After obtaining the documents, Deng Shiyang first carefully studied the passport photo in his hotel room and then spent a day shopping.


    He took the Airport Express to Central, where he exchanged $3,000 for Hong Kong dollars at a currency exchange store. He then took a taxi to Causeway Bay, where he bought a pair of FILA travel shoes and a light blue tracksuit from a sportswear store. He also visited several brand stores, purchasing various clothing items labeled "Made in China," including two pairs of cotton casual pants, a few short-sleeve T-shirts, and polo shirts.


    In addition, he bought a pair of black leather shoes, a dark gray suit, several white shirts, and two ties—one maroon and the other silver-gray. He also bought a pair of black-framed eyeglasses and black contact lenses based on the passport photo.


    By the time he finished shopping, it was already evening. He visited a travel goods store and bought a large polycarbonate suitcase to pack everything in before heading back to the hotel.


    Near the hotel, he had his hair cut at a salon and bought a box of hair wax from a convenience store. He then stayed in his hotel room, packing his luggage. However, he soon realized that he was missing an essential identification document. So, he took out his phone and called Harrowby.


    As soon as the call connected, Harrowby was the first to ask, "Is there a problem?"


    "Yes, when I was packing today, I realized you didn’t give me any business cards."


    A slight "uh" came from the phone, and after a moment, Harrowby spoke with a slightly embarrassed tone, "It is indeed strange to attend a business inspection without a business card. My apologies, I overlooked that."


    "There’s still a week left. Should be enough time, right?"


    "No problem, I can get them to you the day after tomorrow."


    Deng Shiyang smacked his lips and asked, "Are the business card details genuine? If someone calls to verify, will it hold up?"


    Harrowby answered confidently, "Don’t worry about that. I’ll have your profile added to the company’s records. Not just phone calls, even in-person checks won’t reveal any flaws."


    Though Harrowby spoke casually, Deng Shiyang frowned slightly at his words.


    "Anything else?" Harrowby asked.


    "Not for now."


    "Good, contact me if you need anything."


    "Alright, goodbye."


    After hanging up, he opened his laptop and began researching information on "Ruoyuan International."


    After a thorough study, he discovered that "Ruoyuan International" was in worse condition than he had expected. The company had been losing money every year since 2004 and hadn''t paid dividends for three years. According to the financial report published in May last year, the previous fiscal year''s losses had widened to HKD 23.7 million. In September of the same year, the company''s second-largest shareholder, "Asset Management," significantly reduced its holdings, causing the stock to hit a trading halt. Earlier this year, the company began internal restructuring, with two rounds of large-scale layoffs, but the situation had not improved.


    He rested his chin on his left hand, gazing at the computer screen in thought for a while, then opened the "Ruoyuan International" website and wrote down the company address in his notebook.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    The next morning, he put on the new suit and took the Airport Express to Central, then transferred to the Island Line to Wan Chai. He exited at A1 and walked west along Lockhart Road to the China Online Centre.


    He had lunch at a tea restaurant across from the building, observing the entrance through the window. It wasn’t until groups of white-collar workers began to emerge from the building that he paid the bill and left.


    He bought a disposable lighter and a pack of Marlboro cigarettes at a convenience store, then made his way through the lunch crowd into the lobby, taking the elevator to the 37th floor.


    As the elevator doors opened, he first saw a row of floor-to-ceiling glass partitions that divided the office area, resembling several large connected fish tanks. He smirked and walked to the corner of the elevator lobby to look at the floor plan, identifying his destination before heading down the corridor to the entrance of "Ruoyuan International."


    The electronic lock showed a red light, indicating that the glass door was locked. He glanced around to ensure no one was nearby, then walked to the door and peered inside.


    Directly opposite the entrance stood a frosted glass partition with the company logo in sky blue, dividing the office into a reception area and an office space. In front of the partition was an unattended front desk, with two black leather sofas and a small round glass coffee table by the entrance. To the right of the partition was a passageway leading to the back office area. Through the passageway, he could see desks and a photocopier in the corner.


    He walked to the end of the hallway and pushed open the fire escape''s smoke-proof door, entering the stairwell. After closing the door, he used the wired glass panel to monitor the entrance to "Ruoyuan International." To avoid drawing attention, he moved a trash can nearby, took out a cigarette, and lit it. Anyone who saw him would probably think he was just a small office worker hiding in the stairwell to smoke but afraid of being caught.


    He stayed in the stairwell for more than an hour until lunchtime ended. During this time, three people entered "Ruoyuan International"—two female clerks in business attire and a young white-collar worker in a cheap suit.


    He remained until 1:30 p.m., then took the stairs down to the 36th floor, caught the elevator down, and returned to the hotel.


    That evening, he called the familiar "Thomas Investigation Consulting Company."


    Brian Thomas was a former CIA senior official with the Berlin Division''s Operations Department and had been stationed in the Luxembourg office, responsible for funding overseas operations. After resigning three years ago, he founded a business investigation company in New York, using his network to provide investment evaluation services for financial institutions.


    The negotiation went smoothly, and the two quickly reached an agreement. Deng Shiyang commissioned the company to investigate "Ruoyuan International," specifically instructing them to focus on the period after last year''s end, seeking to understand the major shareholders'' holdings during the asset restructuring earlier this year.


    After the call, he logged into online banking and transferred $2,000 as a down payment for the investigation to the account provided by Thomas.


    The next day, the business cards were delivered as scheduled. Deng Shiyang took one out and examined it closely. The address and phone number on the card matched the contact details on the official website. Next to Jason Du''s name, his position was printed as "Overseas Development Manager."


    Seeing this, Deng Shiyang chuckled and murmured to himself, "Looks like he''s smarter than he looks."


    Over the following days, he continued to review the materials and pack his luggage. Soon, the departure day arrived.


    That afternoon, he checked out of the hotel, packed his luggage, and left. He first stored his luggage in a locker at the airport, then went into the restroom, put on contact lenses and the black-framed glasses, and styled his hair with wax to match the passport photo. He then went to HSBC''s main branch in Central, where he opened an account under the name Jason Du and deposited $10,000. He also rented a safety deposit box, where he locked away his credit card and passport.


    By the time he finished, it was near dusk. He had a simple dinner, returned to the airport to retrieve his luggage, and passed through security. He headed to the South African Airways lounge to meet the other members of the inspection group.


    At 11:50 p.m., South African Airways flight SA287, carrying more than 20 members of the inspection group, took off from the runway, bound for Johannesburg.


    Annotations:


    Asset Management (DnB NOR Asset Management): The largest financial services institution in Norway, founded in 1822, headquartered in Oslo, with total assets of NOK 1.8 trillion (about $300 billion).