violate a ban

"Breaking news: Steven Thornton, a 24-year-old businessman from Lanman, has been confirmed dead in the Tengbang Gangu Valley. He suffered a fatal stab wound to the neck, and his body arrived in Lanman on September 20 through international judicial cooperation channels. Lianhua Machinery's announcement confirms that the deceased was the only son of the late Bobby Thornton, chairman of the Thornton Group, and had planned to visit Tengbang to inspect cross-border cooperation projects. The Lanman Ministry of Foreign Affairs has submitted a request for criminal judicial assistance to the Tengbang authorities, and the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminds citizens to postpone non-essential travel to Tengbang in the near future."

On his way to the company, Milo was bombarded with reposts of this news, and even the outdoor projection screen was analyzing whether it was a crime of passion or a revenge killing.

The noisy discussions only stopped when I entered the company, cutting off the news of the Thornton father and son's deaths.

When Milo pushed open the revolving door, the electronic screen at the front desk was flashing a red warning. The student-like girl he had met during the job interview had been hired and was now frantically answering a phone call. At the top, the headline of the Business Weekly was faintly visible in large black letters: "Suspicion of Related-Party Transactions."

Three groups of drug regulatory inspectors were talking in the leather sofa area of ​​the lobby. The financial director, clutching a cup of coffee, strode across the corridor. Milo headed for the elevator and rode with him.

Milo pressed the floor number first, earning a nod in response from the other party.

The atmosphere was oppressive, and Milo noticed that half of an audit report stamped with a confidential seal was peeking out from the zipper of his briefcase.

"Miles probably won't be in a good mood today."

Milo nodded and calmly replied, "I can tell."

"Let's all be careful."

The moment the elevator doors opened, hurried footsteps sounded, chaotic yet orderly, making it hard to breathe. As you passed through the corridor, the legal department's printer kept buzzing with paper jams.

The sound of arguing could be heard coming from the boardroom. Blaise stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, while the person at the conference table spoke rapidly: "All the ventilator filters in the bonded warehouse have been seized. Also, Wugang Bank has called."

Milo knocked on the door, and the person inside who was reporting turned around, becoming alert and falling silent.

Miles turned around, placed one hand on the document, and said to him, "I understand. Put the things down."

The man left reluctantly.

With a click, the door closed, leaving only the two people in the office.

Miles sat down and looked at Milo: "Why are you frowning so much? Are you more worried than I am?"

Milo lowered his eyes and remained silent.

“You can share your thoughts,” Miles said gently.

Milo opened the folder in his hand and placed the M&A fund statement on the conference table: "I checked, and Lianhua Machinery's orthopedic device production line is currently valued at 1.8 billion."

Miles chuckled: "I can't possibly withdraw such a large sum from the company right now, especially in this situation. Do you think this is child's play? Every penny of the company's funds requires the collective approval of the board of directors."

Milo understood this perfectly well, and it was also what made Miles different from Blaise. Miles was used to navigating the rules without getting entangled, so he was extremely cautious. He would get annoyed and anxious if he encountered someone who didn't play by the rules and would overturn the table.

“There’s another way. Your company just completed its Series B financing. If you pledge 30% of your equity, you can get a 1.2 billion yuan bridge loan from Wugang Bank.” As he spoke, Milo pushed over the risk assessment report. “Right now, the maximum price we can negotiate is 1.5 billion yuan. Next week, when the State Drug Administration releases its quality inspection report on medical consumables, their core production workshop will be ordered to shut down. At that time, although we can reduce the acquisition price further, Lianhua Machinery’s 800 million yuan worth of medical consumables inventory in the bonded zone, which can be mortgaged and cashed out, may not be able to be preserved. The sooner we act, the more advantageous it will be.”

Miles paused for a moment, then looked up and said, "Milo, you should know that bridge loans require a personal guarantee with joint and several liability, right?"

Milo nodded: "But if we sign the contract that day, the money will arrive that evening. This is the fastest way to secure Lianhua Machinery."

“But that might not be the best approach.” Miles pulled out a well-organized document from the pile of files. “Why don’t you mention Green Contract Company? You should be able to tell that they are interested in cooperating with companies within Lanman, and Dragon Financial Health is clearly one of their options.”

Milo's gaze fell on the document, and he frowned slightly. He said, "They've only been established for a short time, and they're a company from the North. Isn't it riskier to cooperate with them? No employee would make such a suggestion out of a sense of security."

"This Joshua accumulated startup capital for GreenDate through stock trading and private equity. After that, he quickly acquired a gene therapy startup with FDA breakthrough designation, shortening the R&D cycle at headquarters. Not only that, he also secured partnerships with top academic institutions like the Frestraven Medical School through R&D collaborations and equity investments, obtaining priority licensing of their technology. In this way, he gradually squeezed into the biomedical field. And he accomplished all of this in just four years. From obscurity to business legend, isn't this person a genius?"

“Talent inevitably breeds arrogance. I think he's risky. Maybe he even thinks I can't give him enough of a challenge?” Miles pondered. “Wan Yang’s company is already built, and they’ll be coming to Lanman in a week.”

Milo frowned slightly: "So, you've already decided to cooperate with Green Contract Company?"

Miles did not deny it: "Joshua's legal team just received the wholly-owned license of Lanman this afternoon. What they lack most is not technology, but a compliant domestic supply chain. As for the gap in these M&A funds, they can be filled with their bank credit lines."

Milo fell silent. He seemed to have a disappointed expression on his face.

“It’s not that your suggestion is bad, it’s just that this isn’t something to be taken lightly.” Miles looked at him. “Alright, what’s on today’s schedule?”

"My daytime slots are all booked, but my evenings are free. Do you have anyone you'd like to meet? I'll get in touch with them."

Miles looked at Milo and gestured lightly across his face: "Think about it again."

Milo frowned, quickly trying to figure out where he might have overlooked something. After going through it once, he was sure he couldn't possibly have made a mistake, so he shook his head.

“You forgot, today is your birthday.” Miles looked out the window. “Unfortunately, because of the news of a death, it’s so noisy that it’s hard to even book a restaurant.”

Milo paused slightly, then his fingers tightened slightly.

"As is customary, I should take you abroad for a tour, but so much has happened lately that I doubt even you're in the mood."

Miles started flipping through the table, and Milo stepped forward on his own initiative.

Miles pressed the sticky note, wrote an address on the paper with a pen, tore it off, and placed it in Milo's hand.

“I’ll be waiting for you here at eight o’clock tonight. After dinner, come back to Zhangtai with me for the night.” Miles squeezed Milo’s palm. “It feels like it’s been a long time since we’ve spent any real time together.”

Milo gripped the paper tightly; he understood the unspoken meaning behind Miles's words.

The thought was that it had been a long time since she had slept with him, so he had to deliver the gift to her door.

At 6 p.m., the company's fast food was delivered upstairs. Milo got up from his desk, walked straight past the delivery line, and pushed open the door with a tired look on his face.

Milo leaned against the window frame, took out a crumpled cigarette case, pulled out a cigarette, and the lighter clicked. The sweet and bitter scent was mixed with a very faint floral fragrance. The smoke overflowed from his nasal cavity, and more of it condensed down his throat. The soreness relieved some of the unspeakable anxiety in his heart.

The towering office buildings were bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun. Milo gazed at these towering skyscrapers, flicked the ash from his cigarette, tore the note in his pocket into pieces, and tossed it away.

Birthday?

Celebrating Milo's rebirth or Theo Green's death?

A date completely unfamiliar to him was forced upon him, becoming a day of joy and celebration for him every year, a day when he would begin his performance.

The ringtone alerted Milo, who looked down and saw it was Jesse calling.

"Hey? Milo, you're off work now? Are you busy later?"

"you say."

"There's something I'd like to discuss with you in person about the ship you were on, the Bethlehem."

When Jesse was seen, he was squatting on the ground, looking at the small boats drifting on the docks of Wudong Port. Upon seeing Milo, Jesse quickly waved and said, "Over here!"

Milo sniffed his collar to make sure there was no smell of smoke before stepping forward.

You've seen the news, haven't you?

"Are you talking about the case of Steven's murder?"

"What else could it be? Oh, I forgot, your company seems to be embroiled in a business scandal too, you must be quite busy." Jesse paused for a moment, then continued, "Milo, I want to ask you, do you really believe that Rye is some Daller family illegitimate child?"

Milo shook his head: "Didn't you say he'd been working for Tate Dale for the entire year he was in Wudong Port? Having an illegitimate child isn't that outrageous. Are you still investigating him?"

Jesse tossed him a bottle of mineral water, which he opened and gulped down. Milo then realized he was covered in sweat, as if he'd been running around outside all day.

“We initially thought that Hei Mai was behind the organ trafficking case, but now it’s clear that it was Steven’s doing. Under the laws of Wu Dong Port, even if we wanted to investigate Hei Mai again, we have no grounds. We can’t arrest him for the alleged shooting of Meng Sha. Besides, there are more urgent matters to attend to now.”

A light rain began to fall, and the temperature gradually cooled down in the evening.

"Judging from the shape of the wound, Steven only had one obvious puncture wound, but the edges of the cut were somewhat uneven, unlike what an ordinary knife could do. The murder weapon should have been narrow-bladed, sharp, and of a certain length. The murder weapon has been missing for a long time, and I suddenly remembered what you said about him bidding on jewelry. When I looked at the pictures, the angular curves of the necklace pendant were quite similar to the wound. Coincidentally, the auction house said that all the goods had been handed over, but it wasn't among the belongings transferred from the other side. Was it robbery and murder? That's somewhat possible. But then I discovered that the jewelry was actually Theo Green's personal belongings. How could there be such a coincidence in the world?"

Jesse continued talking to himself, oblivious to Milo's stiff expression beside him: "Isn't telling me this considered leaking secrets?"

“You’re practically an undercover agent helping us solve the case, so why should I be so wary of talking to you about these things? Besides, I need your help.” Jesse continued, “Steven left on the Bethlehem, a cruise ship jointly owned by the Daller and Thornton companies. The round-trip routes are usually very regular, but this time it never came back.”

"I checked the boarding list and found that among the foreign employees regularly recruited in the past two years, a 16-year-old boy and a 22-year-old man have both gone missing. The boy was a first-time boarder, so there were no clues, but this guy named Matsubara Yuuma has boarded the ship several times. He has worked as a hostess in Wudong Port on and off, and his most recent job was at the underground shop where Steven was vandalized before, so he and Steven may have had a business relationship."

“I also investigated this person’s entry and exit records and found that he left Tengbang but did not return to China. The most recent purchase record was at a small shop next to Wudong Port. But strangely, he had no entry record, which means that he may have entered the country illegally. I have a feeling that this person may be related to Steven’s murder case.”

As she spoke, Jesse turned to look at Milo: "Milo, you recognize this person, right?"

Milo's heart skipped a beat. Sometimes, because he was so close to Jesse, he would subconsciously forget that he was dealing with a criminal investigation police officer who came from a police academy. For them, profession always came first, then relationship.

But he could also sense that Jesse wasn't trying to extract information from him like a criminal. The smart thing to do would have been to ask that question casually during a conversation, rather than after the conversation had already begun.

Just as Jesse was afraid that he might lie.

“I know him. His previous workplace was very close to my shop, so he often came to buy things. We can talk to each other.”

Hearing this, Jesse breathed a slight sigh of relief: "Can we talk to each other... or be considered friends? On the ship, could you tell that there was any emotional entanglement between the two of them?"

Milo frowned slightly: "Steven is a notorious playboy, and his sexual orientation is female."

“These things are always hard to say. You don’t know, Steven and Theo Green were old friends. After Theo Green died, he bought all of Theo Green’s surviving belongings, and this time he spent tens of millions on a necklace… Maybe Steven is a closeted gay man.” Jesse patted Milo on the shoulder. “The night before you returned from Gan Valley, it rained heavily, right? The police station in Tengbang said that the Japanese man hurriedly boarded the ship that night, not following official channels. And that night happened to be the time of Steven’s death. Why was he in such a hurry to escape? Besides murder, there’s another possibility—”

Jesse deliberately left the question unanswered, so Milo had no choice but to continue: "He saw the murderer and wanted to escape."

“I have a feeling this person will be the key to solving the case.” Jesse nudged Milo’s arm. “If he contacts you, you have to report him immediately. Covering up a crime is also a crime, and I don’t want to put you in handcuffs and get arrested.”

Milo chuckled dryly: "How could that be?"

Jesse glanced at the growing raindrops, put his arm around Milo's shoulder, and said, "I stood you up last time, so I'll treat you to a nice meal tonight. It's your birthday today, and I haven't forgotten. Let's go, the restaurant is all booked. We can't afford Cloud Top Restaurant this time, so please don't mind."

Milo's heart rate continued to increase, and fragmented memories suddenly flashed through his mind.

On a stormy night, in a boat cabin, they engaged in frenzied intercourse. A thunderclap flashed, and the branches outside the window twisted. For a fleeting moment, it seemed as if a human face had suddenly appeared.

If Yuuma really did see something...

"Is there anything else?" Jesse asked, somewhat puzzled, when he saw that Milo hadn't moved.

Milo snapped out of his daze, glanced at his phone, and realized it would be exactly eight o'clock in ten minutes. If he frantically hailed a taxi and sped off, he should be able to make it to the location Miles had specified.

The sea breeze grew stronger, and after hesitating for a few seconds, Milo stepped forward to follow Jesse: "No, I'm going with you tonight."

He needed to extract as much information as possible from Jesse about the police department.

Jesse smiled brightly: "If you really come with me, you have to drink to your heart's content tonight. Don't answer any work calls or anything, and don't you dare run away beforehand."

Milo nodded, his gaze shifting from the distant skyscrapers to Jesse's black sedan. He took a deep breath and resolutely got into the car.

*

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, cars and people bustle about, and a light drizzle falls.

Seven crystal chandeliers hung from the dome of the banquet hall on the top floor of the Cloud Top Pavilion, the candlelight of the silver candlesticks flickered slightly, the room was filled with gradient blue and white roses glistening with dew, and the aroma of Le Musigny red wine lingered in the air.

Elegant piano pieces were played one after another, and even the waiters waiting nearby noticed that something was wrong.

They spent such a large sum of money by booking out the entire top floor, but the invited guests have yet to show up.

The waiter carefully stepped forward, opened the silver ice bucket, placed the contents into the Almas caviar jar, and then politely smiled and retreated.

Miles opened his phone and hovered the dial pad over the number that he knew by heart, even though it had no name in his contacts.

He didn't order until the exact time was eight o'clock and the restaurant was still empty.

He held the phone to his ear, and after a series of beeping sounds, all he heard was a cold, mechanical female voice on the other end: "The user you dialed is temporarily unavailable."

A sense of restlessness silently crept into my heart.

He clearly stated that freedom is allowed, but the bottom line is that losing contact is prohibited.

For whom would Milo defy his demands, even when they were explicitly requested?

Miles lowered his eyes, his knuckles turning slightly white.

A cluster of colorful hydrogen balloons floated past the window, and Miles's gaze shifted downwards.

Under the neon lights of the tea restaurant across the street, a young man knelt on one knee. A girl reached out her hand, watching excitedly as he placed a ring she had bought from a convenience store on her finger. The two kissed in the rain, the ground littered with cheap confetti and balloons soaked in the mud.

Miles frowned slightly and smiled dismissively.

Young people are always foolish and naive.

However, that contract also seems to represent a certain commitment, suggesting that a legal commitment represents a deeper and closer connection.

marry?

marry……

These two words suddenly and unexpectedly entered Miles's mind.

Footsteps approached, and Harold, soaked by the rain, strode into the restaurant, looking at Miles with a complicated expression.

Miles asked calmly, "What's wrong now?"

Harold said in a deep voice, "It's not a company matter, it's about the cargo ship. They caught someone, the brown-haired man who went to Gan Valley with you."

Miles frowned slightly.

Harold continued, "The police at Wudong Port have been looking for him recently, and Blaise... seems to be investigating him as well."

Where is he?

"It's being held in the warehouse at Pier No. 3."

A moment later, Miles slowly got up, paid the bill, and left: "Let's go take a look."