Without a sign of Remonin's army and their help, Li Du had no choice but to stay on Good's territory and comply with the arrangements made for him .
Although Li Du knew that he had managed to frighten Good and had proven that he was no pushover, he knew that it was only temporary . If there was any trouble, Li Du believed that Good would not hesitate to kill him .
It was common for foreigners to go missing without a trace in Africa . Unless there was a media exposé or the missing person was a high-profile public figure, no one really bothered with these cases .
This was especially applicable to Li Du now that he was in a sensitive area, the border of three different countries where laws and regulations were poorly enforced . Not only foreigners, but locals as well were likely to vanish without a trace here .
Of course, if one were to run into an accident here, nobody would care - not even any of the countries' government . The governments in African countries were good for nothing but shirking responsibility .
Good had arranged a guest room to accommodate Li Du and his two companions . The room was much more comfortable than the one at Ramonin's camp . The guest room was a huge, carpeted double room . The walls of the room were painted pure white, and was it well-equipped with furniture and electric appliances . It was a comfortable place to stay .
As their phones had been confiscated, Li Du and his companions could only pass time by watching TV .
Fortunately, the television could receive satellite signals and had cable . Hence, they were able to choose from a wide range of international channels .
Near dinnertime, Good's guards brought Li Du to the commander's quarters . They had to go through a stringent full-body security check before they were able to enjoy dinner in Good's company .
Good's office was equipped with a dining table, and that was where Good had his daily meals .
Upon seeing Li Du enter the room, Good smiled amiably and warmly invited Li Du to choose a seat at the table .
On the table, there was a pot filled with a thick-textured, pale yellow food that resembled mashed potatoes . Known as Nsima or Sadza, it was actually corn porridge . For people in many African countries, it was a favorite staple food .
Good caught Li Du eyeing the pot and asked him with a grin, "Do you know what this is?"
"Yes, this is a specialty local staple food here . I've tried it before and find it pretty good," Li Du said with a nod .
Good's grin widened and he replied, "That's good to know . There is a lack of resources locally, and the food is scarce . Please excuse us, Mr . Li, if there is any area where we are lacking in terms of hospitality . "
Besides Sadza, there were a few other dishes laid out on the dining table . There were beans, celery, broccoli and other vegetables, as well as fried chicken, grilled chicken, and grilled fish .
These were the side dishes to go with Sadza . In most parts of Africa, only the rich could afford to dine like this . This was because the poor could barely afford Sadza, let alone the vegetables and meat side dishes .
Besides the food, there was also a bottle of red wine to accompany the meal .
Initially, Li Du did not pay much attention to the bottle, as it looked just like any ordinary bottle of wine . However, as the guard started to pour the wine once Li Du was seated, he had a closer look at the bottle and was startled . The wine label carried an image of a vineyard with the words 'Petrus, Pomerol Vineyard' .
All red wine that originated from Pomerol Vineyard was known for being extremely expensive . According to the statistics from London's International Wine Trade Association, red wine from Pomerol vineyard was priced at an average of 20,000 euros per crate .
The red wine on the dining table cost as much as hundreds of tables of Sadza and its side dishes .
"Great wine," Li Du marveled .
Seeing Li Du's appreciation, Good smiled again . "Are you referring to this bottle of wine? Ha, it's alright . This was a gift from my friend . His son lost his directions around here and I managed to help him find the boy . Later, he gave me this wine as a gesture of thanks . "
Lost his directions? Or perhaps this lunatic here kidnapped him? Li Du thought as he forced himself to laugh politely .
It was obvious that Good enjoyed high quality, expensive food . However, Good had no reservations consuming commoner food like Sadza either .
He ate using his bare hands, clearly enjoying the Sadza very much .
Li Du was not used to eating like this . Most Chinese men would not be able to stomach such food for the mere thought of how it was made .
Sadza was corn paste . It was made by grinding corn into cornmeal, pouring the cornmeal slowly into a pot of boiling water and then stirring the mixture in a single direction using a wooden spoon . Once that was done, the mixture was left to settle into corn paste .
This preparation method reminded Li Du of how his neighbors back in his village in China prepared pig feed . Besides, the corn paste still carried the strange smell of raw corn powder .
The people of Africa, however, loved Sadza . To them it was what dumplings were for the Northern Chinese – a top staple food one would miss terribly if they didn't have it in a while .
In between mouthfuls of Sadza with vegetables and meat, Good took small sips of the red wine . "It has been a long time since I had dinner with a friend, and it feels wonderful," he said .
Li Du did not know how to respond . He raised his glass in appreciation and declared, "Then let's make a toast to friendship and delicacies . "
Good smiled . "Gladly . "
That shared meal eased and improved their relationship, at least outwardly . Deep down, both remained wary of each other . Li Du, for instance, wished that Good would choke to death so that he could plan his escape .
However, this was just wishful thinking . The next day, Good was still alive and kicking, and he insisted on bringing Li Du to his diamond mine to show him around .
Similarly to Remonin, Good's motive was to make use of Li Du to sell his diamonds and exchange them for cold hard cash .
After Good inspected the soldiers' training in the morning, he brought Li Du out of the army camp in a jeep . Once in the car, Good went straight to his point . "Mr . Li, how many diamonds can you buy from Africa every month?"
Li Du answered honestly, "The key purpose of my trip at this time is to do market research . Procuring the diamonds is not my responsibility . "
"Oh, so that would mean you cannot buy diamonds in bulk? You're useless to me?" Good interrupted, narrowing his eyes .
Good's words were rather direct and the underlying message was clear – why am I keeping you if you are useless to me?
Li Du quipped immediately, "I was talking about my purpose, not what I can do . I can, of course, make purchases . But I don't understand why you would need my help with this . "
"I don't need your help . I just wanted to see your valuation," Good said . "Previously, a few diamond traders provided me with their valuation . However, I am not satisfied, and want to have a few more valuations from others," he continued .
"What was the price they offered?" Li Du asked .
Good smiled lightly . "You shouldn't be focusing on the price they suggested, but on where they ended up after making the offer . I was not happy with their valuation, so I sent them off . After that, they never managed to return home . "
The blood drained from Li Du's face . This is a direct threat, he thought .
Good noticed his reaction and explained pointedly, "Oh, don't misunderstand me . I didn't hurt them . It's just that there are many leopards and lions in this area . Without protection from me, they might have ended up as the prey of these ferocious animals . However, it's not my fault, right? Since they could not be my working partners, I had no obligation to protect them, did it?" Good went on .
Li Du nodded his head and said coolly, "You're right . "
F*cking right you are, old lunatic!
Chapter end
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