An hour later, the Maldives naval vessels arrived belatedly.
The scene was left with nothing but corpses for them to deal with, so the soldiers prepared to transport the bodies onto the ship, to be taken back to the capital, Malé.
Ye Chen sent a WeChat message to Tawana, asking her to pass a message to Bernard Arnault.
Upon receiving it, Bernard Arnault immediately said to Tawana, “Miss Swift, please kindly reply to Mr. Ye on my behalf, saying it’s rare for him to need my help, and I’ll definitely go all out for this!”
With that, he strode forward like a proud rooster and declared to the commander, “These corpses are all mercenaries from Blackwater Company. Under the witness of netizens worldwide, I will not allow any improper handling of these bodies. Every single one must have their identity thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, I demand that the American government take responsibility for this matter. If these mercenaries are indeed from Blackwater, the company must provide an explanation to the public!”
At these words, the Blackwater executive watching the live stream nearly spat blood.
Their original plan was to have the U.S. diplomatic corps negotiate with the Maldives, either to transport the bodies back to the U.S. for disposal or to send someone to handle them discreetly, ensuring the corpses wouldn’t be used as leverage.
Blackwater’s mercenaries were mostly publicly known, as the company itself operated openly in the public eye, recognised globally, with its personnel required to register their professional details in the U.S.
These mercenaries, in life, were real individuals with their own circles of family, friends, and social connections, each linked to at least a thousand direct contacts and tens of thousands, even millions, of indirect ones. Once their identities were verified and made public, each person’s circle would spark discussions. People would share on social media that so-and-so was their classmate, neighbour, or their neighbour’s brother’s cousin.
Moreover, online gossip, especially with “insiders” involved, always drew heightened attention from curious onlookers.
Blackwater’s strategy was to let the issue die down quickly, but once the social circles of dozens of individuals started buzzing, the heat around Blackwater would only intensify…
At that moment, Blackwater’s executives wanted nothing more than to strangle Bernard Arnault.
But they were powerless against him. After all, he was once the world’s richest man, with immense influence, and a Frenchman at that. No one dared touch someone of his stature. Their team encountering him today was sheer bad luck.
The Maldives military commander, seeing Bernard Arnault’s firm and resolute stance, assured him, “Rest assured, Mr. Arnault, we will handle this matter according to proper procedures, without any mistakes.”
Bernard Arnault nodded and raised his voice, “This issue isn’t just my concern. Every victim present, and every passionate netizen watching this live stream, will keep following it. You must provide updates on the progress within the stipulated time, or you’ll face accountability from people worldwide.”
He continued gravely, “And don’t forget, this matter concerns the Maldives’ reputation. Whether tourists will continue to visit depends on how well or poorly you handle this. If you manage it well, it’ll be seen as an accident, and public trust won’t waver. But if you mishandle it, people will seriously question your credibility, and your country’s tourism market could plummet!”
Tawana added, “I’ll keep following this matter closely too. Starting today, I’ll dedicate at least 30 minutes daily to live-streaming updates on my personal account, sharing the progress with fans worldwide. I hope you won’t let us down!”
If Bernard Arnault represented the world’s elite aristocracy, Tawana represented the global public.
A wealthy person’s influence stems from their money, not themselves. Many tycoons command attention locally when they’re rich, but if they go bankrupt, no one spares them a glance on the street.
A celebrity’s influence, however, lies in themselves—their work, professionalism, and personal charisma inspire genuine public affection. Even if they retire from the spotlight, they’d still draw crowds on the street.
With Bernard Arnault and Tawana both speaking out, their strengths complemented each other perfectly.
One had wealth and could wield immense power; the other had talent and could rally millions.
Their joint commitment to closely monitor the situation put not only Blackwater under pressure but also made Maldives officials sweat nervously.
They knew the issue had already garnered massive global attention in a short time. If they didn’t handle it to everyone’s satisfaction, their nation’s reputation would take a severe hit, potentially crippling their tourism industry, a cornerstone of their economy, forever.
