Chapter 35: Magical Realism

No wonder they came to Bogotá first instead of flying directly to Medellín; it turns out they came here to buy things.

Now Arthur knew for sure that this was indeed an underground mall, but he still didn't know what Frank came here to buy. However, after following the boss, Sebastian, for a few steps, he saw a small shelf with cameras on it.

There were all kinds of cameras, including some with long lenses like cannons, though there were only a few of those. As for the more common DSLR cameras and small digital cameras, there were too many to count.

Sebastian picked up a backpack from the shelf, opened it, and took out a DSLR camera with a long lens. "We just robbed a photojournalist yesterday, one who was following a football team. If we don't rob him, who else should we rob? We took his camera bag, which was full of photography equipment. If you want it, it's all yours for five thousand dollars."

The camera was a Canon, but Arthur didn't know the model because he knew nothing about cameras. However, he knew that these kinds of cameras were very expensive, though he didn't know if five thousand dollars was a fair price.

After translating Sebastian's words, Frank reached for the camera, looked at it, and shook his head. "A complete camera bag will save me a lot of trouble. I still need something else. Do you have a professional-grade GPS?"

"We have a few. After receiving the news, I had someone break into an outdoor equipment store, but there's only Garmin."

Sebastian led Frank a few steps and pointed to a shelf. "All the electronic products are in this area. Take a look and see what you need."

Frank looked around and frowned. "Don't you have military-grade GPS?"

"It's hard to get military-grade GPS. You should check with a military supplier. I mostly have civilian products here."

Frank sighed and nodded. "Then Garmin. Give me five, any model, for a thousand dollars."

"Okay."

Sebastian was very straightforward. He didn't even consider the price difference between different models, just agreeing to Frank's price. Then, with a somewhat displeased expression, he said, "I've prepared the binoculars for you. There aren't many, so I had to purchase them at the last minute. But the buyer was a newbie who was too nervous and ended up shooting a security guard. Now I have to spend money to settle this trouble."

After complaining and boasting, Sebastian gestured. "As for the gun you wanted, I've already contacted a seller in Medellín for you. When you arrive, call this number. Rest assured, the seller is reliable; he's been my partner for many years."

Sebastian took out a piece of paper, Frank took it and then nodded. "Thanks."

There were boxes on the shelves, all filled with binoculars, and they were all top brands. When Arthur saw them, he felt like his eyes couldn't move away.

Swarovski, Zeiss, and Leica, the most famous and expensive binoculars were there, with at least seven boxes that Arthur could see. As for the slightly more affordable Nikon, Bushnell, and Celestron binoculars, there were even more of those.

It felt like entering a treasure trove, but Arthur didn't know how much they cost.

Arthur couldn't help but look at Frank, who, after a glance, said calmly, "What's the price?"

"Same as before, half the market price. The most expensive one is the Leica for four thousand dollars. I suggest you buy that one, and the four Zeiss ones are two thousand five hundred each. Also, the two Swarovski ones are two thousand dollars each. These binoculars are rare; don't miss this opportunity."

Frank rubbed his chin and ultimately nodded. "Alright, that's a fair price. What about walkie-talkies? Do you have military-grade ones? They need to be waterproof; we're going to the rainforest."

Sebastian shook his head. "You'll have to go to a military supplier for military-grade walkie-talkies. It's hard for me to procure the ones you need. But there are plenty of civilian walkie-talkies; just tell me the model you want, and I can procure them this afternoon."

Every term Frank and Sebastian mentioned had to go through Arthur's translation, so after translating Sebastian's words this time, Arthur added, "What does he mean by 'procure'?"

Frank thought for a moment and said, "Steal and rob. Tell him I'll check the inventory."

Sebastian pointed to a container, and after Frank looked at it, he quickly said, "Motorola Digital Trooper II. Give me five; I can't wait for you to procure them."

At this moment, Arthur looked at a pile of white boxes. After carefully examining them, he was astonished to find that they were tablets, laptops, and iPhones.

All brand new and unopened, stacked together.

Now Arthur felt like his iPhone 8 wasn't so great anymore. So, he asked Frank again, "Can I ask about the prices of those things myself?"

Frank smiled and said, "Feel free; you'll get a discounted price."

Arthur pointed to the pile of electronic products and asked, "How much are those new phones and computers?"

Sebastian looked at Arthur and said, "Half the price, retail only. If you want to buy all of them, we can discuss the price again."

Arthur sighed, then whispered to Frank, "Can I buy a computer with my own money?"

Frank shrugged, smiling, "There are so many good things here. If you want to buy, wait until after our operation ends. If you still care about saving that little money by then."

Arthur hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

It's true that when people are poor, they tend to have short-term thinking. Who cares about saving a few hundred or a few thousand dollars if the treasure hunt is successful?

Arthur scolded himself inwardly but still found the stolen goods very attractive. When you're used to being poor, you can't help but feel like it's a waste not to pick up something cheap.

John, on the other hand, wasn't interested in buying the cheap goods here. He just looked around casually and didn't say a word, appearing much more dignified than Arthur.

Frank's purchases were just a few items. After everything was packed and paid for with a card instead of cash, they didn't even need to carry the items themselves, as Sebastian would have them delivered to the hotel.

Not long after, they said goodbye to Sebastian. Once they were out of the so-called underground mall, Arthur couldn't help but say, "This is an underground mall. I'm just curious, who is Sebastian?"

Frank replied indifferently, "He controls the black market in Bogotá, with the largest gang of thieves under his command. Almost everything stolen or robbed has to be sold to him. Of course, he can't control all the thieves and robbers, so private transactions are inevitable. But if a thief or a gang of robbers doesn't want to trade through him, they can expect trouble."

Arthur nodded, "Understood, a gang leader."

Frank smirked, "You can think of it that way. However... he has a public identity as well, as the deputy chief of the Bogotá Police Department in charge of theft and robbery cases."

Arthur fell silent, then after a while, he smiled bitterly, "Well, Colombia is indeed a magical country, which is why it produced great writers like Marquez. I understand now."