In a high-end restaurant in Tokyo a wealthy man with many underworld connections was having a western-style dinner with two associates in a private room. Outside the room, the man's bodyguards were standing watch.
A waiter pushing a cart carrying a large tureen of soup from the kitchen entered the elevator to take his cargo to the eminent guest. There was no one else inside the elevator. As it went up, the waiter fished out a small plastic packet from his vest pocket and poured its contents -a clear liquid- into the soup.
The bodyguards saw the elevator doors open and noticed the waiter heading towards them.
"Stop," said the leader of the bodyguards, holding out a hand. The waiter stopped and the leader looked at him from head to foot.
He was a very unassuming figure; rather skinny but cheerful, young and plain-looking. As the other guards frisked him, the leader lifter the tureen's lid. There was nothing inside but hot, steaming soup. Nothing was found on him, so it was assumed it was safe.
"Alright, let him through," the leader said to the men at the door.
The waiter entered the room, bringing his cargo with him. As the dinner went on, business as usual, he set the tureen on the table, ladled soup into the bowls of each of the guests and left, pushing the cart. Once back inside the elevator, the waiter pulled out his cell phone and sent a text message.
In another building on the other side of the street, a hotel, several people were in a room with surveillance equipment. One of them received a text message: the soup has been served. "It's done," he said.
Immediately, the others turned to their listening and spying equipment.
Upon leaving the elevator, the waiter didn't return to the kitchen. Instead, he left the cart next to the kitchen door, donned a jacket and left through the back door. He went around the restaurant and crossed the street to the hotel. He went up to the room where the surveillance team was gathered and knocked on the door.
It was opened by a taller man wearing glasses and whose hair was cut close to his head and dyed blond. "Good," he said, "you're back."
The waiter went in and removed his jacket, vest and bow tie. "So how much longer?" he asked the people listening in on the conversation.
"Just a little more," came the reply.
"That was a lot of sodioum thiopental," the waiter remarked.
"Well, better to be certain," said the tall man.
Them came the recordings
A deep voice: "So the money will soon be delivered. I'll expect the delivery of the substance in the next month."
"That's our quarry," the tall man stated.
A mumbling voice: "As usual, it will be coursed through your junk foods factory."
"That's good," said the deep voice. "But I want extra precautions because this one's quite large."
"That can be arranged," said the mumbling voice.
"It will be arriving at the port of Yokohama on the Foresight," said a sharp voice. "All two thousand metric tons hidden in containers loaded with potatoes."
"Foresight?" the waiter started. That was a Green Oceans vessel.
The deep voice laughed. "That Konstantiniadis! We may have brokered some of his deals with that shipbuilder in China but left us out on the action, but that's okay. He's given us some favorable concessions in using his ships."
"Looks like we have Konstandiniadis as an unwitting helper," the waiter murmured.
The tall man nodded. "And that will be good for us in the long run, Ryuichi," he added. "But what about his pirate dealings?"
"Shh! It's coming!"
"Recovery of the potatoes and curry from the Aden shipment was worth it, even if it was expensive," said the deep voice. "At least we can slip the merchandise past customs."
Just then, a knock sounded on the door. It was opened and another man stepped in. "Major Hayashi, Lieutenant Colonel Onodera," he said to the waiter and the tall man, "General Petrov wants a word with you."
"Keep me posted on this," said the tall man to the surveillance team.
In another building on the other side of the street, a hotel, several people were in a room with surveillance equipment. One of them received a text message: the soup has been served. "It's done," he said.
Immediately, the others turned to their listening and spying equipment.
Upon leaving the elevator, the waiter didn't return to the kitchen. Instead, he left the cart next to the kitchen door, donned a jacket and left through the back door. He went around the restaurant and crossed the street to the hotel. He went up to the room where the surveillance team was gathered and knocked on the door.
It was opened by a taller man wearing glasses and whose hair was cut close to his head and dyed blond. "Good," he said, "you're back."
The waiter went in and removed his jacket, vest and bow tie. "So how much longer?" he asked the people listening in on the conversation.
"Just a little more," came the reply.
"That was a lot of sodioum thiopental," the waiter remarked.
"Well, better to be certain," said the tall man.
Them came the recordings
A deep voice: "So the money will soon be delivered. I'll expect the delivery of the substance in the next month."
"That's our quarry," the tall man stated.
A mumbling voice: "As usual, it will be coursed through your junk foods factory."
"That's good," said the deep voice. "But I want extra precautions because this one's quite large."
"That can be arranged," said the mumbling voice.
"It will be arriving at the port of Yokohama on the Foresight," said a sharp voice. "All two thousand metric tons hidden in containers loaded with potatoes."
"Foresight?" the waiter started. That was a Green Oceans vessel.
The deep voice laughed. "That Konstantiniadis! We may have brokered some of his deals with that shipbuilder in China but left us out on the action, but that's okay. He's given us some favorable concessions in using his ships."
"Looks like we have Konstandiniadis as an unwitting helper," the waiter murmured.
The tall man nodded. "And that will be good for us in the long run, Ryuichi," he added. "But what about his pirate dealings?"
"Shh! It's coming!"
"Recovery of the potatoes and curry from the Aden shipment was worth it, even if it was expensive," said the deep voice. "At least we can slip the merchandise past customs."
Just then, a knock sounded on the door. It was opened and another man stepped in. "Major Hayashi, Lieutenant Colonel Onodera," he said to the waiter and the tall man, "General Petrov wants a word with you."
"Keep me posted on this," said the tall man to the surveillance team.
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