Darien did not speak for a few seconds.

Then his voice came back sharper than before.

"Foreign trip?" he asked. "What foreign trip?"

Adam leaned back in the chair and looked at the copied phone in his hand. Darien’s panic was expected. Land was something Darien could understand after a few numbers.

But the foreign trip was different.

"A man will go abroad as your company’s representative," Adam said.

"My company’s representative?" Darien repeated.

"Yes."

"For what?"

"To contact an outside company."

Darien made a small sound, as if he had almost laughed but stopped himself halfway. "You are saying that like I have offices in five countries. I do not. We are barely standing properly here."

"I know."

"Then why are we talking about foreign companies?"

"Because this is not expansion," Adam said. "It is a mission for my organization."

Darien went quiet again.

"We have not even settled properly in this country," Darien said after a moment. "The branch is new, the money trail is new, and now you want a foreign company to take us seriously?"

"They only need to take the representative seriously enough to open a door," Adam said.

Adam gave him a moment to understand the word. A real expansion needed history, staff, long-term accounts, public confidence, and reasons that made sense. A cover only needed to look real enough for the person across the table.

Darien was good with that kind of look.

That was why Adam had chosen him.

He could make a thin company file look thicker. He could make money move through contracts, consulting agreements, and advisory papers. He could talk like a man who was searching for opportunity instead of hiding a knife behind his back.

He was also desperate enough to move quickly.

That mattered more than polish. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Adam did not need Darien to understand the real purpose.

"What kind of company?" Darien asked.

"Old semiconductor equipment. Any company that can give a business reason for someone to visit."

Darien breathed out through his nose.

"No," he said.

Adam did not answer.

Darien spoke again, faster this time. "No, listen to me. I can make calls. I know people who know people."

"Then use them."

"This is not like buying shares," Darien said. "It is not even like buying land. Foreign industrial equipment means documents and company profile."

Adam stayed silent.

"If someone checks us," Darien continued, "they will ask why a new investment group is suddenly looking at semiconductor tools."

"Then give them an answer."

"What answer?"

"Investment evaluation," Adam said.

"That is too simple."

"Then asset acquisition."

Darien clicked his tongue.

"Distressed equipment," Adam added. "Old production line. Pick the one that sounds best."

Darien cursed under his breath. "You make everything sound easy."

"It does not need to be easy. It needs to be done."

That line shut Darien up for a moment.

Adam could almost imagine him sitting in that small office, rubbing his forehead while looking at papers that were already too many for one man. Darien wanted to refuse. But he also knew Adam had already given him money, information, and a future that no normal person would hand him for free.

That was how Adam kept him tied.

"Who is going?" Darien asked at last.

"I will send him to you."

"Your man?"

"Yes."

"Does he know what he is doing?"

"Enough."

Darien did not like that answer. "That is not very comforting."

"I did not call to comfort you."

Darien let out a tired laugh. "Of course you did not."

Adam continued, "You will prepare a clean position for him. Temporary consultant, inspection representative, investment scout, whatever name fits. He will use our company’s cover to speak with the foreign side."

Darien did not answer immediately.

Adam knew why.

The moment a person entered under Darien’s company name, Darien became responsible for that person’s paperwork. If the representative made a mistake, the question would not go to Adam first. It would go to Darien’s office.

"And I am supposed to contact those companies first?"

"Yes."

"What exactly do you want me to say?"

"Say your company is looking at distressed industrial assets. Say you are interested in mature semiconductor equipment. Say you want to inspect older tools before making a decision."

"Mature semiconductor equipment," Darien repeated. "That sounds like something a real buyer says."

"Then use it."

"You already looked into this."

"Enough."

Darien was silent for a few seconds.

"There are brokers who deal with old equipment," he said slowly. "I have heard of people buying used factory lines after companies upgrade. I never touched that side, but I may find a path."

He sounded calmer now, not because he liked the order but because his mind had found handles. A broker was a handle. An auction seller was a handle. A foreign company with an old line to liquidate was a handle.

Darien could work with handles.

"Good."

"Do not say good like this is settled."

"It is settled."

Darien clicked his tongue. "If this goes wrong, I will be the one whose name appears on every document."

"Then make sure it does not go wrong."

The line became quiet.

Darien understood the pressure. Adam had not raised his voice. He did not need to.

There was no clean exit anymore.

"Fine," Darien said. "Send him. I will prepare a place for him inside the company."

"And the contacts?"

"I will start asking through people who do not ask too many questions."

"Start with brokers," Adam said. "Not the cleanest ones. The ones who want commission more than reputation."

"That is usually everyone," Darien muttered.

"Then you have many options."

Darien gave another tired laugh, but this one was weaker.

"Good."

"Anything else?" Darien asked.

Adam looked at the chips on the table and then at the bags of material waiting near the wall.

There was more.

There was always more.

But Darien already had enough weight on his neck for one call. If Adam pushed every task at once, the man might start making mistakes out of fear.

"Not now," he said.

Then he cut the call.