On the third day, the inspection group set off for Mbabane, where they would stay for two days. During this time, they planned to visit government offices and meet with officials from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stationed there.


    The mode of transportation was once again the Hino Blue Ribbon tour bus. The bus turned onto Highway 3 at the junction near Ezulwini and then headed north along the main road that runs through Swaziland, towards the end of the Ezulwini Valley.


    There was a prominent landmark at the entrance to the capital: a wide mural. The mural’s background depicted a clear blue sky and rolling dark green hills, with a foreground of golden fields. President Ndofa stood on the left, dressed in military uniform, standing tall and gazing into the distance with a heroic posture. In front of him was a jubilant crowd of Black people wearing traditional Swazi attire, raising their hands in celebration.


    Mbabane''s layout was similar to Manzini''s, but two construction sites caught Deng Shiyang''s attention.


    The first was the tall wall surrounding the city center. The wall stood about sixteen feet high, made of large prefabricated reinforced concrete sections. The completed sections were topped with barbed wire, and CCTV cameras were installed. The construction fence displayed the words "China Railway 14th Bureau Group Co., Ltd." in Chinese.


    The tour guide''s voice came through the bus''s internal speaker: "What you are now seeing is the capital zone wall under construction. The wall will be ten kilometers long, encircling the city center and the Kenlow and Sandral districts, covering a total area of six square kilometers. Government offices, foreign embassies, and the commercial district of Mbabane are located within this protected zone."


    The second site was located three-quarters of a mile east of the city center on a cliff. Two rows of scaffolding led up to an observation platform at the top of the cliff. At the top, a structure of more than ten stories of scaffolding surrounded a large brown-gray base, atop which were two massive bronze-colored "legs."


    The guide''s voice came through the speakers again: "On the eastern hilltop is the unfinished statue of President Ndofa. The statue was a gift from the Chinese government, weighing over 250 tons and standing 30.5 meters tall. The granite base is eight meters high, built on a mountaintop at an altitude of 1,380 meters. To facilitate visits, two escalators have been installed on the nearby cliff. The project is being carried out by China Railway 14th Bureau..."


    Deng Shiyang smirked and muttered softly, "How convenient, it''s half a meter taller than the one atop Corcovado."


    The inspection group stayed at the Ezulwini Sun Hotel, located in Coronation Park on the west side of Arnett Miller Street. Like the Swazi Sun Hotel where they had previously stayed, this hotel, which only permitted foreign guests, was also managed by Chinese staff, with no locals employed.


    After settling in, Deng Shiyang approached one of the interpreters accompanying the group and requested to eat out, using the excuse that he could get used to Chinese food.


    The interpreter, a man in his thirties, looked troubled and objected, "That would be against the rules. If you insist, it will put me in a difficult position..."


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Sensing the implication, Deng Shiyang discreetly slipped a twenty-dollar bill into the interpreter''s hand and whispered, "I''d really like to try some Chinese food in this country. Please make an exception."


    After pocketing the cash, the interpreter''s attitude immediately became more accommodating. He quickly took care of the necessary reporting procedures and even called for a taxi. Before they left, he reminded him, "Don''t bring a camera when you go out, or you''ll get into big trouble."


    Deng Shiyang readily agreed. He returned to his room, locked the door, and took a notebook and a white pill bottle labeled "Valium" from his travel bag. He tore a blank page from the notebook and placed it on the coffee table. He then poured two Valium tablets onto the paper and used a wide-mouthed glass to crush them into a fine powder, wrapping it up in the paper and placing it in his jacket pocket.


    He washed his hands and cleaned the glass in the bathroom, then clipped the iPod Shuffle to his lapel and left the hotel with the interpreter in the taxi.


    Mbabane’s commercial district looked desolate. There were few cars and pedestrians on the streets, and soldiers armed with guns could often be seen by the roadside. They stood in groups of four, holding or carrying mismatched weapons in various odd positions, and lounged around modified Mitsubishi or Nissan SUVs used as military vehicles.


    "Huali" Chinese restaurant was tucked away in a quiet corner of the commercial district, about a ten-minute drive from the hotel. The restaurant was small, with no other customers inside. Seeing the two men walk in, the owner enthusiastically guided them to a table near the drink bar, handed them the menu, and stood by to take their order.


    Deng Shiyang skimmed through the menu and then ordered a meal worth over a hundred dollars, specifically requesting a bottle of the most expensive Hennessy Cognac. He knew that in this resource-scarce country, foreign liquor was a luxury that ordinary people could hardly afford, so he kept toasting the interpreter.


    At first, the interpreter tried to put on an act of polite refusal, but under Deng Shiyang''s encouragement, he soon started downing glasses one after another.


    The gourd-shaped bottle was half-empty in no time. Deng Shiyang excused himself to the restroom, where he carefully retrieved the paper packet of powder from his jacket pocket, placing it against the inside of his left wrist and securing it with the watch strap.


    When he returned to the table, he picked up the cognac bottle with both hands, poured the drink into his glass, and subtly slipped the paper packet out from under his watch strap, releasing the powder into his own glass as he poured.


    He then "accidentally" knocked over a dish, spilling the sauce onto the interpreter’s napkin-covered lap. While the interpreter was distracted cleaning his clothes, Deng Shiyang switched their glasses.


    The interpreter suspected nothing and, after drinking the brandy mixed with the sedative, soon collapsed onto the table. Deng Shiyang called his name a couple of times and gently shook his shoulder to confirm that he was asleep. He then approached the drink bar and whispered to the restaurant owner, "My interpreter is drunk and won’t be getting up anytime soon. Would you be interested in talking before he wakes up?"


    The gray-haired owner scrutinized Deng Shiyang from head to toe before cautiously asking, "What would you like to talk about, sir?"


    Deng Shiyang replied casually, "It’s like this: I need to write an evaluation report on Swaziland’s investment environment, so I’d like to learn more about this country. I heard you’ve lived in Mbabane for over ten years, so you probably know some things they don’t want outsiders to know." He paused, then added with a tempting tone, "I promise to keep the source strictly confidential. And, of course, I wouldn’t expect you to share this information for free."


    The owner glanced at the interpreter slumped over the table, then frowned in thought for a moment before leaning in and whispering, "It''s not convenient to talk here. Please follow me."


    Annotations:


    Corcovado reference: Refers to the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which stands 30 meters tall, with a total height of 38 meters including the base.


    Valium: Also known as diazepam, a benzodiazepine used as an anti-anxiety and sleep-inducing medication.