Reborn in 2005, starting with repairing mobile phones

Inside the Peninsula Hotel's penthouse suite, Lin Dong stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking this labyrinth of desire where light and shadow intertwined.

His young yet unusually calm face was reflected in the windowpane, and several newly delivered intelligence reports were scattered on the coffee table behind him.

Chen Wei'an pushed open the door and came in, her steps slightly faster than usual, the sound of her high heels tapping on the floor carrying a restrained urgency.

"Mr. Lin," she placed a thin but tightly sealed document bag on the table, "there's new activity at the port."

Lin Dong turned around, picked up the file bag, and opened it.

Inside were several secretly taken photos and a handwritten brief note.

The photo is slightly blurry, but it is identifiable as the outer perimeter of Port Area C, and the timestamp shows it was taken just a few hours ago.

"Wu Ming's men met with a manager from the Rossi family in the back alley of the 'Blue Anchor' bar."

Chen Wei'an reported in a steady voice, "There was no third party present. The conversation lasted about twenty minutes."

Our people were too far away to hear what was happening, but they filmed them parting ways. Wu Ming's men handed over an envelope; it was very thin, not like cash, but more like... a document or a check.

Lin Dong's gaze lingered for a moment on the face of the Rossi family's head steward in the photo, who was wearing a leather jacket.

He recognized the man; he was the one who had easily stopped the logistics company's truck at the port gate yesterday.

"It seems that Wu Ming has begun to try to 'clear' the ground."

Lin Dong put down the photo, his tone unreadable. "He wants to circumvent potential trouble, or at least buy a 'pass.' This shows that he still prefers to take it all, or at least ensure that the transaction he leads can proceed smoothly."

Chen Wei'an nodded: "Yes. And they acted very quickly."

The impact of our report may take some time to unfold, but Wu Ming's traditional methods have already been activated.

If he reaches some kind of understanding with the Rossi family, even if it's only temporary, our "split" plan will lose a crucial driving force.

"It won't be that fast."

Lin Dong walked to the wine cabinet and poured himself half a glass of ice water. "The Rossi family has been able to establish itself in the port for decades, not because they open their doors to whoever pays them."

They were local warlords who wanted long-term benefits and respect, not a one-time toll.

Wu Ming's plan to simply use money to pave a way out won't be that easy. Especially..."

He took a sip of water, his gaze sharpening: "Especially before Gulf Capital's stance becomes clear."

The Rossi family must have also sensed the unusual nature of that Middle Eastern capital.

They won't easily place all their bets on Wu Ming until the situation becomes completely clear or they can see where their greatest interests lie.

The envelope contained at most a "deposit of good faith" or "consultation fee," enough to ensure he wouldn't be deliberately harassed, but far from sufficient to determine ownership of the goods.

He put down his water glass and looked at Chen Wei'an: "Have you received a response from Old Jackson?"

"Got it."

A hint of relief flickered across Chen Wei'an's face. "It went more smoothly than I expected. He agreed to meet me at 10 a.m. tomorrow at a café he frequents near Fisherman's Wharf."

He said, "We have always been interested in visionary partners from the East."

"very good."

Lin Dong walked to his desk, unfolded a simple map of the San Francisco harbor area, and traced his finger across Area C, several main passageways, and the Rossi family's known "office locations."

"See you tomorrow, old Jackson. We need to adjust our goals."

He pondered for a moment and said, "Originally, we just wanted to send a signal of long-term cooperation. But now, given that Wu Ming has already taken action, we need to add a hint of 'immediacy' and 'exclusivity' to this signal."

"What do you mean?"

Chen Wei'an took a step closer.

"We won't directly mention that batch of aluminum, but we will point out that we are evaluating a high-value project with a very short time window. The success of this project depends heavily on a safe, efficient, and fully controllable local logistics partner."

Our first criterion for selecting partners is 'focus' and 'reliability'.

Lin Dong lightly tapped one of the Rossi family's strongholds with his finger, "hinting to him that we've noticed some friends at the port are 'busy with business,' but we only want to have an in-depth discussion about the future with the most professional and the one most likely to establish an exclusive trust relationship."

Chen Wei'an quickly understood: "I understand. This expresses our recognition of the Rossi family's capabilities and our willingness to cooperate, while subtly reminding them that Wu Ming may only be one of many options, and not necessarily the one that will bring the greatest long-term benefits."

Especially if we can present... a more ambitious and enduring cooperation blueprint than Wu Ming's.

"That's right."

Lin Dong nodded. "The key is to make old Jackson, and by extension the Rossi family, feel that cooperating with us is not just about doing a business deal, but could be opening a door to a completely new, stable, and lucrative market."

A rising Eastern technology giant has a continuous and growing demand for high-end supply chains.

He paused, then added, "Also, after we meet tomorrow, regardless of how the talks go, we should 'casually' reveal a piece of information:

The materials analysis report we commissioned Dr. Hansen concluded with very positive conclusions, especially its extremely high evaluation of the "special application prospects" of some of the materials. But let's not talk about who it was for; let this news just drift away like a gust of wind.

A look of approval flashed in Chen Wei'an's eyes: "This will make the Rossi family even more convinced that the value stratification of this batch of goods is real and backed by top-notch technology."

They will reassess the feasibility of Wu Ming's "all-inclusive" plan, and... if there is indeed a "special portion," where will that portion ultimately go, and whether it's worth adjusting their strategy to gain more initiative or benefits.

"That's right."

Lin Dong walked to the window and looked at the outline of the Golden Gate Bridge that was faintly visible in the mist. "What we need to do is to make the underwater currents accelerate in the direction we set."

Wu Ming is trying to pave the way with money, Gulf Capital is carefully evaluating technical solutions, and the Rossi family is weighing short-term interests against long-term relationships...

And we must become that invisible hub, making everyone feel that 'indirect cooperation' with us, or at least not being our enemy, is the best path to achieving their own goals.

"Especially for cargo owners,"

Chen Wei'an continued, "When all buyers are caught in complex games and potential ground risks, a third party that can provide a clear, secure, and balanced 'packaged solution' that addresses the needs of all parties becomes invaluable."

"Therefore, after tomorrow, we may need to proactively create an opportunity to 'bump into' or indirectly communicate with the cargo owner's representative."

Lin Dong made a decision: "The location cannot be in a port or any sensitive area. It should ideally be a neutral, high-end social or business setting."

Vivian, keep an eye out for any industry summits, charity galas, or upscale club events in San Francisco recently. Those who are shippers might be attending.

"Understood, I'll arrange it." Chen Wei'an noted it down.

"Also," Lin Dong remembered something, "have we sent out our 'message' to Wu Ming yet?"

"As you scheduled, it was sent through that middleman this afternoon."

The feedback was swift. After hearing about "Gulf Capital consulting on a special offshore channel" and "concerns about the overall transparency of the transaction," the intermediary said Wu Ming remained silent for a full minute before simply saying, "I understand, thank you." Chen Wei'an reported.

A minute of silence...

Lin Dong's lips curved slightly. "That's enough." It reminded him whenever he tried to convince himself that he could win by traditional means.

You have a wealthy opponent with unclear motives who may not want to play by the rules and may have even found a way to bypass you.

This will force him to consider the "split" option more seriously as a risk hedge.

He glanced at his watch; it was nearly midnight.

"That's all for today. Vivian, you should get some rest too. I'll be in charge of tomorrow's meeting with old Jackson; you can observe from the sidelines."

"Yes, Mr. Lin." Chen Wei'an put away the documents and left the room.