Liang En and Valma had a delightful conversation, discovering many shared interests, such as the pursuit of ancient cultures and jewelry design. In high spirits, they frequently raised their cups of black tea to toast each other.
Most Indians only indulge in alcohol sparingly in public, and those who smoke do so discreetly. Liang En, who neither smokes nor drinks, appreciated this aspect of Indian culture.
Because their conversation was so engaging, and certain things did not need to be hidden, Liang En subtly gathered a lot of information.
For example, one of the reasons this diamond processing tycoon wanted to build a good relationship with Liang En was his desire to expand downstream into the jewelry industry.
Although he was already the largest jewelry processor in the Surat region, with unique facilities, workers, and techniques, the industry's growth space had reached its limit.
After all, there were over 100,000 diamond processing plants in Surat, most of them small workshops. In such a situation, further expansion would not be cost-effective.
Moreover, monopolizing one-fifth of the global jewelry industry was already a significant achievement for this diamond processing center. Increasing market share further would be more harmful than beneficial.
Some nouveau riche might not realize this or be blinded by wealth and power, but someone like Valma, a descendant of local royalty, understood this well.
Therefore, unless he planned to sit idle, he needed to find a new direction for development. Although it needed to be different, it still had to be somewhat related, hence his interest in the luxury jewelry industry.
However, the luxury industry has solid barriers. Established luxury brands have enough means to keep wealthy outsiders out.
Especially since competition in mining isn't as simple as a regular business struggle, it often involves bloody and violent methods. Entering this industry without sufficient backing would lead to more than just financial loss.
But having worked in the diamond processing industry for so long, Valma knew the ins and outs, giving him confidence to venture into this area.
While Surat is a major diamond processing center, it mainly handles small diamonds and diamond fragments. Therefore, Valma's plan was to focus on a young brand, creating fashionable yet affordable jewelry.
This type of business wouldn't attract the attention of current jewelry tycoons, so Valma had gained some degree of tacit approval through various means.
This is why he didn't choose to enter the upstream mining industry. Although controlling a small mine with his current resources wasn't impossible, it wouldn't be worthwhile.
Not to mention the immense resources needed to acquire a diamond mine, the high costs of extracting small diamonds ignored by big companies made competition unfeasible.
Although Valma had chosen the right development direction, it didn't mean the upcoming work would be smooth. Anyone with a sane mind knew that gemstone processing and running a jewelry store were completely different.
Therefore, Valma approached Liang En to help develop his business. He knew that Liang En was not only a scholar but also a rising jewelry designer, hoping to gain his assistance.
He raised the issue now because jewelry designers were hard to find, and as a newcomer, Valma couldn't attract top designers from big firms, making Liang En his best option.
"You should know that I already have a company I need to serve," Liang En said with a smile. "I haven't signed any non-compete agreements, but unless you get permission from that company, I don't intend to work for another."
His collaboration with the Count was pleasant, so Liang En didn't want to jeopardize it for profit, hence his straightforward refusal.
"Sorry, I didn't make myself clear," Valma said with a smile, showing his appreciation, as people naturally seek loyal partners.
"This cooperation has already received Mr. Lubson's approval. You can consider it a partnership between two companies. You can call them now to confirm."
In the following minutes, Liang En quickly called Butler Lubson and confirmed the arrangement. The butler even sent him photos of the signed contract.
According to the contract, a new company would be established, operating as an independent entity with both parties holding 50% shares. Personnel and some designs would be shared between them.
This meant that Liang En's previous designs could be used by Valma, with appropriate payments to the Count's company and Liang En.
Valma could also hire Liang En to design jewelry exclusively for them, requiring higher payments.
Satisfied with this flexible cooperation, Liang En agreed, as he didn't rely on this for a living and preferred not to be bound by stringent contracts.
Upon hearing Liang En's agreement, Valma's face lit up with a smile, and they quickly found a table to enjoy the evening's feast.
"The food here must be made with bottled water," Jeanne d'Arc suddenly remarked in her old French, "because there's no taste of bleach or disinfectant in the water."
She mentioned this because earlier, when she turned on the tap in the room, she smelled a strong bleach odor, which Liang En thought was a major reason why many people had stomach problems in India.
According to Liang En, many foreigners and outsiders suffered from stomach issues here not because of the spices or microorganisms but due to excessive disinfectant in the water.
"This is India's top hotel; they can't afford to have guests getting sick," Liang En said, glancing at Valma, who was talking to a friend, and lowered his voice. "You must have noticed today's meal is mainly Western cuisine."
Since this was a relaxed event, people didn't fill up before coming. Instead, they had dinner on-site, which was a feature of informal Indian banquets, creating a relaxed environment through eating and drinking.
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