The next morning Anjum Khan steered the Ram pickup towards Thompson’s mansion, while Xia Lei and Tsukino Kyoko camped outside by the hilltop. 

Anjum Khan came up to the main gate, made clear his intention and Thompson promptly dialled up the middlemen agency and cancelled their deal. That way he could save a great sum from the broker fees. 

The deal quickly came to a conclusion, with Anjum paying five-hundred grand American dollars while Thompson handed over the proprietor certificate and the housing contract. After the deal was done and dusted, Thompson and Alice began packing their luggage.

Thompson and Alice displayed a final dramatic moment when Alice offered to hold the suitcase but was decisively rejected by Thompson. It was a ‘low’ point of the overwhelmingly pleasant morning. 

“Money sure has its magic on people,” Over at the sand dunes, Xia Lei reactively remarked. 

Tsukino Kyoko added, “Thompson is almost fifty now while Alice is still so young. What else could she want from him other than his money? If Thompson wouldn’t give her...