Chapter 838: 373: Dominican Republic (2)
Chapter 838: Chapter 373: Dominican Republic (2)
Ricardo took the document but did not look inside. Instead, he felt the thickness and texture of the high-quality paper with his fingers, then smiled and elegantly placed the proposal aside.
“The proposal is perfect, Mr. Lin. The cover is beautiful, and the paper is excellent.” His words were full of implication.
“However,” he slowly extended a finger adorned with a massive gold ring, “following proper procedures, such a lovely proposal needs to be sent to the Environment Department, the Culture Department, and the desk of the three big shots at the National Park Administration Bureau. They are all busy; it might take… one or two months before they have the chance to appreciate it.”
Ricardo finished speaking and fell silent, leisurely leaning back on the sofa, holding up his glass, looking at Lin Yu’an with a knowing gaze. He relished the feeling of controlling the situation.
Riven sat listening, her brow furrowed, clearly uncomfortable with the blatant solicitation of bribes.
Lin Yu’an’s face showed no displeasure or surprise, as if he had anticipated all of this.
Calmly, he picked up the rum glass in front of him, not drinking, just sniffing the complex aroma of caramel and oak at the tip of his nose.
Then, he slowly raised his eyes, looking calmly at Ricardo, while his gaze briefly swept over to Riven.
This look was extremely brief, almost impossible to catch.
Yet Riven instantly understood. She bent down to grab the black briefcase. It wasn’t heavy, but she could feel the weight inside, solely belonging to wealth.
She placed the briefcase on the sleek mahogany table, emitting a slight yet clear dull sound.
Then, under Ricardo’s intrigued gaze, Riven extended her slender fingers and, with a click, decisively opened the lock of the briefcase.
But she did not follow through with any subsequent actions.
Ricardo pondered for a moment, his fingers stopped tapping on the table.
He pondered for a moment, his fingers stopped tapping on the table.
“Mr. Ramirez from the Environment Department is currently worried about the tuition for his daughter’s study in Miami.”
“Ms. Fernandez from the Park Administration Bureau has been wanting to change to a new Mercedes SUV.”
“And those guys from the Coast Guard, their patrol boats have been complaining about insufficient fuel lately…”
He did not give a direct offer, but instead, like a waiter in a high-end restaurant, detailed the menu to Lin Yu’an.
Finally, he held up three fingers.
“Thirty thousand US dollars.” He quoted an exact number, “Ten thousand, to sponsor Mr. Ramirez’s daughter’s education; ten thousand to support Ms. Fernandez’s replacement of her official vehicle, and the remaining ten thousand as fuel subsidies for the Coast Guard guys.”
“I guarantee that your official filming permit will be personally delivered to your ship before noon tomorrow.”
“Moreover, starting tomorrow, until the week you leave, the sea area near the Mouth of the Whale will not see any official ships, except for seabirds and yourselves.”
His offer, clear and specific, even meticulously arranging every piece of money, displayed the profession and ’candor’ of a top broker.
Riven listened, her heart pounding in shock; she hadn’t expected that entering a national park to film would require such a hefty ’entrance fee.’
Lin Yu’an widened the mouth of the briefcase a little more.
He then took out a tightly bound roll of hundred-dollar bills, bound with a purple rubber band, and casually tossed it onto the table.
With a “bang,” the heavy roll of money rolled halfway across the smooth tabletop, emitting a sound that made one’s heart race.
Immediately thereafter, he took out a second roll, then a third…
“Here’s thirty thousand.” He said calmly, as if it wasn’t thirty thousand US dollars, just three rolls of ordinary printing paper, “Care to count?”
Ricardo’s smile momentarily froze but then turned even more dazzling. He looked at the three rolls of cash full of ’underworld vibes’ on the table and couldn’t help but whistle.
Ricardo burst into laughter, “Mr. Lin, you sure know how to joke.” He picked up one roll, skillfully flicked it with his thumb, feeling the familiar thickness and elasticity, and did not bother with further inspection.
“Your credit, I’m sure, is as reliable as that of the middleman.”
Ricardo stood up and casually stowed the three rolls of cash into his jacket pocket, showing a gentle smile.
“Pleasure doing business. Now, you can go enjoy the sunshine and rum of Samantha. Leave the rest to me.”
He made a gesture of ’please go ahead,’ then turned around, carrying that signature cunning smile, and left the compartment first.
Lin Yu’an and Riven exchanged a glance, said nothing, and also stood up to leave.
However, when Ricardo carried the briefcase through the hotel lobby and sat in the back seat of his black bulletproof Mercedes S-level, the warm smile on his face instantly vanished.
In its place was a cold, mafia godfather-like gloom.
The young guy in the driver’s seat, sporting a Mohawk and with a scorpion tattoo on his neck—his wife’s brother, named Harvey.
He looked at him from the rearview mirror, rubbed his hands together and asked with a greedy expression, “Brother-in-law, this time the fat sheep looks good. Same old rules?”
“I’ll have the patrol squad brothers cooperate a bit, find a reason to seize their car when they go up the mountain, and then squeeze a big sum from them?”