Chapter 37

Early in the morning, a dedicated butler delivered breakfast to Tang Dao's door.

Wearing pajamas, Tang Dao enjoyed his breakfast while reading a copy of "USA Today," keeping up with world events. Despite the notorious lack of journalistic integrity and the tendency to push personal agendas in articles, newspapers from different countries often serve as tools for political "public opinion guidance." Tang Dao mused about how such manipulation had been used to influence the masses, including events like the one where Mao Zedong had been dragged into a movement.

The byline on the newspaper read: "VPS.colvin - International Affairs Research Expert at Stanford University."

Tang Dao couldn't help but wonder where this birdman had come from.

He folded the newspaper, stood up, and casually left it on the coffee table. Then, he walked to the dining table in his house.

"Sir, would you like a drink?" The butler, dressed neatly and with a touch of elegance, offered Tang Dao a glass of Louis XIII Cognac.

"Of course," Tang Dao replied, spreading his hands. He pulled out a chair, adjusted it for comfort, and gazed out of the half-height window. Across from him stood the Chrysler Building, the iconic skyscraper with its distinctive art deco design.

The butler gently placed the glass of cognac in Tang Dao's left hand, bowed slightly, and said, "Please enjoy your meal, sir. If you require anything else, please do not hesitate to call upon me." With that, she wheeled the dining cart away and departed.

Robert knocked on the door and entered the room. "Boss, did you call for me?"

"Have a seat and join me for breakfast," Tang Dao gestured to the empty chair opposite him, and Robert obediently took his place, attentive and ready.

After pouring wine for Robert, Tang Dao spoke slowly, "I think it's time we extend some warmth to the Soviets."

At this statement, Robert furrowed his brow, placed his right hand on the table, leaned forward slightly, and inclined his ear, knowing that his boss was about to unveil a new plan. He remained silent, listening intently. Tang Dao continued, "Select a few people and head to the airline company. The company has chartered a cargo plane to Germany. Don't make any waves."

"To Germany?" Robert asked in puzzlement, but his boss merely took a sip of the red wine and made a contemplative expression, staring at the last sip in the glass, shaking it gently, and glancing at Robert through the wine glass with a somewhat distorted perspective.

"Also, don't mention my name."

"Understood," Robert nodded in understanding, waiting a few seconds to see if the boss had any further instructions. When none came, he got up to prepare. The red wine in his glass remained untouched.

Tang Dao put down his cutlery, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and walked over to the TV, pressing a business card onto it. The card read: "BTA Trading Company."

This company was one of the largest foreign trade companies in New York. It operated three air routes spanning Asia, Europe, and Africa and also handled transportation for the US military in foreign wars. It had been involved in several conflicts in the 20th century and ranked 489th among the Fortune Global 500 companies in 1990, with an output value of $1.7 billion.

This business card held the contact number of the company's general agent in the United States. Tang Dao had obtained it through Julia at Swiss Bank. It was essential to establish connections in this line of work.

Tang Dao dialed the number, listening to the simple and honest sound of the buttons being pressed. After a lengthy silence, someone finally answered.

"Good afternoon, who are you looking for?" The voice on the other end sounded a bit weak, as if the person was older.

"Is this Mr. Isaiah Haywood?"

"Yes, who is this? You sound unfamiliar," the voice on the other end was curious.

Tang Dao glanced at the name on the business card, which indicated that Isaiah was likely Jewish. Placing the business card casually on the table, he opened the French window with his mobile phone and stepped out onto the balcony, gazing down at the people on the crosswalk below.

He replied calmly, "My name is Nicholas, and I'm in charge of the company. I'd like to place an order for a batch of daily necessities from Germany."

"Daily necessities?"

Isaiah's voice revealed a touch of displeasure. As a Jew, he had a slight aversion to the word. It seemed like a disregard for faith.

However, as a businessman, he couldn't turn away potential business. Isaiah glanced at his watch and motioned for his employees in the office to wait. He then continued, "Please hold on a moment." He covered the phone's microphone and knocked on the table, saying, "That's it for today's meeting. The meeting is adjourned."

The employees in the office, who had been expecting more, were left bewildered and murmuring to themselves as they filed out of the room.

With a smile on his face, Isaiah focused on the conversation, "Sir, you mentioned an order worth hundreds of thousands?"

He was under pressure too. Although he was the general agent in the United States, the BTA had a global presence, and he was just one of many. In North America, he was a leader, but he felt the constant pressure from the Asian region. The president of the North American region was already dissatisfied with his sluggish performance.

The stress was immense.

The mention of an order worth hundreds of thousands of dollars was significant enough to warrant his full attention.

"I need to import a batch of daily necessities from Germany. We won't require your help with transportation, as we have our own cargo plane. We just need to pick up the goods at the airport," Tang Dao explained. He had chosen Germany because the German government offered tax cuts and incentives for daily necessities, making it a cost-effective option. The plan was to first fly the cargo plane to Germany empty, and then choose to fly to Ukraine later to avoid attracting unwanted attention.

In this line of work, discretion and caution were paramount.

Isaiah was taken aback by Tang Dao's request, but he had already lost interest in shipping. "Alright, what specific daily necessities do you require?"

Tang Dao went on to list nearly dozens of items, including coats, canned fruits, sea soul shirts, toothpaste, and more. These items were quite distinctive.

"Uh? Sir, approximately how much do you need?"

Tang Dao fell silent for a moment before asking, "Can I order by the ton?"

Isaiah almost dropped his pen in shock.

"Never mind. I need $1 million worth of goods, with 35% of it being food, 15% clothing, and 50% daily necessities. Deliver them to Berlin Airport within three days."

Tang Dao knew that under such "lenient" terms, there would undoubtedly be some tricks involved. He didn't bother with the details. Sometimes, turning a blind eye could make cooperation smoother. Isaiah wasn't an idiot, and he might sneak a bite, but if the whole cake went bad, both he and BTA would be in trouble.

"Alright! Please make an initial payment of $300,000, and our commission fee is 5%," Isaiah