“I will also be your tour guide. I imagine you will want to see the sights and get a feel for the city,” Lian said. “You can’t separate our company from our country. The two go together, hand in hand.”

Jack smiled. “We look forward to it.”

Yong shifted in his chair. “Tell me, Mr. Ryan—”

“Please call me Jack. As much as we’ll see each other, there’s no point in being formal.”

“Okay. So tell me, Jack, can you tell us your opinion of Mr. Rhodes and Marin Aerospace Systems?”

“In what regard?”

“Are you of the opinion they still want to go through with the merger?”

“I’m confused. Why would you ask that? If they weren’t interested, we wouldn’t be here, would we?”

“Humor me, please.”

“We’re a neutral third-party examiner. I don’t think my opinion is worth much.”

“But as a neutral third party, you are in the best position to form an unbiased opinion about the two parties in question.”

Jack glanced at Paul. You wanna help me out here?

Paul shrugged. You’re on your own.

Jack dove in. “As far as I can tell, Marin Aerospace is very eager to proceed with the merger. And while our job is to provide a thorough and unbiased analysis of your firm’s net worth and operations, my impression is that Mr. Rhodes is hoping that we will be able to sign off as quickly as possible.”

“That’s good to hear,” Dr. Fairchild said. “When Mr. Rhodes canceled the audit, I was concerned Marin Aerospace was reconsidering their offer.”

“Not at all,” Jack said. He didn’t feel comfortable revealing that Rhodes and his team had simply screwed up.

“Your visit is pro forma. That’s the term of art, I believe,” Yong said.

“As per the contract of intent,” Paul countered. “Signed by both parties.”

“Do you have any questions for us, Mr. Brown?” Dr. Fairchild asked.

“Call me Paul, please. Just one for now. From what I’ve read, your company has been extremely successful. Why do you want a merger with Marin Aerospace? Most companies prefer to remain independent.”

“Beyond the obvious advantages that additional capital will provide, the fact remains that the world marketplace is terribly competitive. We won’t survive for much longer without a strong infusion of liquidity and the global resources that a company like Marin Aerospace can provide.”

Jack watched Yong. The man’s gaze shifted around the room and his mood darkened.

“You don’t fear losing your autonomy as a company?”

“If we’re wiped out by competition, we won’t be autonomous anyway,” Dr. Fairchild said. “The reason why I chose to merge with Marin Aerospace was Senator Rhodes’s promise that we would remain an independent entity under their corporate umbrella.”

“What else would they say?” Yong asked. “You wouldn’t have agreed to the proposal otherwise.”