“This is my business card and please allow me to introduce myself. I’m the chairman of the Siberian Mining Company and the Russian Asteroid Mining Company. It’s an honor to meet you…” An old man in a tuxedo politely handed Jiang Chen his business card with both hands, then warmly shook hands with him.
“Are, are you really Jiang Chen? Ah, sorry, because my idol is standing in front of me, I’m a little shaken by the excitement. Are you free tonight? Do you want to have a drink together?” A blonde celebrity in a low-cut evening dress looked at Jiang Chen seductively, completely disregarding the warning smile Jiang Chen’s date was giving her.
“Please allow me to have a toast with you, the executive of the Earth Defense Alliance, the commander of the Earth Fleet, the hero of human civilization…” A Hua entrepreneur smiled, revealing his shining white teeth. He then raised the champagne glass in his hand. “I wish you victorious and that you bring victory and glory back to the place we call home.”
“…”
Melodious music changed the mood in the banquet hall and saved Jiang Chen from the enshrinement of flattery.
The male and female guests all put down the glass in their hands and joined hands together to enter the middle of the hall. Tang Weijie and his wife led the banquet to the next stage.
“This glass is really interesting. Is it magnetic underneath?”
Because he didn’t know how to dance, Jiang Chen took Xia Shiyu’s hand and walked to the resting area. After he drank the red wine in the glass, he turned the glass over to examine the bottom of the cup and felt that it was metallic.
To prevent the wine glass from flying around in a low-gravity environment, a magnet must have been installed under the long table covered with red cloth. Not just wine glasses, but also the trays that hold food.
Although life on the Moon was full of inconveniences, the creativity of people was unlimited. From the smooth and elegant moves on the dance floor, everyone was enjoying the party.
“Did you like the banquet?”
At the end of the banquet, Tang Weijie, holding a glass of wine, brought his wife to greet Jiang Chen.
“Of course, I enjoyed it. I’m m so relieved to see how relaxing the life of Lunar City’s citizens is.” Jiang Chen clinked his glass with Tang Weijie.
Tang Weijie’s wife looked young; probably about twenty years old. From her reserved and elegant temperament, she should come from an influential family. It didn’t take her long to start a conversation with Xia Shiyu.
After the men began to talk about business, she and Xia Shiyu went to the side and began chatting about topics reserved only for women.
“I wouldn’t say relaxing,” Tang Weijie laughed, sipped the wine, and humbly said. “I think it’s exploring a lifestyle that suits us. I remember when I first came here, we stayed in the gravity room all day after we completed our tasks. Before the underground city was built, there was really no entertainment on this barren land.”
“It must have been hard.” Jiang Chen raised his glass. “I will remember your contribution.”
“Not at all. It’s my duty, not a contribution,” Tang Weijie responded modestly.
“Lunar City’s model can be applied to other colonies, such as the Mars Colony, and the Himalia (1) in the near future. You have provided a template for the space colonization plan of Celestial Trade, how is this not a contribution? Modesty can be boring.” Jiang Chen patted Tang Weijie’s shoulder as he put down the wine glass.
Just as the two of them chatted, an older man in a tuxedo entered the banquet hall quite late. He searched around the room before his eyes lit up and he walked toward his target.
While Jiang Chen and Tang Weijie chatted about the colony, he saw a familiar face.
Before he could speak, the man smiled and extended his right hand.
“We met again, Mr. Jiang Chen.”
It was when the man shook hands with Jiang Chen did he finally remember he had seen this face. However, to be truthful, after so long, he almost forgot about him.
“You are… Mr. Loki?”
“It seems that you haven’t forgotten me,” Loki said jokingly and didn’t seem to mind that Jiang Chen didn’t recognize him.
It was quite amazing for Jiang Chen to remember him considering that he was a behind-the-scenes person who rarely appears in front of the public. People also have difficulty recognizing people of different races.
To be honest, he was ready to introduce himself again.
“…but why are you here?” Jiang Chen was surprised by his visit, frowning slightly. “I mean, shouldn’t you be in B City now? How are you…”
“Precisely speaking, I was in Celestial City eleven hours ago. As a result, when I was planning to meet with you, I learned that you have left. Very coincidentally, there was one final flight leaving for Lunar City, so I came here.” Loki laughed. “Our consortium has invested in a rare earth mining company in Lunar City, otherwise I would have to worry about how to get an invitation.”
“Right? What a coincidence,” Jiang Chen said without much fluctuation in his emotion.
The B City Consortium then must have a prophet. A flight happened to leave Lunar City, and he managed to obtain a ticket in such a quick span of time? Although it is not tourist season, buying a ticket wasn’t that easy?
The ticket must have been bought a few days in advance.
“It seems that you two have something to talk about. Now, if I may excuse myself.” Seeing that he wasn’t needed in their conversation, Tang Weijie understandingly left with his wife.
As Loki watched Tang Weijie leave, he smiled. Then he looked at Jiang Chen again and said politely.
“Is it convenient to step out for a moment?”
“It’s not a gentleman’s move to leave your date alone at the banquet. Mr. Loki, what do you think?”
Loki heard the subtle refusal in Jiang Chen’s tone as he raised his eyebrow.
Xia Shiyu looked at Jiang Chen and just wanted to tell him that she would not mind, but Jiang Chen stopped her with the look in his eyes.
When the Rothschild family existed, he did not like the “WASP” on Wall Street.
The two sides formed an alliance long ago against the Freemasonry led by the Rothschild family. However, the capitalists of Wall Streets are cunning and clever. When Celestial Trade and the Freemasonry clashed, they didn’t contribute any effort but took the opportunity to benefit.
After the fall of the Rothschild family, several WASP consortia such as Morgan and Rockefeller immediately began to snatch up assets from the fallen giant. They took the two most prized possessions – the Brazilian Vale and the BHP Mining Group.
These spoils should have belonged to Celestial Trade.
Under such circumstances, it would be odd if Jiang Chen treated them with respect.
Loki didn’t seem to be surprised by Jiang Chen’s aloof attitude. He smiled, took a sip of his wine, and sighed.
“Oh? Even if I want to talk about the CIB?”
(1) Himalia – Himalia, or Jupiter VI, is the largest irregular satellite of Jupiter. It is the fifth largest Jovian satellite, after the four Galilean moons.
