It was a private function, so the dress code of the gathering was formal. Jiang Chen was the only one that showed up in a casual outfit. His plan was to vacation here, so he had no intention of bringing a formal suit.
A pianist performed at the front of the restaurant. The elegant piano resonated within the room. The elites from all kinds of industries mingled and bonded in search of their inner circle. Jiang Chen stood out among the others as he circled on the edge of the dinner table with plates filled with food. His primary interest was on the table stuffed with delicious treats. Networking nor dancing interested him.
[Hmm, this steak is f*cking delicious.] He delicately chewed and nodded his head in satisfaction. He tried to act elegantly by gently rubbing the grease off of his lips. Although he was a foodie, if he didn’t care about his gesture at all, he would be a peasant. Maybe security would even escort him out.
He held his wine and gazed onto the person at he center of everyone's attention. The Saudi prince was indeed remarkably wealthy. The princess looked gorgeous. Her graceful figure curved like an hourglass. Her delicate nose paired with her crystal-like eyes created a perfect elegance. The princess possessed the facial characteristics of an eastern beauty and the figures of the exquisite western woman. Her composure also foretold her sense of class to everyone around.
She didn’t wear a headscarf, so she must have been from Lebanon.An enormous diamond, shaped like a star, decorated her flawless neck. Jiang Chen didn’t know how much it would cost but based on the size, it must be worth millions.
The prince standing beside her was also handsome. Jiang Chen observed that the two protagonists were surrounded by either arms dealers to oil tycoons. There were a few Asian looking face mixed in between, but he couldn’t be sure of their nationality
The rest of the elites gathered in groups. Jiang Chen saw several familiar faces. There was a renowned singer here, and the bald guy from Fast and Furious. He was surprised by the fact that so many celebrities were here as well, but he didn’t have any intention of talk to them.
"Mr. Yef, why did you choose the mysterious east to celebrate this special moment with your princess."
"Haha, I am especially fond of this place. Last time I was in Hawaii, but it’s quite nice here as well. There are no reporters here."
Of course, there were reporters, but they were all invited by the police to have a chat. The conversation was probably about passport documents. Regardless of how frustrated those foreign reporters were, the police didn’t let them go. In this country, it was more important to make sure you complied with the legal process than report meaningless news. When the time was right, then you could leave.
In this country, money was more useful than capitalistic countries.Last time in Hawaii, Yef spent double the amount of money to hire gangs to take care of the situation. He also spent the same amount and bribed the cops to ignore the situation.
The complete service of the country fitted the needs of the Saudi prince well.
Because of the importance Yef placed on privacy, his friends would always take the journey to see him. Although the friendly Yef invited everyone who resided at the hotel, not everyone lived here.
Some people booked the hotel for a few nights to access this "resourceful" network. Jiang Chen was quite lucky that he booked out the most expensive hotel. He didn’t know that the Saudi prince was having a party here.
"Mr. Olaf, are you interested in five oil tankers of crude oil?"
"Of course I am interested. We burn those every day. Haha, Mr. Zachof, if you would please chat with me."
"My pleasure."
A deal was made almost every minute between each conversation. Jiang Chen sighed as he couldn't believe the scene. He witnessed deals happen while eating salmon. What a bizarre idea. He even heard a few Asian billionaires talk about business, stock markets and even some private matters. Jiang Chen also heard some quite explosive headlines.
For example, a rumored engaged actress showed up at the real estate tycoon’s room last night. Also, a female singer known for her pureness was at a sexual party. Jiang Chen even downloaded a few of her songs.
The news her heard shocked him, but he was not too surprised. Sexual favors were always common among the celebrity circle. If the reporters managed to sneak in, there would be unimaginable consequences. Of course, no reporters would show up.
"A5 Kobe Beef. Great stuff."
"Mhmm, these things are sure nice…" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows and glanced at the bulky white man across from him.
"This small piece is worth 300 USD. The way you eat it makes you feel poor." The white male with short hair and a mustache smiled. He spoke fluent Mandarin which surprised Jiang Chen.
"How did you know I was Han?" Jiang Chen curiously asked. Han, Korean, and Japanese people were hard to distinguish when they stood side by side. Even Jiang Chen himself wouldn’t be able to tell.
‘’I have great people identifying skills. My name is Bruce Miller." He smiled and extended his hand. [Because you eat the most.] Bruce thought in his head.
He shook Bruce’s hand and exchanged a friendly smile. "Jiang Chen."
[I know you are up to no good.] Jiang Chen also judged.
Instinct told Jiang Chen that this guy was not simple. The "not simple" did not refer to whether he was rich or not. Everyone here has money here. The scent of blood surrounded him. Only people who have experienced life and death possessed this unique kind of vibe. Jiang Chen was alerted. He didn’t know what this guy wanted.
"Don’t worry, it’s great to see someone in the same trade." Bruce sensed Jiang Chen’s cautious look and waved his hand.
[Oh, he thinks I’m in the same trade as him.] Jiang Chen didn’t know what to say. "Mhmm? Am I that obvious?" He didn’t correct him and asked in a curious tone.
"Have you not noticed that the security here is looking at you?" Bruce sipped his glass of wine and said slowly.
[Looking at me? Why are they looking at me?] Jiang Chen glanced at the guards with their shades on. Their muscular body looked forceful in his eyes. He didn’t know how Bruce noticed they were watching him through their shades. Jiang Chen also took a sip of his wine.
"Me? Mr. Bruce, I think you made a mistake. I am only an ordinary person here on vacation." Jiang Chen said in a calm tone.
After Bruce had heard Jiang Chen’s words, he let out a sigh. He was a mercenary, so he usually would not be allowed to show up at a gathering like this. However, since his team was responsible for Prince Yef’s security, he was granted permission. The first thing that caught his eye was Jiang Chen. The sense of blood made him extremely cautious. This guy was dangerous. He didn’t have bulky muscles, but he had a peculiar feeling that if they fought in close combat, there was an 80% chance that he would lose.
If Jiang Chen heard his question, he would probably laugh and tell him that he would 100% lose. Regardless of how strong his technique was, Jiang Chen would destroy him with his strength and reflex.
He noticed that Jiang Chen was only here for the food. So he questioned his judgment. Maybe it was a colleague just here on vacation.
To better understand the situation, he exchanged opinions with his team before finally deciding to have a conversation.
"That’s excellent. Enjoy your dinner sir." Bruce smiled and raised his cup.
Bruce didn’t leave right away but instead chatted with Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen was also curious about the life of the foreign mercenaries, so the conversation was quite lovely.
"That time it was in Kane. We escorted a top government military to the frontlines of the battle. We got flanked." After a couple glasses of wine, Bruce was clearly more excited. "I thought it was the Russians because they had strong fire power. So in the end, we were forced to stay in a building until the tanks arrived."
It was not a secret, so Bruce didn’t hide too much. From their conversation, Jiang Chen knew that they were part of Black Water International’s security team responsible for oversea businesses. Bruce was experienced in the battlefield. He was active in the Iraq war before he retired.
"Since we are just casually chatting, why don’t you tell me about yourself, Mr. Jiang? I am quite curious, for I can’t afford the beach mansion with my salary."
"The goal of making money is to enjoy it afterward. What would I save it for? My coffin?" Jiang Chen smiled as he answered his question. He was also on his third steak.
"My bad. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing your business, then don’t worry." Bruce’s fine dining etiquette didn’t seem to match his history of violence.
"Oh, it’s not that big of a deal. To put it in simple terms, it has to do with gold." Jiang Chen said mysteriously.
"Hmm? Do you work in South Africa? That’s a good place." Bruce nodded
"No, it’s in Asia." Jiang Chen shook his head. Bruce was quite surprised.
"To my knowledge, Asia is not a hotspot for a lot of business. Is there a lot of business there?" Bruce looked confused.
"That’s not true. There is a lot of business near the border. We get paid in gold." Jiang Chen made up a story.
Bruce listened to the story and smiled back. He then kept his silence.
A lot of conversations are better when they are off topic, especially for a mercenary like him. There were usually two types of border businesses. Firearms or drugs. Both of them were not conversation topics suitable for the public. These types of gathering usually prepared private rooms for these matters.
These gatherings also had FBA agents lurking around. Questions too specific would be impolite in public.
The gathering safely reached its conclusion. After the Prince’s romantic remark to the Princess, the elites began to depart. As Jiang Chen was preparing to leave, Bruce offered him his business card and said goodbye.
The reason why he chatted with Jiang Chen was primarily because he wanted to keep an eye on him. Since the gathering was over, he didn’t need to stay there any longer.
Jiang Chen stuffed the business card into his pocket, as he would unlikely meet Bruce again. Jiang Chen didn’t want to create too much attention in the modern world, but he kept the business card in case he ever needed something from Bruce.
