Location: Conference Room,Umbra Operations HQ, Dallas, Texas, USA
Time: 11:15 am
He glanced over at his team, each of them gave a small nod.But Arthur… he was thinking far beyond that.The more he found himself drawn to Lyra, the more cautious he became.
He knew what it meant when something looked too good to be true. It wasn't just the contracts or the numbers on the screen, it was the tiny things.
The seamless switch in Jenny's accent.The subtle, oddly timed gestures from Mulan that didn't quite match the conversation. Fay's occasional distant glances, like her mind, were three steps ahead of everyone.
And Lyra, calm, graceful, but always just quick enough to catch the shift in energy and intercept.
These women… each of them carried a secret. And he was damn sure of it. Still, he let a smile pull at his lips. Not just any smile,but the kind that curled with both mischief and calculation.
He folded his arms loosely, leaned back in his chair, and locked eyes with Lyra. "Of course I'm taking the package, sweetheart."
His voice was warm, amused, with just the right touch of drawl."This deal's too damn stunning to pass up.And if signing that contract means I get to work with you and your dazzling squad of specialists…"
He chuckled, low and rich, eyes gleaming like a man about to walk into a trap,willingly. "Well then, this might be the best damn offer I've seen all year."
Lyra gave a small nod, then turned toward the screen."Colonel, once we finalize signatures on our end, we'll fax over the signed agreement. As soon as the deposit clears, please pass it along to the manufacturing division to begin work immediately."
She paused, then added with a lighter tone, "Also, I'll be skipping the online budget meeting with the Changsha office. I really do need a day off tomorrow,could you attend at my place? Please?"
Jenny nodded slowly, the corners of her mouth curving into a knowing smile. She clearly found the schedule change amusing,and just as clearly, she'd caught Mulan's earlier signal.
Her eyes flicked, ever so briefly, toward Arthur Graves. This man… might soon become a familiar name around their boardroom table.
"Understood. Agreement will be sent through once the deposit is confirmed." She gave a light shrug, voice relaxed but sharp as ever.
"Let's cancel the call for tomorrow. I won't make any decisions on your behalf,the next quarter's allocations can wait. It will be scheduled whenever you're ready."
Lyra smiled faintly."Then I won't hold you any longer, Colonel. Please send my warm love to everyone at Storm Division."
She shifted smoothly, her gaze now returning to the Umbra Operations side of the room. "Gentlemen, we'll let Jenny return to her other obligations. Now, let's have Fay walk you through the coordinate integration and satellite services bundled with all Storm smart weapon systems."
Every man in the room, including Arthur, visibly perked up.This was no ordinary offer. Access to satellite tracking… from BDS. Even if Wind Core diplomatically labeled it as the "commercial version," everyone in the room knew that was just a polite smokescreen.
This kind of integration had never been offered to any NATO-aligned PMC. It wasn't just an upgrade. It was a game-changer, and very likely, the key to Wind Core becoming one of Umbra's top-tier partners.
Fay leaned into the camera feed, her voice immediately brighter and more casual than her predecessors:"Finally my turn! Lyra-Sis, next time can we start with the youngest first? I'm literally falling asleep over here."
Lyra chuckled indulgently. But before she could say anything, Mulan cut in, her tone sharp and low:"Fay, focus."
Fay rolled her eyes playfully and lifted both palms in mock surrender. "Yes Madam. Got it. Back to business."
Then she turned to the Umbra team, her grin morphing into a sly smirk."Boys, I'll keep it short. Once I see the green light on from the board of Wind Core, my team will help assign product-locked ID codes to your deliveries."
"After the embedded identity is verified, we provide three free location pings per code. That means: any place on the Earth,any environment, any timezone, any hostile condition, if the component isn't destroyed and can reflect a signal, Wind Eye can return a BDS coordinate with precision down to 100 meters."
She paused for a beat, then shrugged lightly, as if this were a standard customer service policy.
"Honestly, I don't recommend any tracking more than three, some models may only get one.
These devices are designed for short-term, sometimes even single-use deployment. So it's not that we can't give you more, it's just not worth it."
If Mulan Chou's antidotes were essentials for conventional warfare, and Jenny Fan's intelligent weapons the optional upgrades of tomorrow's battlefield; then Fay Tang's coordinate parameter system was that one game-changing masterstroke, capable of rewriting outcomes in the chaos of war.
And today, on the other side of the conference screen that young lady, her voice still laced with a trace of mischievous youth delivered it with disarming ease: not a passport, but a mandate, embossed with the unmistakable seal of the East.
A rite of entry no NATO-aligned PMC had ever dared to claim. Arthur Graves listened, jaw tightening, breath caught in his throat.
He was a mercenary commander, a tactical mind, a man who lived and bled at the frontlines of real firepower.
And he knew better than anyone, in this live-action game of global power chess, it no longer mattered what the Pentagon would admit, or what declarations the White House might put on paper.The board now belonged to the East.And it was no longer one the Western side could define on its own terms.
He turned, slowly.His gaze landed on the woman seated beside him - Lyra Jar.
The woman who had thanked him for a latte with quiet grace.The woman who unfolded one polished proposal after another, never once raising her voice.
She didn't just represent a company. She didn't just bring a system.She was the source.The root of a power great enough to shake the foundation of every strategic model he'd ever built.
He had thought she was a businesswoman. A clever, elegant financial expert.But now, he realised just how wrong he'd been.
She was a variable.One he had never accounted for. A variable from the East.
Lyra met his gaze, gentle and unwavering.There was something in the way he looked at her now. She could feel it in the air: recognition.
A fellow strategist had seen through the veil.Arthur Graves had spotted the trap,and the opportunity.No more need for sugar-coated lures. The hook was already in.
Now, it was time to play the half-open hand. To seal the deal.To fasten the first link that would bind Umbra Operations to Wind Core.
Her voice was calm and professional, but there was a hint of quiet finality in her cadence: "Commander, since you've confirmed your intent to purchase,Fay's satellite support package will be offered as a complimentary service. No need to reconfirm that."
"All that remains is the deposit, and signing the contract.May I ask what currency you prefer for the down payment?"
"Alternatively, we can process the transfer through our East-oriented encrypted blockchain channel.If my quick calculations are correct," she added with a slight tilt of her head, "the total deal sits just above eighty million USD. The down payment would be 50%, and the remaining balance can be scheduled over two to five instalments, depending on your preference."
The others in the room looked at her, a little dazed.Was that it?Was this deal really done?
They were discussing nearly 50% of Umbra's upcoming weapons and pharmaceutical budget, an order worth over eighty million dollars.
And it had just been…sealed in under an hour?No red tape.No prolonged negotiations.Just a calm, elegant woman across the table, and a series of flawless executions.
Meanwhile, Arthur had taken a few extra seconds to consider his answer. Then, he finally spoke, his tone casual but measured:"To be honest, I don't have a preference here. Both payment methods work well for us. But I do have one question about the crypto option,"He raised an eyebrow, almost teasing."You said earlier it could bypass government and financial oversight, right, sweetheart?"