The Favored Heiress
Chapter 622: Distorting Facts (Reversing Black and White)

Chapter 622: Chapter 622: Distorting Facts (Reversing Black and White)

Wang Yue spoke thoughtfully, "It seems to be Yin Mo."

...

Aida State was located in the northern part of the territory, with only a two-hour time difference from the domestic.

Li Qiao arrived at the international airport at five o’clock local time in the afternoon.

Compared to the refreshing autumn in South Sea, the temperature in Aida State was a few degrees cooler, with a biting wind howling.

Li Qiao and her entourage passed through the VIP channel, completed the on-arrival visa processing at customs, and saw Hall Master Cheng Mo in the airport’s departure hall, "Miss Li."

Li Qiao nodded and exchanged pleasantries with him, "Hall Master Cheng."

Cheng Mo nodded his head and said with a straight face, "Miss Li, the car is ready, shall we head to the hotel now?"

"That would be fine." Li Qiao adjusted the duckbill cap on her head, scanned her surroundings, and then quickly lowered her head and walked towards the parking lot.

Liuyun and Luoyu followed behind her, pushing the luggage, occasionally exchanging glances, eyes full of confusion.

When Miss Li was processing the entry visa just now, the green booklet she took out didn’t seem like a domestic passport.

Once in the car, Li Qiao sat by the window, occasionally glancing outside with an apparent lack of interest.

Aida State was not large in size, with many of its buildings featuring castle-like architecture with spires. The capital shared the same name as the state, called Aida City.

The artificial intelligence seminar this time was held in the capital. The reason it attracted many high-end technology companies was due to the local tax exemption policy and the extremely rich underground network resources.

At this moment, Luoyu turned her head, "Has Miss Li been to Aida State before?"

Li Qiao lifted her eyelids from her phone, "Hmm, once."

Luoyu nodded her head in understanding, no wonder she wasn’t very excited, this wasn’t her first time here.

About forty minutes later, the car stopped in front of the Aida State Royal Hotel.

Li Qiao looked up at the Royal Hotel’s sign and couldn’t help but curve her lips into a smile.

The Royal Hotel was part of the Yan Emperor’s chain of industries.

Not long after, Li Qiao walked into the top floor suite. She went to the window, overlooking the entire Aida City, her eyes narrowed slightly, "Who is negotiating with Qianmu Group this time?"

Luoyu came from behind her, "Miss Li, it’s me."

"What are the estimated liquidated damages and compensation?" Li Qiao touched her fingernails, her expression inscrutable.

Luoyu stepped forward and relayed the calculated amounts in detail.

Li Qiao’s gaze paused, a frown forming, "Eighty million?"

"Yes, Miss Li." Seeing her frown, Luoyu explained further, "Yan Emperor has calculated based on the tenure of those thirteen engineers and their possible future years of service. The liquidated damages are about fifty million, and as for compensation... there has been no significant loss at the moment, so..."

Li Qiao ended the conversation lightly, "That’s too little."

Her gaze rested on the view outside, her voice unhurried, "The cost of training an AI engineer is over a million, not to mention their previous annual salaries and stock bonuses should also be converted into compensation."

Luoyu was stunned.

Setting aside whether it aligned with business norms, the amount calculated in this way would be astronomical.

In fact, those AI engineers were not top-tier technical talent; otherwise, they wouldn’t be so indifferent about the situation.

Without waiting for Luoyu to speak, Li Qiao added, "They should all have signed non-compete agreements, what is the penalty multiplier in the agreement?"

"Three times."

Li Qiao’s lips lifted slightly, finalizing the matter, "Roughly calculating, let’s start with eight hundred million."

Luoyu: "..."

With Miss Li taking action, the amount directly increased tenfold.

Qianmu Group was unlikely to compromise easily.

After careful consideration, Luoyu chose to tell the truth. "Miss Li, the level of those dozen-plus AI engineers isn’t high, and the compensation..."

"Who said their level isn’t high?" Li Qiao interrupted Luoyu, "As long as we deem them high-level talents, that’s enough."

Understood.

Brazenly twisting the facts, brilliant.

Li Qiao smiled faintly, glancing sideways at Luoyu, "Use this figure to negotiate with Qianmu Group."

"Okay."

Luoyu received the order and walked straight out of the suite.

Eight hundred million in compensation—would she be thrown out by the Qianmu Group’s negotiation experts?

...

As night fell, Li Qiao put on a black hoodie and jeans and left alone.

She wore a cap and pulled the hoodie over it, swaying out of the hotel and slowly walking along the sidewalk.

The day after tomorrow was the promotional event for the AI prosthetic limbs, to be held at the Aida Castle conference center.

In the night, the lights of Aida City glimmered resplendently. In the southwest corner of the main urban area, there lay a historic bar street.

Li Qiao, hands in her hoodie pockets, stood in front of a bar named Speak Easy, leisurely admiring the colorful lightbox. She smiled and then strolled in.

This bar required patrons to hand over their phones upon entry.

And you had to walk down a long flight of underground stairs to reach the inside of the bar.

Li Qiao placed her phone in the tray, watched the bouncer lock the tray in a cabinet, took the ticket number, and followed the bouncer down the stairs.

The biggest difference here from other bars was the quietness—no loud drumbeats or noisy crowds. Patrons at each table conversed in extremely hushed tones.

Li Qiao walked alone to table 012 and, after sitting down, ordered two glasses of brandy to sip slowly.

It had to be said, the dim lighting and overly quiet atmosphere of the bar were out of place for Li Qiao to be there, clearly an anomaly.

Because she was the only girl in the whole place.

Speak Easy was not a place for drinking; it was the largest intelligence trading market in Aida State.

It could also be said to be the only local intelligence organization that could compete with the Sixth Bureau.

But there were differences—while the Sixth Bureau’s operations spanned the globe, the intelligence here was limited to Aida State.

The Sixth Bureau’s prices were high, and they could refuse clients.

Speak Easy, however, turned no one away. For any local intelligence on Aida State, no matter how trivial, they had it.

By now, Li Qiao had finished half her drink and her expression showed growing impatience.

Her fingers tapped lightly on the table, picking up speed—a prelude to exhausted patience.

Five minutes later, a man in a black, long coat descended the stairs from the far end.

He carried a rectangular wooden box, tall and burly, with tiger-like piercing eyes, a slightly twisted nose, and a prominent scar.

As this man appeared, the volume of conversation in the bar weakened even more.

Everyone watched him intently, their gazes filled with caution.

A man from the Black Hawk Party of Aida State, rumored to be preparing to run in the current state governor’s election.

In a moment, the man reached table 012, with a clang, he dropped the long wooden box on the table. "Here’s what you wanted."

He spoke in a deep voice in standard Burmese.

Li Qiao held her glass with one hand, glanced at the wooden box, furrowed her brows, and said coldly, "Take it to the hotel."