After saying that, she turned and left.James was close behind her. Before leaving, he added, “Remember to pay the bill.”“Damn it.”Francis clenched his fists angrily. A hint of disappointment flashed across his somewhat handsome face.“James, you piece of junk. Just wait.”As James had ruined his plans, he was full of hatred for him.James led Xara out of The Gourmand. He put her suitcase in the trunk and drove to the Callahans’ residence.Xara sat in the passenger seat. She wore a silly smile as she scrolled through the photos she had taken with Daniel on her phone.James could not help but comment, “They’re just photos. Is that necessary?”“What do you know?” Xara shot him a look. “General Highsmith is my idol. The Blithe King’s an even greater idol of mine. It’s been my lifelong dream to take a photo with them. Finally, my wish has come true.“With that being said…”She stopped for a moment and glanced over at James, who was driving, before saying, “The person I admire
Xara was merely throwing words out.She was not hoping to get anything out of it.Even if General Highsmith had known James since he was a child, he was still a general and a person of high status.Moreover, to the Blithe King, he was just a subordinate.He might agree to help James, but the Blithe King himself might not be convinced.Upon hearing James’ words, her eyes gleamed. “Really?”James said with a smile, “Of course. I used to be in the military too. Since you’re so enthusiastic, I’ll come up with something.”“James, that’s great! Thank you.”Xara was excited.The Blithe King was one of the Five Commanders.Although the Blithe King was not the most admired of all, she would be more than content if she got to take a picture with him.James glimpsed at the rear-view mirror.The jeep was still there.He knew that the Blithe King was still tailing him.Xara eventually recollected herself and asked with an upset look on her face, “James, don’t give me false hope. You m
The Blithe King unwrapped his arms and walked toward James. “This is a military region. You shouldn’t come here so often. No, scrap that. You shouldn’t be here at all.”He was implying that he did not want to see James, as James often brought trouble along.The Blithe King then got onto a military vehicle and left, leaving behind an astonished Xara.It took Xara some time to process the situation. When the realization hit, she kept gasping for air. She hurriedly made her way to James and snatched her phone from him. “Let me see. Let me see.”She opened the album and saw the photo.In it, the Blithe King had his hands around her shoulders. He wore a compassionate look, almost looking like a loving father.“Ah…” Xara cried.She bawled her eyes out.After all these years, her wish had finally come true.There stood the Blithe King, commander of the Western border and one of the Five Commanders.She crouched down and cried.They were tears of joy.James frowned. It was just a p
Xara was firm in her belief.James had to be the General of the Southern Plains.James just laughed and remained silent.They reached Thea’s place soon after.Gladys and her family had left early in the morning to settle their car insurance and other household affairs, and they returned home quite a while ago.Thea and Yuna had also just returned from shopping at the Trade City Center.By the time James arrived, it was almost one o’clock.Gladys scolded him as he walked through the door, “How long does it take to pick up a single person? Look at the time! What are you waiting for? Get cooking now!” Ever since James married into the Callahans, Gladys stopped cooking.By now, they had all grown lazy. No one even bothered to prepare lunch, and so, none of them had eaten anything.James carried the suitcase in and put it aside. Upon hearing Gladys’ words, he nodded. “I’ll get to it right now.”Right away, he headed to the kitchen.“Xara,” Gladys greeted her warmly.As Xara wa
“That’s right.”Lex nodded. “Even if those men only helped Thea because they owed someone else a favor, they’re still considered part of her connections. If we establish a good relationship with them, it’ll surely benefit us. Do you know how much the Callahans have earned by cooperating with Celestial Group? At least tens of millions.” Lex took a drag on his cigarette. “Once Thea returns, we’ll be able to expand our production. We can further cooperate with large pharmaceutical groups such as Celestial Group and Longevity Pharmaceuticals and establish ourselves in Cansington’s commercial city. With this, the Callahans will surely rise..." Lex grew increasingly excited as he spoke.“Bring Thea to me, no matter the cost.”The Callahans had grim faces. They did not want Thea back.Although they had managed to establish stronger connections with Celestial Group because of Thea, they did not want her to return and take the helm of the Callahans as she might make decisions that went
James' words were met with discontent from the Callahans.Tommy yelled at him, “Who do you think you are, meddling in the affairs of the Callahans?”Megan recalled how James had humiliated her in front of everyone and how she was forced to kneel at Yuna’s banquet yesterday.Upset, she berated him sarcastically, “The remaining three will fall soon? Who do you think you are? Alex Yates? Do you get to decide their fates?”Gladys, too, reprimanded him, “What an embarrassment. Can’t you just keep your mouth shut?”Thea shot James a disgruntled look, insinuating that he should have kept his thoughts to himself.She did not feel confident in leading the Callahans to glory.Becoming an influential family required not just wealth but also strong connections.Lex completely ignored James and fixed his gaze on Thea. “Thea, Listen. I’ll give you three years. If you can transform us into an influential family and grow our assets tenfold within that time, I’ll give you fifty percent of the G
Lex stood up and invited Thea to sit.The more amicable Lex was toward Thea, the more threatened the rest of the Callahans felt.Lex was old and would probably not live for much longer. They believed this redistribution of shares was equivalent to him dividing up the Callahans’ inheritance.As there were limited seats, the non-core members of the family stood during the discussion.James was standing too, but he could not care less.Lex was seated above. He scanned the group before he spoke, “I’ve summoned all of you here today for two things. First, from today onward, Thea will formally take over the reins of the Callahans and be in charge of every family business as the executive chairman.“Second, we’ll be discussing the redistribution of shares.”Upon hearing this, everyone held their breath. All eyes were fixed on Lex, waiting for his next move.Lex glanced at Benjamin. “All these years, Benjamin has been working diligently. And though he received no shares, he did not com
Slap!Gladys smacked James on the head. “Watch your tongue. What makes you think you have the right to speak at the family meeting?” She reprimanded him.“Alright, that settles it.” Lex laughed heartily.To set the Callahans up at the Trade City Center was something unthinkable to him. That place was the future Global Financial Center. As such, businesses from Cansington were not the only ones seeking to establish themselves there. All large corporations nationwide would eventually make their way there.If the Callahans managed to set up shop there, it would be a symbol of prestige. Lex could not care less about the hundred million entrance fee.“Grandpa, I…” Thea was hesitant.However, seeing Lex’s delighted face, she did not want to disappoint him. She hung her head. “I-I’ll try.”“Chairman, you now carry the hopes and dreams of the Callahans.”“You have to get us the right to set up shop.”“Worry not, chairman. As long as you succeed in your negotiations, we’ll find a way t