Futian CBD, Smiling Holdings' Shen City branch.
Inside the director's office.
The enormous circular floor-to-ceiling windows took in all of Shen City Bay and the Hong Kong skyline.
The interior was dominated by cool gray, ivory white, and dark walnut, with clean lines and no unnecessary decoration.
Secretary Jin sat behind the desk.
A pair of black-framed non-prescription glasses rested on the bridge of her nose, hiding those bright, clear eyes.
She held a black-and-gold fountain pen in her hand, its nib hovering over an encrypted document written entirely in English, her gaze calm and focused.
International affairs assistant Sarah stood in front of the desk, her voice low and solemn. "Things in Zurich are a little out of control, but not in the way we originally expected."
Secretary Jin did not look up. "Speak."
Sarah quickly reported:
"In the past seventy-two hours, Crown & Co. Private Bankers, under Ms. Annie's orders, completed three large anonymous asset-package intercontinental transfers through routes we were unable to fully trace. The total is estimated to be in the range of five billion Swiss francs."
"At the same time, in her capacity as Managing Partner of the bank, she signed two key agreements at lightning speed. The first is a secret discretionary trust partnership with the Italian Gigli Family. The second is a formal admission letter submitted to the Geneva Family Office Alliance. This means she is attempting to extend the bank's reach into Europe's most elite old-money circles."
Sarah paused, her tone growing even more grave.
"Intelligence confirms that the Kate Family's second-in-line heir, Jonathan Kate, has personally flown to Geneva. Clearly, he came for this matter."
"In addition, Bank of America Merrill Lynch's family private equity division has also suddenly launched a renewed review of the Tang Jin System fund products and