I stared at his face, pondering for a moment, and mischievously said, "Well, let's hear the bad news! After all, I thrive on bad news. It gives me positive energy.""The bad news is that the design for the second phase of the Avalon Hills has been rejected. The groundbreaking ceremony might be delayed.""Rejected?" Our plan was quite authoritative, so rejection was unexpected. "Wasn't it already approved? Why the rejection? Are their demands too high?"Ryan looked at me and smiled. "Yes, rejected."Just by looking at Ryan's calm expression as he delivered this news, I knew he was setting a trap.His calm smile revealed that this wasn't bad news, so I quickly pressed on. "Don't play tricks on me. What's really going on?"Ryan suddenly chuckled, pointing at me. "You're quite the little trickster. Nothing scares you.""I have no reason to panic at all. Your calm smile isn't fooling anyone. Now, spill the beans. What's the situation?"He then earnestly said, "The design proposal fo
Ryan chuckled even more triumphantly. "The good news is that the Hartz Group in the capital received a massive development project, three times the size of Bourdamun."Upon hearing this, I was completely fixed in my chair. Three times the size? In the capital? This seemed a bit exaggerated, didn't it?"So, we need to go to the capital. Grayson has already made some preliminary arrangements. I just received the good news. It looks like it's time for Hartz Group and Tanum to merge," he said with enthusiasm.That got me lost in thought. When I initially registered Hartz Group, it was purely to win the divorce lawsuit against Matthew.In reality, the results had little impact, so I had completely overlooked the situation at Hartz Group in the capital.I had delegated management of Hartz Group to Grayson, and I had entrusted Ryan with many major decisions. Although Ryan would seek my final approval on major issues, they had already taken care of everything. After reporting it to me
He answered the phone with a simple hum and hung up after I finished speaking without asking much. I figured he might be in a meeting and didn't pay much attention. Glancing at the time, it was almost noon. I grabbed my bag and told Carol, "I'm going out for a bit. I'm going to visit Anson."After all, it had been many days since the incident with Trinity, and I hadn't been to the Huffman residence in the last couple of days. Going to the capital tomorrow meant I wouldn't be back for at least two days. Being absent for so long seemed a bit out of character.Carol quickly closed the large screen, nodding. "Sure. Are you having lunch there?""Yeah, I just want to share a meal with Anson," I said casually. However, I wondered if Anson had been enjoying his meals lately.I could only do so much. I couldn't delve too deeply into his feelings. I also had no idea if Trinity was currently safe or where she was.With a heavy heart, I took the elevator to the ground floor.Exiting the el
When I arrived at the Huffman residence, Anson was sitting alone on a recliner in the backyard gazebo. He looked lonely.He immediately perked up when he saw me walk in. "Why are you here, Chlo? Aren't you busy?""I came to have lunch with you." I smiled, walking over and taking a seat across from him.He sat up and looked at me, smiling. "That's nice of you, Chlo.""I've been busy and I haven't had a chance to see you. I don't know how you've been feeling. I have to go to the capital tomorrow, so lunch is the best I can do." I reached over to pour him a cup of tea."Yeah, I know you're busy. I heard Bourdamun went smoothly." Anson looked at me, aware of my project in Bourdamun."Don't even talk about that. I almost didn't make it here to see you. But luckily, everything turned out okay." I sighed, taking a sip of tea."What happened?" he asked, sitting up straight and putting down his teacup."You know Bourdamun. There's always someone manipulating things behind the scenes. Th
After hearing Anson's words, I was startled and looked at Atlas, but refrained from questioning him in front of Anson.Atlas nonchalantly said, "There's no rush. I'm waiting for the right opportunity. I'm thinking of making a trip to Yare first."Anson's eyes narrowed noticeably. He quickly scanned me, then calmly looked at Atlas. "Are you suggesting that you need to check out the Avila family first?""The Avila family has involved someone they shouldn't have. I need to pay them a visit," Atlas spoke with depth and meaning.I understood the implication behind Atlas's words, especially since the Avila family was directly related to me.And the person they shouldn't have involved was my doppelganger."Sounds good." Anson nodded and put down his spoon.Atlas wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, "Besides, I have some business to discuss with the Avila family."Anson didn't seem too interested and didn't ask Atlas anything more about it.I had finished eating a while ago, and an
I pondered momentarily before speaking. "I don't advocate for a merger, at least not at the moment.""Why not?" Atlas asked seriously.I shared my thoughts and reasons.He looked at me, nodding approvingly. He pulled me closer and kissed my forehead, exuding a sense of satisfaction."Great minds think alike. You're right. This isn’t the right time for a merger. While Tanum has opened up opportunities, it lacks successful cases to support Hartz Group. And the foundation behind Hartz Group won’t suit an alignment with Tanum. It needs to operate in a low-key way, so merging isn't the right move for now."His words made it clear that Hartz Group did have a foundation backed by Atlas. He must have injected many resources into it and used his connections discreetly."And the future doesn't necessarily require a merger. They can each flourish and complement each other's strengths and weaknesses and connect in a different way, for instance, through cooperation. Hartz Group can maintain i
Atlas looked at my stubborn expression and finally replaced it with a smile, affectionately saying, "You get to decide. I’ll respect your decisions.""Well, it depends on the nature of the matter. If I make a mistake, you should still make things clear to me. I'm not unreasonable, and I don't want you to just indulge me. What if my decision turns out to be wrong?"He teased, "You realize I do indulge you, right?"I gave him a stern look, "I’m being serious, Atlas. Stop fooling around. I'm not blind to your kindness."He immediately dropped the playful expression, adopting a serious tone, but there was still a hint of indulgence in his eyes. "Your opinion is always right. Even if it's wrong, we'll go along with it. We can always start over.""But some things can't be started over," I stubbornly insisted.He smiled and hugged me, saying tenderly, "You're so smart. You’re always thinking about the bigger picture and striving for good. What harm can come from a little mistake?"I ro
Eleanor continued, "Tobshampton Group is no longer what it used to be, and Tanum is certainly not the same Tanum anymore. The current state of Tobshampton Group could tarnish Tanum's high-quality corporate image."I chuckled and said, "They clearly lost someone exceptional after you left. I’m not surprised they declined. It just proves my knack for recognizing talent. Their troubles today were caused by the pits they dug for themselves."Eleanor shook her head. "It's not just about me. The key is their management flaws. The company's situation is rapidly deteriorating and even the boss's wife is getting involved. From what I've gathered, there have been several quality issues recently, and their industry reputation is very poor."I knew Eleanor was downplaying it. Even a pig could figure out what issues the Tobshampton Group had faced after Eleanor left. I had confirmed this when I poached Eleanor. Eleanor had been in the market for many years. Her vision had matured, and when Tob