The man inquired once more, “What can you tell us?”
Stella pondered for a moment before responding, “If I can convince Elaine to deliver the goods, regardless of the outcome, I’ll earn five thousand dollars for my efforts. Should Elaine successfully bring the goods, we’re looking at a potential profit of twenty to thirty thousand dollars. Sound good?”
“Excellent!” the man replied with a grin. “Once this is wrapped up, let’s head to Las Vegas for some relaxation. I’ve spent the first half of the year working hard, and it feels like my earnings have just vanished into the casinos. By the second half of the year, I plan to turn the tables and make the casinos give my money back!”
Stella cautioned, “You can enjoy Las Vegas, but remember, don’t get too caught up in gambling. That place is filled with people who lose their heads. You should also look for a way to lure a few of them to Mexico.”
With a sigh, Stella continued, “I’ve heard that Sister is making great progress; she’s about to have a successful match. She’s gone to Mexico for surgery, and there’s an older gentleman returning to China in two days. It seems she’s nearly ready, and the odds are in her favor. She’s likely to make a significant amount of money this month.”
That man was intrigued.
“How much money could I make by sending someone to Mexico?” he asked.
Stella replied, “It’s hard to give an exact figure; it really depends on matching the right client. If we get a good match, we could see profits in the millions. I estimate Sister could earn at least 100,000 from this deal!”
“Wow!” he exclaimed, “Seriously? You can make a hundred thousand dollars just by manipulating one person?! If that’s the case, why would anyone bother running mules to the airport every day? Airports are all over the country, and I’ve been doing that for ages—it’s so tiresome!”
Stella replied earnestly, “Next time we’re in Las Vegas, let’s scout out resources in this area and see if we can secure a few orders.”
The man sighed, “I want to go to Las Vegas, but we need to wait for Elaine to successfully arrive at Hong Kong Island…”
Stella replied casually, “We’ll know by tomorrow night at the latest if it was a success.”
After speaking, she pulled out her phone and made a call.
As soon as the line connected, Stella asked, “Has Elaine checked her luggage yet?”
The woman on the other end, posing as a passenger, was sitting near the check-in counter of the airline Elaine was using.
Though she appeared to be preoccupied with her phone, she was closely monitoring the check-in area, waiting for Elaine to arrive.
Just half a minute earlier, she had seen Elaine struggling with two suitcases, so she began to follow her movements.
For their group, there were two key checkpoints to navigate in order to trick an unsuspecting amateur into transporting contraband: the border inspection at the departure point and the one at the destination.
Her presence there was to ensure that Elaine successfully checked in their goods, as they were wary of potential complications involving betrayal.
They had experienced similar problems in the past—where a mule, tempted by greed, took off with the suitcase after being handed over, leaving the contact at the destination waiting in vain.
To prevent this, Stella and her associates had adjusted their strategy, portraying themselves as wealthy benefactors and offering various incentives to deter anyone from considering fleeing with the goods.
As long as she could see Elaine hand over her luggage to the check-in staff, there was little chance of Elaine backing out. The only thing left to do was hope that the border inspector wouldn’t discover the hidden contraband during the luggage checks.
At that moment, Elaine had reached the VIP counter for the first-class cabin. She handed her passport to the staff. After retrieving her ticket information, the attendant inquired respectfully, “Ms., do you have any questions? How many pieces of luggage would you like to check?”
Elaine pointed to the two large suitcases and replied coolly, “Both need to be checked in.”