Reborn in 2005, starting with repairing mobile phones

After getting into the car, Chen Wei'an did not start the engine immediately.

She first took a bottle of ice water from the storage compartment, unscrewed it, and took a sip before slowly starting the car. Her movements were still smooth, but there was something unusual in her eyes.

She glanced at Lin Dong in the back seat through the rearview mirror.

The young man was gazing out the window, his profile unusually calm in the San Francisco afternoon light, as if the seemingly casual yet subtly witty tea conversation with the wealthy tycoon had been nothing more than a simple cup of water.

"Mr. Lin,"

When Chen Wei'an spoke, her voice was no longer purely businesslike, but rather contained a more genuine sentiment: "I've dealt with Wu Ming a few times. This guy never leaves a trace in his words. It's difficult to get anything real out of him."

But just now... it seems you weren't trying to trick him into revealing anything at all; instead, you gave him a new idea.

As she drove into the main road, she continued, "The most crucial point is that your idea of ​​'selling them separately' sounds like casual conversation, but every word hits the nail on the head regarding the most likely deadlock he's facing right now."

What Gulf Capital wants is completely different from what he wants. Having an 'outsider' like you point this out is far more effective in making him take it to heart than if his own subordinates or rivals said it.

Lin Dong turned his gaze away from the window and said in a calm tone, "A person in his position only believes what he comes up with himself. If you tell him directly what to do, he will be wary."

Show him another side of the problem and let him draw his own conclusion. Even if that conclusion is in our favor, he'll think it's his cleverness.

"So now he has another alternative in mind: a 'split deal'."

Chen Wei'an understood the ingenious calculations involved. This was more sophisticated and dangerous than many direct and intense business negotiations she had ever seen. "But given his style, he certainly wouldn't give up everything immediately."

"Of course not."

Lin Dong affirmed, "That's his confidence and greed as a major buyer."

When the cost of directly seizing the entire shipment becomes too high, or when he realizes that a head-on confrontation might be counterproductive, this alternative becomes the "smarter" choice in his eyes.

"What we need to do is make that 'price' clear as soon as possible," Chen Wei'an continued, having completely caught up with the pace.

"That's right." Lin Dong nodded. "So, next we should go check out the port."

Chen Wei'an said no more, and the car drove smoothly toward the Port of San Francisco.

The closer you get to the port, the rougher the scenery becomes.

Huge warehouses, rows of shipping containers, rusty machinery, and the air filled with the smells of the sea and diesel.

The pace here is completely different from that of the financial district in the city center.

The car eventually stopped at a public observation point on the outskirts of the bonded zone.

From here, you can see the outline of Zone C where the target warehouse is located in the distance, but you cannot get close to the core constant temperature warehouse area.

The two got out of the car and walked slowly along the outer road that was open to traffic.

The wind was strong at the port, making the flags on the cargo ships flutter loudly.

Workers operated the machinery, and container trucks shuttled back and forth; everything looked busy yet orderly.

But Lin Dong's gaze swept over those seemingly ordinary details; at certain intersections, there were always a few black SUVs that weren't being used, their windows tinted.

Several burly men in overalls, who were clearly not involved in the actual loading and unloading, casually gathered in the shadows smoking, their eyes scanning the passing vehicles and pedestrians like radar.

As they approached a relatively open storage yard, they spotted a van bearing the logo of an international logistics company attempting to turn into the gate leading to the inner passage of Zone C.

The gate security guard checked the documents according to procedure, but just as the barrier was about to be raised, a white man wearing a leather jacket and with tattoos on his neck appeared out of nowhere, reached out and pressed the intercom, and whispered something to the security guard.

The security guard stopped immediately.

The truck driver leaned out and asked loudly in English with an Eastern European accent.

The man in the leather jacket simply shook his head and pointed in another direction, indicating that he should leave.

The driver's expression changed from confusion to anger, and the two began to argue.

Soon, another man in a suit, who looked like a logistics company dispatcher, jogged over. He nodded to the man in the leather jacket and then forcefully ordered the truck driver to reverse.

The car eventually left the passage and turned into another area.

The entire process lasted no more than five minutes, without any intense conflict, but the undeniable sense of oppression emanating from the ground order was so clear it was chilling.

After finishing all this, the man in the leather jacket lit a cigarette, his gaze sweeping over Lin Dong and Chen Wei'an, who were standing not far away.

His eyes were devoid of any emotion, as if he were looking at two unrelated pieces of cargo, before he turned and disappeared into the gaps in the container yard.

"That's Rossi's man."

Chen Wei'an said in a low voice, "They decide how this area operates and who can get in. Even vehicles from legitimate logistics companies can't enter the core area without their approval."

Lin Dong silently stared at the area controlled by an invisible force.

What he saw was not simply gangster behavior, but an extremely efficient monopoly of local rules.

Wu Ming plays the game of personal connections and customs relations, Gulf Capital plays the game of capital and document rules, while the Rossi family firmly controls the most physical and basic entrance, the throat of the flow of goods.

This means that any transaction that ultimately wants to complete physical delivery cannot bypass this hurdle.

You can have a perfect contract and plenty of funds, but if your truck can't get in, or your container is "unexpectedly" delayed or damaged, all that paper wealth is just a bubble.

For cargo owners, this is a more troublesome problem than commercial competition. Your goods are surrounded by a group of local bullies who don't negotiate prices with you and directly control the exercise of your goods.

"Did you see that?"

Lin Dong withdrew his gaze and said to Chen Wei'an, "Wu Ming has his own plans, and Gulf Capital has its own bargaining chips, but here, the Rossi family holds the most original key."

The biggest challenge for cargo owners right now is probably not who to sell to, but how to ensure their goods leave the port safely and without any difficulties.

Chen Wei'an wholeheartedly agreed:

"Therefore, if there were a solution that could benefit all three parties simultaneously..."

At the very least, it would be incredibly tempting for cargo owners to reach some kind of tacit understanding between Wu Ming and Gulf Capital, creating a 'fait accompli' that even the Rossi family wouldn't dare to easily obstruct.

"That's not all."

Lin Dong turned and walked towards the parking area. "This plan still needs to be seen as a way to help the cargo owner get out of this predicament of being held hostage by ground forces."

A simple technical grading report isn't enough; we need to make the cargo owner feel that someone is helping them build a springboard to escape this predicament.

Back in the car, the massive and imposing silhouette of the port gradually receded into the distance in the rearview mirror.

Lin Dong leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

In his mind, Wu Ming's thoughtful face, the silent suppression at the port gate, and the report that was about to be delivered precisely were like several key pieces of a puzzle, slowly coming together.

The Rossi family's strength is not an obstacle; on the contrary, it may become the strongest catalyst for that "split plan."

When cargo owners' anxiety about the loss of control over the ground reaches its peak, the value of a solution that can introduce powerful external forces to balance or even suppress local bullies will increase exponentially.

"Back to the hotel."

Lin Dong opened his eyes. "That report to Gulf Capital could be updated with a little more information. It could include an analysis of 'pathways for ensuring the safe, covert, and rapid delivery of strategic materials in complex ground environments.'"

Chen Wei'an immediately understood: "You mean, the report implies that separating the high-value components and adopting a more controlled and professional logistics solution is the best option to mitigate the current port-related risks?"

"No need for hints, just offer it as professional advice."

Lin Dong's tone was calm and resolute. "What we need to do is not to fight against Rossi, but to make our 'clients' realize that bypassing them is better for everyone."