Chapter Three-Hundred and ElevenThe man in the grey suit had not been in a good mood since their attempt to interfere with Berth Nine failed. He had expected the inspection to create enough confusion to weaken Lina’s family’s position, but instead, the officials had completed their review and flagged the suspicious request for further investigation.To make matters worse, their contact had warned them that the company involved in the request might face questions about its dealings with the harbor.He sat at the head of the conference table, listening to his men explain what had happened. By the time they finished, his patience had run out.“So we accomplished nothing?” he asked.One of the men cleared his throat. “The request created some delay, but the officials resolved the issue before it became serious.”“And who stopped it?”“We haven’t confirmed that yet.”The man in grey scoffed. “You people can’t even find out who is interfering with us, yet you expect me to believe you can r

Chapter Three Hundred And ThirteenThe first warning came shortly after eight in the morning.Lina was reviewing the day’s operational report when the harbor manager rushed into her office.“Miss Lina, we have a problem. One of the incoming cargo shipments has been placed on hold.”She looked up. “On what grounds?”“The clearance system flagged a discrepancy in the authorization records. The shipment cannot proceed until the issue is resolved.”“Was there a mistake in the records?”“We checked. Everything was correct before the hold was placed.”Lina stood up. “Then who requested it?”“We’re trying to find out.”Before she could respond, her phone rang again. This time, it was a representative of the company responsible for the cargo.“Miss Lina, we need an explanation,” the man said. “Your harbor assured us that our shipment would arrive today. If this delay continues, we could lose a major contract.”“We’re investigating the matter. Your shipment was properly scheduled, and we’re wo

Chapter Three Hundred and FifteenRaymond arrived at Berth Nine the following morning with a nervous smile and a story he had prepared on the way there. He told Lina that he wanted to understand how the family could protect its newly restored business interests, hoping she would mistake his questions for genuine concern.Lina listened without interrupting, but she remembered Adrian’s warning from the previous evening.“Uncle, if you have concerns about the harbor, you should discuss them with my father and the operations team. I can’t share confidential information with you just because we’re family.”Raymond laughed awkwardly. “Must everything be so formal now? I’m only trying to help. Your mother has been worried about me, and I thought doing something useful for the family would show her that I’m getting my life together.”“I understand, but the harbor’s operations aren’t something I can discuss casually.”He nodded as though he accepted her answer, then asked whether the team had

Chapter Three Hundred And SeventeenFor the first time, he had a reason to wonder whether Adrian Vale was someone he should have investigated before making an enemy of him.The man in the grey suit had barely slept since discovering Adrian Vale’s name on the review record. He had spent the night questioning his associates, demanding explanations, and searching for a connection that could explain why their plans kept failing.By the morning, he was no closer to an answer.“So this Adrian fellow can request an investigation, and suddenly one of our commercial arrangements is suspended?” he asked, staring at his associate. “What exactly makes him so special?”“We haven’t established that he personally permitted the suspension. His name appeared on a request attached to the review.”The leader scoffed. “Then stop acting as if we’ve discovered a king. He’s probably just another busybody who knows how to file complaints.”“But his involvement has affected several of our plans.”“Because you

Chapter Three Hundred and NineteenBut Adrian knew that a confession alone would not stop the people behind the threat. They had already decided to make their next move, and tomorrow’s meeting could determine how far they were willing to go.The enemy’s meeting began before nine the following morning.The man in the grey suit sat at the head of the table while his associates reviewed the plan to pressure Berth Nine through its service provider. They had arranged for the company to question the harbor’s reliability and were prepared to offer an alternative commercial arrangement if Lina’s family appeared desperate enough.“This is our chance to make them understand that they cannot keep running the harbor as if we don’t exist,” the leader said. “Once the service provider starts asking difficult questions, Lina’s family will have to negotiate with us.”One of his associates cleared his throat. “What if Adrian interferes again?”The leader rolled his eyes. “Must that fellow’s name follow