Beneath a towering skyscraper, Qin Chuan and his companions gazed upwards. According to intelligence gathered domestically, the Di Meng Corporation occupied an entire floor on the twenty-sixth level of this building, a testament to their considerable strength. The current president of Di Meng Corporation was named Michael Conway.
"Mei Jie, sending so many of us together feels like a waste of resources. Why don't we split up?" Qin Chuan suggested to Fang Rumei. "We can meet back here at noon and share whatever information we've gathered."
Fang Rumei nodded. "I was thinking the same thing." With that, she led two elite subordinates, a man and a woman, and strode towards the building.
"Boss, where do we go?" Yao Dong and Bai Xiaoguang, standing by Qin Chuan's side, asked as they watched Fang Rumei depart. Aside from their mission to protect Qin Chuan, they were utterly useless in this foreign land, like deaf individuals with only eyes, unable to understand anything around them.
"Of course, we're going in. How else will we get the information we need?" Qin Chuan replied. "But before that, there's something I need to do." As he spoke, his jet-black eyes meticulously scanned the diverse faces of men, women, old, and young passing by on the street. This continued for several minutes. Just as Bai Xiaoguang and Yao Dong were about to inquire, Qin Chuan's eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait here!" he told them and then strode across the street. Bai Xiaoguang and Yao Dong, left behind, were bewildered, unsure of what their boss was up to.
Under their curious gaze, they watched Qin Chuan gesturing and conversing with a bearded old man across the street. In the end, Qin Chuan even left with him. "Damn it, the boss left! Should we follow?" Bai Xiaoguang fretted, while Yao Dong looked equally at a loss. "The boss told us to wait here, so let's wait here," Yao Dong finally said after some hesitation.
They waited for over fifteen minutes before Qin Chuan reappeared with the bearded foreigner. Bai Xiaoguang and Yao Dong, excited, quickly ran over.
"Welcome back, esteemed guest. Please visit anytime you need assistance." As they approached, they heard the bearded man speaking to Qin Chuan in broken Chinese.
"Certainly! Certainly!" Qin Chuan waved with a smile as the bearded man left excitedly.
"Boss, where did you go?" "Yeah, didn't you tell us to protect you? How could you leave alone?" Bai Xiaoguang and Yao Dong asked rapidly.
"It's fine. I just found someone to exchange some US dollars," Qin Chuan explained with a smile. "We left in such a hurry that I forgot to exchange US dollars at the banks back home or at the airport. I had to resort to this method. Let's go, we're going into that building."
"Wait, who was that bearded guy?" Yao Dong and Bai Xiaoguang still looked like curious kids.
"He's a professional currency exchanger, a middleman, much like the middlemen in some industries back home," Qin Chuan patiently explained.
As they spoke, the three of them arrived at the entrance of the building. Bai Xiaoguang and Yao Dong still had many questions. For instance, how did the boss know that man was a professional middleman? And, why was the boss so familiar with this place, given it was his first time in America? Unfortunately, they had already entered the building and didn't have time to ask. They could only suppress their doubts, growing increasingly in awe of Qin Chuan. This young boss was becoming more and more mysterious, constantly displaying astonishing actions that made him impossible to fathom.
Upon entering the first floor of the building, the three of them found it to be extremely luxurious and vast, exuding an air of wealth. There were also burly Black security guards. Noticing the three unfamiliar Asian faces, the two Black guards' eyes were filled with scrutiny, like police officers inspecting potential thieves, which was quite displeasing.
Bai Xiaoguang and Yao Dong felt these gazes. They were by no means timid; even in a foreign land, their fiery spirit, so characteristic of them back home, was undiminished. Immediately, they shot cold glares back, their eyes even sharper than the guards', as if to say, "If you dare be rude to me, I'll deal with you."
Qin Chuan noticed this and quickly stepped in front of the two men, beckoning the two Black security guards with his finger. The guards looked at Qin Chuan's gesture with confusion, unsure what he wanted. But soon, their eyes gleamed with excitement. They noticed Qin Chuan gently unzipping his briefcase, revealing a few green US dollar bills, and then he spoke, "Excuse me, could one of you show me where the restroom is?"
This gesture was obvious; he was offering a tip. In a place like America, tipping was almost a normal practice. Wealthy individuals often gave generous tips to the less fortunate. Both Black guards eagerly rushed towards Qin Chuan, their faces beaming with brilliant smiles, a stark contrast to their previous expressions.
"Respected sir, I can take you there!" one Black security guard exclaimed.
"Sir, I can not only take you to the restroom but also help you with many other things," the other Black security guard, more astute, added cleverly.
Qin Chuan smiled warmly. "I do have a small problem that requires assistance. If you both have time, I'd be happy to invite you both."
"Ok! Ok!" "We both have plenty of time, esteemed sir, please follow us." The two Black security guards, overjoyed at Qin Chuan's words, eagerly led the way, taking the three of them to a secluded restroom that happened to be empty.
Qin Chuan asked Yao Dong and Bai Xiaoguang to stand guard outside while he entered the restroom. He casually took out two ten-dollar bills from his bag and handed them to the two Black security guards.
"Gentlemen, do either of you know anything about the Di Meng Corporation upstairs?" Qin Chuan asked with a smile. "I need some help!" "If either of you can help me, I'll give you even more tip." As he spoke, Qin Chuan casually pulled out a wad of US dollars from his briefcase, estimated to be at least a thousand dollars, and deliberately slapped them against his palm, making a crisp sound. The air in the entire restroom seemed to be filled with the scent of money, making it irresistible.
Ever since Qin Chuan produced the thick wad of US dollars, the two Black security guards' eyes had been fixed on it, their faces filled with greedy expressions, practically drooling.
"Esteemed sir, the Di Meng Corporation is on the twenty-sixth floor of this building. We brothers know it very well. Feel free to ask whatever you need," the more quick-witted Black security guard was the first to react, his face a picture of sycophancy. The other Black security guard quickly nodded in agreement, indicating they knew about the Di Meng Corporation.
Seeing this, Qin Chuan grinned, his expression radiant. Indeed, regardless of the country, seeking out the local inhabitants was always the best way to gather information. For a building, the security personnel were undoubtedly the local inhabitants. They knew about almost every enterprise and company in the building, and what major events had recently occurred with them. While they might not have access to highly classified information, it was more than enough!