After a week of screening, Deng Shiyang and Keith selected four pilots and twelve mechanics from the personnel list provided by "Precision Aviation Services."


    On the day before the end of the fourth week, Keith set off for Pretoria to meet with the selected flight crews and support personnel. This was his fifth visit to South Africa''s administrative capital in a month, but unlike previous trips, this time Du Preez and Mark accompanied him.


    The meeting took place at an estate in the Irene area. At noon on the last day of the week, the four pilots and twelve mechanics arrived at the address Keith had given them.


    The Irene area is located twenty miles north of Johannesburg and is known as Pretoria''s luxury district. With its beautiful environment and fresh air, the residents here are all either wealthy or influential.


    Although technical positions in South Africa are well-paid, and pilots earn even more than the average middle class, this group of self-proclaimed well-traveled individuals was completely awestruck upon arriving at the estate named "Vredefort."


    Leaving aside the front yard, which was larger than a community park, and the Mediterranean-style mansion they had only ever seen on TV or in magazines like *Robb Report*, as well as the garage full of luxury cars, even just the driveway was impressive. The circular driveway was as large as a standard track field, with over ten cars parked bumper to bumper, taking up only about a quarter of the space.


    Amidst mixed feelings of surprise, envy, and inferiority, the group parked their cars and gathered noisily at the steps in front of the mansion. At that moment, a square-faced, hooked-nose white man pushed open the glass door and walked down the steps to greet them. His eyes were cold, and he wore a thick gold chain around his neck. His turquoise silk shirt was casually rolled up to his elbows, exposing a black skull tattoo on his left arm, giving him the appearance of a gangster enforcer from a movie.


    "Welcome to Vredefort," Du Preez greeted them first.


    "Hello..." an older white man responded. After hesitating for nearly a minute, he nervously said, "We have an appointment with Mr. Shannon..."


    "I know." Before he could finish, Du Preez interrupted him, replying in a matter-of-fact tone, "The boss instructed me to take you to the backyard." With that, he rudely gestured toward the door.


    The group passed through the lavishly decorated foyer and down a long hallway to the backyard.


    In the backyard, there was a long table next to the swimming pool, laden with an assortment of cold dishes and desserts, with drink bottles sticking out of an ice bucket. Not far from the table was a barbecue grill with a whole beef rib roasting on it. A chef in a white uniform was brushing barbecue sauce over the meat, the mixture of fat and sauce dripping into the charcoal with a "sizzle" and sending up enticing aromas.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    On the other side of the pool stood Mark, expressionless, occasionally pacing back and forth. He wore a black knit sweater under a dark gray two-piece suit, with large black sunglasses on his face, making him stand out against the white marble floor. When he turned, some observant guests noticed a bulge under his left armpit, hinting at something hidden beneath his jacket.


    "There''s some food prepared here. Please help yourselves to lunch while I go inform the boss," Du Preez said, then turned and walked back into the house.


    He ran up to the second floor and entered a study facing the backyard.


    "How''s it going?" Keith''s voice reached his ears as soon as he entered.


    Today, Keith was dressed head to toe in European designer wear, looking every bit like a low-key millionaire. He was sitting on the sofa having lunch, with a plate of sandwiches, a pot of coffee, and a few cups on the table in front of him.


    "Not bad," Du Preez replied as he closed the door and sat down next to the sofa. He poured himself a cup of coffee and smiled. "They were so nervous they could barely speak at the door."


    "Good," Keith nodded, which was exactly the effect he wanted.


    When recruiting the flight crew and ground support personnel, Keith encountered the same problem that with the Mark faced when purchasing the ship—if the nature of the job wasn''t disclosed, no one would want to take it. But if they revealed everything upfront, they would have to find a way to prevent those who decided not to participate from going to the police. Moreover, South Africans'' work ethic was "money first, then work," meaning there was no guarantee that someone wouldn''t take the money and then report them.


    After much consideration, Keith decided to stage this performance. To organize this meeting and dress the part, he nearly exhausted the funds in the account, not to mention the fake designer watch he wore.


    "Vredefort" certainly wasn''t his property. Its owner was a De Beers Group director who had left for a European vacation last month and wouldn''t be back until May. Conveniently, the security company responsible for the neighborhood was "Longreach Security," whose owner was a former South African National Defence Force officer and an old acquaintance of Du Preez''s.


    Through this connection, Keith had Du Preez reach out to his old friend, saying that his partner was negotiating a major deal with some foreigners and needed a grand and secure place to entertain them, leaving behind a generous payment as compensation to "borrow" the estate.


    After securing the location, Du Preez slipped some cash to the household staff, convincing them to take a two-day holiday. He then contacted an upscale Johannesburg restaurant to provide an outdoor barbecue service. And so, the meeting at the luxury estate was ready.


    They went to all this trouble and expense to put on a show, intending to convey a subtle message to the people downstairs: "The boss behind this job is wealthy and well-connected." At the same time, it warned anyone thinking of taking advantage of them to think twice before crossing someone with money and influence.


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    *Robb Report*: A renowned luxury lifestyle magazine based in the United States.