pjbooks Chapter 64 Importance
Chapter 64 Importance
The suite fell silent again, with only the faint hum of the city outside the window.
Lin Dong did not rest immediately.
He walked back to the port area map, his gaze deep.
The chessboard has been laid out, and the pieces are being placed.
Wu Ming is the experienced but path-dependent "car", Gulf Capital is the secretive and resourceful "queen", the Rossi family is the "horse" and "elephant" who control key positions, and the cargo owner is the besieged "king".
What about himself?
He is not a mere pawn.
He was the player who quietly adjusted the rules of the chessboard and was preparing to make a move at a crucial moment that no one could understand, yet would directly result in a checkmate.
Instead of trying to defeat everyone under the old rules, he establishes a new set of rules that allows everyone to see their own interests under the new rules, thus cooperating with him voluntarily or involuntarily to complete the final transaction.
All of this is predicated on him having a terrifyingly accurate grasp of each party's needs, fears, bottom lines, and greed.
Any misjudgment could lead to total defeat.
His finger finally stopped on area C on the map, which represented the target warehouse.
There lay silently over two thousand tons of aerospace-grade aluminum, gleaming with a cold metallic luster under the moonlight and searchlights.
They are unaware that they have become the core of an intellectual and resource game spanning the Pacific Ocean.
Little did they know that an eighteen-year-old boy from the East was trying to use them as a fulcrum to pry open a historical trajectory that did not belong to him.
Lin Dong turned off the table lamp, plunging the room into darkness.
Only the ever-burning lights of San Francisco outside the window illuminated the calm yet burning flame in his eyes.
The wind will be stronger tomorrow.
He was ready to face the wind head-on.
At the same time, in another mansion in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Wu Ming was not asleep. He was wearing a bathrobe, sitting in a large leather chair in his study, the ashtray in front of him overflowing with cigarette butts.
My subordinate just delivered a message that "Old Jackson" is meeting with a "representative of a Chinese technology company" tomorrow morning.
Although the details are unclear, the words "Chinese technology company" stung him like a needle.
Lin Dong?
So quickly they've connected with the fringe representative of the Rossi family?
What does he want to do?
Direct contact with ground forces?
This is unlike his previous style.
That young man, just last time, was like a humble junior seeking advice, talking about technology classification and long-term vision.
Tomorrow, his men will begin contacting the local gangsters in the port.
Either he was a superb actor and the whole afternoon was a pretense;
Either he has a highly motivated team with diverse goals.
Wu Ming prefers the latter.
A person who can quickly accumulate initial capital in Huaqiangbei and then decisively invest in the real economy is definitely not someone who works alone.
Behind him, there is likely a small circle with a clear division of labor and amazing execution capabilities.
"Eastern Technology..."
Wu Ming pondered the name once more.
It's like a fog, obscuring anything that might exist beneath: the support of emerging conglomerates? A collection of technological geniuses? Or some new business model he hasn't yet grasped?
He recalled the words about Gulf Capital that the middleman had passed on that afternoon.
"Special offshore channel," "transparency concerns"... If true, it means that Gulf Capital is already having doubts about the security of the entire transaction, and even about the counterparty.
This is a dangerous sign for someone who relies on trust and rules to conduct large transactions.
Once trust is lost, transaction costs will rise sharply, and uncertainty will devour all profits.
He stubbed out his last cigarette, picked up the phone, and dialed a Hong Kong number.
"A-Chang, it's me."
Wu Ming's voice sounded particularly low in the dead of night, "In Shenzhen, investigate 'Dongfang Technology' and Lin Dong, and double the manpower."
I need to know every available record about him from birth to the present: what his parents did, how he performed in school, who his first business partner was… every single detail.”
"Understood, Mr. Wu," came the efficient reply from the other end of the phone.
After hanging up the phone, Wu Ming walked to the window and looked at the quiet manor outside.
He felt a long-lost excitement and tension when facing an unknown chess game.
Having fought in the business world for decades, he had seen all kinds of opponents: greedy, foolish, ruthless, cunning... But someone like Lin Dong, who was excessively young, had a frighteningly clear mind, and whose actions were unpredictable, was the first of his kind.
This young man was like a newly drawn sword, its brilliance restrained, yet its chilling aura was palpable.
You don't know where he'll strike next, but you do know that once he sets his sights on someone, it will never be easy.
"The younger generation is truly formidable..."
Wu Ming muttered to himself, but there was little of the sentimentality of an elder in his eyes; rather, there was the focus of a hunter seeing a novel prey.
He decided to temporarily suspend further efforts to "smooth things over" with the Rossi family.
He had to wait—wait for the outcome of Lin Dong's contact with Old Jackson, wait for the reaction from Gulf Capital, and wait for a more detailed report from Shenzhen.
He wanted to see what kind of opening this young knife was trying to make in this stalemate.
Meanwhile, in a heavily guarded villa in San Francisco, Jamal had just ended an encrypted video call with the royal family.
He rubbed his throbbing temples, walked to the balcony, and took a deep breath of the cool night breeze.
The royal family took the report very seriously, especially the sections on "tiering" and "independent logistics routes".
This confirms their previous concerns that the value of this shipment may far exceed its book value, but its sensitivity and risks have also been amplified.
"Eastern Technology..."
Jamal recalled the name of the party who commissioned the report.
Why would a Chinese company commission a top US laboratory to conduct such specialized aerospace materials analysis? Is it to resell the information? Or do they themselves have relevant cutting-edge application needs?
If it is the latter, then the strength and ambition of this "Eastern Technology" deserve a reassessment.
They may not just be material buyers, but also potential competitors or partners in an important future sector.
"Check out this company, and that legal representative named Lin Dong."
Jamal instructed his assistant behind him, "Focus on investigating their technical background, R&D investment, and... whether they have any connection with China's aerospace or high-end manufacturing sectors, even if it's indirect."
"Yes, sir."
After his assistant left, Jamal fell into deep thought alone.
Their goal was clear: to acquire the most strategically valuable materials safely and covertly. They were willing to pay a premium for this, but they couldn't reveal their intentions, much less get involved in unnecessary disputes.
Wu Ming is a traditional and formidable opponent, while the Rossi family is a problem on the ground.
And now, there's another company with unclear intentions called "Eastern Technology."
The situation has become complicated.
Perhaps... the "splitting" plan implied in that report is indeed worth exploring in depth.
If the high-value portion can be separated and delivered in a more controllable manner, even at a cost to other parties, it is acceptable as long as the core objective is achieved.
The key question is: who will lead this split?
Whose technical standards are the most reliable?
Who can coordinate all parties, especially the Rossi family who have a good relationship with the people on the ground?
Jamal's gaze involuntarily fell on the "Eastern Technology" logo on the cover of the report.
Perhaps this suddenly appearing Chinese company could become a potential "technology coordinator" or "solution provider"?
At least, they demonstrated the ability to get to the heart of the problem.
He needs more information and needs to determine whether this "Eastern technology" is the key to solving the problem or another trouble that needs to be addressed.