Maya smiled gracefully, replying in fluid Mandarin: "I had the privilege of studying advanced linguistics and international law at Peking University, while working closely with trade delegations in the capital."
Mr. Chen turned to Vance, his entire demeanour changing from defensive hesitation to absolute delight and respect.
"Mr. Vance!" Mr. Chen exclaimed in English, turning to the executive. "This young lady is brilliant! She has just solved in two minutes the exact contractual issue we spent four hours arguing about this afternoon!"
Chapter 12: Richard’s Disbelief and Denial
Richard Vance sat frozen in his banquette, looking as though he had been hit by a physical force. His dominant posture collapsed slightly as his eyes darted frantically between Mr. Chen’s excited face, Mr. Zhang’s approving nods, and Maya’s perfectly calm, composed expression.
"Wait... what?" Vance stammered, his aggressive swagger disintegrating into raw confusion. "What did she say? Did she actually translate the sub-clause correctly?"
"Correctly?" Mr. Chen laughed, shaking his head in delight. "Mr. Vance, she did not just translate it! She understood the legal conflict between Chinese administrative regulations and Western corporate law far better than your own high-priced legal team! Her accent is pristine! She speaks with the authority of a senior official from the Ministry of Commerce!"
Vance’s neck flushed a dark, furious crimson. A wave of intense embarrassment and panic surged through his chest. He had publicly staked $100,000 on the arrogant assumption that Maya was an uneducated server, only to be completely outclassed and humbled in front of his primary business partners and a room full of high-society peers.
"This is a scam," Vance muttered desperately under his breath, trying to construct an excuse. "You... you knew them beforehand. This whole thing was orchestrated."
"Mr. Vance," Maya said calmly in English, her voice ringing with absolute clarity. "I have never met these gentlemen prior to this evening. I simply listened to your conversation, identified your legal impasse, and provided the professional expertise you lacked."
"Wait... what?" Vance stammered, his polished, aggressive composure crumbling instantly. "What did she say? Did she actually translate the clause correctly?"
"Correctly?" Mr. Chen said, laughing warmly. "Mr. Vance, she did not just translate it. She understood the legal conflict between Chinese administrative law and American corporate law better than your own legal team! Her accent is immaculate! She speaks like a senior official from the Ministry of Commerce!"
Vance’s jaw tightened. Panic and humiliation surged through him in equal measure. He had just publicly placed a $100,000 bet assuming she was an uneducated service worker, only to be completely outclassed in front of his prospective business partners and a dining room full of peers.
"This is a setup," Vance muttered under his breath, trying to regain his footing. "You... you knew them beforehand. This was planned."
"Mr. Vance," Maya said calmly in English. "I have never met these gentlemen in my life until tonight. I simply listened to your conversation, recognized your legal deadlock, and offered my professional expertise."
Chapter 13: The Colleague’s Intervention
Before Vance could construct another desperate lie, a crisp, commanding voice rang out from a nearby table.
"Is there a problem over here, Maya?"
Walking toward Table Seven was Marcus Sterling, the Senior Vice President of Global Acquisitions at Sterling International—Vance Global's largest and most formidable competitor in the private equity space.
"Good evening, Mr. Sterling," Maya said politely, inclination her head.
Sterling turned to Vance, recognizing him immediately and taking in the check resting on the table. "Vance, what on earth is going on here? Are you causing trouble for Maya?"
Vance blinked, caught completely off guard. "You... you know her?"
"Of course I know her," Sterling replied, looking at Vance with obvious contempt. "Maya served as the primary interpreter for the French-American Trade Summit last year. She holds a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics and International Relations, speaks four languages fluently, and authored one of the most brilliant research papers on Sino-American corporate negotiations I've read in my entire career."
Sterling turned to Maya with a warm, respectful smile. "Our firm has been actively trying to recruit her for six months, but she was finishing her final international certifications. What on earth are you doing trying to lecture her on language fluency, Vance?"
The grand dining room seemed to collapse around Richard Vance as the full weight of his catastrophic mistake crushed what remained of his pride.
"Is everything alright over here, Maya?"
Walking over to the table was Marcus Sterling, the Senior Vice President of International Acquisitions at a rival global investment firm, who happened to be dining at Le Grand Palais that evening.
"Hello, Mr. Sterling," Maya said politely.
Sterling turned to Vance, recognizing him immediately. "Vance, what's going on here? Are you harassing Maya?"
Vance blinked, caught off guard. "You... you know her?"
"Of course I know her," Sterling replied, looking at Vance with a mixture of amusement and disdain. "Maya translated for the French-American Trade Summit last year. She holds a master’s degree in Applied Linguistics and International Relations, speaks four languages fluently, and wrote one of the most cited papers on Sino-American trade negotiations I’ve read in five years."