An hour later, the middle-aged man was sent back to his hotel.

Seeing the car leave, the man calmed down. Gone was the panic on his face. He entered the hotel and quickly found Julian.

"Mr. Jacobs, I did everything according to Mr. Anderson's instructions. I've told them what he told me to say."

Julian patted the man on the shoulder. "Thank you."

"It's nothing much. I was only kicked once. They saw that I was rather honest, so they didn't cause me much trouble. It's just that …"

The man hesitated before asking, "They are our competitors, but you told me to spill information, even going as far as letting them know our bidding price. Won't we lose out on the bid then?"

"Mr. Anderson has his reasons for doing so. Your task is complete. You don't have to ask any further questions."

Julian handed the man a check. "This is your reward."

When the man saw the check, he happily accepted it and thanked Julian. He no longer cared about Stephen's reasons.

After the man left, Julian sent