Chapter 159: Son of a Beach
Londan Airport, October twenty-seventh.
A group of fifteen walked into the departure hall, the men and women dressed like business elites. Nicholas, leading the group, wore gold-rimmed glasses and an impeccable suit and dress shoes, giving off an air of elegance. They were assistants that Auston had arranged for Wayne. None of them held a high position in the company, and most were in their thirties. They had potential, but hadn’t yet made a name for themselves.
According to Auston, Wayne could consider these people his first group of subordinates. If he disagreed with the arrangement, he could also organize his own team.
They waited half an hour before the man of the hour showed up. Wayne walked into the departure hall with his secretary, Mona. He met Nicholas and his colleagues at the VIP entrance.
“Mr. Wayne, I’m Nicholas, your assistant for the trip to Luzerbourg. This is your team.” Nicholas respectfully extended his hand, treating Wayne with care.
Rumors had it that this trip might be ultimately futile, but since the leading man was suspected to be the bossman’s illegitimate son, and this would be his first time doing business overseas, it would be an important mission.
When Nicholas saw Wayne in person, his doubt evaporated. The rumors were wrong. Suspected to be the bossman’s illegitimate son? He clearly was. The eyebrows, eyes, and black hair were undeniable proof of their biological connection.
It’s my chance to make it big!
Nicholas felt like he was walking on clouds, but he quickly straightened his back and dispersed the feelings. This wasn’t the time to get ahead of himself. He had to prove to his new boss that he was capable of completing missions and managing a team.
“Greetings, Mr. Nicholas. I know nothing about business, so I’ll have to trouble you and the others here.” Wayne took Nicholas’s hand and gave him a smile that was neither distant nor intimate. It was a typical Auston’s smile, which he had learned at the business gathering.
“That can’t be the case. If you knew nothing about business, what would that make us? Illiterates claiming to be elites?” Nicholas shook his head. Not only was Wayne good at doing business, but he was also a real expert. The best proof was the family he had chosen at birth.
Nicholas was the one who was bad at it. His one wrong choice wasted thirty-five years of his life.
Wayne huffed out a laugh. “You’re being too humble, Nicholas. You’re a well-learned graduate from the Cambrook University.”
“That is an accolade granted by the school, but I have yet to earn recognition in the real world. There is much I should learn from you.”
They exchanged pleasantries and compliments. Wayne maintained his higher standing while showing appreciation to Nicholas, while Nicholas demeaned himself to flatter his boss. They got on quite well.
Then, Nicholas introduced Wayne to the other members of the group. He shook each of their hands.
“This is Miss Mona, my secretary. When you can’t reach me, you can report anything to her instead.” Wayne introduced Mona to everyone.
Due to the contract between them, she would never betray him, thus making her one of his most trusted subordinates, after his butler and dog.
Sensing that trust, Nicholas couldn’t be more envious. Must be nice to be able to sleep your way to a high position. If he had her body, he would’ve been allowed to go in and out of the great bossman’s office freely.
It wasn’t too late now, though. He had his talent in business to rely on. He believed he could win his new boss over with his talent, achieving his goal without getting on his knees.
“Tell me about your proposal, Nicholas. Sit beside me on the plane. I’d like to see how well you’ve prepared your report.”
“Mr. Wayne, our business partner in Franc is...”
Nicholas was well-prepared and wouldn’t be intimidated by a pop quiz. He thoroughly analyzed their strengths and weaknesses, including not only factors in the market, but also the political climate of Luzerbourg as a nation flanked by two major powers, Franc and Prussia.
During their conversation, a few men in black came over. Nicholas assumed that they were Wayne’s bodyguards, so he didn’t pay them any attention. It wasn’t until they got closer without slowing down that Mona stepped forward, shielding Wayne with an icy expression.
Nicholas looked over in surprise. It turned out that Miss Mona served more purposes than being a simple secretary.
The men in black stopped. One of them—a mustachioed man—shot Wayne a glare before sauntering away haughtily.
Wayne was shocked. What, you again? After failing to rob a train and a cruise ship, you’re going for a plane now? Well, you’re persistent. I’ll give you that!
“Boss, do you know him?” Mona asked quietly. She could tell that the mustachioed man was hostile to her master, and that he had come to taunt Wayne on purpose rather than running into him by chance.
“It’s the unfortunate kind of acquaintance...”
Wayne shook his head. After his conversation with Lily on the cruise ship, he had more or less guessed the mustachioed man’s identity. He had to be his handler!
As a Franc spy, Wayne was only allowed to move in Londan, and whenever he needed to leave, he had to submit a report to explain his reasons. If he moved out of Londan without a valid justification, he would be warned. That was where the mustachioed man came in.
If Wayne took a train, the train had to be intercepted. If he took a cruise ship, the ship had to be stopped. The same went for the plane... The man’s job wasn’t easy.
That changed how Wayne viewed Franc’s intelligence agency. He had to acknowledge their incredible intelligence network that covered all of Londan. Outside of when he drove himself, every time he used a transportation method that required him to register his name, the mustachioed man would show up immediately.
Franc’s intelligence agency had to have infiltrated all of Londan’s public transport.
There was one thing Wayne didn’t understand, though. The cruise ship and the airplane had to be booked beforehand, so it made sense that the records could be looked up, but what about the train? He had decided to leave Londan for Enrod at the last second that night, and Veronica had bought the ticket with cash. Still, the mustachioed man found out...
Why would you surrender then, Franc? With your intelligence capability and execution efficiency, you should be able to toy with the Third Reich[1] to death.
What, do you just want to become a meme to make people laugh?
“Boss, should I teach him a lesson? I don’t like how he looks at you,” Mona groused. She didn’t know what bad blood was between Wayne and the mustachioed man, but she knew that Wayne could do no wrong; the mustachioed man had to be at fault.
“Don’t mind him... Well, how about this?” Wayne was going to let the matter slide, but after some consideration, he suggested mischievously, “Mona, go to the airport police. I know those people. The mustachioed man leading them is a robber, a felon who has escaped from prison twice. Tell the police to look him up. They’ll find his wanted notice.”
Mona nodded, hurrying to the police station on the airport grounds.
“Keep going, Nicholas. I’m all ears.”
Ten minutes later, Mona returned. After another ten minutes, there was a ruckus in the departure hall. A few men in black were arrested and dragged away by police officers, cursing along the way.
Wayne couldn’t make out much of their words other than something about a son of a beach. They had to be praising liberty. The beach represented freedom, and a son of the beach was a son of freedom. It made total sense to call someone that to praise their carefree soul.
***
The group boarded a private airplane through the VIP jetway. In this day and age, private planes weren’t popular yet since airlines didn’t manufacture high-class private planes. The lack of luxury options to set them apart made the rich disinterested in acquiring one.
A few of the companies under the Lando conglomerate did own private planes for business trips. Auston’s name could secure a flight within a day. However, the planes were limited by the current manufacturing techniques, making the flight bumpy and fraught with noise and unpleasant odor. It was far from comfortable.
Wayne suspected that the old man’s unwillingness to go abroad was ninety-nine percent linked to the terrible experience.
On the plane, Nicholas sat across from Wayne as he was instructed and went over the potential hardships of this business trip.
First, the pricing. Murphy Mining, a partner of the Lando conglomerate, didn’t enjoy an advantage in this regard. If they could secure a significant order and use that to seek a partnership with other mining companies, acquiring products at a lower price and selling them at a higher price for profit, they would be able to lower their pricing at a later stage, but not at this moment.
In comparison, the Boswell family’s partner didn’t have the same concerns. They could offer a low price from the beginning and easily pass the first two rounds.
Still, the Boswell family wouldn’t win the bid at the end. The mining companies in Prussia could save a lot of cost in transportation alone, given their closer distance, and they would surely enter the last round.
Luzerbourg was in a terrible location between two nations with strong military forces. It was smaller and had little to no military power. Given its limited natural resources and small market, it was heavily dependent on other nations economically, making it unable to offend Franc, much less Prussia.
Based on the summit of four nations back in September, even a fool could tell that Prussia, with her strong military force, strong cavalry, money, and munitions, could march wherever she wanted, while the other nations made way for her.
“During this tender, we have to not only win Alberd Steel over, but also persuade the government of Luzerbourg and Grand Duchess Charlotte.”
Nicholas continued his analysis. “But that won’t be enough. Persuading the government will only make sure that Luzerbourg isn’t going to waver when making a decision. In the end, the pricing will determine the result.”
Wayne listened with a frown. He had browsed through the documents, but couldn’t come up with a solution. He had even asked Auston if there was a way to turn things around.
That day, Auston’s head was wrapped in bandages. Putting himself in the old man’s shoes, Wayne recognized it as a pity act to garner sympathy, so he didn’t ask after Auston’s injury.
Auston didn’t mention how he had seen Wayne mid-flight, either. He had flown farther that night, and mocking Wayne would only lead to greater humiliation for himself.
Anyway, Auston didn’t have a solution. The Lando family had limited political influence in Luzerbourg, so they couldn’t manipulate the tender. Failure was predetermined. He wanted Wayne to taste the bitterness of defeat.
It was hard to say if personal grievances had informed that arrangement. According to Auston, it was a necessary trial Wayne had to go through.
Wayne knew that it wasn’t entirely hopeless. If the Lando family and the Boswell family worked together, they could both profit. With the Luzerbourg government playing indifferent, they had a fifty percent chance to win the bid with a lower price.
Coal was necessary in the production of steel, and cheap and high-quality coal could lower the cost. As profit was the prime directive of businesses, if Luzerbourg went for a Francan company citing pricing as the reason, the Prussian mining companies wouldn’t be able to fault Luzerbourg.
“The Boswell family...”
Wayne’s eyes twitched. He suspected that the old man was doing this on purpose, telling Wayne that the Boswells wanted to steal what should be his before giving him a mission that was bound to fail. If he wanted to win, he would have to learn to push aside his feelings and work with the Boswells.
“I’d rather fail. Nothing wrong with making others suffer losses without gaining anything,” he muttered. Unable to stand the terrible smells in the air, he leaned closer to the human fragrant sachet that was Mona.
“Mr. Wayne, are you planning to work with Boswell Mining?” Nicholas’s eyes glinted behind his gold-rimmed glasses. That would be a good idea.
“I’ll think about it. They are our competitor in business. We shouldn’t change our overall strategy just for a little revenue.” Wayne shook his head. Auston overestimated him. He was a petty man who would rather make the Boswell family suffer even if he would walk away empty-handed.
***
Luzerbourg City, Grand Duchy of Luzerbourg.
The group left the airport with their luggage and got into the car that had been waiting to pick them up. Thankfully, the weather cooperated and didn’t keep them grounded.
Luzerbourg was a small but decently developed nation with a pleasant climate. In addition to the Miniature Kingdom, they were also known as the Nation of Thousand Castles due to the abundance of old castles in the territory.
Luzerbourg City, the capital, was split in half by a canyon. The magnificent landscapes featured many tourist attractions worthy of visiting.
The military had a tendency to visit Luzerbourg, too. Whenever there was a war, Luzerbourg would be quickly occupied by enemy nations because they were too weak to resist even if they wanted to. Thus, Luzerbourg was always quick to surrender to ensure the safety of its people.
Speaking of which, Luzerbourg’s flag was quite similar to Franc’s. Both consisted of three colors, and the middle parts were both white.
The car stopped at a hotel in the capital. Wayne met the Lando family’s partner in Franc. They had booked a whole floor to welcome Wayne’s group, even preparing a presidential suite.
Murphy Mining was now a partner of the Landos, but it had actually been a company that the Landos had invested in with the goal of funneling resources from other countries. Over time, however, the Francan people turned against them, and the company gradually strayed from its original purpose.
Auston withdrew his capital and didn’t let the betrayal bother him. Every pawn had its use, even a disobedient one. Interests would make them do his bidding.
This time, for example, both Franc and Prussia wanted to earn Luzerbourg’s money. Given it was a zero-sum game, winning the bid would be a twofold victory: earning a profit while making sure their rivals didn’t. In this day and age, capitalists had to be aware of national boundaries, or a war could make them lose their factories.
Back to the matter at hand, Wayne met up with the representatives of Murphy Mining, who planned to form a business alliance. They represented the interests of Franc, and they would be fine as long as they could keep Prussia out of this game.
Wayne was getting a headache. One of the friendly businesses they were seeking to form an alliance with was the Boswell family.
“Let’s talk tomorrow. We just got off the plane. We need some time to clear our heads.” Wayne didn’t immediately agree. Excusing himself, he returned to his presidential suite alone. Mona came over with her luggage before he could close the door.
“Why are you here?”
“There is more than one bedroom in this suite, Boss. I’ll be staying here.” Mona made a pitiful face. This was the way the accommodation was arranged. There was nothing she could do about it. She couldn’t possibly sleep in the corridor.
I’ll buy that if you aren’t smiling so brightly.
“Pick a room. Don’t harass me tonight, and don’t even think about hogging the bathroom.”
Wayne pulled his collar up. Comparing their power, if she launched a blitzkrieg against him, he should have enough accumulated power to turn it into a battle of attrition. Once it was winter, and the enemy army lost its momentum, he would strike back, making the sound of his battle horn resound in the capital city of the enemy nation.
Things would be difficult after that.
It was common knowledge that urban warfare in the capital city would always be difficult. When the enemy army was backed into a corner with no way to retreat, they would often bite hard to ensure mutual demise.
“Have you reached the Pope’s envoys, Mona?”
After sorting out his luggage, Wayne checked the time and decided to head downstairs to taste the local delicacy. He had heard good things about the food in Luzerbourg—essentially Francan cuisine!
“I’ve sent the signal. You’ll be able to meet them tomorrow night.” Mona trailed after Wayne, quietly telling him about the encoded message she sent.
The Pope’s envoys had completed their preparations. Tomorrow night, they would give the angel a surprise.
When Wayne and Mona entered the restaurant, they encountered a strange party of twenty men and women across different age groups. Wayne avoided looking at the men since he came from Windsor, and his attention might be misconstrued. The leading lady cut an alluring figure. Her lower face was covered by a black veil, while the eyes that remained exposed were clear like water. Her beauty was striking even when half concealed.
Once they walked away, Wayne stopped to look back at them.
He only saw Mona.
“What are you doing, Mona?”
“I’m hungry, Boss.”
“If you’re hungry, find something to eat. Why are you blocking me...”
He rolled his eyes, jutting his chin at the group walking farther and farther away. “Is that them?”
“No, the envoys haven’t checked into this hotel.”
1. A reference to Nazi Germany, which is Prussia in this story. ☜