"Mr. Liang, if someone created a false consent to facilitate the acquisition, this isn't merely a structuring problem."
Victor stared.
She continued.
"It's a governance and potentially legal misconduct issue. We need to establish what happened."
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then he pushed the memorandum away.
"Do it."
Margaret waited.
Victor looked toward her.
"But keep the transaction alive."
She nodded.
"I'll do what the facts and my professional obligations permit."
Then she left.
Behind her, Victor remained seated.
He stared at the memorandum for several seconds.
Then picked up his phone.
"Elliot. My office. Now."
The restaurant booking was arranged the following week.
Victor wanted to reassure several Jade Passage executives that the acquisition remained viable despite the legal review. He believed a private dinner would help him build support among people who might otherwise become nervous.
Chairman Tan was invited.
So were Jade Passage's chief operating officer, two senior investors, and several representatives of Asterion.
The private dining room at Mei Zhou's restaurant was selected because it provided exceptional service and discretion.
Victor approved the location without much thought.
He had dined there before.
He liked the food.
And he expected the staff to remain invisible unless needed.
Wei Tan recognized the name of the restaurant immediately.
He'd known Mei and Lorraine for years.
He also knew Nia was working there.
But he didn't assume she would be assigned to the dinner.
He had a separate reason for wanting her involved.
The independent lawyers were preparing a formal notification concerning the disputed consent.
Wei wanted the relevant parties to receive the information through an authorized process rather than through rumors.
The proposed evening gathering would include several decision-makers.
If the timing and formal requirements aligned, it could provide an opportunity to ensure that those people understood the issue before making further commitments.
Through the trust's counsel, he arranged for Nia to receive an authorized copy of the relevant materials and to participate in a properly documented handoff.
He didn't ask her to impersonate anyone.
Nor did he tell her to conceal her identity.
Nia already worked at the restaurant.
The handoff was supposed to occur discreetly, with the assistance of the restaurant's owner and the parties' legal representatives, after the meal reached an appropriate point.
Nia agreed.
She expected to serve the guests professionally, then step away from her service role to deliver the documents.
She had no intention of making a scene.
But Victor decided to test her language skills before the planned handoff.
And the evening took a very different direction.
The dinner began at seven-thirty.