Alexander stared at him.
He had expected his guests to laugh at the waitress. Instead, they were asking her questions.
Lin Mei closed the folder.
“We will not make a decision tonight. Our investment committee requires a complete review of the financial model, the debt structure, and the project's existing obligations.”
“That's unnecessary,” Alexander replied. “Our auditors have already approved the proposal.”
“Then an independent review should confirm that approval.”
The youngest executive, Zhang Wei, opened his laptop.
“Please send us the latest version of the financial model, including the supporting schedules.”
Alexander looked toward his assistant, who was standing near the doorway.
“Arrange it for tomorrow.”
Victoria picked up her order pad.
“Would you like anything else before I return to the floor?”
Lin Mei looked at her.
“Yes. May I speak with you privately after dinner?”
“Of course.”
Alexander slammed his palm against the table.
“Absolutely not.”
Every person in the room turned toward him.
“She works here. She doesn't need to be involved in our business.”
Lin Mei's voice became cold.
“That is not your decision to make.”
Alexander stared at her.
For the first time in years, he was the person being told what he could not do.
Victoria quietly returned to the service station.
Her hands were steady, but her thoughts were racing.
She had recognized the company name on the financial summary. She had seen it before, several months earlier, in an email sent to an old colleague.
At the time, she had assumed the project was legitimate.
Now she wasn't so sure.
And if the discrepancy was what she suspected, the problem could be much bigger than a questionable investment.
Chapter 3: The Woman Behind the Apron
After the investors left the dining room, Lin Mei asked Victoria to join her in a small lounge near the restaurant's entrance.
“I hope you don't mind my asking,” Lin Mei began. “Why are you working here if you have experience in international finance?”
Victoria smiled faintly.
“Life changed.”
She explained that her father had suffered a stroke two years earlier. Her mother had died when Victoria was in college, leaving Victoria and her younger sister to manage the family responsibilities.
She had returned to California to help her father recover.
Her savings had disappeared quickly.
She had applied for several finance positions, but many required long hours and frequent travel. None offered the flexibility she needed to take her father to medical appointments.
The restaurant had been willing to work around her schedule.
“So you put your career on hold,” Lin Mei said.
“Temporarily.”
“And you speak Mandarin because of your previous work?”
“Partly. I started learning it at university. Later, I moved to Shanghai for a professional placement.”
Lin Mei nodded thoughtfully.
“You have a good command of the language. More importantly, you understood the tone of our conversation.”
Victoria looked surprised.
“You heard us?”
“Not every word,” Lin Mei replied. “But enough to know that Mr. Pierce was trying to impress us rather than answer our questions.”
She paused.
“I also know that you didn't exaggerate your qualifications. When we asked what you had discovered, you said you needed to review the figures before reaching a conclusion. That is the answer of a professional.”
Victoria appreciated the compliment, but she remained cautious.
“May I ask why your company is interested in this project?”
Lin Mei explained that her investment group specialized in technology infrastructure and international development. The waterfront project promised to create a research district with laboratories, manufacturing facilities, and offices for emerging technology companies.
The proposed investment would finance the first major phase.
However, several details had concerned her team from the beginning.
The land valuation had increased significantly in less than a year. The projected rental income assumed that several major tenants would sign long-term agreements. Yet the investors had not received complete copies of those agreements.