Chapter 370

Chapter 370: Two Women: Who is That Person?

In the Gem Valley, two colossal entities reigned: one was the Pashtun-owned “Dragoon” company, and the other was the Chinese-run “Dragoon” military base. The relationship between the two was complex and tangled.

Outside forces, especially intelligence personnel, found it difficult to discern the difference between them. Looking at the same sign that read “Dragoon,” spies could only helplessly immerse themselves in endless complaints.

According to the official legal documents of the "Dragoon" company, the actual owner was not the well-known “Sally,” but rather, the space on the ownership document was blank.

Five identical documents, each stamped with the official seal and signed by relevant parties, were secured in various locations: one in the core safe of the "Dragoon" company, one in the "Dragoon" military base, another in a Swiss bank vault, one sent to China but its exact location unknown, and the last stored in the Afghan government’s department archives.

Filling in any one of these blanks with a name would establish a valid ownership document for the company. However, if even one document was missing, the legal validity would collapse, preventing anyone from maliciously claiming ownership.

If someone attempted to forge these five documents without the signatures and seals of the CEO and Chairman Sally, along with the Elders, those documents would also be invalid. The Pashtun people may be poor, but they were certainly not foolish.

It was hard to comprehend how the Afghan government permitted a company with a blank ownership document to successfully register, allowing unnecessary loopholes in the ownership documentation.

Perhaps it was due to the age-old adage that money can achieve anything; a little cash could open all doors. In this war-torn country, one shouldn’t expect many honest officials. Civil servants struggling just to put food on the table certainly wouldn’t concern themselves with proper conduct.

The more bizarre the ownership documents became, the more headaches they caused for the Chinese military. Maybe even the Afghan government and other nations were unaware that Gem Valley had effectively become a Chinese enclave bordering its territory.

Aside from the Lapis Lazuli mines, other resources in Gem Valley remained with the Elders, who trusted a capable local economic entity much more than greedy Afghan merchants.

Furthermore, the “Dragoon” company would utilize these resources more effectively to grow and strengthen the entire Gem Valley. Indeed, Sally was doing just that, ensuring that everyone in Gem Valley benefited.

However, the Knight, who owned all shares of this company, showed little interest in the place and disappeared after his departure, leaving even the stationed Chinese officers uncertain about his whereabouts, as if he had completely forgotten Gem Valley.

The Elders suspected that Lin Mo had long forgotten that valley in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the unfortunate Persian woman believed so deeply in her efforts to manage Lin Mo’s business that she managed to establish a highly promising large jewelry company.

“Are you Qi Fei? Hello, I am Sally, the Chairman and CEO of ‘Dragoon.’ You can just call me Sally.” To ensure the success of her trip to China, Sally had learned to conduct basic conversations in Chinese. Upon entering the store, she greeted every employee in Chinese, building rapport and loyalty among them.

“Hello, Ms. Sally! It’s a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to China and Hangzhou! Our cooperation will surely be a sensible choice. Please take a look at this store; it is a carefully prepared creation by our Moonlit Lotus Design Center.”

Though both women were beautiful, Qi Fei felt a touch moved by the Persian beauty before her. With the translator’s assistance, she confidently shook hands with Sally, completing their introductions.

The two women, unknown to each other and Lin Mo, encountered one another for the first time, just twenty steps away from the VIP lounge. Meanwhile, the man they both knew remained completely oblivious, lost in a game on his wristwatch.

As the Chairman of “Dragoon” jewelry, Sally could not examine every detail of the renovation project like her subordinates. However, the real-life effect was exactly as depicted in the photos, which greatly satisfied her.

The renovation budget had indeed exceeded standard industry estimates, proving the adage that you get what you pay for. Sally believed that in the future, “Dragoon” would not only stand out in the high-end jewelry market in Hangzhou with its unique store design, but could also make a splash with its high-quality jewelry products.

After just a few minutes, Sally was delighted with the first “Dragoon” store in China. The exquisite craftsmanship and high-quality materials, along with the unique creative ideas, made the store, which had yet to fully stock its products, highly attractive. She believed that with the official opening for the trial operation in the coming days, the dazzling jewelry would attract many high-end consumers in this picturesque city.

Positioned as a premium product, “Dragoon” jewelry utilized handcrafted artistry and modern design, and each piece was a finely carved treasure. Even the least expensive items started at ten thousand yuan, and the store’s showcase pieces were valued at over ten million yuan.

Moreover, “Dragoon” had allocated substantial expenses for security due to the experience of the Pashtun people in dealing with thieves and robbers, implementing those lessons in their new store. Areas requiring special protection were fortified to withstand gunfire from AK-47s at 20 meters.

Sally wasn’t merely inspecting the first jewelry store; she also brought an exquisite array of jewelry products and would oversee promotional activities throughout the trial operation period.

The establishment of a domestic high-end jewelry brand would depend entirely on the effectiveness of this promotional campaign. With one-fifth of the world’s population, China was indeed a massive market; while the proportion of wealthy individuals might be lower than elsewhere, the sheer number and quality surpassed that of many other nations.

The remaining jewelry, apart from what was displayed in the store, would be securely stored in a vault manned 24 hours a day, with thick 200mm composite materials capable of resisting fire from an RPG at 50 meters, all linked to a 110 electronic monitoring system that ensured battle-grade security.

Particularly valuable pieces would be stored in a bank vault after the promotional display, as carrying away a million-dollar gold piece would be impractical, but a million-dollar piece of jewelry could easily fit in one’s palm. Failure to take appropriate precautions could invite unwanted attention from thieves.

United by their love for beauty, jewelry became a common topic of conversation between Sally and Qi Fei, two similarly aged women, who quickly struck up a friendship filled with laughter.

When they discovered they both spoke English, they eagerly set aside the translator, engaging in fluent and joyful conversation. Their staff, adorned with surprised smiles, looked on, particularly Yang Zhenwen, the assistant to the general manager of the Moonlit Lotus Design Center, who felt confident that aligning with such a powerful jewelry magnate would secure profits for the future.

Birds of a feather flock together; wealthy circles are often filled with like-minded individuals. In the jewelry business, a single piece is valued in the tens of thousands, and associates tend to have fortunes in the millions. As long as “Dragoon” promoted Moonlit Lotus effectively, significant business and revenue would surely follow.

With Sally’s personal endorsement, the payment for the renovation proceeds smoothly. The finance manager for the “Dragoon” Hangzhou store, sent from the Shanghai headquarters, filled out the checkbook, and the store manager, Duo Jun, signed and stamped it while completing the Chairman’s authorization for funds.

“I’m very satisfied with your work, and I hope we can continue our excellent cooperation in the future.” Sally watched as the store manager placed the check inside a blank “Dragoon” envelope and handed it to Qi Fei.

Qi Fei tucked the check into her handbag, sending assistant Yang Zhenwen along with the construction team leader and designer to book a private room at a restaurant before pushing open the door to the “Dragoon” VIP lounge, waving at Lin Mo, who sat on the sofa inside, with a beaming smile as she said, “Hey! Lin Mo! We’re leaving!”

“Is it all set?” Lin Mo was bored, fiddling with his watch game in the VIP lounge.

This watch was merely a separation of the Gold Coin, yet it housed a military-grade universal microprocessor capable of running a desktop operating system, with processing power on par with the most advanced personal computers available. The storage chip had immense capacity, allowing several small games to run with minimal resource demand.

Meanwhile, back at home, the Gold Coin was dismantling the “Fire Seed” component modules to assemble its robot model.

“All done!” Qi Fei exclaimed, patting her bag. “Three million in hand, hee hee! It’s only eleven o’clock. Let’s go to the bank to deposit it, and then we’ll eat!”

As the employees surrounded her, preparing to ascend the stairs to the second-floor conference room, Sally felt a sense of awareness and turned to glance at a man and a woman pushing through the glass revolving door, exiting the store.

“Who is that person?”