Chapter 87: Arrival at the Airport and a Self-Recommending Guide

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Arrival at the Airport and a Self-Recommending Guide

After briefing Quentin Sinclair on the situation with Fruity Corporation, Rian Sinclair left the matter for him to handle later.

"What time is our flight to Meridia?" she asked.

Rian felt a bit drowsy as she sat in the car, but she knew she’d suffer later on the flight if she fell asleep now. Hearing her question, Quentin looked up in confusion. "Miss, are you not aware that you have a private jet?"

His reminder jogged Rian’s memory. Back then, she had been meaning to finalize the arrangements for it herself, but she was called away by a sudden phone call and had completely forgotten she even owned a private jet.

"What’s the situation with this auction? Is it just a front for money laundering?"

Mentioning this reminded Rian of the time Commander Young had suspected her, though that investigation had eventually fizzled out into nothing. It was perfectly normal for them to suspect her when massive sums of money suddenly appeared in her accounts. However, she was able to provide a legitimate source for those funds, proving it wasn’t dirty money. That was why she had merely been "invited" for questioning instead of having a squad sent to arrest her outright. On top of that, she owned numerous industries that were already generating a steady stream of profits. Any money coming out of those ventures now could entirely be classified as clean.

Based on Rian’s understanding, most of these underground auctions existed because people had gotten their hands on a large sum of dirty money—usually through embezzlement, bribery, or other illicit means—and couldn’t reasonably explain its origins. The common tactic was to pose as an antique collector, purchase a painting at a dirt-cheap price, and then put it up for public bidding at an auction. A wealthy businessman would then "buy" the piece for the exact amount of the bribe. In reality, the businessman never spent a dime of his own money, but on paper, the illicit funds gained a legitimate trail. With an official channel and a reasonable explanation, the money became spotless, allowing the recipient to spend it openly.

But usually, bidding at such auctions was done over the phone via an assistant or through an online portal.

"This auction is different from the usual ones," Quentin explained. "It’s not for money laundering; it’s a genuine auction. All the items up for grabs are quite exceptional. Furthermore, phone and online bidding are strictly prohibited. It’s an offline-only event."

Rian pondered this for a moment. "Have the auction items been announced yet?"

Quentin shook his head. This surprised Rian. Typically, powerful tycoons wouldn’t physically attend these kinds of events. Since most were just fronts for laundering money, the big bosses naturally preferred to keep their hands clean and stay out of sight.

"They haven’t been announced, which is exactly why so many big bosses are showing up in person. The auction house claims the items are of incredibly high value, but they haven’t leaked a single detail about what they actually are. Very few tycoons can resist that kind of allure."

Rian leaned back against her seat, finally getting a solid read on the auction. "How are things on Cody’s end?"

Quentin hadn’t expected his boss’s train of thought to pivot so quickly. "Cody has already woken up, and his follow-up treatments are underway. The police are handling the rest of his case, but...

"He wants to see you."

"We’ll talk about it when we get back from Meridia." Rian didn’t show much emotion regarding Cody’s request. "How are our domestic enterprises doing right now?"

"The Glacial Spire has officially begun operating as a conglomerate. Staff from the various subsidiary companies have been integrated into the main corporate structure, and external recruitment is ongoing. The group’s current momentum is excellent, and everything is running stably."

Over the rest of the drive, Rian finished getting brought up to speed on the current state of her domestic businesses.

"Miss, we’ve arrived at the airport."

Quentin stood by the car door, holding open a parasol to shield her from Argent’s harsh summer sun. Rian pulled a pair of sunglasses from her bag and slipped them on before stepping out. For this overseas trip, she had only brought Quentin as her assistant along with a modest detail of five bodyguards. Since the security detail was dressed in casual attire, their arrival at the airport didn’t attract much attention.

To outside observers, they simply looked like a group heading out on vacation. Seeing the swarming crowds packed outside the airport, Rian couldn’t help but frown. "Which celebrity is it this time?"

"An A-list idol. Miss, let’s take the VIP lane over here." Quentin quickly led the group on a detour. Taking this path was closer to the VIP entrance, though he hadn’t expected the congestion to spill over this far.

Upon arriving in the VIP lounge, Rian found a seat by the window. Quentin took the tea and pastries from the staff and placed them in front of her. "Miss, we still have about half an hour. Please have something to eat first."

The five bodyguards took their seats nearby. A bird’s-eye view would have revealed that they were positioned in a protective ring with Rian firmly at the center.

Rian curled up on the sofa, bathed in the faint beams of sunlight slipping through the gaps in the curtains. She was engrossed in a book when a voice suddenly rang out.

"You guys are heading out on a trip, right? I’m an internationally renowned tour guide from Meridia. I absolutely love Veridian hospitality and cuisine, which is why I came to Veridia to work as an international guide."

Saying that, the man handed over a gold-stamped business card, placing it gently on her table. "I’m intimately familiar with tourist attractions all over Veridia, and I’ve recommended countless overseas vacation spots to many Veridians. An exceptional travel experience is simply impossible without the recommendations of a top-tier guide."

Rian shifted her gaze from her book. She first glanced at the gold-stamped card on the table, then looked up to see a middle-aged, blond foreign man.

The man’s skin wasn’t the typical pale complexion of a Westerner; instead, it leaned closer to the warm, tanned tone commonly seen among Veridians.

Now that the self-recommended guide got a clear look at the woman’s face, he was stunned. He had to admit, her appearance was a hundred—no, a thousand times more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen!

Of course. Naturally, high-quality beauties like her held a far higher value.

Rian put down her book and picked up the business card to inspect it. She hadn’t expected to run into a hustling tour guide, but it at least added a little amusement to the boring wait.

Seeing that Rian seemed somewhat interested, the man immediately capitalized on it. "Beautiful miss, my name is Cartel. It looks like you’re traveling with your boyfriend?"

Hearing the man mistake Quentin for her boyfriend, Rian didn’t bother to correct him. She gave a slight nod instead. "Do you have any recommendations?"

Cartel felt like the deal was already half-sealed. "I wonder if you’re looking for a domestic getaway or an international adventure, Miss?"

When Rian didn’t reply immediately, Cartel—drawing on his supposed deep understanding of women—assumed she was simply suffering from choice paralysis. He immediately chimed in, "I personally think a trip abroad to Meridia would be wonderful!"

Normally, aggressively pushing an overseas destination to a Veridian right off the bat would raise their guard. But Cartel just smiled warmly. "Because I’m a Meridian myself, I will naturally prioritize recommending my own beautiful country."

Cartel noticed that Rian’s expression didn’t change much. For a moment, he wasn’t quite sure how to read her, but he leaned into his professional persona.

"Meridia’s Seraphis, the famous City of Angels, is a massively popular destination for Veridian tourists. If you love shopping, Miss, then I highly recommend Ganton, our largest commercial and financial hub. It’s an absolute paradise for women.

"Many beautiful women like you choose to go there to shop, buying their favorite designer bags and clothes."

Cartel happened to have a bit of local influence in both of the places he had just pitched.

Rian listened to Cartel’s recommendations, noting that he did seem to have a decent grasp on what appealed to women. Looking at his gentle expression, he really did seem like nothing more than a sincere tour guide.

She handed the card to Quentin to put away. "Are you heading to Meridia as well, Mr. Cartel? If so, I hope you’ll take good care of us once we get there."