Bernard was therefore grateful to Charlie as well, and he soon fulfilled his promise.

That meant he didn't just donate two billion to the Ten Thousand Armies, but also spent hundreds of millions to lease an island for a 99-year term from the Sri Lankan government, and then transfer the ownership to the Ten Thousand Armies.

The island happened to be situated strategically near the Indian Ocean international shipping route, a crucial transit point connecting East Asia to the western hemisphere.