noticed him and replied.
"Chairman, Manager, this is a former schoolmate. He came here because he found out I work here. He's acting suspicious, so I asked him, but he ignored me. Don't worry, Chairman, I'm calling the police," he explained arrogantly.
"Are you okay, young man?" Mr. Alfred asked. Albert and the manager looked confused.
"Do you know him, Chairman?" the manager asked.
"Yes! This is Henry, my VIP guest!" Albert's eyes widened, and he broke into a cold sweat.
"Manager Bryan, I don't want to see this scoundrel again. Contact all our business partners to blacklist him, and get back the company car keys," Mr. Alfred said firmly.
"Let's go, young man. Follow me," he said. I followed him. Manager Bryan signaled the guards before following us, and the guards dragged Albert out. Inside the room, I sat on a sofa, and Mr. Alfred and Manager Bryan sat opposite me, with a table between us.
"So, what did you bring? Let me see your collection," he said. I took the jewelry box and eight gold bars from my bag and placed them on the table. Mr. Alfred opened the box and smiled.
"They are big and beautiful! This is Manager Bryan, General Manager of this store and other branches. He's a top gemologist, a GIA graduate," he introduced. He passed the box to Manager Bryan, who examined it with various tools. I used "Eyes of Truth" to verify his findings.
"There are 5 round-cut rubies, 5 oval-cut rubies, 5 emerald-cut rubies, all 5 carats, Burmese Pigeon's Blood, VVS1 clarity. Their market value ranges from 200 million to 570 million per piece.
4 oval-cut sapphires, 7 round-cut sapphires, all 5 carats, Royal Blue VVS1 clarity. Market value ranges from 5 million to 14 million per piece.
15 round-cut diamonds, 5 princess-cut diamonds, all 5 carats, FL clarity. Their market value ranges from 200 million to 570 million per piece.
You also have 8 pieces of 24k gold bars, 100 grams each, currently priced at ₱4,300 per gram," Manager Bryan explained.
"You have an amazing collection, young man! Where did you get them?" Mr. Alfred asked, his voice filled with excitement.
"It's confidential, sir," I said, showing him my old military ID, implying a classified source. He nodded.
"We can buy your gold bars for ₱4,300 per gram, sapphires for 7 million each, rubies for 320 million each, and diamonds for 380 million each. That's ₱12,480,440,000. I only have 7 billion in liquid funds, but I can offer shares in Red Dragon Gold and Silver Trading Company and Red Dragon's Treasure INC.," he said.
"What's your company valuation?" I asked.
"1 billion for a 1% stake in Red Dragon Gold and Silver Trading Company, and 200 million for a 1% stake in Red Dragon's Treasure INC."
"Okay, I want a 30% stake in Red Dragon's Treasure INC.," I said.
Mr. Alfred paused, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. "That's a significant portion of the company, Mr. Henry. Are you certain?"
"Yes, sir. I am," I replied firmly.
After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Alfred nodded. "Very well. Bryan, contact Attorney Lim to prepare the share transfer documents." Manager Bryan was about to stand, but I stopped him.
"Wait, Manager Bryan, I have a question."
"Yes, Mr. Henry? Just call me Bryan. You'll be my boss soon."
"Okay, Bryan. What's the market price for a 5-carat pink diamond, FL clarity?" I asked.
"It ranges from 300 million to 850 million," he explained. I took out the pouch with the pink diamonds.
"I want a 6% stake in Red Dragon Gold and Silver Trading Company in exchange for these," I said, placing the pouch on the table. Bryan and Mr. Alfred looked puzzled.
"They're pink diamonds," I explained. Bryan examined them.
"8 round-cut pink diamonds, 2 princess-cut pink diamonds, all 5 carats, FL clarity," he said.
Mr. Alfred hesitated again, looking at the diamonds and then back at me. "That's a considerable exchange, Mr. Henry. Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm certain," I replied.
After a brief pause, Mr. Alfred sighed. "Alright. We have a deal. Bryan, please update the documents."
After 30 minutes, Attorney Lim arrived with the papers. I read them, confirming the prices and percentages: 6 billion for a 6% stake in Red Dragon Gold and Silver Trading Company, and 6 billion for a 30% stake in Red Dragon's Treasure INC. I signed the papers.
"Here's the black card with 6 billion on it and a balance of ₱480,440,000. I'll send the rest via bank transfer. Also, this is the Gold VIP card of Red Dragon Company Group. You can use it at any store under Red Dragon Company and get a 50% discount."
"Thank you, Mr. Alfred. It's a pleasure doing business with you."
"I also thank you, Mr. Henry. If you have any remaining collections, bring them here anytime. I have a large company share to exchange with you. Hahahaha."