Chapter 1080: Prestige
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Li Du did not really know what was happening outside, but his life in jail was much better already.
No one asked them to go back to work. Some prison workers politely suggested that they should leave the prison. Li Du did not leave, however. Michael Reid’s word made him understand something.
His contacts were starting to work, and he was sure he would be able to leave the prison safely.
First off, Cole would not keep quiet about him being thrown into jail. He had a diamond mine, and Cole knew what he was worth.
Harry Winston was about to rise thanks to Li Du and get the opportunity to rival luxury giants like Tiffany, Hermes, and L’Oréal.
Of course, Harry Winston was still far behind these conglomerates, but as soon as the diamond mine began stable production, the group’s worth would double.
Cole thought that Harry Winston Group might break through in a major way under his leaders.h.i.+p, a feat that his grandfather and father could not accomplish.
Therefore, he would not tolerate seeing Li Du unlawfully sent to prison.
Then there was Sophie. Sophie herself was an unknown doctor without any influence, but her parents were professors of famous universities. Both of them had students all over the country, which meant they had as many connections as the CEOs of major corporations.
Porter and Steve, too, were on his side. Li Du knew they were frighteningly powerful, but he didn’t know how much they would do for him.
In short, if those two people were willing to help him, his predicament would be solved easily. Caddy Lent and his uncle would be in trouble.
He also asked Michael Reid to call Tang Chaoyang, a mysterious man who carried a JPMorgan’s original Palladium card.
In the evening, Li Du was sitting close to the door of his cell. Two prison guards were standing there, chatting with him casually. They could go online and knew what was going on outside.
“Who are you, Mr. Li?” Asked Harry, one of the guards.
Leaning against the wall, Li Du said, “I’m Chinese, I am not an American citizen, so your justice system is fooling around. They do not have the authority to send me to prison.”
The prison guards didn’t believe him. At this time, Michael Reid arrived with some coffee.
He first handed Li Du a cup and said with a smile, “We bought our coffee beans in the supermarket, but they are freshly ground. I hope it’s good enough for you.”
Li Du said in all seriousness, “I’m fine, thank you, man. This is really good.”
Michael Reid felt flattered. “Oh, Mr. Li, you are very kind. If you like coffee, I hope you come to visit us after you get out. My wife makes good coffee.”
“Hey, Lebron James shared the news about Mr. Li on Twitter, and he said he is praying justice would win,” said another excited jailer who had been looking at his cell phone.
Li Du’s connection with star Lebron James wasn’t limited to that collection of sneakers. Back when Harry Winston hosted a New York salon, he invited James, who knew his influence.
In his opinion, James was a shrewder businessman than Bryant, and their relations.h.i.+p was not as close as his relations.h.i.+p with Bryant. However, knowing his status as a shareholder of Harry Winston, James has kept in frequent contact with him.
“Kobe also retweeted this news, and other NBA stars too! Wow, man, this is huge,” the prison guard added.
Warden Felister came in a hurry, smiling warmly. “Good evening, Mr. Li. Have you had your dinner?”
Li Du wrinkled his nose and said, “I can’t get used to the food here.”
The warden hastened to say, “I’ve arranged for a table in a restaurant for you and your partner. We have some Cuban food. I am sure you would not have authentic Cuban food in Arizona.”
Li Du licked his lips and said, “I would love to try it.”
Felister nodded and said happily, “That’s great. Please come with me. I’ll take you to dinner.”
Li Du and Felister walked together, with the jailers following them like bodyguards. Raymond and other inmates stood in the hallway, terrified, as a white prisoner walked out and nearly b.u.mped into them.
Li Du grabbed the white prisoner and laughed. “Hey, buddy,” he said, “You asked me to get some meat for you yesterday morning, didn’t you? I remember you.”
The fellow has been hiding from Li Du for two days, ever since Li Du and his people dealt with the African American gang. He knew that Li Du was not easy to deal with.
He almost cried with fear when he b.u.mped into Li Du this time.
Li Du said, “And I remember you told me I woke you up when I first came that night, didn’t you?”
The prisoner’s face was pale with fear. Three prison guards pressed their truncheons and encircled him. His legs went soft and he almost fell down.
Li Du pulled him up, pushed him against the wall and patted him on the shoulder, saying, “I apologize, I came in late that night and might have caused some noise. hope you don’t mind.”
“No, no, not at all,” The prisoner nodded like a chicken.
Li Du smiled and said, “As for that meat, wait until you get out of this place, and the first chance I have, I will treat you the best-fried beef you’ve ever eaten.”
With that, he let the man go and walked away.
The prisoner wiped his forehead, which was covered in cold sweat.
Li Du didn’t take his previous provocations to heart. He was just trying to have some fun with him. After all, being in prison was boring.
On the way, Li Du saw the prisoners stare at him with great curiosity, His case was sensational, and the prisoners all kept up with the news.
There was a TV screen in the common room, where prisoners could watch the news and get information from the outside world.
After Li Du and the others left, Raymond started showing off in an ostentatious manner.
He coughed, sat down on Li Du’s former seat, and triumphantly said, “Guys, come here, don’t you want to know something about my brother?”
“He’s not your brother,” someone scoffed.
Raymond pointed at him angrily and said, “OK, Benjamin! When my brother Li gets back, I’ll tell him what you said about him.”
The man was shocked and said, “I was just kidding, Raymond. Why can’t you take a joke?”
“I tend to take things seriously when I’m craving a cigarette,” said Raymond slowly.
Benjamin took out half a cigarette and handed it to him, saying, “Here, Raymond. Didn’t you say you were going to tell us something about Mr. Li?”
“Of course. If you ask a question, that’s a bowl of soup or two cigarettes,” said Raymond.
The prisoners were even more bored than Li Du, having been behind bars longer.
Therefore, they quickly gathered around Raymond and began to question him eagerly.
Sitting in the middle of the bench, Raymond felt powerful like never before.
And then he felt a twinge of melancholy. If just telling about Li Du gave him such prestige, what would he feel if he were Li Du?