“Honored customers, my surname is Liu. Many within the industry call me Sister Liu. Your noble bearings mark you as extraordinary people. If I may?” The middle-aged woman was adroit at socializing and hobnobbing with her betters.

But Jiang Chen was uninterested in small talk. He was here to transact in business, nothing else.

“My surname is Shao,” he stated coolly. “I’m in the market to make a mutually profitable deal. Are you interested, Sister Liu?”

“Haha, Sir Shao, then. We are open for business, so of course we’re happy to consider all business propositions. What amount of product are you looking to buy or sell?”

Jiang Chen brought...