#setting up a holding company in singapore

[helencampossg]

From Concept to Reality: Setting Up Your Holding Company in Singapore

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#setting up a holding company in Singapore

[dyinglikeastar]

Ghostbat: A Bruce Wayne/Minhkhoa Khan Ship Primer (part 1)

"I honestly can't think of anybody else he has that kind of relationship with—" Dick Grayson

Ghostmaker, or Minhkhoa Khan, was introduced in Batman Vol 3, issue 100. He is initially introduced as an antagonist or even possibly a new villain for Batman to go up against. At first he sounds like just another self-involved dude who thinks Batman is failing at protecting Gotham, so obviously he needs to come in and do the job for him. But Bruce gets all weird about it, as you do about exes.

But then Dick shows up and we find out that this guy is definitely Bruce's ex some mystery guy from Bruce's past.

He and B had been chasing some Gotham criminal who fled to Singapore and then Dick found himself watching awkwardly from the batplane while Bruce had some kind of jilted ex-lovers in the rain scene (not the first or only one) with some random guy Dick had never seen before and he was like, god this is awk.

Oh my god, the second hand awkwardness. Poor Dick. And then he ends up playing therapist for Bruce about it, because what else are Robins for, am I right?

So this was a pretty life changing moment because hold on, Bruce Wayne had a FRIEND? That he admitted he misses? That right there would be enough for me to build an entire ship around. But oh wait, there's more.

BUT FIRST, a little bit more about Minhkhoa though because this is not just a ship manifesto, but an ode to Minhkhoa Khan because I just think he's NEAT. That, and we already know more than we ever wanted to know about Bruce Wayne lbr.

Minhkhoa Khan

Minhkhoa Khan was the son of a Singaporean business owner. When he was a young child he witnessed his father being violently threatened into selling their company to the extremely wealthy Midas crime family.

It just so happens that it was around that time that Minkhoa's parents had already seemed to notice something was different about him. Using the terminology used in the comics, Minkhoa is a clinical psychopath.

But, according to him, his motivation for for fighting crime is that he sees it more like an art and that solving and stopping a crime is more of a challenge than being a criminal. However, even though he swears up and down those are his true motives, it appears that his parents being threatened and humiliated was the catalyst for him setting off and searching out training.

And this eventually leads to our meet-cute with Bruce in the mountains of North Korea where they are both training under Master Kirigi.

Awwwwwwwwwwww. Also at first, while they're training with Master Kirigi, they go by fake names. Bruce tells everyone his name is "Jack" and Minhkhoa goes by "Anton."

But damn, did that shit get gay af really quick.

They were BESTIES. But then Bruce is Bruce and gets all mad because Kirigi is teaching some LoA wannabes how to kill people and decides to peace out and Minhkhoa (not the first or only time) begs Bruce to take him with him.

Alas, Bruce is Bruce and is all, "No, how can I be motivated by constant pain and sufferring if I actually communicate and develop somewhat healthy relationships?" and runs away. BUT before he can get too far, he's attacked by those same wannabe assassins and oh look, it's your boyfriend bestie that you totally just bailed on coming to save your ass!

And so begins Bruce and Minhkhoa's (or Jack and Anton's) gay little crimefighters in training adventures. They first find themselves in Moscow looking for an ex-kgb agent to train them, but were caught and tortured for god knows how long. God, look at these idiots competing over who can withstand torture the longest, I'd die for them.

And then look at Bruce get all upset about it when they start torturing his boyf-bestie :)

But it turns out it was just a test and they did find who they were looking for, a woman named Avery Oblonsky. She tries to teach them spy things, like seduction and disguises etc, and I love how it's sort of explained that Minhkhoa would naturally excel at these sort of things, seeing as how mirroring people and creating false empathy is just part of his personality, and I love that Bruce was just massively struggling with that part of it. Teamwork makes the dream work, right?

Which leads us to the GAYEST SHIT I'VE EVER SEEN. Or at least the gayest panel I've ever seen that includes Bruce Wayne.

IS THAT NOT THE GAYEST SHIT YOU'VE EVER SEEN? ARE Y'ALL GONNA KISS OR WHAT, DAMN. Anyway!!! Avery says she's taught them all she can and sends them to Canada to be trained by the greatest marksman, Luka Jungo. Bruce has a whole fit because Luka makes him shoot icky guns and then Luka has a whole fit because when they went hunting, Minkhoa shot the deer in the wrong place and he's like welp, this obviously means you're a psycho serial killer and I have to put you down now AND BRUCE PULLS A FUCKIN' GUN ON THE MAN.

AND THEN HE FUCKIN' SHOOTS HIM!!!

Bruce Fucking Wayne! Known Gun Anti! Shot a motherfucker to save his boyfriiiiiiend omg. And then said boyfriend picked the gun up and k worded the guy and they have a whole lovers spat about it and a super metaphor-y gay breakup scene.

Literally, what in the heterosexual explanation.

So after THAT, they obviously split up, but then Minhkhoa is Minhkhoa and basically just stalks the poor guy across the globe. For instance, when Bruce tracks down the world's greatest knife thrower in Dublin to learn from him, Minhkhoa just randomly shows up and demands that Bruce homoerotically fight him over it and this guy is so valid.

Next they conveniently run into each other in the Gobi desert where Bruce is supposed to be meditating on grains of sand and Minhkhoa tries to demand another homoerotic sword fight, but this time is the anniversary of The Thing and Bruce is simply not in the mood.

But Minhkhoa Khan is nothing if not a king of consent! He doesn't keep nagging him, he just sticks his swords in the sand and cops a squat next to him and flirts in the only way either of them will ever understand and I think that's beautiful.

The next (and last) time they run into each other before current time is in Argentina. Minhkhoa has stalked him there too and he's realized that Bruce is finished with his training and is headed back to Gotham. He tells Bruce that he's not ready, that his emotions are going to get in the way of the mission and probably get him killed within the first six months. Then, he begs Bruce to play house join him in fighting crime.

Bruce says no and we have yet another break-up scene, in the rain, no less.

And that brings us up to current events. Minhkhoa gets wind of the Joker War apparently and shows up to tell Bruce what a shit job he's doing and how he can do it better, ends up tranq'ing Bruce, Harley, and a slightly homicidal teenage vigilante going by the name Clownhunter and locking them all in a room together in order to each Bruce a lesson. He says the kid's a killer and Bruce is irresponsible for letting him live, but uh, somehow everything works out all okay in the end I guess because this happens?

Bro? Introducing him to the FAMILY? Good lord he's down bad. Also I think Bruce might be having a slight mental breakdown, but it's all good because LOOK HOW HAPPY HE IS.

God they're such dumb boys. And that almost brings us up to speed, stay tuned for ghostbat ship manifesto part 2: old married husbands shenanigans.

Part 2

#ship manifesto #ghostbat #bruce wayne #minhkhoa khan #dc comics #batman #ghostmaker #bruce wayne has a type #minhkhoa khan stan account

[roadtophantom]

Let your S(e)oul take you where you long to be (III) - Cho Seung-woo

(part three of my neverending travelogue, I thought I'll just write one but this already got long)

I think it didn't quite hit me that I was seeing Phantom even when I went in the theatre, likely because of travel adrenaline? I was still a bit dazed coming in and I didn't quite settle until the show started. But also it was so warm and tight that it's hard to get a semblance of personal space.

But it didn't take long because Charlotte Theatre is small and it kinda really wraps itself around the stage. At least that's how I felt.

Because when the overture started and the sparks came off, I was sucked right in.

But listen. Hearing the organ played in person and watching the chandelier make its steady ascent, coming from a lockdown of 3 or so years after fighting tooth and nail to be on that seat, were enough to reduce me to actual tears.

I was sobbing behind my face mask — a souvenir from the pandemic that is sadly here to stay— as reality finally hit me that I managed to live to see another Phantom show when such a possibility didn't exist then, and it's as real as the chandelier looming large before my very eyes.

Second was seeing the proscenium in its fullest glory. Unfortunately, 2delier and the stripped down World Tour revival stage cannot possibly hold a candle to the magnificence of a complete replica set. I haven't seen this setup since 10 years ago in Singapore (not counting HK coz that was an arena and it's a bit different).

I'm reviewing both performances at once because I saw them in 24 hours and it will help me make (healthy) comparisons.

But I think I want to write about the Korean production as a whole first. I've read that it took a while for the local production to mount another POTO KR because of the scale and the demands of the show and the producers want to get everything perfect.

And I think they really did, or at least one that approaches sheer excellence in acting, singing, dancing, all that.

The ballerinas are in step with each other, the cast harmonizes so beautifully even in Prima Donna which tends to go messy and overwhelming...As a full company they are undefeatable.

And I've seen some of the most heartrending performances and heard the most exquisite voices in these two shows.

During my week in Seoul, I managed to catch a movie on cable TV led by Cho Seung-woo called Inside Men and he played this prosecutor who is smart, ambitious, and hellbent for justice. He was all suits, yanked neckties, and cigarettes. A cool hero you wanna root for. And in the first movie I've seen of him (The Classic), he plays a young Romeo with such pure ideals on love and friendship, again a good guy you can't help but love and feel hurt for.

The Phantoms - Cho Seung-woo

Those are barely a scratch on the surface of the veteran actor's stellar filmography and theatre work. His versatility is undisputed, and he's played everything from Hedwig to Sweeney Todd until he finally took on the challenge as the Phantom, which is still so mindblowing to me.

There was no hint of swagger, coolness, or goodness in Cho Seung-woo's Phantom. He is basically the anti-cute Phantom. This is the sewer rat, the stone gargoyle on the roof, the cantankerous old neighbor you don't wanna deal with. He made that especially clear from the mirror scene, as he openly sneered at Raoul's attempts at Christine.

The Phantoms I've seen would try to play up being angel, ghost or even just try to present themselves as an educated gentleman forced under very unfortunate circumstances, but Cho Seung-woo's Phantom is well frankly, truly what you'd expect of a creature living in an underground lake. He isn't shy or afraid to be menacing because that's...what's on the script anyway, right?

With one caveat, he can't bear to be ugly in front of Christine who is his weakness from the very beginning.

His Music of the Night gives a sneak peek of the kind of desolation and yearning he feels for her. He also peppers his performances throughout with whispers of "Christine" (even after MOTN) which I realized is his desperate plea of help.

Cho Phantom loses his temper quite easily, he's delighted like Rumpelstiltskin dancing around the fire when he plays tricks at Carlotta, unafraid to play up his monster persona to get his way. But this evil facade falls in front of Christine. Of course he tries to put up that mean act, but eventually he is just this awkward teenage boy with a first-ever crush. He is so hyperaware of his appearance in front of her. He practically worships her.

So imagine in PONR, he groans at Christine's advances and in AIAOY reprise he is almost on his knees begging her to please take pity and accept him.

In Final Lair, he recoils after Christine kisses him in a 'Why would you do that to yourself? Why touch a cursed creature like me with your perfect being? Please don't corrupt yourself' way. And when she goes back to return the ring, he really tried to wipe his hands on his pants, fix himself because he had to at least try to be less horrible as he already is in front of his idol.

As a singer, CSW can carry the notes, but he is not the best singer, not in front of actual tenors in the cast.

Yet his nuanced acting, the level of sensitivity and hyper-awareness he has, the kind of vulnerability he exposes to Christine at Final Lair is one of a kind. You can see he dug into the psychology of the character, imagined how it was like living miserably like him and how it's like to lose everything when he lets Christine, his only source of light and happiness, go.

You feel a lot of things when he's on stage, I truly felt so sorry for him, because his Phantom was such that the world truly let him down. So many realizations you'll see of his character. I think his was the most humanistic rendition of the role I've seen so far. It's a solid performance, and I understand he likes to change the details up every show, no wonder his shows sell out so fast.

#cho seung woo #rtp goes to seoul #Phantom of the Opera #gonna do my best and write the rest and finish this whole thing 😭😭 #but the words they are not quite wording

[ahundredtimesover]

The Light of Dead Stars (02) | KSJ

Pairing: Seokjin x (f.) Reader; side Seokjin x (f.) OC; side Reader x Namjoon

Genre/Tags: arranged marriage, fake romance, boss/workmate aus; angst, drama, fluff, smut; slow burn

Chapter Warnings: Foul language (18+)

Chapter Word count: 9.7k

Series Masterlist | Muse Moodboard | Setting Moodboard

Status: Complete

Series summary:  Your unconventional arranged marriage with your company’s President, Kim Seokjin, is necessary, practical, and simple - both your families benefit, and he minds his own business and so do you. But when a slip-up causes his parents to believe that you and he are in love, you have no choice but to pretend you are, especially with the trip to France for his brother’s wedding coming up. When you get back to Seoul, things start to change, and Seokjin is faced with the most difficult decision he has to make.  

“Yes, Mr. Smith, that sounds great,” Seokjin says as he looks out the car window, seeming to notice the unusually dark sky this Monday morning. He continues to speak in what you’ve now confirmed is his business voice, low and serious and oozing with confidence. “Let me go check my schedule and see when we can meet. My secretary will let you know, thank you.”

He puts the phone down and like clockwork, calls for the man in the passenger seat.

“Yoong—”

“Yoongi, what’s my schedule like this week?” You interject in your low and supposedly confident voice, knowing it’s going to be Jin’s next sentence.

He turns to you with furrowed brows. “Are you making fun of me?”

“Oh, not at all,” you smile sweetly, trying to act innocent. 

“She is, actually,” Yoongi says matter-of-factly. “She wonders why you ask that every time when you can easily check the tablet that you’re holding to see your schedule.”

“Gee, thanks for throwing me under the bus, Mr. Min,” you glare at him, but he merely sticks out the tip of his tongue to tease you while the rest of his face remains expressionless. 

“So you were teasing,” Seokjin arches his eyebrow.

“It’s just funny that you ask Yoongi after every one of these morning calls when you literally could just tap once and your calendar would show up in the tablet you’re holding,” you say with a little laugh. 

“Ah, it’s a habit,” your husband chuckles. “And I don’t know, something about his voice calms me down, like he’s not stressed about my schedule even if it’s pretty tight. Kinda need that one person sometimes, you know?”

You give him a comforting smile and he smiles back.

“But really, Yoongi, how’s it today?” Seokjin asks.

“You have a meeting with your father in the morning, a luncheon in Jeju, a press conference in the afternoon, and a business call with the Singapore office after,” Yoongi says without missing a beat. 

“Ah, that’s quite a day you’ve got ahead,” you nudge your husband’s arm. 

“And what about ___? How’s her schedule like today?” He asks his secretary. 

“Mrs. Kim hasn’t given me access to her calendar yet,” the younger man replies. 

The name is still something you’re getting used to, even if it’s what most people call you already, but you don’t correct Yoongi in front of Jin the way you normally would when your husband isn’t around. You don’t want him to feel like you’re the one who despises the situation. 

“Why not?” He turns to you.

“Uh, why, though? Yoongi’s your secretary. He only needs to know your schedule,” you shrug, also still getting used to other people being in your business now. You’ve only been a Director for a year, yet even having an assistant who has to manage things for you is something you’re not fond of.

“There are conjugal events that Yoongi can only confirm our attendance to if he knows your schedule,” Seokjin explains. “I won’t ask you to drop what you’re doing for it, so he has to know, too. But I understand if it’s too intrusive, I won’t force it upon you, either.”

Right. You do have your wife duties, after all.

“Ah, it’s fine then,” you say, immediately giving access to the said man, who eventually states your schedule for the day.

“Product deliberations in the morning, lunch meeting with the chef for the collab project, farm visit in the afternoon,” Yoongi reads out, and you do agree - his calming voice reduces the stress somehow. 

“That’s quite the day you’ve got ahead, too,” Jin turns to you. “You’re going to the farm? That’s a long trip.”

“Two hours is doable,” you shrug. “The team’s going to visit the production site and they need to submit the reports by the end of the week so I offered to go; I haven’t been there in a while, anyway.”

“Okay. Be careful, alright?” 

“I will, don’t worry.”

You all exit the car and head inside the building, with you still not used to the company staff bowing to you as you walk side-by-side their President. You enter the elevator and savor the silence inside before the rest of your busy day starts. The doors open to your floor and you turn to him.

“Be careful too, okay? See you at home.”

He smiles brightly at you, something you don’t think you’ve seen much of with all the ste.

“See you at home.”

You will your tired body to get out of the car and walk to your house, and if it wasn’t so humiliating, you’d crawl. All your engagements today extended to the point that you were only able to start the trip back to Seoul at 7PM, and with the Tuesday night traffic, it’s no surprise that you’d just got home, and it’s already 11PM. 

You wonder how Jin’s flight this afternoon was, and how the press conference went, and if he’d already eaten, and just as you’re about to call him, you hear a car stop and the door open.

“You just got home, too?” He asks, seemingly worried.

“Yeah. I’m exhausted. And hungry. Have you eaten?” You respond, keying in the security code of your door.

“No. I didn’t know what time I’d end so I didn’t have Mrs. Kang prepare anything. Let’s just order then,” he suggests, turning to you with a cheeky smile. “The usual?”

“The usual,” you nod, taking your phone to call for delivery. 

Instead of heading to your rooms, Jin slumps himself on the kitchen bar stool while you grab his favorite red from the chiller and pour him a drink. You take your usual beer from the fridge and sit next to him. 

“You think the President of my company would mind if I clock in late for work tomorrow?” You ask, gulping your drink. 

“Nah, I think you’re good. Screw him if he expects you to go on time after slaving the whole day today,” he chuckles. 

“Maybe he should take a bit of a rest, too. It’s been a long day,” you urge him, knowing he rarely takes breaks because it’s Jin and he has too many things going on to be afforded a break. And he likes it that way. He told you once it’s better that he has his feet in everything in the company; it helps him lead better.

“He’ll think about it,” he releases a long breath. 

“Yeah, that’s code for he won’t,” you laugh. “But seriously, snoozing your alarm or at least extending it for another 30 minutes won’t hurt.”

“Yeah, that’s if I even get woken up by my alarm,” he says. “I wake up before it goes off.”

“That’s a sign of growing old, you know?”

“Shut up,” he nudges you, standing up to get the door for the delivery. 

Jjajangmyeon and samgyupsal from a family restaurant not far away is your go-to at times like this. There was one time that you and Jin were up until 3AM working separately and got hungry but were too tired to cook, and this restaurant was still open and served the best noodles and pork belly that you’d had at that time of the day. They still tasted delicious the next evening, and you both knew it would be your staple when things are going tough. 

You both sit on the living room floor with the TV on; you learned that Jin likes watching random sports on mute because it’s still as exciting but less stressful when there are no sounds. 

You’re both eating quietly, savoring the peacefulness of a place you both try to feel like home everyday, and with the little routines you’ve both managed to have without outwardly talking about it, you feel like you’ve both succeeded. For how long this is gonna go, you’re not quite sure. But you’re enjoying it for now, and that’s really the kind of comfort you need at a time like this.

“How was your visit to your parents last weekend by the way?” He breaks the silence. “I forgot to ask. Is your dad doing better?”

It’s been a month since his surgery and 3 weeks since your parents found out about your arrangement with your husband. It’s safe to say that they’re not big fans of the whole thing - especially Seokjin, sadly - but they’ve taken to just accepting that you know what you’re doing, and that they’ll stay out of it as much as possible.

“He’s okay, and yeah, the trip was fine. The usual, really. We just talked about work, video-called with my siblings, bought groceries and medicines, nothing exciting.”

“Do they still hate me?” He asks, his voice falling.

“They don’t hate you,” you nudge his leg. “They just don’t get it.”

“A lot of people don’t.”

“Why, who else knows?” You turn to him curiously.

“My brother. And by extension, his fiance. And given my amazing social life, my secretary happens to also be my only friend so yeah, him, too. Taehyung called me dumb; Hyun-a thinks I’m making a terrible mistake, and Yoongi doesn’t smile when I mention Seri so I’m just assuming he’s not thrilled about it,” Jin chuckles to himself mockingly. 

“Well, if it makes you feel better, my brother called me dumb, too. My best friends said I’m being stupid, and well, Yoongi only smiles on special occasions so he’s fine,” you respond.

“That doesn’t really make me feel better,” Jin shakes his head, but you do see the twinkle in his eyes, as if he’s trying his best to find the humor or the silver lining in all this right now.

“And Seri? Does she get it?”

“She says she does,” Jin shrugs. “That’s kind of her favorite line, actually. ‘Don’t worry, I get it.’ It used to make me feel good, you know? That she understood. But lately, I… Well, I know I haven’t been fair. To her, to you,” he trails.

“I’m the last person you should worry about, Jin,” you try to comfort him, though honestly, you weren’t expecting him to open up to you like this. “Seri’s been around for you for years. She’s the one who–”

“Is that enough, though? I mean, is that enough of a reason? Because she’s been around all this time?” He wonders out loud.

“She hasn’t given up on you, has she?” You ask. “I mean, that says a lot about what a person feels - hanging on, lingering, waiting… it’s as if there’s this certainty that they’re still gonna be there after all this time.”

You know it’s bullshit, what you’re saying, mostly because it’s what you want to believe. You’ve hung on, lingered, waited for the same person to come back for 5 years, as if that uncertainty is what makes everything so certain for you. 

But Seri has been around for Jin just as long as he’s been around for her. Maybe that says something - whatever it is, there’s still meaning there. 

“I used to think it was that simple,” Jin replies. “Our on-off secret thing has lasted all these years and we still can’t let the other go and months ago, I would’ve thought that it said a lot, like you said. But now I don’t know if it’s about her anymore or if it’s about me.”

“What about you? You mean, why can’t you let her go?”

“I mean, why can’t I fight for her to be more?”

There’s a brief moment of tense silence, and you try to act unsurprised by his sudden openness and honesty.

“Much as I like helping you figure things out, I’m afraid that’s one thing you have to figure out on your own,” you pat him on the shoulder. “I don’t know enough about Seri, or you, or your relationship, so I can’t really say much. But now you got me thinking, I should probably be asking myself the same thing.”

“About the guy you like?” He wonders.

You nod in response. “I still think there’s a reason why he hasn’t completely let me go, why he still holds onto his word that he’s going to come back for me. Maybe I should start wondering why I haven’t asked him to come back yet, or ever considered following him wherever he is. Why I’ve never - like you said - fought for him - for us - to be more?”

It’s quite ironic, talking about the people you love and are still holding onto with the man you’re married to. But there’s something oddly comforting about this moment, that even after a long day, you could sit at home with Jin and talk about the things that don’t make sense to you and feel like at some point in time, it will.

“Do we keep people because we want them or because we think there’s no one else to hold onto?” He wonders out loud again.

“Do we let people go because we think we’re better off without them, or they’re better off without us?” You say this time. “Or maybe because we love them?”

“That’s a good thought,” he says, sighing as he finishes his food and leans on the seat of the couch.

“It’s a sad thought,” you chuckle. “Too sad for 12:30AM on a weeknight, actually,” you turn to him. 

“We should go to bed,” he stands and takes your hand to help you up. “It’s been a long day.”

“Uh-uh. I don’t know about you, though, but my boss allowed me to clock in to work late,” you smirk.

“Ah, what a kind boss you have,” he laughs. “He’s a good one, isn’t he?”

“He is. And I hope he never forgets that, too.”

Taehyung and Hyun-a’s wedding was dubbed the event of the year by the entertainment industry. She’s a well-loved actress who’s known for her serious roles on screen but off it, she’s a bubbly young woman who adores pretty things. Taehyung, aside from being the youngest of the well-known Kim family, is a model himself and loves luxury. 

It’s a fact that they’re an incredibly good-looking couple, but beyond all the glitz and glamor are two people who truly love each other. You’ve seen it firsthand, as the banters and affection they display during the few family events that you’ve attended since marrying Seokjin don’t seem fabricated to you. They’re genuine, and even during your dinner and drink nights with the younger Kim, you’ve heard him endlessly talk about Hyun-a and the lovely babies they’re going to make.

It’s expected that they would have an extravagant celebration, and they will - in a grand ballroom with the view of the Seoul skyline against the Han River, with many from the entertainment and business industries attending. It’s public, too. 

But before that, they’ll be having a private ceremony in France - which is where they met during a serendipitous trip - and only a handful of people are invited to the intimate but still lavish event in the Kim family’s holiday home in Montauroux. 

That’s happening in a few weeks, but right now, what you’re focused on is this afternoon’s fitting that Seokjin’s mother insisted you have. She’d taken the measurements of your wedding gown and used it to have dresses made for both affairs. 

It’s a Saturday and you’re heading over to a luxury boutique store to see the semi-final outfits after you’d chosen the designs not long ago.

“Hey, ready to go?” Seokjin calls out from outside your bedroom.

“Yeah, I’m coming,” you say, heading out the door and meeting him by the stairs. “I don’t know why I’m nervous.” 

“They’re just dresses, ___. And you literally went through weeks of gown fitting with my mother and you were fine,” he reasons as you both exit the house then enter the car.

“Uh, I was losing my shit every time,” you admit. “You know I’m not… made for these things.”

“For what, exactly?”

“For glamor?” 

You see the disappointment on his face when he asks, “since when did that matter?”

“It doesn’t, but it’s just… I’ve been accompanying you to social and business events with all these rich people, yes. But I can catch up with them,” you explain. “I work in the field. I’ve been trained to engage with those kinds of people but the people who are gonna be at this wedding? They’re celebrities, the most beautiful people in the world and I’m supposed to mingle with them? Beside you?”

“Hey, you’re not so bad,” he says, wincing when you pinch his arm. “I’m kidding! But honestly though, where is this coming from? Is someone making you feel bad about it or something?”

“No, not really. It just crossed my mind since there was an article about the guests at the wedding and I went from thinking that I’m probably gonna lose my mind from being starstruck, to wondering how I’m gonna keep up - looks-wise and others.”

“No one has to keep up with anyone, ___,” he tries to comfort. “You’re you and they’re them. There’s something that makes them stand out and there’s something that makes you stand out. It doesn’t always have to be about looks.”

“Gee, thanks for telling me I’m ugly.”

“Yah! That’s not what I meant!“ he yells, laughing now as you’ve started to repeatedly pinch him. “I’m just saying, you have nothing to worry about. You have your own charm and charisma about you - looks-wise and others,” he emphasizes. “You’re not being kind to yourself whenever you think you’re not pretty or good or glamorous enough.”

“Are you saying that your high regard for your looks is you being kind to yourself?” You tease.

Jin has never shied away from the compliments about his looks, and you don’t blame him. You have a pair of functioning eyes - he’s objectively handsome, like a classy gentleman with an angular face and perfectly placed and measured features. 

You’d feel so immeasurably small and undeserving as his wife if only he isn’t as kind and assuring as he is. You still get a little overwhelmed sometimes, but you’re thankful that at least the worst that people have said about you when the news came out about your engagement is that you’re “too plain and forgettable” and that at least you’d now have money to get your face done. His family had been the one to hype you up by boasting of your academic and professional achievements and that seemed to shut people up, somehow. 

“It’s part of it, yeah,” he chuckles. “But that’s also me just keeping up. This is such an embarrassing thing to admit but that was one of my concerns growing up - proving that I’m more than just my looks, that I’m actually competent and deserving of my achievements that I worked hard for.”

“Ugh, beautiful people problems. Can’t relate,” you laugh, but you can’t deny the way you soften at his confession. “Is that why you work as hard as you do? To show people that you actually do work and that you’re good at it?”

“Partly, yeah,” he nods. “But also, the company means a lot to my family. Sure, I have a role to play as the eldest son, but I like it. I love food, and the fact that I get to continue this legacy of making good food accessible to the general public, that makes me feel good; it makes me satisfied. At the end of the day, that’s what really matters to me.”

You hum, absorbing his words. You feel the same way. Your mom was raised by farmers and had such high regard for food, and she always made the best home cooked meals, no debate. And while you weren’t so privileged growing up, you were blessed to enjoy comforting food, and it’s something you’ve taken with you as you set out your career. Culinary school was too expensive, and working for the Kims, in a company that mass produces good food so that it could be available to the public, is another way you get to show your appreciation for it. 

Your silence tells him that you’re thinking about what he’s said. You and Jin talk about food and work an equal amount of time, but not at this level, and he appreciates being able to relate with someone like this. It’s one of the things that caught his attention when you became Director - you had such love and appreciation for the craft, and that always earns his respect. 

But he still enjoys teasing you sometimes, just because you’ve somewhat grown comfortable with each other these past months.

“But you know, if you want me to tell you you’re beautiful, just let me know. I’ll do the husband duty by doing that,” he smirks.

“You really have to ruin it, huh?” You scowl, but he doesn’t miss the small smile and satisfying sigh you make when you turn to the window and close your eyes.

You enter the chic boutique store in a fancy hotel and take in your surroundings. You don’t think you’re ever going to get used to it, though a part of you winces at the thought of having to let this all go at some point.

Seokjin’s mother greets you and introduces you to the designer, who was lovely enough to give you the cheapest price she could for the kind of dresses you would have. You insisted on paying for them, but Jin argued with you about it - perhaps the only time you ever did. 

You were doing him a favor and you wouldn’t even be needing to spend if it wasn’t for his family, but you stood your ground. In the end, you agreed for him to pay for one dress - the one for the event in Seoul - while you paid for the other one, and even you were surprised it wasn’t as expensive as you thought. You suspect his mother had something to do with it but you didn’t want to question any further, afraid to cause some rift that’s unnecessary. 

“Hello, darlings,” she chirps, giving you then Jin a hug. “I’ve seen the dresses and they look so stunning. You’re both going to love them,” she smirks.

You try to not think much of it. You’re not quite sure what his parents expect of you and him. Do they think you and Jin would end up falling in love and living happily ever after? Perhaps. She was arranged with Mr. Kim, too, but you wouldn’t have known - those two seem so affectionate with each other. You don’t know how much of it is for show, but you’ve seen them laugh together and sweetly look at each other and you think that’s not something that two people could easily fake. 

You follow one of the staff who leads you to a changing room that’s as big as your apartment before you moved in with Jin, and you let her assist you. 

It’s the magic of an expensive fabric and dazzling jewelry because you definitely didn’t look this good just moments ago. 

You exit to find a sitting Seokjin, in his blue suit jacket and brown trousers, cross-legged with a cup of tea and conversing with his mother. He turns to you after his mother squeals in delight, and smiles. It’s a soft one, something you don’t see that often.

He stands as if to assess you, and with a hand on his chin, he nods. “You can definitely keep up,” he winks, and while you think it should make you flustered, somehow his compliment just made you feel warm and comforted.

“What about you? Are we going to see your suit?”

“Tae had it made in France,” Jin replies. “I tried it on when I went there for the food tasting and it looks nice - chic and summery like they wanted.”

“Hmm, looking forward to the surprise, then,” you smile. 

You turn to head back to the changing room and wait to be surprised yourself. Since the gown for the celebration in Seoul was paid for by Jin, you don’t know what it looks like. All you said was that you wanted it to be simple, and that you’d just like to complement his outfit that you know is going to be breathtaking. 

Your jaw almost drops to the floor. It’s simple, alright, but it’s so perfectly elegant that you couldn't have dreamed of a better gown for yourself. The champagne color is just the right shade you want, and the satin material is so soft, so luxurious, so classy. It hugs your figure just right, and the off-shoulder neckline and slit at the front show just enough skin to make you feel sexy and confident. 

Seokjin sits on the couch, taking a sip from his cup of tea and browsing through the magazine. You’re taking longer this time, and he thinks you’re probably still marveling at the gown you’re wearing. His mother had shown him the design, and he just had a feeling you’re going to like it. 

You’re not a flashy person. You do like to dress up at work - you’d said it adds to the respect you feel you need to keep earning as a young female director - but these types of events are particularly tricky for you. He doesn’t want you to think you have to overcompensate. Like he’d said, you have your own charm. 

Sure, you’re not exactly his type looks-wise, not like Seri whose perfect mix of puppy-eyes and pale skin and feminine features captured his attention immediately; you’re a lot simpler and more natural than that. And that’s something he at least appreciates. 

He hopes you cut yourself some slack, though, as he’d felt sometimes you feel more anxious than he’s used to when he takes you to events, something you’d voiced out earlier. He wishes he got to say more and made you feel more at ease, at least, and he tells himself he’s going to do that next time.

But as you walk down the hallway with an excited smile on your face, he’s just as satisfied as you are.

“Okay, I can definitely keep up,” you chirp, twirling around for him and giggling as you almost lose your balance in the heels you were asked to wear.

“Yeah, you definitely can.”

You slice the ravioli in half and munch on a piece, your eyes furrowed, hoping that you finally get the pasta right. You huff and aggressively eat the remaining half, scowling as you do.

“Aish, how do I get this right?” You wail to no one.

“You know that’s not your job anymore, right?” Seokjin’s voice echoes in the kitchen, your pouty face making him laugh. “You didn’t get promoted for you to still be doing product developer tasks,” he reminds you. “Get your people to do this. You’re sacrificing your weekends to perfect this recipe.”

“Says the man who does just that,” you arch an eyebrow. “You were literally mixing around with the packet broth recipe that your people should be doing. And that was just last week.”

“I was making us dinner,” he defends.

“You made 4 batches of the broth, Jin; 5 if I hadn’t stepped in and complained that I was starving.”

“Fine, you caught me,” he says, taking your fork and eating the other piece of ravioli, muttering that it’s good. “Your point is?”

“My point is that I have as much right to do this as you do. Also, it’s good but the pasta’s too thick.”

“Wasn’t this a project from last year? I thought one of your teams was working on it already,” he asks, opening cupboards and drawers and taking out ingredients and a pan.

“They were; research had begun but the other team working on the samgak kimbap were down some people and the ravioli team had to help, so this took a backseat. It picked up again but there are still issues with the ingredients and pricing so I decided to help, otherwise we’d be behind schedule.”

You watch Jin heat up the pan, take the remaining white kimchi from the jar, put it in a bowl, and cut it into smaller pieces. He slices bacon, canned spam, and sausages and boils some eggs. 

“So the filling is okay, it’s just the pasta you need to figure out?” he asks, as he starts to fry the meat; the sizzling sound is music to your ears.

You hum, getting lost in how he works, as he now adds the white kimchi - with some chili paste and flakes - then the rice, mixing everything until they’re ready to go. He puts it in a serving plate then adds soft boiled eggs on top with some garnish.

When he’s stressed or wants to take his mind off things, he cooks. It’s one of the first things you learned about him after you got married. 

You grew up in a humble home and watched your mother make stews from the vegetables in the garden - humble cooking for a family like yours. But you know Jin grew up traveling the world, being exposed to various cuisines and shopping for expensive ingredients like it’s a normal thing. 

You’ve seen him make pasta from scratch, cook steak to perfection, and whip up interesting and complicated dishes, and it always astounds you. He works in the kitchen with so much grace and confidence, and he’d mentioned once that if he wasn’t the eldest who’s expected to run the company, he would’ve made a career as a chef or a food critic. 

But of all the times that he’s made meals out of the fanciest ingredients, some of which you’ve never heard of before, it’s when he’s making food like this that you’re most impressed. Somehow it tells you that at the end of the day, this is still his comfort food, and this is his way of comforting and encouraging you. You’ve mentioned quite a few times that aside from pancakes, all-meat kimchi fried rice is something you also like to gorge on when you’re stressed. 

He passes you bowls and spoons and motions for the living room. “Turn on any food channel, let’s have dinner.”

You follow, and soon after, he’s plopping down next to you on the floor with the plate and 2 bottles of beer. 

And that’s how you spend the rest of the evening - watching culinary shows, from cooking contests to documentaries, and munching on chips and ice cream after your meal. 

“I just watch when I’m stuck,” he says, after all the oohs and ahhs due to the delicious food on your screen and to the new things you learn. “For inspiration, yes, but mostly to remind myself that the perfect recipe is out there, and I’m going to find it.”

You softly smile at the thought. 

It’s odd, being married to the President of your company and not being romantically involved with him. It’s almost like a learning experience, and if that’s something else you could take from this arrangement other than your family being safe, then you’d take it and make this decision over and over again. 

“Hmm, there’s still a bunch of things in the pipeline. You want us to cater to the North and South American and European markets,” you remind him. “I’m gonna need more hours of inspiration and reminders that the perfect recipe is out there.”

“Good thing we live together, then,” he chuckles. “We’ve got all the time in the world.”

Watching food shows becomes a staple of your next 2 weeks. You’d usually spend your evenings after shared dinner on your own - you speak with your family, work on your finances, and do what little social engagement online that you can sneak in, while Jin does whatever he does in his room on the other side of the hallway. 

But after that night when you started watching your cooking shows over whatever meal he’s cooked up or you bought on your way home, it’s become your only form of bonding.

You’ve been visiting your plantations and production sites out of town, so you’ve been leaving the house earlier than him. He’s busy, as usual, going wherever he needs to go and attending whatever he needs to attend, but whoever one of you gets home first, there’s always a dish ready and an empty seat on the living room floor for the one who arrives later. 

It was after the fourth night that you got your inspiration and shared it with the team after, but the TV nights kept going, even if some of them had Jin falling asleep and you, having to wake him up to go to bed. 

But you figure that he’s the one who’s stressed this time, given the upcoming presentation that he has to deliver for a leadership conference for young entrepreneurs. So you indulge him, letting him choose the show and answering his random questions as he hypes himself up for the big day. 

It’s a Sunday afternoon and he’d just arrived from the tailor while you just woke up from a nap after an early morning flight from Singapore.

Your phone rings and you stare at it for a few seconds, too tired to pick it up, when you see Jin’s name on the screen. 

“Hey, are you awake now?”

“Uh, yeah, thanks to you,” you huff. “How did you know I was asleep?”

“I was knocking on your door and calling your name but you weren’t responding.”

“Ah, yeah. The guy next to me in the plane was snoring so loud, I didn’t get to sleep.”

“I told you to take First Class, you never listen,” he groans. 

“I don’t use my President’s wife perks for work, okay?” You remind him. “Business class was fine. The dude was just enjoying his sleep too much. Anyway, you okay? What’s up?”

“I need your help. Can you come to my room?”

“Be there in a sec,” you say, stretching a bit before walking across the hall.

You’re still in your clothes from this morning, not minding much. You call his name when you’re near the door so you don’t see something you’re not supposed to, and he tells you that you can enter.

“I got these 2 suits today and I’m not sure which one to wear for my presentation on Wednesday,” he says, lifting both up. 

He puts each set against his body so you could get a better assessment, although objectively, either one would look good on him, something you voice out. 

“But I cut my hair and lightened it a bit. That has a bearing. My suit needs to match my hairstyle so I look young.”

“Jin, you’re 35. You are young; you look even younger than your age,” you respond. 

“I’m at least 10 years older than the people I’m going to be presenting to,” he says. “I need to look relatable.”

“Jin, you’re a fucking billionaire. You’re not gonna be any more relatable to those youngins regardless of which suit you decide to wear,” you chuckle, but you see the stress on his face and you give in. “Fine, go try them on and I’ll see.”

“Alright, go sit on the couch and I’ll change.”

You do as he’s asked, and it’s really the first time that you spend more than a few seconds in his room. It’s cleaner than you imagined, but it definitely has more photos than you expected. 

You eye his shelf and see the sporty side of your husband. There’s a tennis trophy, the label a little faded so you assume he was probably in high school. There’s a photo of him snowboarding, another one golfing, and then on a horse. There’s even one with what you can tell is a yellowfin tuna. Ah, rich people hobbies, you chuckle to yourself.

But there are more photos - with his brother, his sister, his parents; not many with his friends, though, at least in his later years. You can only imagine what he had to give up just to be where he is now.

He exits his walk-in closet wearing a dark blue triple-breasted suit over a white polo and you admit that he looks pretty good in it. You let him turn and walk around and he follows, thinking you haven’t seen enough when you really just wanted to mess with him. 

“Now do a 90-degree bow, please,” you laugh, but he throws you a sock and walks back to change while you yell in disgust.

He walks out in a charcoal suit, and he looks every bit of the President that he is. He just walks closer to you and turns around this time, and even you feel a bit intimidated.

“You look too professional and too rich,” you hum. “I like the blue one better, it’ll appeal to the young ones a bit more. Makes you look approachable, too. Can you change into that again and put on a beige or brown trench coat? It might be cold there.”

“Okay,” he says, following your suggestion and coming out with a beige coat.

“Can you remove your contacts and wear your glasses, too?”

“Why?”

“Just going for a certain vibe,” you shrug, and he does as you ask.

Well, you initially thought that his face might be too distracting because of how beautiful it is, but now you think having his glasses on makes him a little too good-looking, but you don’t say that, so you just nod and give him a thumbs up. 

“Looks like you’ve found your outfit,” you say. 

“Thanks,” he chirps, removing his suit, and you scold him for being too careless so you help him in hanging them properly. “Seri usually helps me with these things.”

“Why didn’t you ask her, then?” You ask, with no bitterness in your voice. 

You assumed the same; you even half expected her to be here, given that you’d informed Jin also just this morning that you were going to be home early.

“I’ve just been busier than usual, haven’t had the time to speak with her,” he shrugs, going back to his closet to change.

“Is that normal?” You wonder out loud. “I mean, she’s your girlfriend, right?”

“Uh, yeah. But it’s not a normal relationship, or conventional for that matter.”

“It’s because of me, right?” You pout, something he catches.

“What? No!” He assures you, sitting next to you on the couch. “It’s always been like this, I think I told you that some time ago. It’s kinda just easier to say she’s my girlfriend and leave it at that but when it’s a secret, when I do what I do and don’t have as much time as I want for anything else other than work, that’s what happens,” he explains. “We see each other when I can, we text or call when I can’t. It just always worked like that.”

“You sure?”

“Now I’m the one who gets to tell you that yes, I’m sure; we’ve talked about this,” he adds, saying the line you always tell him. “And like I said, she gets it. I’ll try to see her this week.”

“Yeah, you should. We’re flying to France soon. That’s still 2 weeks without seeing her,” you remind him. 

“That’s another thing to stress about,” he huffs, leaning his head against the wall and briefly closing his eyes. “I can’t believe that my dad and grandfather let us take that trip for 2 weeks, but I also can’t believe he let us take that trip for 2 weeks.”

“It’s your grandfather’s birthday a few days before the wedding,” you say. “I mean, isn’t that why Tae and Hyun-a scheduled it then? So it would align with your grandfather’s 85th? Which is great, really. Your entire family would already be there.”

“Yeah, it’s the first time that my sister’s kids are seeing the family home,” he smiles. “That would be fun. And you, too!”

“Well, it’s not like I’m actually part of the family,” you chuckle, looking at the floor and missing the way Seokjin’s face falls a little at the thought. “But it should be nice. I’m probably gonna be a nervous wreck because I haven’t seen your grandparents since the wedding.”

“What about it?”

“I don’t know, they might be expecting something?”

“They don’t really ask me much, actually. Or I kinda just dodge it when they’re heading there,” he laughs. “They just know we get along, and that seems to be enough for them.”

“Ah, well, it shouldn’t be much trouble, I would assume? It’s France, in a lovely house–”

“Chateau, actually,” he corrects, and he laughs at your widened eyes. “Restored, but yeah, it’s beautiful.”

“Okay, then, chateau,” you try to say it elegantly. “It should be fun, and stress-free… right?”

You turn to him for assurance. The hecticness of your last few weeks has blinded you to the reality of the wedding and all the possible things that could go wrong, which, if you think now, could be a lot. 

Jin might miss Seri too much, he might slip, and you could both be in hot water. Or you both could act so comfortably, the way you both do anyway, and his family might think that something is indeed happening, and you wouldn’t know what to say, or at least how to say that you’re more platonic housemates than anything, and there’s really no chance of love or even attraction, given that he has a girlfriend and well, you’re not exactly keen on finding love, since the one you want is somewhere else in the world who may or may not want you, too.

But what keeps you hopeful and positive is that it’s Jin. Really, if there’s any rich and handsome man that you were to end up in this unconventional arranged marriage with, you’re glad it’s him. He makes you laugh, he annoys you sometimes, but more than anything, he makes you feel like yourself.

Seokjin sits on the couch of the holding room, legs and arms crossed and eyes closed as he waits for the start of his presentation which is in half an hour. 

Donning the blue suit you’d chosen the other day, he takes in the quiet of the space, letting his mind work and relax at the same time. He’s glad you’d insisted that he bring his coat; it’s cold, like you said, and no amount of hot tea can make him warm up. He’s a little nervous, if he’s being honest; he’s human like that.

There’s a soft knock on the door and he instructs the person to come in, his eyes still closed.

“Are you… meditating?” 

“___, it’s you,” he says, opening his eyes in surprise, having not heard the door open. “I thought it was Yoongi. I didn’t expect you to be here.”

More like, he didn’t think you would be. He’d voiced out his nervousness, too shy to ask you to come since he knows you’re also busy and well, you’re not exactly required to attend, even as his “wife.”

“Ah, well, I saw your father at the office and he seemed a little disappointed I'm not with you,” you narrate. “I didn’t want to seem like a neglectful partner so I came.”

He hums, not thinking much of your reason for showing up. 

“I felt like you’re gonna do well, anyway,” you add, “so I didn’t think you’d need the luck of my presence. But I don’t mind, actually. I’ve seen you deliver presentations so many times and I know I’m gonna learn a thing or 2 from you today,” you say, earning you a faint smile.

You take your seat next to him and nudge his knee. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just a little nervous,” he shrugs.

“Really?” You sound surprised. “You’re gonna do great, Jin. We’ve been practicing all week.”

You’re right, you both have. You’ve spent almost every night listening to him vocalize his presentation because that helps his flow. He wants it to sound natural but still practiced; you almost memorize it yourself. 

“I have to speak as the President now, and to young people; that holds a lot of responsibility,” he says. 

He hasn’t been President long, and he’s been delivering speeches in the past months, but a presentation in front of those who may look up to him as a role model - some have noted that he is - adds so much pressure. And because of that, he’s anxious and he’s glad you’re here before he takes the stage. 

“Well, you already look the part. And I know you’re gonna smash it. If all else fails, just give them that brooding look of yours and they’ll just get hypnotized or something,” you comfort. 

He laughs at your idea of a last resort and finally smiles.

“Anyway, I’ll only be here for your presentation. I have to head out right away since we have that directors’ meeting,” you say, standing up and he follows.

“Sure, no worries,” he says, removing his trench coat, wrinkling his suit a little because of it.

“Yah, careful.”

You mindlessly fix his collar, your fingers tracing down to fix the hem, too. With your eyes focused on what you’re doing, you don’t notice that his are focused on you, surprised at how you’d acted reflexively and being as close as you are. 

You look up and meet his gaze, a millisecond of you getting hypnotized before you snap out of it. 

“Sorry,” you chuckle. “You need to look perfect, and well, you do. I’ll see you after, alright?”

He doesn’t get a word in, as you’re turning around right away and heading out the door, questioning yourself why you’d done the wife thing and fixed his suit when you’d usually make him fix it himself. Perhaps the comfort of the last weeks have made it too easy, moving closer like that. 

You sigh. It was a momentary slip up, and you wish he hadn’t felt awkward or even creeped out. You decide to act like it didn’t happen and head to your seat in the audience. 

Back in the holding room, Seokjin is the one trying to snap out of it. Apart from your wedding where you’d held hands and kissed - for about a millisecond, he recalls - and during social events where he’d have his hand lightly on your back, you two don’t really get close in any way when you’re alone. 

Neither of you initiates, and even if what you’d done was a mere tap on his chest, the proximity caught him off guard. And for the briefest moment, he hadn’t minded it at all.

Seokjin does his presentation with ease, exactly how he’d envisioned doing it. He had visual aids to show data and engaged with the audience - asking questions, looking them in the eyes when they responded, and even making jokes. 

He’d impressed them, as he hoped, and many times, he found himself glancing at you, who looked just as engaged and impressed as well. You were even trying to discreetly take photos with your phone and he almost laughed at how much of a stage wife you were being. 

After he said his ending line - “don’t try to be the next Kim Seokjin, be the next you” - you gave him a thumbs up sign - after rolling your eyes and chuckling, of course - and he knew he did well. 

You met him at the conference hall entrance before you left, and he’d made his way back to the holding room to make a few work calls before he went back for a panel session. 

He’s on the couch, having just responded to an email, when his phone rings, Seri’s name flashing on the screen. Caught off guard - since it feels so long since he’s spoken to her - he picks up after the third ring. 

“Hey,” he says, standing up. “How are you?”

“I’m okay,” she replies cheerily. “Am I seeing you at the directors’ meeting later? Your brother will be attending and I was assigned to assist him.”

“I’m in Incheon for a presentation, actually,” Seokjin responds, realizing he’d forgotten to tell her about today. “I asked Taehyung to preside over that meeting since I won’t be there.”

He’s standing by the window now, looking out into the busy street, wondering how she’s doing, and wondering how he’d lost track of the days.

“Oh, that’s why,” she hums after a beat of silence but still sounding jovial. “I can imagine how busy you are. Am I gonna see you soon, though? I mean, I know I saw you this morning but it feels like I haven’t seen your face in so long.”

“I know. It was nice to see you, though,” he responds sincerely. 

They’d passed by each other when he entered the building and were in the same elevator. But so was his father and Seokjin couldn’t really say anything, especially as the elder Mr. Kim was talking about the trip to France and how his parents couldn’t wait to welcome you to their holiday home. 

“But yeah, I’ll find time. Maybe a nice dinner? We can get whatever you want,” he grins.

“Yes, that would be nice!” She chirps. “Even just to see you, really. I, uh, I miss you, Seokjin.”

It’s the sound of his name that gets to him. It’s how he knows she’s serious; it’s how he knows that’s all she wants.

“I miss you, too. I’ll see you, okay?”

“Okay. You should go now, I don’t want to take up your time.”

“Alright, bye.”

He hangs up and takes a deep breath, suddenly feeling bad, perhaps missing time with her because he’s been spending more time with you. Or is he? 

But before he could doubt himself even more, he hears someone hum, and turning around, his heart drops to the ground. 

“I didn’t think that you and ___ would fall for each other so soon, darling,” his mother chirps. “Of course, we hoped for it, but now it’s real.”

“Mother, uh, what are you doing here? And uh, how long have you been standing there?” He stutters. Damn that door and how quiet it is. 

“Long enough to learn that you and your wife can’t get enough of each other, hmm? I just met her at the entrance after she’d watched your presentation,” She smiles, walking over to fix his collar and the wrinkles on his suit. “Get her that dinner, or better yet, make her dinner. That’s how I knew your father cared about me,” she winks. “And oh, I was at a nearby hotel for a meeting and he reminded me about your presentation today. I caught the second half of it.”

“Right, uh, thanks,” he feigns a smile, loosening his tie now as he feels like he’s suffocating. 

“But it’s great to know that you two have become fond of each other,” she says dreamily. “I wasn’t sure how it was going to be because you didn’t seem interested in relationships after you hit 30 and now I’m just glad that you’ve come to like ___, like this marriage really could work out between you two.”

“Yeah, I mean, she’s great and easy to get along with.”

He knows he’s just dug himself a deeper hole, but it’s during these moments when Seokjin is convinced that he is, indeed, stupid. He wishes he had more common sense and could think quicker instead of freezing and letting his mother believe that what you both have has now become real.

“She is. I’ve become fond of her, too.” She fondly tucks his hair behind his ear. “I’m happy for you, Son. You deserve someone who cares about you, and someone you care about, too.”

“Yeah, I guess I do.” 

“Okay, then. Well, I just wanted to drop by and tell you I’m proud of you,” she smiles again. “And just a bit of advice? Don’t say you’ll find time; you make time, okay honey?”

“Got it, I’ll keep that in mind,” he nods.

One of the event organizers peeps in and calls for Seokjin, as the panel discussion is about to start. He says he’ll be back out, sending you a text first to meet him in his office so you could go home together. 

“Fuck,” he mumbles. “What are you gonna do now, Seokjin? You’re about to mess everything up.”

You walk towards Jin’s office as he’d asked you to do earlier in the afternoon, a spring in your step as the directors’ meeting that you thought was going to be a tough one turned out to be better than expected. 

Taehyung presided over it and was a lot more jovial, a stark contrast to his older brother, your husband. You got things done, at least, agreeing on certain policies and immediate action points, with a few laughs in between. It’s how Taehyung’s always been, anyway.

“You’re deep in thought,” you hum, as you open the door. You’ve reached that level of no more needing to have Yoongi let you enter; you just knock and are allowed to go in as you please. “That chair could burn with how badly you’re staring at it.”

You look like you’re in a good mood, and he hates that he has to ruin it.

“We’re kind of in trouble, and it’s all my fault,” he looks at you apologetically. “I’m sorry, ___.”

“Hey, what are you saying?” you ask worriedly, walking towards him and nudging him to look at you. “Talk to me.”

So he tells you everything - the phone call, his mother overhearing, and then the text she’d just sent that your parents have booked you a few nights’ stay at a resort in Saint-Tropez during your trip to France as their honeymoon gift, among others. 

“That’s uh, a lot to process,” you huff, feeling the spacious room suddenly get hot. “How are we— I mean, uh, I’d tell you to say you weren’t talking to me because we’re not romantically involved but like, who would you say you were talking to?”

“Exactly, it was too sweet to be a friend and I don’t even have friends,” he sighs. “I’m so stupid. I should’ve been more careful about taking her calls when I’m not at home or here in my office. And that fucking door, I swear it was—”

“Hey, just think… at least you didn’t say her name,” you comfort. “This is all terrible but I mean, it’s not the worst.”

You look at each other, mirroring each other’s pouts, and if it wasn’t a stressful moment, you’d laugh at each other’s faces. 

“It’s just—”

“Hyung!” Taehyung’s voice echoes in the room, momentarily breaking the slight tension between you and Jin.

“Yah! What did I say about knocking?” Jin scowls.

“I did,” his brother argues.

“You didn’t,” Jin counters. 

“Yeah, you’re right, I didn’t,” he smiles sweetly, one you’ve come to know as his boxy grin that’s all types of charming and screams I can get away with anything, and he does. “I was gonna ask for your advice on the bar food for the after party of the celebration here. But you two look like your world’s ending so my question can wait.” 

Taehyung stands in between you and Jin, his eyes shifting between you and his brother. “Is this your first couple fight? How can I help?”

“No,” Jin growls, and you’ve never really seen him this frustrated. 

But he narrates the story to his brother, the way he did with you, not missing or changing any detail. A short beat of silence follows, until Taehyung speaks out.

“Uh, just pretend to actually be in a loving marriage, then,” he says so casually, like it’s the most normal and obvious thing in the world. “I mean, you at least like each other as people, so no need to pretend about that. Just, up the romance thing, alright? And the sexual, too,” he winks.

“Tae, you know I have a girlfriend,”Jin says too fast yet somehow, too unsure.

“Whom you decided to still keep even when you agreed to this marriage,” the younger man points out. “And you may both act like he didn’t have a choice but he always does, and he chose you,” he turns to you. “But he also chose her.”

You feel like this isn’t the kind of conversation you should be present for, but Jin’s dejected face makes you want to comfort him. It’s your fault, too, somehow. You enabled him, in a way, by letting him stay with Seri. This is the only time you ever doubted your decision, always thinking that you were doing the right and sound thing.

“Look, I hate to be the selfish one, but I’m getting married in a few weeks,” Taehyung continues at your silence. “Sorry to be insensitive but Hyun-a is the woman of my dreams, and I would love for our wedding to be a happy event, with the most important people to us present, celebrating with us. Whether you both come out with the truth or cover it up, it’s up to you, but I hope you choose the one that doesn’t impact my wedding negatively. I… I would really appreciate that.”

He’s right, and though you don’t feel like you’re in the position to say something, you shoot him a smile, knowing that for someone as in love as he is, you know he’d want his wedding to be perfect. There’s no place for any of your and Jin’s drama on this trip.

“I don’t want Seri to feel—”

“I’ll talk to her,” Seokjin cuts you. “I’ll try to make her understand.”

He looks at you apologetically, but you look at him with assurance. You know more than anything that he wants his brother’s special day to be as beautiful as it could be. 

“So, uh, that’s the plan, right?” Taehyung looks at you then at his brother again. “Pretend to be in a relationship with your spouse?”

It sounds silly, silly enough for you and Jin to laugh and shake your heads at the same time. 

“I guess it is,” he breaks the silence.”

“It is,” you say. “But hey, at least we’ll be in France.”

Series Masterlist  

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#seokjin fic #seokjin angst #seokjin fluff #seokjin smut #seokjin x reader #seokjin x you #seokjin series #arranged marriage au #boss au #the light of dead stars

[piratesgiftexchange]

A Word of Advice

For @redstarsarc, by @pinchinlanesblog PROMPT: Barbossa and Elizabeth interaction post-DMC WORD COUNT: 1939

Elizabeth Swann had a secret.

It had little to do with the fact that she had been living as a man for many weeks at that point, with little comfort. Her companions were boorish, their shipmates were aloof, and the weight of her intended’s regard was stifling. A greater irritant, however, was the fact that despite her self-guided education on all things nautical and her experience gained from hopping from ship to ship, she was still treated as if she were very, very green, a notion supported by the fact she looked like a bare-faced boy in the company of the others and one that caused her no end of misery and degradation.

They’d been taken aboard a merchantman, bound east. Barbossa had insinuated himself into the position of acting boatswain, and Elizabeth had not been certain at the time that it was not the bright point of his blade which had pierced the original boatswain’s heart in that tavern in St. Kitt’s.

She mused on it as she scrubbed the deck, thoughts dark, muscles aching and sore.

It was surely an accident, something that she would have given vent to in her old life with a sharp tongue and haughty disapproval. One of the merchant sailors, MacNeill by name, tromped by on his way below deck and knocked into the bucket of filthy water, spilling it over the deck and over Elizabeth as she worked.

He laughed at her expression and said something to his companion as they turned to go on their way, narrowly missing the scrub brush she threw at his head.

A great many things happened at once. The sailor turned on her, face red, and the long shadow of Barbossa cut between them in the moment before his great, rough hand insinuated itself between her neck and collar and hoisted her up.

Barbossa shook her once, hard, and she struggled against him, striking out at the air but not making contact.

The sailor laughed ruefully. “‘Pon my word, bo’sun, I’d not beat a pup for actin’ as a pup will. Mind he don’t bite, though.”

Barbossa’s reply was lost on her, but the second great shake he gave her rattled her bones and stunned her into stillness. She could see Will, with Gibbs’ hand tight around his arm, eyes wide with concern. In the next instant she was propelled along below deck, with Barbossa’s hand at her back, pushing her onward.

“I’m going,” she hissed, heart pattering against her ribs with an old, unshakeable fear as she clattered along the deck. Sailors sat up to watch as he marched her past, snagging a lantern as they went, and propelled her on down into the rear of the damp, shadowy, deserted hold.

Elizabeth wrenched her arm from his grasp once they’d left the stares of the off-duty merchant sailors behind. “You brute,” she hissed, and he smiled benignly before settling himself on an upturned crate.

“Sit down,” he commanded, and his tone brooked no refusal, though his expression was easy. The corners of his mouth curled up at the haughty tilt of her chin, and he turned to hang the lantern on a nearby hook. “If ye please.”

Elizabeth huffed and sat on a cask, setting her jaw against the sudden feeling that she were eight years old, stood before her father’s desk and awaiting judgment for some childish infraction. “There’s nothing you need say to me that can’t be said on deck,” she stated. The lantern swung back and forth, taking its light with it; she could hear the scurrying of a hundred unseen things in the shadows around them.

“We both know the right of it,” Barbossa said, “and we both know that’s not the truth. I imagine ye know the punishment for in-fightin’ and rabble rousin’ aboard a vessel. You think yer young man would stand to see ye lashed to the mast with yer back torn open? Did ye think what was left of us after bein’ overwhelmed by the crew would make Singapore in a longboat, or that yer nature would remain undiscovered?”

He was right, of course, and she hated him for it.

“You chose yer part,” he continued, “an’ I went along with it, thinkin’ the work would keep ye occupied. One schemin’, watchful woman is enough on this venture.” He leaned in, eyes gleaming. “But be assured: if ye don’t stop yer poutin’ then I’ll clap ye back in petticoats and stick ye in a cabin wi’ Tia Dalma on the next leg of the voyage.”

“You wouldn’t,” Elizabeth protested, propelled to her feet by her pride and by the stinging injustice of it. “You need another pair of hands with which to barter passage. I’ve done the work, haven’t I? I can do as much as any man.” I could have bested that lout MacNeill, too.

Barbossa’s expression was knowing, but he said nothing, only drew his oily black pipe from his pocket and began to fuss with it. “It seems that in order for this business to succeed, I must also broker peace between one Miss Elizabeth Swann and the world. Yer too smart by far to throw our venture away on the back of a scrub brush, so I’ll ask ye once and one time only, and pray to the Powers that it ain’t some womanly trouble or young Turner’s moon-struck face what throws you into distemper. What ails ye?”

Elizabeth curled into herself, sullen. What, indeed? Everything. Nothing. She could peel back the layers like an onion, and at the center find Jack Sparrow, tied to the mast, proud of her for her deceit, yet rueful, as if he looked back at all the pieces of the puzzle that had been their journey together and wished he’d left her at the bottom of the bay.

“Jack,” she said at last, for Barbossa could be patient when it suited him, and always saw more than he appeared to see. “Jack Sparrow.”

His chuckle surprised her, and she stared at him balefully while he laughed, and his penknife made a scritch scritch noise on the inside of the bowl of his pipe.

“Outplayed clever Jack, did ye?” he said, and his lined face creased with delight. “I must say I wondered.”

“Don’t say it like that,” Elizabeth said, “and don’t laugh. There isn’t anything funny about it. He trusted me, and I… I killed him.” 

Barbossa blew into his pipe and studied it. “I warrant ye’d do it again if it came to it,” said he.

“I wouldn’t,” Elizabeth protested, and he fixed her with a shrewd glance, the artifice of his pipe cleaning discarded, and she knew he had been navigating them toward this point in the conversation since the beginning, and that her darkest secret was no secret at all.

“You would,” he said sharply, “just as I would, and there’s no use denyin’ it. The sooner ye get it through yer head, then the better off we’ll be. There be two courses laid out before ye; you can carry on as ye have been, ‘til yer guilt clouds yer judgment and gets yerself or someone else killed, or you can own what ye did, knowin’ a good many have tried to do the same before ye and failed. I know what I would do, and I know what Jack Sparrow would do.”

The weight of it shifted in her breast, leaving her breathless and miserable. “It was the only way,” Elizabeth whispered.

“Then that be the truth of it,” Barbossa said, and he did not glare, or leer, or do anything except just sit and look at her. “Jack Sparrow never thought to die of old age in a warm bed, I can promise ye that.”

Elizabeth studied Barbossa. He returned to his pipe, and the great unwieldy sickness that plagued her seemed to lessen a bit in the face of his certainty. His own death had been a lonely, tragic thing, and after the danger had passed she’d often thought about the apple he’d dropped as he’d died, and it had troubled her so that she’d gone to her father and spoken about it with him.

It is pity, Elizabeth, her father had said, the lamplight playing over his kindly face, catching in the curls of the wig he wore. It is pity which moves you.

Pity. She wondered what he would say about Jack, if he were there to ask, and if she would be ashamed to tell him, or if the shame she’d carried for so long would indeed turn into this new feeling which waited now for her to dissect and study, this feeling which hinted at redemption and grace.

“What was it like?” she asked, partly because she wanted to know, and partly because she thought it might make him let her go and leave her be. 

Barbossa’s expression made her wish she hadn’t asked. He stared at her, and by and by she thought that perhaps he wasn’t looking at her at all, only at that scene in the cavern on Isla de Muerta. “Nothin’,” he said at last. “It were like nothin’.” He shook himself, and smiled ruefully. “Imagine m’surprise to wake up and find Tia Dalma fryin’ fish in the next room.”

A noise from the deck above; one of the sailors called down the hatch for Barbossa. He dusted himself off and stood, reaching out a long arm for the lantern. The pool of light bobbed and danced on the floor and on the crates and casks, and Elizabeth hurried to follow. “What made you know about Jack?” she asked, reaching to catch his sleeve and scarcely stopping herself in time. “How did you know?”

 He spared her a glance. “Weren’t so sure it weren’t womanly troubles. Could be that I’ve cut guilt out of m’own heart often enough to know what it looks like on someone else. Now get on deck, and no more of yer lip. If ye could manage to look less like I’ve handed ye the keys to the kingdom and more contrite, missy, then I’d be much obliged.”

Elizabeth considered. It would garner a measure of sympathy from the crew, and MacNeill would be less likely to trouble her if he thought the consequences appropriate. “Hit me.”

To Barbossa’s credit he did not question her, only stood and looked at her with something like approval on his face. Though she saw it coming and moved with it, it still hurt. He didn’t laugh when she winced and fingered her jaw, only collected the lantern and continued.

She followed through the inhabited parts of the hold, head down, mindful of the whispers and muttering of the sailors. Elizabeth took to the ladder ahead of Barbossa, and was head and shoulders into the blinding sunlight when his voice came bellowing up behind her. “An’ there’ll be more than the back of m’hand next time, ye bandy cock, if ye don’t stay that temper! I’ll hang ye by yer ankles from the yardarm if ye test me!”

Will was there waiting, eye half on his task. He left his work and went to her, offering her a hand up and a clap on the shoulder. His expression was grim. “Are you hurt?” he asked.

“No,” she said, and for the first time in a long while it felt like the truth to say so. She gave him a small smile, and felt a twinge of satisfaction as it pulled at her swollen lip. “Let’s get back to work.”

#pirates of the caribbean #potc #fanfiction #elizabeth swann #hector barbossa #round 4

[mysgprop-cstee]

SkyWaters Residences

SkyWaters Residences

Skywaters Residences - the future tallest building in Singapore, presents an exceptional investment opportunity in Singapore's rapidly evolving landscape. It's a mixed-use and integrated development served by 3 MRTs lines, with a blend of residential and commercial units overlooking Singapore’s CBD and near landmarks like 100AM and Guoco Tower. Priced To Sell Seeking for Early Birds for Launch ✔ Exclusive 215 Units ✔ Developed by Leading Companies – Alibaba Group & Perennial Holdings ✔ Transformative Redevelopment of AXA Tower in Central District 1 ✔ Prime Location in Singapore's Central Business District ✔ Directly linked to Tanjong Pagar MRT and within walking distance to Maxwell and Prince Edward MRT stations. ✔ Tallest Residential Building in Singapore, Standing at 305 Meters  Book Appointment "Skywaters Residences: Ascend to Luxury Living in Singapore's Heart" Quick LinksBook Appointment Fact Sheet What's Nearby? Unit Mixes/ Diagrammatic Chart Typical Floor Plan Exteriors & InteriorsExteriors & Facilities Interiors Price Guide Payment Terms & Fee Download E-Brochure FAQsWhat’s the land price for Skywaters Residences? Where is the showflat of Skywaters Residences? When is the estimated completion for Skywaters Residences?

Introduction

Skywaters Residences is a new 99-year leasehold condominium located at 8 Shenton Way in Singapore’s District 1. The development is a joint venture between Alibaba Group Holding Limited and Perennial Holdings Limited, two of the leading companies in the e-commerce and real estate sectors respectively. Skywaters Residences is set to transform the former AXA Tower, which was sold for S$1.68 billion in 2018, into a stunning mixed-use skyscraper that will offer public spaces, offices, retail, hotel, and luxury residences. Skywaters Residences is the tallest residential building in Singapore and the third tallest building in the country, with a height of 305 meters. It comprises 215 units in 63-storeys, ranging from one-bedroom to four-bedroom apartments, that are designed to cater to the needs and preferences of discerning homebuyers and investors. Skywaters Residences is located in the heart of Singapore’s Central Business District (CBD), within walking distance of many amenities, including multiple MRT stations in different lines, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, and Lau Pa Sat. Skywaters Residences is more than just a place to live; it is a lifestyle destination that offers unparalleled convenience, comfort, and connectivity. 

Skywaters Residences Concept Design The upcoming development will boast 1.6 million sq ft that comprises retail spaces, offices, a hotel and luxury residential units. “8 Shenton Way will be one of the first post-pandemic mixed-use towers incorporating health and wellness as its primary design drivers,” says SOM’s partner Mustafa Abadan. The basement level connects to the underground pedestrian network and has direct access to the Tanjong Pagar MRT Station on the East-West Line. Within walking distance are the upcoming Maxwell MRT Station on the Thomson-East Coast Line and Prince Edward MRT Station on the Circle Line, scheduled to be operational in 2023 this year and 2026 respectively. The public plaza on the ground floor opens up to the street, and consists of a multi-floor atrium, a reflecting pool, performance and events space, retail and alfresco seating. The second floor is an open-air green space with restaurants and biodiverse plants. Extending vertically upwards are offices with floor plates over 43,055 sq ft and 3m floor-to-ceiling windows. Several floors of hotels sit on top, while residences occupy the topmost floors of the tower with panoramic sea and city views. LIVE Enrich Our Growing Community. LIVE refers to the style of architecture that perfectly blends nature with living. The design focuses on natural wind and air circulation, sunlight through floor-to-ceiling windows, and green areas that give residents the feeling of home in every step of the project. WELL Work-Life Balance WORK signifies easy to work solutions, specifically the project’s co-working space within the premises provides residents with a dedicated area to work or study without having to commute to an external office or library. This convenience can be especially beneficial for remote workers, students, or entrepreneurs living in the condo. LIFE Take Quality of Life to the next level. LIFE focuses on enhancing residents’ quality of life by providing a large common area to meet future living trends and to satisfy the lifestyles of all generations, with facilities such as the Club Houses, fully equippep Gymnasium, Lounge, a Family’s Pool, and a 50-meter swimming pool with a hydrotherapy system. Skywaters Residences is not just a place to live; it is an investment in Singapore's future. The CBD is undergoing a remarkable transformation, with the government investing heavily in infrastructure and development. As the area evolves into a thriving hub of business, leisure, and culture, Skywaters Residences is poised to become a highly sought-after address, offering residents a lifestyle of unparalleled luxury and convenience. Fact Sheet TypeDescriptionsProject NameSkywaters ResidencesDeveloperAlibaba Singapore/ Consortium led by Perennial HoldingsLocation8 Shenton Way, Singapore 068811 (District 01)Tenure99 yearsEstimated Completion2029Site Area11,8220 sqft / 10,983sqmTotal Units215 units in 63 Storeys (Tallest in Singapore)Car Park LotsEstimated 80% allocation

Perennial Holdings Limited: Perennial Holdings is a Singapore-based integrated real estate and healthcare company with a focus on large-scale mixed-use developments. Established in 2013, the company has rapidly expanded its presence across Asia, with operations in China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. The company is engaged in real estate ownership, development, and management. The company strategically concentrates on mixed-use developments, emphasizing the integration of various components, such as residential, commercial, and healthcare facilities. Perennial boasts a substantial portfolio, encompassing approximately 80 million square feet in gross floor area. This portfolio includes diverse projects in different countries, showcasing the company's commitment to creating integrated and sustainable urban developments. Alibaba Group Holding Limited: Alibaba Group is a Chinese multinational conglomerate founded in 1999 by Jack Ma and headquartered in Hangzhou, China. Initially known for its e-commerce platform, Alibaba has diversified into various sectors, including retail, technology, e-commerce, cloud computing, digital media, and entertainment. Some of its well-known platforms include Alibaba.com, Taobao, Tmall, AliExpress, Alipay, Alibaba Cloud, and Ant Group.  Alibaba Group is part of the joint venture leading the development of Skywaters Residences, contributing its expertise and resources to this iconic project. The involvement of Alibaba signifies a strategic move into the real estate sector in Singapore. SKIDMORE, OWINGS & MERRILL (SOM) You may have heard of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), an American architecture firm renowned for their innovative and modern design solutions. Established in Chicago in the 1930s by Louis Skidmore, Nathaniel Owings, and John Merrill, SOM has since grown into a global collective of architects, designers, engineers, and planners. Known for their iconic skyscraper designs, SOM is responsible for some of the most recognizable buildings in the world, including the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and the Willis Tower in Chicago. Despite their success, the firm recognizes the need for greater diversity in the industry and has made efforts to address the persistent diversity gap in architecture. With a rich history and a commitment to pushing the boundaries of design, SOM continues to be a leading voice in the world of architecture.

Unique Selling Points

- Joint Venture Powerhouse: A collaboration between Alibaba Group Holding Limited and Perennial Holdings Limited, Skywaters Residences combines the expertise of e-commerce giant Alibaba with the real estate prowess of Perennial Holdings. - Former AXA Tower Transformation: The development breathes new life into the former AXA Tower, a S$1.68 billion investment in 2018. It now emerges as a mixed-use skyscraper, featuring public spaces, offices, retail outlets, a hotel, and luxury residences. - Tallest Residential Building: Soaring to a height of 305 meters, Skywaters Residences claims the title of the tallest residential building in Singapore and stands proudly as the third tallest building in the country. - Diverse Unit Range: With 215 units ranging from one-bedroom to four-bedroom apartments, Skywaters Residences caters to the diverse needs and preferences of discerning homebuyers and investors. - Central Business District Hub: Nestled in the heart of Singapore’s Central Business District (CBD), residents enjoy unparalleled access to Raffles Place MRT Station, Tanjong Pagar MRT Station, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, and the iconic Lau Pa Sat. - Lifestyle Destination: Beyond a residence, Skywaters Residences is a lifestyle destination that seamlessly blends convenience, comfort, and connectivity. It offers a living experience that transcends the ordinary.

Project Unique Features

The Location

Skywaters Residences is surrounded by a plethora of amenities, such as shopping malls, eateries, banks, offices, hotels, and attractions. Residents can enjoy the vibrant lifestyle of the CBD, with its array of dining, entertainment, and cultural options. Some of the nearby landmarks include Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, Lau Pa Sat, The Fullerton Hotel, The Esplanade, and The ArtScience Museum.

Singapore MRT Map One of the most attractive features of Skywaters Residences is its strategic location in the heart of Singapore’s Central Business District (CBD). The development is located at 8 Shenton Way, which is a prominent address that is well-connected to various transport networks and amenities. Residents can enjoy directly link access to Tanjong Pagar (East-West Line) MRT station, and Maxwell (Thomson East Coast Line) and Prince Edward (Circle Line) MRT, which are both within walking distance from the development. The development is also close to major expressways, such as the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE), the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), and the Central Expressway (CTE), which provide convenient driving routes to other destinations. For young couples or families with children, Skywaters Residences is also close to schools like Nanyang Institute of Management, IAS and Oxford Tuition. If you're wondering about what you can do around the area, residents can head to nearby supermarkets like FairPrice - Tanjong Pagar and FairPrice Finest - Finest Amara for groceries and household products. 

Never worry about your health emergencies or regular health checkups with access to nearby clinics such as Alpha Dental Group. If you require post office services, you can head to Robinson Road Post Office. Also, if you need monetary services, you can head to The Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co Ltd. For your leisure and entertainment, head down to the local park - Tanjong Pagar Park, to enjoy some fresh air. Residents can also enjoy a scenic jog/ride around Marina bay or stroll in the Gardens By the Bay enjoying the ever-changing installations. Sentosa or the Green belt are great choices for hikers as well. Skywaters Residences is also close to the Marina Bay Financial Centre, the Asia Square, and the Guoco Tower, which are some of the leading business hubs in the region. Skywaters Residences is a location that offers the best of both worlds: a prestigious address and a convenient lifestyle.

Lentor Mansion - Street Directory What's Nearby? Trains (MRT)
 • TANJONG PAGAR EW15 130m 
• PRINCE EDWARD ROAD CC32 260m (U/C 2026) 
• SHENTON WAY TE19 450m Groceries/ Shopping • Tanjong Pagar Centre 220m • DON DON DONKI @ 100AM 435m • Cold Storage - Altez 348m • Marina One Tower 650m Schools • Cantonment Primary 760m

Site Plan/ Floor Plan

The design concept involves the creation of a modular system, which integrates natural open space modules. These open space modules work in collaboration with the building’s structure to produce a range of distinctive with unique features. The site plan of Skywaters Residences has been thoughtfully designed to make the most of space while preserving a scenic environment that Singaporeans will appreciate. The developer, known for their dedication to creating high-quality properties with top-notch facilities, has poured their expertise into this development. Among the outstanding amenities are a refreshing swimming pool, a well-equipped gym, a community clubhouse, inviting BBQ pits, a playground for the kids, steam room & many more.

Smart Homes Safety and security are a top priority at Skywaters Residences Condo, catering to the peace of mind that local residents value. The development is equipped with comprehensive security features, including 24/7 surveillance, CCTV cameras, access control systems, and intercoms. For those who own cars, a spacious and well-lit parking area is readily available. Additionally, the development embraces modern living with a smart home system, allowing residents to conveniently control lighting, temperature, and security from anywhere in their homes, a feature Singaporeans will find both practical and appealing. Unit Mixes/ Diagrammatic Chart Typical Floor Plan

Exteriors & Interiors With slightly over 210 units, you can truly feel the highest level of privacy. The separation of Active Zone and Private Space offers a sense of connection to the outside world while not lacking a sense of peace and order. A complete Well-Being retreat destination, provides an exhilarating mix of facilities in the vast area. This is a place, where you can always join in the activities with your family.

Building Design Reenergise your body with our state-of-the art amenities, curated for your preferred activities at various facilities on different levels. Reward yourself with deeper Well-Being. At our swimming pool and jacuzzi, you can let it all go and collect yourself at the same time. While the unblocked view relaxes your mind, leave you feeling invigorating as ever. Exteriors & Facilities

Interiors

Read the full article

#CondoTOP2029 #District01Property #IntegratedDevelopment #SingaporeCondoNearMRT #SingaporeNewCondo2024

[isocertification9001]

The Significance of ISO 9001 Certification consultants in Singapore

/ Uncategorized / By Factocert Mysore

The Significance of ISO 9001 Certification in Singapore

ISO 9001 certification in Singapore In the ever-evolving worldwide marketplace, where quality and character are critical, ISO 9001 certification in Singapore indicates excellence in top-notch control systems for corporations operating in Singapore, a country with an unexpectedly growing economic gadget and a burgeoning commercial enterprise business location.

ISO 9001 certification is highly valued. This complete manual explores the certification’s importance in Singapore , its blessings, the certification process, and its broader implications for companies in the Singaporean corporation panorama.

Apprehending ISO 9001 Certification

ISO 9001 is an internationally recognized elegant advance via the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that Fulfills the requirements for a pleasing managed device (QMS). It gives a framework for organizations to set up, place into impact, preserve, and normally beautify strategies that ensure the regular shipping of products and services meets consumer necessities and regulatory requirements.

Significance in Singapore Industrial Landscape

Singapore’s economic device has seen a robust increase in state-of-the-art years, driven by the resources and industries, including production, agriculture, and  As Singapore seeks to position itself as a hub for investment and financial improvement in West Africa, the significance of pleasant management and regulatory compliance cannot be overstated.

ISO 9001 certification in Singapore holds extremely good relevance for companies in Singapore at some point in numerous sectors. Whether producing client devices, providing economic offerings, or handing over construction obligations, ISO 9001 certification in Singapore demonstrates a commitment to superb, patron pleasure, and non-prevent development. It complements competitiveness, fosters giving as actual among stakeholders, and opens doors to new possibilities locally and internationally. ISO 9001 Certification in India

The help of ISO 9001 Certification in Singapore

Enhanced Product and Service Quality:

 Implementing ISO 9001 certification in Singapore ensures that agencies adhere to remarkable super-control practices critical to advanced products and great providers. Companies can meet or exceed client expectations and enhance pride by installing smooth strategies, monitoring essential, simple overall performance, and addressing non-conformities. ISO 9001 Certification in Qatar

Increased Efficiency and Cost Savings: 

ISO 9001 certification in Singapore emphasizes the significance of manner optimization and aid usage, critical to advanced regular overall performance and charge economic and financial savings. By streamlining operations, decreasing waste, and minimizing errors, groups can lower manufacturing fees, increase profitability, and gain a competitive advantage within the market.

Improved Customer Satisfaction:

 ISO 9001 certification in Singapore emphasizes data patron goals and expectations and strives to satisfy or exceed them. By focusing on client delight, groups can cultivate loyalty, foster repeat business enterprise organization, and generate terrific word-of-mouth referrals using commercial agency boom and success. ISO 9001 Certification in Saudi Arabia

Enhanced Market Access and Credibility:

 ISO 9001 certification in Singapore is globally recognized and revered, providing organizations in Singapore with a competitive advantage in each home and international market. Certification signs and symptoms to clients, businesses, and partners show that a business agency company is dedicated to quality and can turn in products and services that meet regulatory and enterprise organization requirements.

Risk management and continuous improvement:

ISO 9001 certification in Singapore encourages a proactive approach to managing threats and making persistent improvements. By identifying capability dangers, implementing preventive measures, and tracking regular, popular, and ordinary performance, businesses can mitigate threats to incredible, enhance resilience, and stress ongoing improvement and innovation.

Employee Engagement and Empowerment:

ISO 9001 certification in Singapore promotes the existence of niceness and obligation at some point in a company. By relating to personnel within the improvement and implementation of top-notch manipulation structures, agencies can foster a revel in possession, empowerment, and resolution to engaging in organizational desires and desires.

Achieving ISO 9001 certification consists of several key steps, which encompass:

Gap Analysis: 

Conduct an extensive assessment of current strategies, methods, and practices to discover gaps and regions for improvement close to ISO 9001 certification in Singapore requirements.

QMS Development: 

Develop and implement a complete first-class management system (QMS) that aligns with ISO 9001’s requirements. This includes documenting guidelines, techniques, artwork commands, and information vital to demonstrating compliance.

Training and Education:

Provide training and education to personnel at the QMS about their amazing goals and their roles and duties within the employer. This guarantees interest and competency in imposing and retaining the QMS.

Internal Audits:

 Conduct internal audits to evaluate the effectiveness of the QMS, apprehend non-conformities, and enforce corrective movements to deal with regions of improvement.

Management Review:

 Engage senior managers in daily evaluations of the QMS to assess its ordinary, fashionable everyday performance, suitability, and effectiveness in achieving superb mission goals.

Certification Audit: 

Select a conventional first-rate ISO 9001 certification in Singapore and undergo the right certification audit. The audit includes an extensive examination of the industrial enterprise company’s QMS documentation, strategies, and compliance with ISO 9001 certification in Singapore requirements.

Continuous Improvement:

 Establish a method of non-preventive improvement by monitoring key desired common performance signs and symptoms, soliciting comments from stakeholders, and implementing corrective and preventive movements to enhance the QMS continuously.

Conclusion:

ISO 9001 certification in Singapore is a testament to an enterprise employer’s commitment to superb, client-pleasant, and non-save-you improvement. In the unexpectedly evolving organization landscape in Singapore, certification gives an aggressive advantage, enhances market access, and fosters sustainable boom and achievement.

 By enforcing ISO 9001 certification in Singapore, corporations in Singapore can optimize operations, reduce expenses, and deliver products and services that constantly meet or exceed consumer expectations. As Singapore maintains its direction of financial improvement and industrialization, ISO 9001 certification in Singapore will be critical in using excellence and ensuring long-term sustainability within the international market.

For more information, visit: ISO 9001 certification in Singapore

Related Links

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ISO CONSULTANT IN SINGAPORE

[helencampossg]

Elevate Your Business with Joint Venture Agreements in Singapore

Considering a Joint Venture in Singapore? Look no further! We, as Helen Campos, bring you a tailored Joint Venture Agreement Singapore that redefines collaboration dynamics in the Lion City. 

Navigating the competitive landscape demands strategic partnerships, and our agreements are the blueprint for success. Crafted with precision and expertise, we ensure your venture aligns seamlessly with both your aspirations and Singapore's regulatory framework.

Why choose our services? 

We merge legal acumen with business insight, offering you a holistic approach to crafting agreements. From profit-sharing mechanisms to dispute resolution strategies, every detail is meticulously-addressed, providing a solid foundation for your joint venture.

Embrace transparency and clarity, essential for fostering a cooperative environment. Let us handle the legal intricacies, freeing you to concentrate on innovation and growth. We understand the uniqueness of your business, tailoring agreements to suit your goals and aspirations.

Ready to embark on a transformative venture? Contact us today, and let's create a Joint Venture Agreement that not only complies with Singaporean corporate law but also propels your business into new realms of success.

#Joint Venture Agreement Singapore #offshore company formation #company registration consultants #register llp singapore #setting up company in singapore #tax services singapore #employment pass application agency #setting up a holding company in singapore

[lalsingh228-blog]

Airlines Market May Set New Growth Story

Global Airlines Market Report from AMA Research highlights deep analysis on market characteristics, sizing, estimates and growth by segmentation, regional breakdowns & country along with competitive landscape, player’s market shares, and strategies that are key in the market. The exploration provides a 360° view and insights, highlighting major outcomes of the industry. These insights help the business decision-makers to formulate better business plans and make informed decisions to improved profitability. In addition, the study helps venture or private players in understanding the companies in more detail to make better informed decisions. Some are the key & emerging players that are part of coverage and have being profiled are American Airlines Group (United States), Air France KLM (France), ANA Holdings (Japan), British Airways (United Kingdom), Delta Air Lines (United States), Deutsche Lufthansa (Germany), Hainan Airlines (China), Japan Airlines (Japan), LATAM Airlines Group (Chile), Qantas Airways (Australia). Get Free Exclusive PDF Sample Copy of This Research @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/63600-global-airlines-market Airlines are the companies which provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. These companies uses aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships with other airlines for codeshare agreements. Airlines vary in size from small domestic airlines to full-service international airlines with double decker airlines.

The titled segments and sub-section of the market are illuminated below: by Services (Intercontinental, Domestic, Regional, International), End-User (Passenger, Freight)

Market Trends:

Demand for Eco-Friendly and Fuel Efficient Aircraft from Airline Companies

Opportunities:

Growing Tourism Industry Worldwide

Increasing Number of International Airports Worldwid

Market Drivers:

Increase in Number of Air Passengers Worldwide

Increased Disposable Income of the People in Emerging Countries

Advertisement of Tourist Places by Tourism Industries

Global Airlines market report highlights information regarding the current and future industry trends, growth patterns, as well as it offers business strategies to help the stakeholders in making sound decisions that may help to ensure the profit trajectory over the forecast years. Region Included are: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Oceania, South America, Middle East & AfricaCountry Level Break-Up: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, South Africa, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Germany, United Kingdom (UK), the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Turkey, Russia, France, Poland, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Australia and New Zealand etc. Have Any Questions Regarding Global Airlines Market Report, Ask Our Experts@ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/enquiry-before-buy/63600-global-airlines-market Points Covered in Table of Content of Global Airlines Market:

Chapter 01 – Airlines Executive Summary

Chapter 02 – Market Overview

Chapter 03 – Key Success Factors

Chapter 04 – Global Airlines Market - Pricing Analysis

Chapter 05 – Global Airlines Market Background

Chapter 06 -- Global Airlines Market Segmentation

Chapter 07 – Key and Emerging Countries Analysis in Global Airlines Market

Chapter 08 – Global Airlines Market Structure Analysis

Chapter 09 – Global Airlines Market Competitive Analysis

Chapter 10 – Assumptions and Acronyms Chapter 11 – Research Methodology Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/reports/63600-global-airlines-market Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Middle East, Africa, Europe or LATAM, Southeast Asia. Contact US : Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager) AMA Research & Media LLP Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ New Jersey USA – 08837 Phone: [phone] [email protected]

#Global Airlines Market #Airlines Market Demand #Airlines Market Trends #Airlines Market Analysis #Airlines Market Growth #Airlines Market Share #Airlines Market Forecast #Airlines Market Challenges

[americamortgages]

Expat Living: Looking to buy property in USA?

Investing in the largest real estate market in the world – the United States – can be a fantastic way to create future passive income. If you’re a non-US passport holder (foreign national) or a U.S. expat living overseas (Singapore or Hong Kong, for example), you may find it can be very complicated if not impossible when looking for a mortgage loan to buy real estate in the U.S. Even American expats returning home and buying property in America fail to qualify for a mortgage loan from U.S. banks. Mainly because they don’t have a credit footprint or earned income in the U.S..

Read on to discover how you can easily obtain a U.S. mortgage loan regardless of your passport or place of residence.

Meet the American mortgage loan experts right here in Singapore!

Creating a portfolio of real estate or a single property investment is a proven way to build wealth and pass down a legacy to your family. Asset appreciation, high rental yields, no stamp duty, low barrier to entry and a stable market are some of the factors that make the U.S. real estate market a fantastic investment.

However, before you go shopping for that new home with a pool in Florida or a penthouse apartment in Manhattan, the first step is getting a non-committal approval for a mortgage loan.

America Mortgages (AM) was set up in Singapore earlier this year to unlock the U.S. real estate market for buyers living outside America. The company is a subsidiary of Global Mortgage Group (GMG), the largest international mortgage ‘originator’ for U.S. real estate.

GMG was co-founded in 2019 by Donald Klip and Robert Chadwick, both ex-institutional bankers. The two Americans met in Singapore in 2018 and became friends. Robert’s professional experience was in U.S. mortgages, and he was a seasoned investor in U.S. real estate. Donald was a hedge fund manager and investment banker in Asia with global real estate investing experience.

As expats themselves, both Donald and Robert realised that obtaining a mortgage from a “traditional” bank in a country where you don’t live and/or hold a passport is frustrating and often impossible. This led to them establishing GMG. GMG now has loan options in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, UK and various locations in Europe, to name a few.

How America Mortgages helps you get a mortgage loan in America

While GMG specialises in residential, commercial, construction and bridge financing in different countries, America Mortgages’ sole focus is providing market rate mortgages specifically for the U.S. 100% of their clients are either U.S. expats or foreign nationals living overseas. Due to a very focused expertise, AM approves 97% of loans submitted.

Here are the key highlights of a U.S. mortgage loan for foreign nationals and U.S. expats:

For a non-U.S. citizen: maximum loan-to-value (LTV) is 75% for purchase and 70% for refinance and equity release

For a U.S. expat: maximum LTV is 80% for purchase and 80% for refinance and equity release

Minimum loan amount of US$150,000 and maximum of US$50,000,000

Fixed term options of 5, 10 and 30 years

All loans amortised over 30 years, regardless of borrower’s age

10-year fixed interest-servicing-only payments available

Mortgage loans available in all 50 states

Self-employed and employed borrowers allowed

No U.S. credit or footprint required

So, whether you’re a global investor, buying a holiday home for yourself, an apartment for your child when they attend university or simply growing your investment portfolio to pass down to your children, it’s possible for you to buy property in America!

The biggest myth of buying real estate in the U.S.

Although AM suggests that buyers should get advice from their attorney or tax advisor on investing in any real estate market, the myth of the States being a highly taxed country for buying U.S. real estate couldn’t be further from the truth.

For one, regardless of whether you’re an American citizen or a foreign national, there’s no stamp duty when purchasing property in the U.S. There are also no government limitations or restrictions on when or where a foreigner can purchase or sell property in America. Since there aren’t any cooling measures, this means that savvy investors are able to take advantage of properly researched locations and asset types. Yields and appreciation galore!

America Mortgages has been featured in Yahoo! Finance, The Mortgage Daily, Canadian Business Journal and other notable publications for its open architecture approach as well as providing borrowers with access to both in-house AM and third-party solutions to make informed decisions.

The AM team says that it shouldn’t have to be confusing, overwhelming or foreign to obtain a U.S. mortgage to buy property in America; they have loan officers throughout Asia and around the world with the depth of experience and knowledge required for resolving complex issues foreign national and expat borrowers may have that U.S. banks and brokers don’t know how to handle.

Far from being on the outside looking in, now what real estate investors get is a front-and-centre window into the U.S. market. You can open and close a transaction all while sitting in your living room in Singapore without ever getting on a plane!

Reference: https://www.americamortgages.com/looking-to-buy-property-in-usa/

#Mortgage Lenders Of America #US Mortgage

[scloudsg]

The Complex Case of GPU Smuggling: What, Who and How?

The race for artificial intelligence (AI) supremacy is heating up, and at the heart of this battleground lies a critical piece of hardware: the graphics processing unit (GPU). High-end GPUs from Nvidia, the industry leader, have become coveted tools for training powerful AI models, and China, in its quest to become an AI powerhouse, is determined to get its hands on them — even if it means breaking the rules.

Despite strict US export controls aimed at restricting the flow of these advanced chips to China, a thriving underground market for smuggled GPUs has emerged. This article delves into the nefarious world of GPU smuggling, exploring the motivations behind it, the methods employed, and the potential consequences for both China and the world.

Fuelling China’s AI Engine

China’s ambition to dominate the AI landscape is no secret. The country has poured billions into AI research and development, aiming to achieve AI leadership by 2030. However, its domestic chip industry lags behind global giants like Nvidia, leaving it reliant on foreign technology for its most advanced AI projects.

This is where GPU smuggling comes in. Banned Nvidia A100 and H100 chips, crucial for training complex AI models, are finding their way into Chinese labs and research institutions through a network of shell companies, bulk orders diverted from authorized channels, and clandestine smuggling routes through Southeast Asia.

Behind the Mask for GPU Smuggling

Military Might and State-Sponsored Ambition

For China’s military and state-backed research institutions, the allure of smuggled GPUs lies in their potential to accelerate the development of advanced military applications. These chips power research into autonomous weapons systems, facial recognition and tracking technology, and even sophisticated cyberwarfare tools. By acquiring them through clandestine channels, these entities seek to bypass stringent export controls and gain a strategic edge in their pursuit of military prowess.

The Lure of Economic Dominance

Private companies, however, are often driven by more earthly pursuits: profit and market dominance. Cloud providers see a goldmine in offering AI services powered by smuggled GPUs. These chips offer superior processing power at a fraction of the cost, allowing them to undercut competitors and attract a larger customer base. Additionally, in a fiercely competitive Chinese AI market, companies view access to these chips as a way to maintain their edge and secure lucrative government contracts.

The Thrill of the Gray Market

For some, the act of smuggling itself holds a certain allure. The thrill of defying regulations, exploiting loopholes, and operating in the shadows fuels a sense of adventure and defiance. These individuals, often tech-savvy and resourceful, view themselves as modern-day pirates navigating the treacherous waters of global trade restrictions. While their motives may be more personal than financial or strategic, their contribution to the illegal flow of GPUs nonetheless has significant consequences.

Shadowy GPU Smuggling Routes and Loopholes

The methods employed for GPU smuggling are as intricate as the motivations behind it. Shell companies with opaque ownership structures are set up in third countries to place orders for Nvidia chips that are then rerouted to China. Some exploit loopholes in export regulations, utilizing bulk orders intended for overseas data centres to divert supplies to the Chinese market.

Smuggling routes often weave through Southeast Asia, with Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia serving as key transit points. These regions benefit from their geographical proximity to China and complex trade networks that offer opportunities to disguise the origin and destination of sensitive goods like high-end GPUs.

Beyond the Chips of GPU Smuggling

The shadow trade in smuggled GPUs isn’t merely a clandestine game of cat and mouse between tech giants and customs officials. Its ramifications ripple outwards, casting a complex web of concerns and consequences on the geopolitical stage, the ethical landscape of AI development, and the very fabric of fair competition in the global market. Let’s delve deeper into these far-reaching implications.

National Security Fears: A Looming Shadow

At the forefront of anxieties lies the spectre of national security. The US government views China’s unfettered access to advanced AI, fuelled by smuggled GPUs, as a potential threat to its strategic advantage. The concern isn’t unfounded. These chips power research into autonomous weapons, advanced surveillance systems, and even sophisticated cyberwarfare tools. If channelled into the wrong hands, such capabilities could disrupt regional stability, exacerbate arms races, and pose a grave danger to international security.

Ethical Quagmire: Profiting from GPU Smuggling

The ethical implications of companies leveraging illegally obtained GPUs are no less troubling. Imagine a cloud provider, fuelled by smuggled chips, offering AI services at a fraction of the cost. On the surface, it’s a boon for consumers. But dig deeper, and the picture becomes murkier. Whose agenda are these companies furthering? Are they inadvertently supporting entities with questionable motives or even human rights violations on their record? The opaqueness of the smuggling network shrouds such partnerships in an ethical miasma, raising concerns about complicity and the potential misuse of powerful AI technology.

Market Distortion: An Unlevel Playing Field

Competition thrives on an even playing field. Yet, GPU smuggling throws sand in the gears of fair competition. Companies utilizing illegally sourced chips gain an unfair advantage, undercutting competitors who abide by regulations and incur higher costs. This distorts the market, stifles innovation, and ultimately punishes those who play by the rules. Such an environment, if left unchecked, breeds resentment, discourages ethical practices, and undermines the very foundations of healthy market competition.

Erosion of Export Controls: A Precarious Precedent

The unchecked flow of high-tech components like GPUs sets a dangerous precedent for the future of export controls. These regulations exist for a reason, often safeguarding sensitive technologies that could have detrimental consequences if misused. If smuggling networks are allowed to operate with impunity, it sends a message that such restrictions are toothless, emboldening bad actors and potentially sparking a race to circumvent established trade regulations across various sectors.

Closing the Gate to GPU Smuggling

Combatting GPU smuggling is a complex task with no easy solutions. The US government has vowed to strengthen export controls and crack down on illegal trade networks. However, the small size and high value of GPUs make them difficult to track and intercept.

Call for Collaborative Action

Collaboration with international partners, particularly in Southeast Asia, is crucial to disrupt smuggling routes and tighten border controls. Additionally, industry cooperation from chipset manufacturers like Nvidia in implementing stricter product verification and tracking systems can play a vital role in deterring illegal sales and re-routing.

Navigating Supply & Demand

Ultimately, addressing the issue of GPU smuggling requires a multi-pronged approach that tackles both the supply and demand sides. Continued efforts to strengthen export controls, enforce regulations, and foster international cooperation are necessary to curb this illicit trade and ensure a level playing field in the global AI race, one where innovation thrives within the bounds of ethical and legal frameworks.

Conclusion

The battle for AI supremacy is not just about code and algorithms; it’s also about hardware and the rules of the game. The story of GPU smuggling highlights the complex interplay between technological advancement, national interests, and ethical considerations. Only by addressing these challenges head-on can we ensure that the future of AI is built on a foundation of fairness, transparency, and responsible development.

Source:

https://asiatimes.com/2024/01/china-gets-banned-nvidia-ai-chips-via-gray-markets/

https://www.reuters.com/technology/chinas-military-government-acquire-nvidia-chips-despite-us-ban-2024-01-14/

https://techwireasia.com/01/2024/is-the-govt-of-china-still-procuring-nvidia-chips-despite-us-ban/

Related Articles:

NVIDIA GPUs Power Local AI Revolution: Bane for Cloud?

Intel’s AI-Centric Advances: Impact on CPUs and Cloud Services

A Call for Comprehensive Regulation and Licensing Regimes in AI Development

This article is re-published from: https://www.scloud.sg/resource/the-complex-case-of-gpu-smuggling-what-who-and-how/

#Nvidia #AI #China #USA #Cloud Computing

[data-science-machine-learning]

CyborgIntell seeks to simplify AI machine learning in order to improve business outcomes

India has the third largest fintech ecosystem in the world with The sector in India recorded a market size of $31 billion in 2021. The market has been steadily expanding due to the increase in digitization in the country. The recent entry of AI into the sector has further contributed to this growth.

Data as complex as it is of utmost importance especially to the BFSI market. The collection and correct usage of data can create a significant difference to the companies in the sector.

In order to help companies collect and process large amounts of data, help with the decision-making process and to assist companies to adopt AI technology; trio Suman Singh, Mohammed Nawas, and Amit Kumar founded CyborgIntell in 2019.

CyborgIntell is an enterprise AI software company for financial services, poised for simplifying AI & designed for better ROI. The company was set up to help companies take up AI using the company’s end-to-end Automated Data Science Machine Learning platform to accelerate the decision making process simpler and faster.

Co-founder and CEO Singh told Entrackr, “Our whole mission has been how we can simplify this AI and help our customer to generate a better ROI in a much faster, better and accurate manner.”

Among its key products are iTuring AutoML+ a zero-code auto AI that helps automate data science and machine learning, iTuring MLOps works along with the company’s DevOps platform and helps operationalize AI models for business impact, and iTuring Decision AI which helps organize the outputs of the predictive models and supplement them with policy driven rules.

Basically, iTuring cuts down turnaround time, aids in increasing efficiency, and assists in the delivery of new solutions, looking to increase a business’ ROI and save money by increasing precise and reliable business decisions.

The company has its headquarters in Bangalore, but it also operates offices in Johannesburg and Dallas. The platform licensing subscriptions generate the majority of the company’s revenue. It currently has around 40 active users.

A majority of CyborgIntell’s customer base consists of Tier-1 and Tier-2 banks, Tier-1 and Tier-2 insurance, digital lending, and housing finance companies.

The fintech company has received a total of $2 million in funding in its pre-series A funding round which saw participation from SenseAI, Pentathlon Ventures, and Ghosal Ventures.

The company is currently in discussions with fintech, insurance technology, and core banking solutions companies about developing analytical applications to extract value from their customer data through automation.

As part of its plans of expansion, the four-year-old company recently extended its operations to the US signing it a insurance company in North America. It further plans on expanding into new geographies within the North American market as well.

It currently faces competition from companies like Dataiku, DataRobot, and SAS. In order to get a stronger hold of the market globally as well, the company is also looking to tap into the Singapore, UAE, and Malaysia fintech markets.

#artificial intelligence #machine learning #datascience #automl #mlops

[enreap]

Why choose us, details of our partners and our features

ITSM consulting services in Dubai that are painstakingly created to improve service quality, optimise resource allocation, and streamline processes—thereby setting up your business for success in the digital era. IT Service Management (ITSM) has become increasingly important as the corporate environment changes in the digital age. 

Strategically designed ITSM consulting services enable businesses to have streamlined, effective, and high-achieving IT service management procedures. Our solutions cover a wide range, from asset and problem management to incident and change management, guaranteeing users have a flawless IT service experience. 

Our specialty at enreap is implementing Jira Service Management (JSM), an ITSM application that is widely recognized in the industry and revolutionises helpdesk automation. With strong JSM experience, we present a solution that fits right into the ecosystem of your company. 

We customise solutions that enhance communication, speed up procedures, and make project management easier because we are seasoned Jira professionals. Working with our Jira experts in Dubai will help you increase your output.

Trusted Jira specialists in Dubai. Our knowledgeable experts provide personalised solutions to improve teamwork, expedite project management, and maximise productivity. Our Jira professionals increase your productivity by emphasising faster processes and better communication. This ensures that your projects are managed seamlessly and meet your business's needs.

While every marketing team has a unique workflow, Monday.com partner in Dubai is adaptable to accommodate them all while establishing a common area for teamwork. Monday.com enables marketing teams to plan jointly, establish specific goals, and gain from shared knowledge—instead of exerting twice as much effort for half the results. Using drag-and-drop building pieces makes it easy to create and optimise your workflows.

Your teams may operate in a method that best suits their individual needs with the flexibility to adjust at the speed of business thanks to Monday.com's partner in Singapore. Enhance cooperation among teams, divisions, locations, levels of authority, and instruments by implementing a digital workspace encompassing all business procedures. 

We assist in maximising production while requiring the least amount of work. In order to handle work effectively, we provide a modernised approach for client engagement along with advanced software that is affordable. 

The most challenging issue facing every expanding company is scaling operations while maintaining process efficiency. We are pleased to assist you in reaching your goals because we fully understand them. To keep your infrastructure in line with your company activities, we will help you manage and monitor it.

Planview Partner in Dubai provides professional technical consulting services to improve project management. Our knowledgeable advisors hold in-depth conversations to examine your particular technology objectives and difficulties. 

Making use of our expertise, we offer customised guidance on how to match Planview solutions to your unique technology plan. Our implementation plan guarantees a smooth integration, improving real-time tracking, resource allocation, project management capabilities, and cooperative teamwork.

conclusin 

Enreap is a leading provider of strategic ITSM consulting services that guarantee efficient and successful IT service management processes. Our services are carefully crafted to improve service quality, allocate resources optimally, and streamline procedures, setting your company up for success in the digital age.

[janisurstemostrespectedtrade]

Janis Urste  Easy To Follow Advice About Forex Trading

Janis Urste Professional tips provider. Did you know that over 85% of all Forex investors eventually lose every penny of their investment? This happens for one reason and one reason only: An overall lack of knowledge in currency trading. Learn how to trade and profit by reading and applying the tips from this article.

Beginners in Forex would do well to focus on only one currency pair until they understand how multiple pairs work. World currencies are very complicated and constantly changing in value. Forex is difficult enough to understand as it is, without having to keep track of multiple currency pairs. Pick one and study it. Try your particular nation's currency to start.

As you get into trading in the Forex market, you need to begin to develop trading patterns. If you try to improvise, you can end up losing a lot of money. You should try to automate your trading so that you respond to certain situation in very similar ways.

Having a diversified portfolio is important. So high risk currency trading could be a good part of an investment plan. High risk can lead to very high returns; just make sure you do not over-extend in this market. Since forex is extremely high risk do not use more than five percent of your account on the forex market.

In the Forex market, you should mostly rely on charts that track intervals of four hours or longer. Easy communication and technology allows for quarter-hour interval charts. The issue with short-term charts is that they show much more volatility and cloud yoru view of the overall direction of the current trend. Cut down on unnecessary tension and inflated expectations by using longer cycles.

Listen to your intuition when trading. If something about the trade bothers you, even if you cannot define the reason, do not make the trade. By listening to your instincts and intuition you can avoid any frustration later if you lose money on the trade.

To find reports of forex brokers and brokerage companies that are scamming people, do a Google search using the search terms [company name] + [scam]. This helps you quickly find reviews, blog posts and websites with fraud complaints against the company which allows you to avoid shady brokers and brokerage companies.

Janis Urste Expert tips provider. If you want to try forex to find out if it is for you or not, you should use internet-based deposits, such as, PayPal. Find a broker that lets you start with small amounts and offer an educational support. For instance, try out brokers such as Marketiva, Forexyard or Oanda.

To make money on the foreign exchange market it is absolutely essential to know when to stop losses. It is a common advice to stop on tight losses, but this kind of move can make you lose money fast. It is best to have a wide margin for error to work with, and this should be set by the trader himself.

When you open a position on the Forex market you should take careful stock of the time frame - the current trend on the market and where it is likely to go. Certain portions of a trend involve greater or lesser risk and greater or lesser profit. Tailor your position to the needs of the moment.

Confidence and patience are two major keys to currency trading success. A trader must have total confidence that they will succeed in the long term and have a belief in the decisions that they make. It is not necessary for traders to be in the market constantly to make money.

Pick one of the big markets when you start trading with Forex. New York, London, Tokyo, Singapore and Germany are all big players in the Foreign Exchange Market. Try to avoid the really small markets. The smallest you should deal with is a market like Hong Kong, holding roughly 4% of the market.

Get acquainted with your currency pair on a personal level, by knowing the personality of your currency pair. It has a volatility, it has a spread, it has its own liquidity and many other factors that must not be ignored. Build a relationship with your currency pair that allows you to generate strategies based off of sound knowledge.

Janis Urste Best service provider. The most glamorous from of Forex trading is day trading. Before deciding if Forex day trading is for you, make sure you have enough funds to trade, a super fast computer, an Internet connection and the ability to monitor markets 24/7 (as they never stop). It's also important to make sure you have the knowledge need to work in such a volatile, fast paced arena.

Always have a written trading plan or you are set up to fail. Determine your trading goals, such as, doubling your trading account value in a year. Also, take into consideration, the emotional downfall when you lose a trade and the way you can really handle it. Stick to your plan to make your trading experience successful.

To get ready for actual Forex trading, you should get a good education in foreign exchange by taking some formal courses. These will assist you in understanding the way currency markets operate. With formal training you will understand the factors that affect currency markets. This will give you an edge when you graduate from your demo account and begin Forex trading in the real world.

When learning about Forex, you should not stop at material designed for beginners. This type of information will help you get started and understand the basics. Once you have gone through a sufficient amount of easy to understand material, you should move on to more complex material. Do not think you are ready to start trading after completing an easy course.

Janis Urste Best service provider. Learning how to properly trade with currency pairs is going to put you in the best possible position to profit. You might not instantly begin to see a profit, but if you're applying what you learned here and continue to hone your strategy, you can become one of the 15% and make a decent living with Forex.

#janis urste

[palmoilnews]

GRAINS-Soybeans ease on Brazilian weather, strong demand curbs losses SINGAPORE, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Chicago soybean futures lost ground on Monday, with the market declining for the first time in three sessions as expectations of rains in Brazil weighed on prices, although robust demand for U.S. cargoes limited the fall in prices. Wheat fell around 1% and corn slid. "The weather is looking better for Brazilian soybeans," said a Sydney-based grains trader. "It is not as terrible as what we saw a few weeks ago, but China keeps buying, which is a supportive factor." The most-active soybean contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) Sv1 was down 0.5% to $13.09-3/4 a bushel by 0346 GMT. CBOT corn Cv1 lost 0.5% to $4.80-1/2 a bushel and wheat Wv1 gave up 1% to $6.23-1/4 a bushel. The market is weighing the prospects for soybean production in Brazil, where rains are expected to ease the heat and dryness in key cropping areas, which could improve yields. However, Brazilian soy farmers are now facing a dearth of seeds as suppliers have run out of the main cultivars, the head of seed company Boa Safra Sementes SOJA3.SA said. On the demand front, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Friday confirmed export sales of U.S. soybeans for an eighth consecutive trading session, saying that 447,500 metric tons were sold to unknown destinations and another 134,000 metric tons to China. Domestic demand for U.S. beans also looked solid. Monthly data from the National Oilseed Processors Association showed that the U.S. soybean crush in November rose to its second-highest level on record, exceeding expectations. Speculators are betting on higher soybean prices, but exchange data shows they trimmed their net long position in CBOT contracts in the week ended Dec. 12. They were again net sellers on Friday, traders said. Soybeans have fallen from over $15 a bushel at the start of the year, but clawed back from a two-year low of $12.51 in October. In the wheat market, speculators had by Dec. 12 slashed their net short in CBOT futures and options to 69,529 contracts, the smallest in 17 weeks, and traders said they bought again on Friday. A run of large sales of U.S. wheat to China triggered a flurry of short covering that drove futures to a four-month high of $6.50 a bushel on Dec. 6, but plentiful supply, particularly from Russia, has kept prices under pressure. U.S. exports of soft red winter wheat (SRW) are set to exceed exports of hard red winter wheat (HRW) for the first time in 2023-24. Argentina's 2023/24 wheat harvest is, meanwhile, likely to get a boost after a strong showing in the southern agricultural region, the Buenos Aires grains exchange said. Turning to corn, where strong supply is holding prices near three-year lows, traders said the market was underpinned by a Biden administration decision to recognize a methodology favoured by the ethanol industry in guidance to companies looking to claim tax credits for sustainable aviation fuel. Agribusiness consultancy Safras, meanwhile, pegged Brazil's corn harvest at 129.16 million tons, down from an estimate of 135.71 million tons in September.

[themarketinsights]

Garment Rivets Market is set for a Potential Growth Worldwide: Excellent Technology Trends with Business Analysis

Latest released the research study on Global Garment Rivets Market, offers a detailed overview of the factors influencing the global business scope. Garment Rivets Market research report shows the latest market insights, current situation analysis with upcoming trends and breakdown of the products and services. The report provides key statistics on the market status, size, share, growth factors of the Garment Rivets The study covers emerging player’s data, including: competitive landscape, sales, revenue and global market share of top manufacturers are Shun Shuay Enterprise (China), Fitrite International Co., Ltd. (Taiwan), Yiwu Xingmei Jewelry (China), Morito Scovill Americas (United States), Spring ’85 S.p.A. (Italy), Gayatri Buttons (India), Goel Zippers (India), Dongguan Jiacai Hardware Co., Ltd (China), Yiwu Oleeya Garment Accessories Factory (China), Dongguan Yongfei Hardware Product Co., Ltd (China), Camira Fabrics (United Kingdom), Prym (Germany), Buttoncare (Hong Kong),

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Garment Rivets Market Definition:

Garment Rivet is used for joining two parts of garments together as well as for decoration on a garment. It is an essential element that has been added to clothes over time. These rivets are made of various brass, zinc alloy, steel, iron, etc. Initially, garment rivets were used to hold jeans together at places where they were most likely to come apart, like in the pockets. However, now they are also used as fashionable accessories on various types of garments. The rising awareness of fashion has increased the demand for garment rivet.

Market Trend:

Trend For Customized Designed Garment Rivets

Market Drivers:

Increasing Use Of Garment Rivets In Jeans And Denims

Easy Replacing And Fitting On Garments

Market Opportunities:

Increasing Use Of Garment Rivets As Fashionable Accessories On Garment

Untapped Opportunities From Emerging Countries

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by Type (Fan Rivets, Blind Rivet, Tree Rivets, Others), Application (Commercial, Household, Others), Size (Small, Medium, Large), Sales Channel (Direct Channel, Distribution Channel), Material (Plastic, Metal, Brass, Zinc Alloy, Other)

Region Included are: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Oceania, South America, Middle East & Africa

Country Level Break-Up: United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, South Africa, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Germany, United Kingdom (UK), the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Turkey, Russia, France, Poland, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Australia and New Zealand etc.

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Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope the Garment Rivets market

Chapter 2: Exclusive Summary – the basic information of the Garment Rivets Market.

Chapter 3: Displayingthe Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges of the Garment Rivets

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Chapter 5: Displaying market size by Type, End User and Region 2015-2020

Chapter 6: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the Garment Rivets market which consists of its Competitive Landscape, Peer Group Analysis, BCG Matrix & Company Profile

Chapter 7: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by manufacturers with revenue share and sales by key countries (2021-2026).

Chapter 8 & 9: Displaying the Appendix, Methodology and Data Source

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Data Sources & Methodology The primary sources involves the industry experts from the Global Garment Rivets Market including the management organizations, processing organizations, analytics service providers of the industry’s value chain. All primary sources were interviewed to gather and authenticate qualitative & quantitative information and determine the future prospects.

In the extensive primary research process undertaken for this study, the primary sources – Postal Surveys, telephone, Online & Face-to-Face Survey were considered to obtain and verify both qualitative and quantitative aspects of this research study. When it comes to secondary sources Company's Annual reports, press Releases, Websites, Investor Presentation, Conference Call transcripts, Webinar, Journals, Regulators, National Customs and Industry Associations were given primary weight-age.

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