Bai Zhu pushed the door open. Ging sat at the table, with several encrypted documents and a portable computer in front of him.
"Anvil's background?"
"More precisely, what's behind Anvil." Ging slid the first document toward him. "See for yourself."
Bai Zhu lowered his head and glanced over it. It was a complicated organizational chart. Anvil's name occupied only a small corner, while a dense web of arrows all pointed toward the center-Mystery International.
"A shell company?"
"Right." Ging nodded. "Anvil is just one of the many branches Mystery International has set up. On the surface, it handles financial and technology investments. In reality, it collects samples and technologies involving 'anomalous powers' around the world."
Bai Zhu set the document back on the table without any particular reaction.
"As expected." He leaned back in his chair. "One look at how Anvil operates tells you it isn't an independent company. There had to be a bigger backer behind it."
Ging froze for a moment.
He had expected Bai Zhu to be nervous at the news, or at least ask a few questions. Instead, the guy looked as though he had seen it coming all along.
"You're certainly calm."
"What else should I do? Would panicking help?" Bai Zhu looked up at him. "Go on. What exactly is Mystery International?"
Ging took a deep breath and pulled up the second document.
It was a scan of a yellowed file, with "V5 Joint Voyage Committee · Classified Appendix" printed at the top.
"Mystery International has existed for at least forty years." Ging's voice grew low. "It's a front secretly maintained by the five nations of the V5, dedicated to handling 'anomalous affairs that cannot be made public.'"
Bai Zhu tapped the tabletop twice with his fingers.
"A front?"
"Simply put, they do the