At the Boss's Command by Darcy Maguire

Author:Darcy Maguire
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: Harlequin Mills & Boon Ltd.

The refinery was being built to the east of Saigon, on the coast. The drive there took them through vast rice fields that glittered in the sun, fed by an endless watery network of irrigation canals, waterways and rivers. The countryside was so inextricably mingled with water, indeed, that the commonest means of transport to be seen were sailing vessels of every type imaginable.

They reached the coast after driving through hills of alternating jungle and sugar-cane plantations. The refinery was situated in the ceremoniously named Vung Tao Con Dau Special Zone and it was in the middle of an area of outstanding natural beauty. The Zone, however, was carefully landscaped so as not to spoil the scenery. Rolling green hills surrounded it; a few miles below, the resort town of Vung Tao spread out along a snowy white crescent of beach that reminded her of a huge slice of watermelon—if the sea had been pink instead of deep blue.

The Vung Tao refinery was almost complete. It was one of Anton’s most ambitious projects, a plant designed to refine used lubricating oil from the automotive industry and turn it back into something pristine. In an economy like Vietnam’s, it was a project that could save millions on oil imports and encourage growth. It represented the kind of thinking that she most admired in Anton—his ability to find solutions for less wealthy clients, saving money and preserving the environment.

Even the colours of the plant seemed positive, a mass of scarlet, green and bright yellow piping that somehow made her think of a huge children’s game. The Vietnamese engineers could not have been more hospitable or charming; this was a country of exquisite manners.

Two phases of the plant were running already and they were able to watch the process at work. Wearing the obligatory hard hats, she and Anton walked the length of the plants, the engineers and the interpreters talking enthusiastically about the results they were obtaining.

‘Notice something?’ Anton asked her, pointing to the towers. ‘No flames. Most refineries burn off waste from chimneys, releasing poisons into the air. We’ve eliminated that.’

‘It’s a remarkable achievement,’ she said.

In the quality-control lab, a smiling assistant brought two glass beakers for them to compare—one containing black sludge that was the starting point, the other containing a clear golden oil that was the finished product.

‘It’s hard to believe this can turn into this,’ Amy commented.

‘Smell the used oil,’ Anton commanded.

She obeyed, and wrinkled her nose. ‘Not nice. It smells like dirty old engines.’

‘Now smell the clean oil.’

‘Nectar,’ she grinned, amused by his earnestness. ‘I think I’ll put some behind my ears.’

‘Well, at least you can put it in your engine. It’s cheaper than imported oil by a long way and it solves the problem of disposing of dirty oil.’

‘All our tests on this oil have shown that it meets industry standards, Mr Zell,’ added one of the Vietnamese engineers, an older man with gold-rimmed glasses and a white moustache. ‘We are very pleased with the results!’

Anton smiled and nodded.

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