Linus returned to his car and lit a cigarette.He was extremely nervous before his first meeting with Matthew, but it turned out differently than expected.Linus’ entire focus was on Matthew’s wife, Lucy.The long-lost sense of familiarity returned, but it was unlike the fleeting and intangible feeling one would experience when dreaming. Linus felt as though he had met Lucy a long time ago.However, amidst his chaotic thoughts and foggy mind, he could not pinpoint exactly when he had seen Lucy. His intuition told him that it was when a fiery warmth had embraced him during his most vulnerable and desperate moments. Unfortunately, since joining Spades, he never experienced that warmth again.Before joining the organization, Linus was a homeless child, orphaned and alone. He spent almost every day sleeping under bridges with the sky as his roof and the ground as his bed. Sometimes, he would scavenge for food with beggars in garbage bins when he was starving.Eventually, his frailty
That was why Linus was able to stand out in the organization, earning the admiration of Daniel. His standing in the organization remained unmatched.Returning to the present day, Linus realized he had not really smoked his cigarette. It had burned down untouched, so he put it out and tossed the stub out of the car window.Watching the distant figures of Lucy and Matthew, he felt a twinge in his heart.Since the moment Linus was born, the word 'loneliness' had been permanently tied to him. No matter how many subordinates he had under his command or how prestigious his standing was in the organization, he always felt lonely because no one truly understood him.If he could go back in time, Linus would not have joined the organization, even though the organization was practically another savior to him.After separating from that little girl, he fell seriously ill and nearly died on the streets. It was Daniel’s men who rescued him and brought him into the organization, saving his life.
Linus did not want to block Gwen’s number because he felt that was too harsh.Although he had been distancing himself from her in recent years, he knew her personality well. If he blocked her number and bumped into her the next day, it would only complicate their situation further.…When Lucy woke up the next morning, she noticed that Matthew was already awake.“Matt, why did you wake up so early?”“It’s not that early anymore, you lazybug. The sun is already high in the sky.”Lucy rubbed her eyes and noticed that the breakfast Matthew ordered was on the table—a ham sandwich and a glass of milk.Lucy was still half-asleep as she spoke groggily, “I slept earlier than you last night even though you’re much busier with work.”“You spent the entire day sketching by the beach yesterday. It must’ve been tiring. You just didn’t realize it. You were obviously lying when you said you weren’t tired at the café yesterday.”Although Lucy went to bed early yesterday, her dark circles were
Back at the company, Matthew had Kent bring him today’s work schedule as usual.“Mr. Leon, today’s workload is even heavier than yesterday, so you might have to work overtime again.”Kent was used to working overtime because as long as there was a chance for a raise, he had no complaints. Matthew had always been generous with employee benefits, offering double pay for overtime, which served as motivation for the employees under him.“Alright… Isn’t Sunrise Group supposed to send someone over today to discuss the Eurovian project with us? Have you done the preparations for that?”“Mr. Leon… That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about today. Last week, we discussed work-related matters and contract details with Sunrise Group, but this morning, their head sent us an email saying they want to have a more in-depth discussion about profit distribution in the contract.”Matthew was getting a little impatient. “Why is the head of Sunrise Group changing their stance now? And just be
When the head of Sunrise Group received Matthew’s email, he was not surprised at all because the proposed terms were indeed overboard. No one would have accepted them, especially not Leon Corporation.The head of Sunrise Group immediately made a phone call, “Sir, this is Ted Chorley of Sunrise Group. Do you remember the task you gave me?”“Of course.”The voice on the other end sounded old but authoritative. It was none other than Daniel Zimmer.“How did it go?”“Well, we proposed a 50-50 split in the collaboration project with Mr. Leon, but he’s not happy with it. His assistant just sent me an email rejecting our request.”“Very well. Talk to him again and make some concessions.”“Sir, don’t forget our deal. We’d be happy with a 70-30 split in such a large-scale project with Leon Corporation.”Ted was cunning. He knew that the profits from a 70-30 split with Leon Corporation would be sufficient, but the conditions proposed by Daniel were even more enticing than working with Ma
Daniel was pleased with Linus’ ability to handle significant responsibilities as he no longer needed to worry about the lack of capable successors. However, the overall performance of many newcomers in the organization was still lacking. Some of the older members had not shown outstanding abilities either. They were not even half as good as Linus.The assistant comforted Daniel, “Sir, there’s no need to worry. It’s still early. With more training and experience, someone with unexpected talent might appear one day, perhaps even surpassing Linus!”“You make it sound easy, but it’s incredibly difficult. Not only is Linus fast in completing tasks, but he does them with exceptional quality. He’s good at understanding and manipulating human nature, a quality that others simply can’t replicate. "Even after decades of experience, most people can’t match half of what Linus is capable of. If we randomly pick someone from the organization to compete with Linus in manipulation, few would stand
With only an hour left before meeting the head of Sunrise Group, Matthew decided to set off from the office after dealing with a pile of documents.Kent had already reminded him three times by now, “Sir, we should leave soon. It might be congested on the way to Stike Hotel.”“Alright… Take these files to the car. I must review and revise them by today.”“Mr. Leon, you don’t have to rush. This is the contract with Mr. Xender, and he isn’t in a hurry.”As soon as Kent finished speaking, he received a sharp glare from Matthew.“Who said he’s not in a hurry? This is important to me, so quickly take these to the car. I don’t need to hear your opinion.”“Yes, of course. My apologies, sir.”Kent was surprised by Matthew’s seriousness. Kent was not wrong as there was no urgent need to complete the documents today. The discussions on the key points of the cooperation could continue until the end of the month, so Kent was confused as to why Matthew was rushing this.Of course, Kent was u
Matthew wanted to slam the table and blow his top, but the well-mannered side of him reminded him that he should not lose his temper at others at the table.He called the waiter over to order a few dishes. Ted from Sunrise Group kept smiling throughout the meal while emphasizing what an honor it was for him to be working with Leon Corporation. There was a smile on Matthew’s face throughout, but he had nothing to say.Kent knew that Matthew was getting impatient. He had worked with Matthew for many years and understood Matthew’s character and personality very well. When Matthew smiled that way and said nothing, it meant that he was very angry. However, Ted had no understanding of how Matthew was. Moreover, he was not observant at all. Ted kept on talking about how incredible Sunrise Group was.He seemed to have forgotten that Leon Corporation had always been at the top of the pyramid. Matthew did not care how well Sunrise Group was developed.When he heard Ted heaping praises on h