The gems at Tiffany's were of no intrinsic difference from those at Cartier. However, Tiffany had a greater variety of colored diamonds. The most precious among them was a heart-shaped diamond, pink with a hint of purple, estimated at nearly 50 million. As for rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, they weren't as dazzling, but they weren't bad either.

But while examining the gems, Han Lie adopted a completely different strategy than before. He didn't negotiate rashly, maintaining an air of only lukewarm interest. Then he let Jian Yisi take the initiative to probe him.

"They're all pretty good, but just pretty good," he sparingly revealed when the timing seemed right.

Jian Yisi immediately thought she understood Han Lie's thinking. I already have an impeccable gemstone for my collection, why should I buy something that's merely similar?

Understanding customer needs in-depth was a required skill for people like her. Realizing Han Lie had no such need, she swiftly shifted targets.

"The Star of Romance is a collector-grade gem, and its design and further processing must be handled with extreme care. So, Mr. Han, do you still require one or two pieces of finished jewelry custom-designed for your girlfriend? The main stone doesn't have to be collector-grade, but it's more convenient for daily wear. Our designers at Tiffany have the ability to create high-end jewelry that's a perfect match for any woman's temperament..."

Jian Yisi managed to sway Han Lie.

So, Brother Lie began to turn his attention to gems of a slightly lesser grade. The so-called lesser grade typically meant each carat was valued at 500,000 to 1,000,000 Mi Yuan, generally not exceeding 20 carats, or was larger but had slight flaws in purity. Gems of this tier, used in jewelry, could still sell for tens of millions, or even high tens of millions, of RMB at auction.

Were they low quality? Obviously not.

Therefore, Jian Yisi remained very attentive, even more eager than before. The logic was actually simple: Mr. Han had only bought a single gemstone at Cartier, but at Tiffany, attracted by the design quality, he chose custom designs.

So, whose design quality was superior? That might not have been the reality, but who cared about reality in advertising? They would, of course, highlight what was favorable to them.

Therefore, Han Lie stayed at Tiffany for an entire afternoon. The designer who came that day was a rather famous jewelry master. Based on the photos Han Lie provided and his descriptions of the women's personalities and family backgrounds, the designer offered many constructive suggestions.

For example, Pan Ge wasn't really suited to wearing overly elaborate necklaces—those large, full ones. Theoretically, those were more suitable for Miss Fan's face shape and physique. At the same time, Pan Ge's temperament wasn't quite suited to jadeite or seed jade either. Ruby was actually a very good choice, and sapphires and emeralds could be used as embellishments, while pink diamond was obviously the best match for her...

Ahem, sales pitch aside, the designer's overall ideas were quite splendid.

However, the designer, who had earned Han Lie's approval, soon found himself completely numb.

This guy provided a full eight photos, asking about them one by one! It looked like he was interested in wholesale!

Merchants couldn't interfere with a client's personal life, but the problem was... the designer was mentally exhausted!

However, Jian Yisi saw a strong purchasing need within this.

Being a playboy is great! So many women, excellent! One set for each... wouldn't the sales figures just pour in?

Finally, when it seemed they were nearly done, Han Lie put away his phone and nonchalantly said, "Those are all friends of mine. Your ideas and skill level are truly impressive. I'm very much looking forward to truly collaborating with you."

That's it?

Jian Yisi was dumbfounded. She realized all the inside info from Cartier was worthless.

A fool and his money are soon parted? This man is even more composed than I am?!

Realizing Han Lie had some interest but wasn't particularly keen, Jian Yisi decided to make her move.

"Mr. Han, to be friends with you, I'll take the initiative to offer a 20% discount on the raw materials for our first collaboration..."

While sweet-talking him, she gave the designer a meaningful glance. The master designer, well-versed in social graces, immediately followed suit, offering a discount on the design fee as well.

But Han Lie glanced at his watch and politely declined, "It's getting late. I have to rush to another appointment after dinner to hear Van Cleef & Arpels' thoughts. Shall we call it a day?"

Although phrased as a question, it clearly didn't allow Jian Yisi to refuse. So, she sent Han Lie off with great disappointment and actively sought another discussion opportunity.

"I need to see Van Cleef & Arpels' situation."

Han Lie said candidly, "You know, my current need isn't particularly strong. For non-collector-grade custom-designed jewelry, there doesn't seem to be an absolute difference among your companies..."

Candid, my ass! It was clear he was just psyching them out! 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Jian Yisi wasn't stupid. She realized Han Lie did indeed have a specific need; he was just biding his time, waiting for the best offer. But there was nothing she could do.

The situation with non-collector-grade custom-designed jewelry was entirely different from that of the Star of Romance; it was purely a buyer's market. If we aren't willing to go all out, there are plenty of jewelry companies that are.

So, the tacit understanding previously formed among the three companies was now useless. For collector-grade gems, everyone could stick to a price over 1.2 million Mi Yuan, and nobody would budge, since unsold gems wouldn't cause a loss. But for the next tier of custom designs, it would truly be a bayonet fight.

"We can discuss the price and design further."