At night, the lights in Martin's suite were soft.
I had just changed into my robe, a glass of wine in hand, exhausted from the long flight. Just as I was about to take a sip, the doorbell rang. Who was it?
"Come in." Martin didn't even raise his head. It was probably room service delivering a midnight snack.
The door opened, and the person who came in made him pause with the cup in his hand.
An ordinary-looking Asian man wearing a decent suit and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.
"Good evening, Mr. Martin." The man spoke in standard Mandarin.
Martin's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he thought about it in his mind, but he didn't expect this kind of person.
"Who are you?"
"Hello, an old friend of yours asked me to come and talk to you, saying that you would be interested in certain things." The man surnamed Li was not polite at all. He found a sofa and sat down very steadily.
Martin held the cup but didn't drink it. His eyes swept back and forth over the man.
He winked at the bodyguard in the corner, signaling him not to move, and he also moved some distance away and sat down opposite the man.
"Oh? Old friend? I never knew I had such a friend. Tell me, what news is so valuable that you had to come all this way in person?"
The man adjusted his glasses and leaned forward. "Of course it's a matter between the Fu and Ning families. To put it bluntly, it's about how the new energy industry will be divided in the future."
Martin took a sip of wine, turning the glass in his hand, and did not directly respond: "Fu Chen just finished talking to me. I know the background of the Fu family. I also know something about the Ning family."
"When talking to a smart person like Mr. Martin, there's no need to beat around the bush," the man said. "The Fu family wants to recruit you and borrow your boat to go out to sea. It's a very clever plan. But what if... I mean, what if the Ning family comes up with a new project that can destroy all the new energy technologies currently on the market?"
Martin tightened his grip on the glass, placed it on the table, and sneered, "Subversion? That's a strong word. The Ning family invested some money, but to say it's subversion... isn't that a bit too much?"
"It's not surprising that Mr. Martin doesn't know. The Ning family has kept this matter a secret." The man's tone remained unchanged, and he even smiled. "Their team has solved a big problem. The new technology is highly efficient and low-cost, far surpassing the current ones. Once this thing comes out, all the efforts of the Fu family will be wasted."
Martin said nothing, tapping his fingers on the armrest of the sofa.
If the man in front of him was not lying, then he would have to think twice about cooperating with the Fu family.
It’s true that the Fu family is familiar with the area, but if the technical platform is not good, this business... will be quite risky.
"Words are nothing, sir," Martin said, his voice calm. "There has to be something real, right?"
The man's eyes curved behind his glasses. "Mr. Martin, how could I possibly come to you with such a head-breaking deal just by talking? I've brought the stuff. It's the core technology of the Ning family and Green Light Technology."
"You want to use the Fu family as a springboard, but the Fu family's foundation may not be able to support your resources and pressure."
The man's smile widened, his eyes looking straight at Martin.
"Name your price." Martin said without further ado.
"It's not complicated. As for the money—" the man held up two fingers. "I want this amount, US dollars. For exclusive viewing rights."
Martin leaned back and looked the man up and down, as if evaluating a commodity. "Two million dollars? Just for a single word from you, a word you can't even tell if it's true or not? Sir, you have quite the appetite."
It's "exclusive" too. Who knows if he will sell it to a second company? He has seen many people like this.
"Mr. Martin, you're a wise man. If this technology is real, what's two million? It's a drop in the bucket! With it, you'll have the final say in the new energy market. When the time comes, whether to control the Fu family or find someone more obedient, isn't it all up to you?"
The balance in Martin's heart began to waver.
He was not surprised that the Ning family took action, but he did not expect it to be of such a level that could overturn the table.
If it's true... the deal he made today will determine whether the industry behind him can be completely cleansed in the next few decades.
This gamble is a bit big.
"Why should I believe you? Is the thing real or fake? Will you take this thing and knock on the next door?" Martin stared at him.
"Mr. Martin, you can inspect the goods first. A small portion for your approval. As for selling it to others..." The man spread his hands with a look of "you know what I mean." "We in this business value reputation. We found you because we appreciate your importance. Besides, if more people know about this kind of good thing, can it still be called a good thing?"
Martin did not answer immediately.
This is a risky matter, but the temptation is also great.
This guy surnamed Li doesn't look very good, but he speaks with confidence and doesn't sound like he's bragging.
"One million." Martin held up a finger. "A deposit of five hundred thousand. I've seen the product, it's worth it, so I'll give you another five hundred thousand. If it's really as you said, the price of the core technology behind it is negotiable."
As if anticipating his attempt at bargaining, the man nodded. "Alright. But let me be frank. This is a USB drive containing crucial information. How you open it and understand it depends on the talent of your subordinates, Mr. Martin."
Martin's face turned extremely bad. He didn't expect that this guy still had a trick up his sleeve.
"No problem." Martin agreed, picked up the phone and told his assistant to transfer the money.
The money arrived quickly. The man took out a black USB drive from his bag, put it on the coffee table, and pushed it to Martin.
"Mr. Martin, it's a pleasure to work with you. We'll discuss the next step after hearing your good news." The man stood up, said something polite, turned around and left, decisively.
As soon as the person left, Martin picked up the USB drive and looked at it over and over again.
He walked to the study and plugged the USB drive into the computer.
A box pops up on the screen: Please enter your password.
Martin tried several common passwords, but none of them worked.
He called the technical director and asked them to try it.
It turned out that the encryption was quite advanced and it would take some time to decrypt it without the key.
Martin cursed under his breath, his anger rising.
He grabbed the crystal glass on the table and smashed it hard on the ground. With a "clang", it shattered completely.
At the same time, Jiang Tingchen's phone vibrated slightly.
He picked it up and took a look. It was a message from the assistant who was responsible for monitoring Martin's every move: "The target's mood has been fluctuating rapidly recently. The meetings are scheduled more frequently than usual, and the locations chosen are quite secluded."
"He has another appointment tonight," Jiang Tingchen replied, "I'll go check this place out."
Things seemed strange everywhere, so he was used to confirming it himself.
He has no doubt about the ability of his subordinates to do things, but when it comes to some minor details, his intuition is often more accurate.
The old teahouse is indeed worthy of its name. It is tucked away at the end of a narrow alley, and the words on the wooden sign are a little blurred.
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