He had seen shameless people before, but never anyone this shameless.
Mike now felt that his own country was already shameless enough in certain matters, but compared with what Shen Bing had done this time, it was nothing.
"Mr. Shen, surely you have a reason for charging ten billion for shipping?" Mike felt that he had never been so even-tempered in his life.
Looking perfectly reasonable, Shen Bing said, "Of course. Ten billion is no small sum, after all. Naturally, I have my reasons for asking that price."
"I'm all ears!" Mike genuinely wanted to know how Shen Bing could charge ten billion U.S. Dollars for shipping. Even moving Buckingham Palace to the United States would not cost that much.
Shen Bing said, "The shipping itself actually isn't expensive. As you just said, ten billion would buy dozens of large transport planes. And the microorganism mother culture we're handing over to you would fit in a small bottle at most. The reason I'm asking this price lies in that little bottle."
Mike took a deep breath. He simply could not equate a small bottle with ten billion U.S. Dollars. No one could.
"Mr. Shen, are you saying this bottle was hollowed out of a single Diamond?"
Clearly, Mike was teasing him, if not outright mocking him.
But Shen Bing acted as though he had not noticed. "That's exactly right! Our research found that when these microorganisms cannot feed, they can only survive in an environment of pure carbon. And the only carbon material suitable for making a container is Diamond. Didn't I buy the Azure Heart in London a few months ago? This bottle was shaped and polished from that very Diamond."
Mike felt as though Shen Bing's bullshit had sprouted wings...
He had heard of the Azure Heart. It