New Benefactors
Hétóng turned to his left, and then to his right, as if scanning the area for eavesdroppers. He gestured for them to walk along the path. "Your company has a global footprint with operations in Africa, North and South America, Europe, and the Asian Pacific."
It was a statement, not a question. But for some reason, Ranell felt he ought to acknowledge the fact. "Yes, that's right."
"Your assets include all forms of cargo transport, including dry, insulated, and refrigerated containers. You have cargo ships, cargo trucks, rail cars, and aircraft." Hétóng’s gait was slow and precise, his hands were clasped behind his back, and he stared straight ahead.
As they strolled past a beach created from plate-sized black stones, Ranell felt real fear. He got the impression that Hétóng was aware of everything and everyone in his environment. He hoped he was wrong about that. "You could have gotten all that information from our website. So what? What's this all about?"
Hétóng stopped and turned. "We could have gotten that information from your website. But we did not. Our source of information about you is, shall we say, much more robust?" Hétóng stared deeply into Ranell’s eyes to drive home his point. “For instance, we know that GML is dangerously over-extended.”
“Who are you?” Ranell demanded. “Just what are you trying to imply by that?”
“Dr. Ranell, as you know, the world economy is collapsing. The supply chains for basic commodities, such as food, have been severely disrupted. Millions are projected to die of hunger within the next twelve months.” There almost seemed to be a gleam in Hétóng’s eye. “Even here in America, food insecurity has quadrupled. Governments are getting desperate to address these problems. Many are prepared to take, shall we say, drastic measures to feed their starving populations?”
"You're not answering my question!" Ranell thrust a pointed finger toward Hétóng's face. Ranell tried to fight the urge to reach into his pocket for his cell phone. He dropped his hand back down to his side. I hope he didn’t notice that.
Hétóng did notice. “If you are thinking of calling the police, you will find that your cell phone has been temporarily disabled.”
Ranell didn’t have to check. He understood that his phone was dead. “You tapped it.” He tried to keep his voice flat and cool, but his heart began to race. I can’t catch my breath.
Hétóng became almost preternatural still, studying Ranell. Then he delivered his message. “Dr. Ranell, my employers are interested in becoming your benefactors and ensuring nothing unfortunate happens to your company's vulnerable holdings.”
“Becoming my benefactors?” The blood drained from Ranell’s face. “In exchange for what?”
Choose Option 1: Accuse Hétóng Rén
Choose Option 2: Apologize to Hétóng Rén