In the Repulse Bay Villa, the atmosphere did not ease because of Lin Huowang's "help" call.
Gao Qiaohao sat on pins and needles, his black Motorola Elite pager tightly clutched in his hand, his eyes fixed on the heavy grandfather clock in the villa's living room. The ticking of the second hand was amplified in the silent room, beating on his frayed nerves like a drumstick. Just now, after Lin Huowang hung up the phone, he confidently told him that there should be a result within five minutes.
Five minutes? How could that be possible! He had just used every connection he could think of, only to receive a cold and unanimous response: The Customs action was directly ordered by the top brass; no one dared to move without instructions! Fifteen days was the minimum! He was filled with pessimism and deep self-blame: Kobayashi-kun had contacted Newbigin, but could Jardine Matheson be stronger than the Governor's Office? This was clearly the Hong Kong government deliberately trying to trick us! Could that old British fox just be perfunctory...? The cold sweat broke out on his forehead again.
Lin Huowang, however, leaned back on the sofa, eyes closed, resting. He listened to the ticking of the clock, silently counting down: Three minutes should be about up. MacLehose needed to confirm his victory with Newbie immediately, and Newbie needed to immediately implement this "achievement" to consolidate the fruits of victory. They had to put on a full show; to demonstrate their "friendship," they wouldn't let him wait too long. So, at this moment, Lin Huowang felt unusually calm, even a little bored, simply waiting for a known answer, calculating his next move in the game.
"Beep beep... beep beep..." Just when the clock was pointing to two minutes before the predicted five minutes of forest fire, the pager on Gao Qiaohao's waist suddenly beeped sharply! The sound was like a flash of lightning, piercing the dead silence!
Gao Qiaohao shuddered, leaping to his feet as if struck by lightning. He frantically checked the pager at his waist. Seeing it was his subordinate, he quickly called back from the living room phone. His manager exclaimed in delight, "Mr. Gao Qiao, customs have released the equipment! The equipment is being loaded back to the factory! Please inform Mr. Xiaolin immediately!!!"
The overwhelming surprise instantly overwhelmed all his previous anxiety! Success?! It really worked! "Xiao Lin-kun! It's released! It's really released! Customs has notified us of immediate release! The machines are being shipped to the factory!" Gao Qiaohao practically shouted, his voice trembling with excitement.
Lin Huowang slowly opened his eyes, glanced at Gao Qiaohao, and a smile of "as expected" appeared on his face. He sneered inwardly: What a trick! MacLehose and Newbigin's combination of kindness and force, thunder and rain, has reached perfection.
Before he could say anything, the black dedicated telephone in the living room rang rapidly again. Lin Huowang walked over and calmly picked up the receiver: "Hello?"
It was indeed Newbigin's voice. Even through the receiver, one could sense the unconcealed pride and benefactor's tone: "Mr. Kobayashi! Great news! I've even knocked on the doors of my friends at the Customs for your case! After much persuasion, finally... well, finally, there's been a breakthrough! They've agreed to make special arrangements!" He deliberately omitted the Governor's will, placing himself in a key position.
"Oh, yes! It happened that when I was trying to coordinate, the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Murray MacLehose, was also concerned about this matter. When he heard that it was Mr. Kobayashi Tenwang's equipment, he immediately said: 'Mr. Kobayashi Tenwang is our important guest and partner in Hong Kong Island! How could there be any problem with his equipment?' He personally ordered the immediate release! The Sir values and trusts Mr. Kobayashi very much!" Newbijian's words were like a cannonball wrapped in honey. While taking the credit for himself, he lightly pointed out the Governor's "special care", doing a big favor and quietly throwing out a bigger bait - the Governor's favor.
"Oh! Mr. Newbigin! I cannot thank you enough for your kindness!" Lin Huowang's voice was instantly filled with "fervent" gratitude. "Without you and the lord's support, I really wouldn't be able to..." He seemed to be so excited that he was a little speechless. He paused for a moment before recovering. "I, Xiaolin Tianwang, will remember this friendship in my heart! I will repay you handsomely in the future!"
"Mr. Kobayashi, you're too polite!" Newbigin laughed and changed the subject, "The fact that the Sir admires Mr. Lin so much reminds me of a wonderful thing that the Sir mentioned a few days ago. In a few days, the Governor's House will hold a small-scale dinner party. The Sir very much hopes to have in-depth exchanges with young and promising industrialists like Mr. Kobayashi, to seek common development and discuss some possible future... cooperation opportunities. I wonder if Mr. Kobayashi has time to come?" After the fish bites the hook, it is necessary to lift the rod steadily and lead it into one's own water network.
Lin Huowang understood clearly that this was the official ticket he had been waiting for. He immediately responded with a tone of flattery and anticipation, "My honor! Please tell the lord that Xiaolin Tianwang will be on time! Thank you again, Mr. Newbigin! Thank you, lord!"
"Haha, that's great! I will convey Mr. Darling's regards to the lord. I will confirm the specific arrangements with you before the dinner. Take care!" "Take care of yourself too! Goodbye!"
The call ended. Lin Huowang's "grateful" smile faded as he put down the receiver. Finally, a barely perceptible, cold smile appeared on his lips, like the cold, victorious moment of harvest when a hunter sees their prized prey just the last inch of their trap. Very good, the first move went nearly perfectly, even better than expected. He mentally considered the challenges he might encounter at the dinner and how to address them.
He turned around, his composure restored. "Mr. Gao Qiao," he began, his tone becoming serious and businesslike again, "how's the other thing I asked you to do going?"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
