Sato stood up.
He didn't stand up slowly. He stood up with a sudden, thunderous speed that caused his wooden chair to scrape violently against the floor. His face was no longer that of a tired, elderly businessman seeking capital; it was the face of a corporate titan whose ancestral honor had been targeted by a thief.
He looked down at Arthur Vance with a glare of pure, burning fury.
"What did she say?!" Arthur screamed, turning wildly on Hiroshi, his face turning from dark red to a sallow, ghost-like white. "Hiroshi! Translate every damn word right now! That’s an order!"
Hiroshi swallowed hard, his voice trembling so badly he could barely form words.
"Mr. Vance... she... she just gave President Sato the exact case docket number for the Delaware escrow freeze... she detailed the hidden patent liquidation clause in Appendix B... and she informed him that your firm is currently under active federal indictment."
Arthur Vance felt the room spin. The alcohol in his system vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, paralyzing wave of adrenaline.
He stared at Maya, his eyes bulging with disbelief and panic. "Who... who the hell are you?" he whispered, his voice cracking. "How do you know about Delaware? That filing was sealed under protective order four days ago! Nobody has access to those documents!"
Maya didn't answer with words immediately. Instead, she reached into the inner pocket of her service vest.
She did not pull out a notepad or a bill tray. She pulled out a sleek, leather-bound official credential folder, flipped it open, and laid it neatly onto the Hinoki counter, right next to Arthur’s black American Express card and his $440 million contract draft.
The silver badge inside caught the ambient light of the restaurant.
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SPECIAL AGENT / SENIOR ASSOCIATE — FORENSIC ENFORCEMENT DIVISION
IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: 884-092-MAYALIN
"My name is Agent Maya Lin," she said. Her English was cool, flat, and entirely devoid of emotion. "My leave of absence from the Southern District enforcement task force ends next Monday, Mr. Vance. I’ve spent the last five months working the floor of this restaurant to observe your operational methods firsthand while our forensic accounting unit finalized the wire fraud and asset-stripping indictments against Vance Global Capital."
Arthur collapsed back into his leather seat as if he had been punched in the chest. His lawyer, Richard Sterling, frantically grabbed his briefcase, his face pale with terror.
"This is entrapment!" Sterling stammered, his legal composure dissolving into chaos. "This is an illegal surveillance operation! You were acting as an unaccredited agent without—"
"I was acting as a server in a public dining facility clearing plates that were left in open view," Maya interrupted smoothly. "And every single piece of information regarding the Delaware escrow freeze was entered into public record two hours ago when the Grand Jury returned a true bill against your firm."
Maya looked down at Arthur, whose hands were now visibly shaking on the wooden counter.
"You promised a check for one million dollars for five sentences of fluent, grammatically correct Japanese, Mr. Vance," Maya added, her voice chillingly quiet. "I gave you six. And as President Sato can confirm, my syntax was flawless."
Sato stepped around the counter. He ignored Arthur entirely. He walked directly up to Maya, stopped, and executed a deep, slow bow—a bow reserved for elders, saviors, and individuals of highest nobility.
「リン様、我が社と職人たちの命をお救いいただき、言葉では言い尽くせないほど感謝申し上げます。」
(Agent Lin, you have saved our company and the lives of our artisans. I cannot express my gratitude in mere words.)