James began speaking rapid, sophisticated Korean.
Mia listened with intense concentration. When he finished, she stepped closer to the speakerphone.
“The man speaking Korean said the contract has serious problems with payment schedules and delivery timelines. Someone deliberately changed critical words so your company pays everything upfront, but the Korean company doesn’t deliver until much later. That’s unfair and not what you originally agreed to.”
James’s shocked voice came through. “How could she possibly know that? She just summarized the entire situation perfectly.”
Mia wasn’t finished. “Also, the person translating changed important numbers. In Korean, your company pays extra fees and penalties not mentioned in the English version. Someone is trying to steal money from both sides.”
Alexander sank into his chair, staring at Mia in pure awe.
“Mia,” he said carefully, “how do you possibly know all this?”
Mia shrugged casually. “I watch Korean business news with Mrs. Kim at the library every Wednesday. She teaches me the difficult words. I read books about how international companies work because Mommy says understanding business is important.”
Elena stood frozen by the doors, cycling through shock, pride, and terror.
“James,” Alexander said, his voice stronger, “put Mia on a secure video conference call. I want our Korean partners to hear this directly.”
Minutes later, the wall-mounted screen showed five Korean executives in Seoul. When they saw tiny Mia in the enormous leather chair, their expressions shifted from tension to confusion.
Mia bowed politely in the traditional Korean manner and began speaking fluent Korean with natural pronunciation and cultural nuance.
The executives leaned forward, eyes widening as she explained the discrepancies in meticulous detail. The eldest, Mr. Park, responded rapidly. Mia translated with precision.
“Mr. Park says they suspected something was wrong but didn’t want to accuse anyone without proof. He’s grateful these mistakes were caught before signing. He also says I speak Korean better than most American business people he’s met in thirty years.”
The executives nodded enthusiastically. Mia translated: “They want to restart negotiations with honest translators. Mr. Park’s daughter is a respected lawyer in Seoul and can help ensure everything is fair.”