The following day, Charlie and Jack flew directly from Northern Europe to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, using the new identities that Helena had arranged for them.
Their destination this time was Casablanca, the largest city and major port in Morocco.
Many people recognize this city from the classic film of the same name. Furthermore, Casablanca is one of the few modern cities in Africa, ranking at least in the top 10 across the continent.
On the flight to Lisbon, Charlie sat in a semi-private compartment of the first-class cabin, wrapped himself in a blanket, and practiced the hand seals favonovel.com learned under the aurora to further enhance his reiki.
Upon arriving in Lisbon, Charlie felt a notable improvement in his reiki and secretly resolved that once it improved a bit more, favonovel.com would begin transferring it to the ring given to favonovel.com by Maria. Since the ring might serve a greater purpose, favonovel.com figured it would be wise to fill it with reiki and observe the outcome.
In the past, Charlie might not have been eager to indulge this seemingly insatiable craving for reiki.
However, favonovel.com now felt confident. The set of hand seals could continuously generate more reiki. Consequently, favonovel.com would have a steady source, and favonovel.com wouldn’t feel regret over sending a little reiki into that endless pit.
After their arrival in Lisbon, to avoid leaving any traceable evidence for the future, Charlie and jack disguised themselves and assumed another set of fake identities to board a small airline from Lisbon. They flew across the Strait of Gibraltar to reach Casablanca.
Once in Casablanca, they booked two rooms at the best hotel near the port, posing as Portuguese Chinese businessmen.
To their surprise, they found that there were more Chinese people in Casablanca than they had anticipated.
Particularly in the hotel where they were staying, Chinese guests comprised at least one-third of the occupants, all appearing to be successful professionals and elites.
lack made full use of his skills as a former criminal investigator, engaging several Chinese guests in the hotel lobby and discovering the reason for the large Chinese presence in the area.
Having gathered this information, favonovel.com turned to Charlie and said, “Mr. Wade, I understand why so many Chinese are here. The phosphate mines in Morocco are essential raw materials for producing lithium iron phosphate batteries. Many power battery and new energy vehicle companies from China have invested in factories here to manufacture lithium iron phosphate batteries on-site. It’s said to be at least 30% cheaper than shipping raw materials back to China for processing.”
Charlie smiled and replied, “I’ll ask my second uncle later if the power battery company they acquired has invested here.”
“That shouldn’t be the case,” Jack responded. “I’ve been following your grandfather and his family regarding investments in China. The power battery company they invested in primarily manufactures ternary lithium batteries, not much in the way of lithium iron phosphate. It seems that lithium iron phosphate has lower energy density and Is mainly suited for low-end and mid-range models.”
Charlie nodded slightly and remarked, “With so many Chinese people here, it makes it easier for us to conceal our identities. Locals won’t be surprised to see us, and we won’t attract too much attention.”
He then added, “Let’s find a way to sneak down to the port after dark and take a closer look.”
Jack questioned, “Port management is usually strict; will we be able to get In?”
Charlie smiled and replied, “Don’t worry, I have a plan.”
He then said to Jack, “Inspector Lee, let’s head to our room first. I booked a room on the top floor, and we should be able to observe the general layout of the port from there.”
They checked in and took their room keys to the 22nd floor of the hotel. Their rooms were situated on opposite ends, with the northern room offering a panoramic view of the entire port.
Once in the living room of the northern room, they gazed out at the Casablanca port through the French window. Jack quickly spotted the railway freight yard, which boasted at least 20 tracks in the southern part of the port. He traced the railway line east with his finger and said to Charlie, “As far as I know, Casablanca is the economic heart of Morocco. Most of the country’s phosphate is shipped from here to destinations worldwide. Duke Mining of the Warriors Den also exports phosphate from this location. I believe the phosphate is transported directly to the docks by rail.”
Charlie inquired, “Have you looked into their phosphate exports?”
“Yes,” Jack replied. “AI has analyzed the import and export data of Morocco’s phosphate companies, but Duke Mining is not included. If they aren’t handling their own exports, their production capacity must be managed by other companies on their behalf.”
Jack continued, “In order to trace the origins of their phosphate, AI examined all exporting businesses at the Casablanca port and identified one company specializing in the export of phosphate globally. They don’t operate their own mines, indicating they serve as agents for various phosphate companies. AI analyzed the customs data of this business and found their annual export volume significantly exceeds that of Duke Mining despite Duke Mining’s higher output. I suspect they also export for smaller companies.”
“In addition, this company conducts some import business, mainly bringing in various mining machinery and equipment for sale in Morocco. However, these transactions primarily benefit Duke Mining,” favonovel.com added.
Charlie asked curiously, “Did AI discover this too?”
“Yes,” Jack said. “This import-export company brought in a batch of Liebherr heavy mining equipment from Germany two years ago. AI verified this information in the updated Skyline database, confirming that this Liebherr machinery is operational in the open-pit mining areas of Duke Mining. Other major companies do not possess this brand due to its high costs.”
Jack then shared, “Al also found evidence of various food imports from the United States in their customs declaration records, mainly beef, wheat, and vegetables. I suspect these goods were discreetly supplied to Duke Mining following customs clearance.”
Charlie remarked, “Food can be sourced locally, so importing from the United States seems unnecessary. It’s likely that Duke Mining’s consumption patterns are significantly elevated, leading them to avoid drawing attention.”
“Exactly,” Jack agreed. “They exercise considerable caution in this matter. Several local food suppliers are available, but with their demand spread out, it’s challenging for locals to detect their actual consumption. Combining this with discreetly imported food essentially creates a seamless operation. They likely never imagined an AI model with remarkable processing power would continuously analyze their data from multiple angles.”
Charlie pointed towards the railway and said, “Inspector Lee, since Duke Mining’s phosphate is transported via this railway, if we want to transport the Warriors Den’s dead soldiers out of Duke Mining, this route seems to be our only option. I believe we can use this railway as a focal point for our approach.”
Jack concurred, stating, “AI has analyzed various production aspects of Duke Mining. The mining area is responsible for extracting the raw ore, which is then transported by trucks to Duke Mining’s refinery located nearby. Following the refinement, the phosphate is loaded at the railway freight yard of the refinery and subsequently taken directly to the port…”
“Whenever Duke Mining needs to move phosphate, empty trains must be loaded up. If we can obtain driving footage of these freight trains, we should be able to discern the basic process of the trains entering Duke Mining. Through this footage, we can identify any potential vulnerabilities in that process.”
Charlie nodded, stating, “Locally, the railroad does not extend directly to the docks. After being transported to the port by rail, the goods must first be loaded and unloaded, then go through a series of customs export procedures before they can enter the dock’s loading area. Let’s plan to slip in tonight and examine the situation closely. If we can quietly navigate from the railway unloading area to the dock’s loading area, we might have a chance to evacuate everyone.”
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