He expected confusion.
Perhaps an apology.
Maybe a frightened admission that she couldn't understand his request.
Instead, Nia gently straightened the menu.
She looked directly at him.
And spoke in flawless Mandarin, with a natural Beijing accent.
"北京烤鸭，皮脆肉嫩。您的秘密收购案，我也知道。"
The room fell silent.
Victor's smile disappeared.
His wine glass stopped halfway to his mouth.
The sentence had begun as an elegant description of Peking duck.
But its final words were unmistakable.
I also know about your secret acquisition.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Victor slowly lowered his glass.
"Wait! How the hell do you know about that deal?!"
Nia didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she reached beneath her serving tray and removed a black leather document folder bearing Asterion Holdings' gold corporate seal.
She placed it beside the platter of roast duck.
Victor stared.
The folder was familiar.
Too familiar.
It was the kind of executive document normally distributed only to a restricted group of directors and legal advisers.
He looked toward Nia.
Then toward the seal.
For the first time that evening, his expression suggested genuine uncertainty.
An elderly Chinese businessman sitting on the opposite side of the table suddenly stood.
His name was Chairman Wei Tan.
He was seventy-two, the senior independent director of Jade Passage Logistics, and one of the last surviving executives who had personally known the company's founders.
He stared at Nia.
Recognition passed across his face.
Then he stepped away from his chair.
The other executives watched in confusion as the elderly chairman lowered his head in a deliberate, respectful bow.
"Miss Brooks," he said quietly. "I didn't realize you were here tonight."
Victor turned sharply.
"You know this waitress?"
Chairman Tan slowly straightened.
For several seconds, he looked at the billionaire.
Then he answered.
"Yes."
He glanced toward the black folder.
"And you should know her too."
Victor frowned.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
The elderly chairman didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked toward Nia.
"Did they give you the documents?"
She nodded.
"Everything they were required to provide."
Victor's face tightened.
"Who gave her documents?"
Nobody answered.
The billionaire looked around the table.
His chief financial officer avoided his eyes.
The company's general counsel slowly set down her fork.
And the youngest executive reached beneath the table, apparently checking a message on his phone.
Victor's voice rose.
"What is going on?"
Nia placed one hand gently on the leather folder.
Then looked directly at him.
"Mr. Liang, before you ask me another question, I suggest you look at the signature on page seventeen."