Ch. 1691..1700

Chapter 1691

Since young, everyone had treated him like a royalty. He was always well-protected and taken care of.

No one had dared to comment on his behavior until then. He could hardly believe that such an eligible

bachelor like him would be rejected! Besides, the other party was even willing to suffer a loss in

reputation as well as huge financial losses just to escape from the marriage, causing Jory to feel utterly

humiliated.

Even though everyone had accepted the fact that the marriage proposal failed, Jory refused to go

along with it. In his opinion, it was impossible for any woman to refuse him. Very quickly, he guessed

that there was probably someone else that the lady was interested in, otherwise, it didn’t make sense

for her to reject him so resolutely.

Just like what he thought, after Jory insisted that he wouldn’t take no for an answer, the other party had

no choice but to tell him that the lady had already fallen for another man.

After his suspicions were confirmed, Jory felt victorious and behaved smugly in front of his dad. Even

though he felt appeased after knowing the real reason, his dad was obviously unhappy. Jabbing a

finger at Jory’s face, his dad scolded, “Are you feeling very proud of yourself now? If you continue

being a good-for-nothing who bums around, even if she didn’t have someone else in mind, there was

still no way she would settle for you!”

Jory was rendered speechless and could not find any words to defend himself. However, his dad was

unstoppable as fury overcame him. “You’re nothing without me! All you know is how to fool around. I

just don’t understand how you can even be so full of yourself!”

Back then when he was eighteen, Jory never took responsibility for any of his poor behavior. After

much thought, he still attributed the failure of his marriage proposal entirely to the lady.

Whenever Jory recalled how his dad reprimanded him, his hatred towards that lady would deepen even

further. As such, for a few days after he was rejected, he took no action. However, the lady was unable

to wait any further as she needed Jory’s cooperation in order to get together with her lover officially.

Being an intelligent woman, she sent Jory an anonymous email, which managed to pique Jory’s

interest. He had interacted with all sorts of women but had yet come across such a petty one who even

refused to reveal her identity to him.

She continued writing him numerous emails, all to which he replied. Even though it wasn’t a lot, but

Jory felt that he had gained some valuable information through their brief interactions.

His most important takeaway was learning that he was actually just a joke to many. If he were not born

into a rich family, he would literally be a nobody.

However, it was difficult for him to understand what she meant by reciprocal true love because he had

never experienced it before. Even though he had been in many relationships, he had not truly loved

any of those women. However, he accepted the fact that the woman would not be able to see any

value in him in his current state. He was aware that perhaps, the reason that she rejected his marriage

proposal wasn’t because of another man, but rather, it was because she saw nothing in him that was

worthy of her affections.

In the end, Jory still conceded to her wishes and accepted the situation. At the same time, he started

working on himself and had a complete change in attitude. He had changed a lot since then, but one

thing remained unchanged and that was his hatred towards that woman.

He wanted her to know that rejecting him would be the worst decision as well as the greatest regret in

her life. Apart from helping Dustin, he had another objective, which was to destroy the Barrymore

Group.

Although he was focused on dealing with Larry at the moment, he was fully confident that he would be

able to take down the Barrymores as well. Even though Nancy had remained anonymous and did not

divulge any of her personal information to him at that time, Jory had still managed to find out her

identity.

“Nancy Barrymore… Just wait and see. I’ll make you regret your decision,” Jory muttered as he leaned

back in his seat and closed his eyes while tapping his fingers on the armrest rhythmically.

“Mr. Norton, another one of our branches got acquired by the Alpire Group this morning,” a male

employee reported as he entered Larry’s office in a fluster.

Chapter 1692

Larry was resting on the sofa and looked pale. He replied weakly, “Got it. I heard you… You may leave

now.”

Just then, Joan walked into the office. When the male employee was about to greet her, she quickly

stopped him by waving her hands and gestured for him to keep quiet.

Even so, Larry, who had folded his arms behind his head, knew that Joan had arrived as he heard her

footsteps.

“Joan, this is already the fourth branch that we lost. I’m too ashamed to face my dad.”

Joan knew how tortured Larry felt about the acquisition of the company’s branches and had been

worrying about him. Upon hearing his words, her heart ached for him even more.

She immediately stepped forward and held his hand, hoping to give him some warmth. “Don’t say that.

We’re already trying our best to salvage the situation. Even though the end result matters, we should

also give ourselves credit for the efforts we put in. Larry, don’t be too upset. Although we still haven’t

found out who’s the one behind all these and we haven’t found an appropriate measure to tackle the

situation yet, I firmly believe that justice will prevail and good always triumphs over evil. As long as we

press on, we will be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Don’t you agree?”

Larry pulled Joan into his arms when she finished speaking. He had changed a lot after his previous

disappearance. He used to be too perfect. In fact, he was so perfect that he didn’t even seem real to

his peers. However, he had become more patient and was willing to listen to others. He would also feel

helpless when he encountered problems. “Joan, thanks for staying by my side,” he said.

Putting her arms tightly around the man, Joan replied softly, “Larry, we will face any hardships together.

This time around is no different. We will come up with a solution together, alright? Even if we don’t

manage to salvage the company in the end, don’t be too upset. Just remember that I’ll always be by

your side.”

No doubt, money was important, but love gave life meaning. Without love, there would always be a

void in one’s life. However, one would not be able to survive purely on love alone. One would lead a

most fulfilling life with both financial success and meaningful relationships. A life without both would be

a wasted life.

Sometimes one would be caught unaware by problems that suddenly occurred. But wasn’t that how life

worked? It would not be a problem if one could prepare for it beforehand. Consequently, the success or

failure of one’s life depended mainly on the way problems were handled.

A couple was supposed to be a team, going through thick and thin together. The strength of a

relationship was usually tested during times of hardship. Larry would never forget the encouragement

and support Joan gave him during one of the most difficult periods of his life.

Meanwhile, Dustin walked into Jory’s office and threw a newspaper on his desk. “Did you do this?” he

asked nonchalantly.

Jory took a glance at the newspaper and replied, “Alpire Group… Yup, that’s my family business. Is

there an issue?”

“What’s your purpose for doing this?” Dustin did not bother to beat around the bush.

“That’s none of your business,” Jory answered curtly. After a second of thought, he corrected himself

and said, “Nope, actually, it’s related to you, but only to a small extent.”

Dustin leaned forward and put both hands on Jory’s desk. Looking down at him, he asked, “What are

you trying to do?”

Jory gave a bright smile. Putting one hand behind his head, he replied with an innocent expression,

“Don’t worry, I’m not interested in Joan’s design company. That’s just a small company and doesn’t

have much value to me. Besides, money isn’t even my objective.”

Maintaining the same posture, Dustin said, “You must have some guts to attack Larry’s company. I

really need to salute you… “

“Thank you, I’m so flattered,” Jory clasped his hands together and replied, together with a bow.

Softening his tone, Dustin asked, “Can you tell me why?”

Putting on an innocent face, Jory replied, “Do I need to have a reason for everything I do?” Knowing

that Dustin was not going to accept that as an answer, Jory had no choice but to continue speaking,

“Fine, I will tell you. I’m dealing with Larry for you. I don’t think there’s anything more devastating for

him than his company being destroyed.”

 

Chapter 1693

“That’s not entirely it.”

Dustin’s reply was like a hit to Jory’s head. Apart from Nancy, who rejected his marriage proposal back

then, the only other person who could always see through his thoughts was Dustin.

“If it’s just to deal with Larry, you’re really making a mountain out of a molehill. There’s really no need

for you to go to such extent. Besides, according to the direction Norton Corporation is developing, it is

definitely no simple task to put them in such peril. In fact, more than your reason for doing this, I’m

actually more interested in how you managed to do it.”

Jory shrugged and with one hand on the back of his neck, he replied, “Can you sit down first? I have to

strain my neck to look at you.”

Dustin took his hands off the table and pulled out a chair. With a serious look on his face, he sat down

opposite Jory.

Jory gave an uncanny smile and said, “I got it all planned out.”

Dustin’s facial muscles relaxed as he let out a sigh. “Forget it. If you don’t feel like sharing, I wouldn’t

force you to do it. You must have your own reasons for doing things. Just do as you deem fit. I’m not

going to stop you… “

“Well, it’s not like you can… “ Jory interrupted him and continued, “We always want what we can’t have.

I want to let someone know that she will end up losing everything she has because of a foolish decision

she made… “ Jory straightened his collar with an air of pomposity.

“Oh, I have something to ask you.”

Dustin turned around and replied, “What is it?”

“Give me the address of Barrymore Group. I want to pay them a visit.”

When Joan left the previous time she visited, the advice she gave Nancy caused her to feel troubled for

the next few days. Norton Corporation had already lost their fourth branch to S. According to her

calculations, the Norton Corporation must have already lost close to 80 million.

The more she thought about it, the more she suspected that S was the man whom she rejected years

ago. Fear crept up in her as she grew increasingly worried that Barrymore Group would be Alpire

Group’s next target. Nancy grew more restless as her mind ran wild. She wanted to station herself at

the company so that she could keep track of any unusual movements.

When she woke up, it was already 9 a.m.. As she saw sunshine permeating the room through the

windows, she suddenly realized that she was late.

People tended to be more paranoid when in a state of fear. Sometimes, one might even feel that

danger was just seconds away. Usually, Nancy would pose in front of her full-length mirror and make

sure that she looked impeccable before heading out. However, that day, she simply grabbed a random

blouse and went out without even checking herself out in the mirror.

As she was in such a rush, the woman had almost sped past the red light. As if she was experiencing a

series of unfortunate events, her car suddenly broke down.

What made it worse was that it broke down on a narrow side road, resulting in a traffic jam behind her.

Fortunately, there were not many cars which took that route. Nancy quickly got out of the car to check

on the cause of the breakdown.

Jory had already spotted the red Bentley stopping in front of him from a distance away. As such, he

intentionally slowed down, thinking that the car would be driven off by the time he got closer. However,

that red car remained stationary.

A good dog does not block the road. What on Earth is the driver doing? Besides, Jory was on a mission

to look for someone. Has the driver simply parked the car here and left? Jory poked his head out of the

car window. With one arm outside the window, he looked at the car in front and noticed that the driver

didn’t seem to be inside the car.

“Did the driver really treat this road as his parking lot? Where did he go to after leaving the car here?”

Jory got out of his car to check out the situation in front and realized that there was indeed no one in

that car!

Just when he was worrying about how to get through, a petite figure popped out from underneath the

car and was looking up at him.

“What are you doing?” The both of them asked at the same time.

“I asked you first,” Nancy insisted.

Not to be outdone, Jory replied, “Well, I think I was the one who asked you first.”

Chapter 1694

Nancy snorted disdainfully, “Huh! How dare you confront me being a car thief!”

“Car thief?” Jory stared at her in incredulity, pointing at himself with his eyes widened. “Are you kidding

me? I drove here!” He then pouted his lip, gesturing her toward his car behind.

After glancing at his car, Nancy shot him a disdainful look. “Well, my car is far more expensive than

yours!”

Unfortunately, Jory could not refute her statement. Huh! Though I drive an ordinary car, it doesn’t mean

I’m poor. I’m just trying to keep a low profile! Being the heir to Alpire Group, I can afford any car that I

want. I don’t lack money or cars!

“Then, why did you park your extremely expensive car here? Huh! Don’t block the path like a dog!”

When it came to insulting, Jory was invincible.

Indeed, Nancy burned with anger, and her voice raised an octave. “Are you calling me a dog? How

dare you insult me!”

However, Jory appeared calm and nonchalant, looking at her with his eyebrows raised. “This is not an

insult! Isn’t it a fact?”

Staring at his annoying face, Nancy gave a roar of rage. “You bas*ard!”

In fact, Jory was immune to her scolding and enjoyed seeing her aggrieved face flushing in rage.

“Yeah, I’m a bas*ard! So what? Let me tell you, today I’m going to pass through here anyway!” He

patted his car hood and leaned against it.

No way! I won’t let him pass through here even if there is nothing wrong with my car, not to mention

that my car has broken down!

Nancy held her head up slightly with her nose angled upward. Though she was petite, she was not

afraid at all. Since she was young, her father told her to uphold justice. Therefore, she would definitely

not give in to a car thief. He’s a man—so what? If they really got into a fight, she could easily defeat

him as she had a black-belt in Taekwondo.

“Since you’re so capable, why don’t you reverse your car all the way from here?”

Jory turned to look at the road behind. It was at least three or four hundred meters away. If I reverse my

car for that distance and a car suddenly comes from behind, I’ll definitely get scolded!

“Why should I reverse my car? Don’t you drive a prestigious Bentley? Then, get into your car and drive

off!”

Immediately, her anger spiked. “Who do you think you are? Why should I follow your instruction?”

After Nancy finished her words, she opened the car door and got into her car. She then slammed the

door. Meanwhile, all the car windows were shut, and there was no way that Jory could talk to her

anymore.

“Hey…” He heard a car door slam before he could respond. Damn it! I’ve never seen such a willful

woman! She is so domineering that she has blocked the entire road without giving others a chance to

pass through just because she loathes me!

Oh Gosh! She even locked the doors and windows, trying to ignore me! Do you really think you’re a

princess that you expect me to kneel and beg you to drive off so that I can pass through?

Dream on! I’ve never been afraid of anyone! You’ve got to be kidding if you think I’ll give in to you!

In the end, both of them sat in the driver’s seat of their respective car and remained silent, challenging

each other to see who could sit still for a longer period.

Nancy was not afraid at all as she had learned to be patient through practicing Taekwondo. On the

contrary, Jory would soon get bored by sitting in the car after a while since he had gotten rid of the

habit of hanging around and doing sweet nothing.

Initially, he wanted to visit Barrymore Group to meet their heiress, who refused to marry him. However,

he was blocked by a willful, arrogant, and domineering woman on his way unexpectedly.

Chapter 1695

At first, Jory was sitting calmly in the car. Soon, he realized the signal was poor and the connection was

very slow. With that, he could barely sit in the car any longer since he could not browse the internet,

and there was no broadcasting on the radio.

With a serious look, Jory then googled “what should I do if a domineering woman blocked the road.”

Unfortunately, the browser failed to display any search results due to the slow data connection.

He felt a flash of irritation and tossed his phone onto the passenger seat. After pondering for a moment,

Jory got out of his car and approached Nancy.

In the beginning, he knocked on her car window patiently, but after seeing her grumpy face, he stopped

behaving like a gentleman. Instead, he slapped the car window forcefully.

It seemed like Jory knew Nancy held her car dearly. When she saw his reddened palm hitting the car

window, she was afraid that he would break the window.

At last, Nancy had no choice but to lower the window slightly. They were separated by the glass. He

thought it was going to be easy, huh? In the end, he couldn’t sit still! Staring at Jory’s anxious look, she

said faintly, “What’s wrong? Can’t you sit still?”

In fact, he had run out of patience with her. “What exactly do you want? Can’t you just drive off?”

Nancy replied without hesitation, “I can drive off, but you have to beg me!”

Jory was direct and frank, so he immediately responded, “I beg you to drive off, please!”

Much to her surprise, he begged her frankly. Oh Gosh! I simply said it and didn’t expect him to do so!

Now that he has begged me, how am I going to handle this? After all, her car broke down, and she

could not fix it by herself.

Nancy remained silent and purposely turned away. She then stared blankly at the steering.

“Hey, are you going back on your word? Why don’t you drive off? How dare you break your promise!”

Jory questioned her.

He stretched Nancy’s patience to the limit, and she struggled to choke back her anger. “I want to drive

off, but my car has broken down! Why don’t you try to drive it off?”

Right away, Jory’s face broke into a wry smile. “What? Your car has broken down?”

How dare you scoff at me! I curse that your car breaks down whenever you drive!

“Haven’t you seen a car breakdown before? What’s with the surprise?”

Jory could barely conceal his amusement. “Of course, I’ve seen it before, but I’ve never seen a car

breakdown on such a narrow road. Huhu! Didn’t you foresee this coming?”

Nancy tamped down her anger. “If I’ve foreseen it, why would I be stuck in this place and run into you?”

“Yeah, right! Running into me is very unlucky, and it’s even worse than a car breakdown! I thought I ran

into an arrogant and savage woman. Yet, I’ve run into someone who is unfamiliar with her car! Oh well,

I’d better get into my car and take a nap! Maybe your car would have been towed away by the time I

wake up!”

“Tow…” Nancy’s lips twitched. Towing may be more troublesome than calling the mechanic to come

over. Besides, if they accidentally damage my car, I’ll be extremely depressed!

Thinking of asking Jory for help, she had no choice but to smile at him shamelessly. “Do you know how

to fix the car? After all, it won’t block your way if you can fix it!”

Surprisingly, he insulted her instead of lending her a hand. “You must have bought your driver’s license!

Don’t you know the emergency breakdown procedure?”

Her face peered out with an innocent smile. “Oh well, my memory is poor!” Screw him! How I wish I

could kick his ass.

Chapter 1696

Finally, Nancy opened the car door and let Jory take a look at her car. He was so capable that he found

the cause of the breakdown after a while.

Jory got up and dusted the dirt off his hands. “The valve spring is broken. Didn’t you notice the

symptoms when you drove it earlier? You’re really impressive!”

“Alright, stop making sarcastic remarks! Is there any way to fix it?” Nancy shook him by the shoulder.

“Yes!” Jory nodded.

“How?” Nancy’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“Well, the easiest way is to change a car!” He burst out laughing.

Nancy rebuked, “Are you buying a car for me? Stop talking nonsense! Can’t you think seriously?”

Jory rolled up his sleeves. “Since you joked with me, why can’t I tease you?” Despite being

mischievous, he still stepped forward and helped her to reinstall the broken valve spring in reverse. He

used his fair fingers to install the small valve spring carefully and perfectly.

The ray of sunlight shone on his handsome face, making him look like a charming prince who came to

her rescue.

Nancy subconsciously shifted her gaze from his hand to his face. Actually, he is not that annoying.

Though he keeps making sarcastic remarks and trying to irritate me purposely, he still lends a hand to

me in the end.

Indeed, Nancy was staring at Jory in amazement. It was until he waved his hand before her eyes that

she came to her senses. In the blink of an eye, the serious and mature appearance a moment ago

seemed to be her illusion when the man before her reverted to his mischievous and playful personality.

“Are you looking at me?”

Nancy immediately denied, “Nope! Don’t talk nonsense. I’m just looking at the valve spring!”

Jory said with a playful smile, “What a lame excuse! I’ve already installed the valve spring.”

“Really? When? Why didn’t I see it?” Nancy suddenly behaved like a little foolish girl.

While pointing at himself, a sly glint came to his eye then, as if he was about to say something

mischievous. “I’ve installed it long ago! You didn’t see it because… you were staring at me!”

What Jory said hit the nail on the head, so Nancy immediately pushed him away. “No! Don’t overthink.

You are so full of yourself!” She then turned the car key and started the car engine.

He leaned forward and put his hand on the car window. “Hey! I’ve helped you. Are you going to leave

without saying a word of appreciation?”

Nancy’s car started to move forward. Instead of looking at Jory, she looked straight ahead. With a smile

on her face, she said stubbornly, “You’re helping yourself instead! You can pass through after I drive

off!”

“But…” Jory watched her car moving forward slowly and shook his head helplessly.

“Thank you!” Her sweet and energetic voice was transmitted to his ears.

Well, she isn’t that arrogant and unreasonable!

Meanwhile, Caspian was studying the information of the four branches acquired by Alpire Group. He

had been staying late at the office for the past few days. Still, he could not find any clues from the piles

of papers on his desk. In the end, Larry called and informed him that the leakage of internal information

had resulted in the disclosure of their company’s confidential document.

“I suspect the employee who is leaving for our competitor did this!” Caspian rubbed his chin, pondering

over it.

Larry took a sip of water and replied calmly, “This is impossible. In terms of salary, our company offers

the highest pay among other competitors.”

“Then, our competitor must have sent over a spy!” Caspian said confidently.

“But… we don’t have any evidence and can’t identify any suspect!” Larry responded.

 

Chapter 1697

Feeling frustrated, Caspian covered his face with those papers. “Argh! What’s going on? Why did the

internal information leak out?”

“Let’s think of a way to meet the directors of Alpire Group!” Immediately, anticipation gleamed in Larry’s

eyes as he came up with a firm and decisive plan. “I want to question them why do they keep acquiring

our companies!”

Caspian continued, “I’m wondering too. There are many ways to make a fortune, but why do they

choose this way? Aren’t they afraid that they will offend Norton Corporation if the acquisition is

unsuccessful? Though we have similar standing, it will jeopardize their future development if they

offend us.”

“So… their target is personal instead of business!” As soon as Larry made such a remark, both of them

were shocked.

After he hung up, he sunk in thought. This assumption is way too terrifying, but the probability of it

being the case is very high!

If Alpire Group really targets one of us, who will that be?

Meanwhile, Joan had just returned to Nirhaven College. She had never expected the Norton

Corporation to encounter such a problem. Luckily, it was summer break, so she could allocate time for

herself while having sufficient time to deal with the upcoming problems.

“Are you going to invite the directors of Alpire Group for dinner tomorrow?” Joan was holding a fork and

looking at Larry with her eyes widened.

He put some greens on her plate. While staring at those greens, his heart was filled with hope. “Yeah!

They have acquired our branches, and we need to transfer those shares to them, so I think it is

necessary for both parties to meet.”

Larry then dipped the ladle into the casserole and continued, “So far, we’ve only received the

acquisition contract, but they haven’t taken the companies’ properties and liquid assets away.”

“That means they don’t need the money urgently. If I were them, I would have withdrawn the funds and

stocks after I acquired the company. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to cover the cost of acquisition!”

Joan was trying to analyze the situation.

Upon hearing that, Larry frowned. “Darling, I feel uneasy. I don’t think they are after our money. Do you

think they are targeting someone in our company?”

Joan forced a smile. “Who would dare to offend such a large company knowing that he would end up in

deep trouble…” She swallowed a mouthful. Suddenly, something came into her mind, and she looked

at Larry with her glazed eyes. “Could you be the target?”

The next morning, the mellow sunlight passed through the transparent windows and filled the entire

room with warmth. Everything was in honeyed tones, beautiful and soothing. The heat of the sun gave

the room a cozy lived-in air. There was a large bed occupying almost half of the room. A handsome

man was lying on his side with a beautiful woman resting on his left arm, while his right arm was

embracing the woman’s slender waist.

They were partially covered by a soft and fluffy quilt. There was a small figure squeezed between them,

exposing half of his head. That was a cute little boy, with curly hair and ruddy lips. He was batting his

long and delicate eyelashes, which looked like a butterfly fluttering its wings and shattering the rays of

sunlight.

He pouted his lips, snuggling into the woman’s arms. She was half asleep and could feel the touch.

Then, her hand habitually pulled the quilt up, and she fell asleep again. The sun shone on the velvet

curtain, and the warm light swayed gently, scattering the mottled colors all over the room.

Larry opened his eyes and saw such a beautiful scene. For a while, everything seemed to ze. Waking

up on a sunny morning with you by my side is the best moment in my life.

Thinking about that, he could not help but chuckle. A beautiful family was indeed a diluent for all

troubles. Even though Norton Corporation was in deep trouble, he still felt he was the happiest man in

the world every morning.

 

Chapter 1698

Perhaps the gods were jealous of his good life too, so they had to make certain arrangements to

disrupt his hard-earned peace. The phone vibrated nonstop on his bedside table. Larry reached for it

and peeked at the caller ID. Next thing he knew, his weariness disappeared without a trace. He sat up

abruptly, removed the covers, and rushed out of the room.

What’s wrong? Larry’s sudden rise from the bed woke Joan up. She rubbed her eyes, still drowsy. Did

Leslie wet the bed again? When Larry re-entered the room, he did not look so good. His wife noticed

that his face was wet. Instincts told her something was awry. Joan sat up, pulled the blanket over

Leslie, and cautiously climbed out of bed.

She was getting increasingly distraught with each passing day as surprises kept popping up. The

familiar and overwhelming anxiety was eating her.

A while later she heard Larry speak. He said, as calmly as he could, “Alpire Group has acquired the

fifth branch.”

“Alpire Group”, “acquisition”, “branch”… These terms got thrown about frequently these days. She was

becoming sensitive to each of those words and would feel nauseous for no reason.

The next moment, Larry put on his suit. He stood in front of the mirror fixing his tie. He only needed to

get the knot right. He seemed to have lost the leisurely mood he had once upon a time, when he would

eagerly make sure his attire was spick and span.

“I’ll have to convene a board meeting. We have to come up with countermeasures quickly. Up till now,

we’ve been too passive.”

In the directors’ conference hall, Larry sat in the main seat, dressed in formal work attire. His face

appeared gloomy, as though a large raincloud was hanging over his head. On both sides of the long

council table, there were ashen-faced junior executives, calculative shareholders with grayish beards

who kept their heads low, as well as assistants who could not stop themselves from sweating profusely

as they surveyed the room.

“I’m sure you all have picked up on the news lately. The ones about Alpire Group acquiring our

branches. As we all know, Alpire Group is a company which has never collaborated with us before. So,

for it to suddenly be capable of acquiring five of our branches in one go, I’m sure you all want to know

how they did it. That is the reason why I call for this board meeting today.”

“Ah, wasn’t it four branches just yesterday? How did it get to five?”

The attendees began to whisper and discuss among themselves.

Larry cleared his throat and, at the same time, tapped on the bronze tabletop. Silence fell on the room

once more. He always had a knack for authority and the kind of aura that demanded attention.

A potbellied senior director voiced out his disdain, “Are you doubting our loyalty, Mr. Norton?” He had

been working for Norton Corporation throughout most of his life and had little respect for the young

president.

“I’m not doubting anyone here. You can see for yourself the company’s offer on wage offer and

remuneration, how the management has been doing over the years. You can even compare them to

other companies in the industry. I won’t be suspicious of anyone for no reason. After all, we live in a

society enforced by law. For everything we say and do, there must be evidence to match…”

Then, Larry’s speech took a turn. “But each of us knows what we did, and each of us knows where we

stand. The truth will speak for itself.”

“Hmph,” the senior director scowled. “A gigantic company like Norton Corporation should be more than

capable. Even its branches should be able to stand out among the rest. Everyone in the entire

corporation is a hard worker. You don’t need to tell me that. Do you want to know what I think? I think

Mr. Norton needs to take a closer look at himself!” He put forward a plausible defense.

Larry snickered under his breath. “Mr. Harley, you’ve dedicated much of your life to the company and I

respect that. However, I hope you can be mindful of one fact. Seniority and experience no longer take

precedence, and age no longer translates to ability. “

Larry turned his gaze away from the older man and raised his voice, “Of course, I have absolute

confidence in the financial prowess of our company, but even an ant hole could wreck a mammoth

bridge. This time, five of our branches have been acquired. We have to find out which part of the

company’s operation is being taken advantage of!”

 

Chapter 1699

“So far, after relentless investigation and tracking, we found that all five acquired branches have one

thing in common. That is, information has been leaked from the inside. I hope everyone here can

consider the issue from this angle. At the same time, we have to enhance the monitoring and

supervision of all the information that come and go between various departments, in order to avoid any

more leakage. We don’t want it happening again!”

As soon as he said that, the room became abuzz with chatter again. Larry did not intend to stop them.

However, the old man whom Larry referred to as “Mr. Harley” had something more to say, and he went

about it loudly, “Mr. Norton, I hope you can also bear this in mind. The board of directors has the power

to dismiss a president with poor performance at any time. Norton Corporation has never encountered a

crisis as bad as this one since its establishment… until now. I implore Mr. Norton to reflect on his

actions. Similarly, we as the directors should also be held accountable for failing to assist you…” The

old man gave Larry a sidelong glance. He spoke eloquently, in a gentle tone.

Under the table, Larry clenched his fists. He would not allow Norton Corporation to fall on his watch. He

swore he would not let his father’s hard work go for nothing.

Additionally, he did not want to disappoint his followers and their expectations of him. He also wanted

to prove his point, that age does not translate to ability.

In the evening, Larry pushed the door open and entered his home. He was knackered with his thoughts

fully occupied by the tiring board meeting.

“You’re finally back.” Joan knew about Norton Corporation’s crisis. She deliberately requested the

manager to let her get off work early, so that she could get home before Larry did.

Larry buried himself in the sofa and accepted Joan’s glass of lemonade.

“You should stop taking coffee, dear. It doesn’t go well with the stress.” Joan sat down beside him and

dutifully massaged his shoulders.

Within a few days, Alpire Group had managed to acquire five of Norton Corporation’s branch

companies. She was of the opinion that a huge acquisition project such as this would have required

long-term preparation. She had no intention of putting the blame on the company employees, but the

information leak did not hinder one from wondering whether there were spies in their midst.

“Do you have any ideas who’s behind this?” Joan inquired softly. “Now that you’re home, let’s put the

problem aside. You have to take care of your health. That’s the capital to move forward. Only then can

you build the strength to come up with solutions.”

“Joan, at the directors’ meeting today, they questioned me. They questioned my abilities, my business

methods. They still think that experience is everything…” Larry’s voice was deeper than usual as he

complained to his wife.

Joan gave his hand a tight squeeze. “Don’t take what they say to heart, dear. I believe in you!”

Larry drank the lemonade in one go. His mouth and teeth were instantly filled with bitterness, just like

his mood. But Joan held his hand firmly as she continued to give him the strength he did not know he

needed. Her hand always seemed to be able to give him the power to march forward.

Joan chuckled softly. She leaned over to give Larry a hug and whispered in his ear, “Larry, I’ve told you

before. No matter what kind of difficulties we face, I’ll go through them with you, hand in hand. Even if

no one else believes you, please know that you have me. I’ll stand by you, forever and always.”

Forever and always…” Larry slowly held onto her fingers, feeling her cool temperament and sweet

sensitivity. Her presence was like peach blossoms in April. Fair, light, and swaying in the wind. Then,

her fragrance overwhelmed him and eventually got under his skin.

This woman had always been standing by his side.

To be able to spend the rest of his life with her, what more could he ask for?

Jory’s journey to Barrymore Group this time had been smooth-sailing. Unwittingly, he chose the same

road he had taken last time, where he had been stopped by a daft, boisterous, egoistic woman and her

red Bentley.

He had his hands on the steering wheel, his fingers tapping on the surface every once in a while. As he

came to a red light, he joined the row of cars in forming a neat and orderly line. As he thought about

what happened the other day, he actually felt a tinge of indescribable disappointment. Once it popped

into his mind, he laughed at himself for quite some time.

 

Chapter 1700

Why are you disappointed, Jory? You’re not a masochist, are you? Geez, that’s right. Why am I thinking

of that woman? Though, if someone offers me the chance to see her again, I probably won’t say no.

The letters symbolizing Barrymore Group glared fiercely under the sunlight. Jory locked his car and,

with his hand, shielded his eyes from the sun hanging above his head. It was awfully hot that day. Jory

entered the building and was greeted by the security guard on duty. The guard respectfully bowed at

the man dressed in formal wear despite not knowing who Jory was.

He found himself in the reception hall of Barrymore Group. The first thing he saw was the large, golden

front desk. The sight of it dazzled him only because he had just escaped the sun’s brightness. His eyes

had not fully adjusted to the glare. This place made him feel like he had just entered the evil landlord’s

lair.

There were many green potted plants in the area. Most of the staff in the company tended to work their

eyes intensively, so green plants could help keep their vision in check. On the leather sofa by the side

sat a few important-looking people scrolling on their phones and sipping tea.

“May I help you, sir?” The receptionist gave him a welcoming smile.

Jory put up an even more pleasant one. “I’d like to meet the chairman.”

“I’m afraid an appointment is required in order to meet the chairman, sir. Do you have an appointment?”

The receptionist replied politely.

Jory shook his head, and fished out a name card from his suit pocket. The receptionist turned it over,

and then kindly gave him the directions he would need, “The chairman’s office is on the twenty-sixth

floor.”

Jory entered the elevator and found the button which would take him to the twenty-sixth floor. He

pressed it. The doors of the elevator slowly closed, but then a palm-wide gap stopped it from going all

the way. Jory thought that there was a malfunction, so he pressed the “close” button again. As he did

so, a piercing scream almost penetrated his eardrums.

It was a little bit too late when he discovered a slender, fair hand had been crushed between the

closing doors. He quickly pressed the other button, prompting the doors to slide open, and the woman

outside rushed into the elevator, understandably fuming.

“I apologize,” he said.

“Didn’t you see me block the door? Why did you close it anyway?”

Jory’s heart skipped a beat when he recognized the voice. He turned to face the other occupant in the

elevator. She was still rubbing her injured hand.

“I said, why…” As she shouted, she lifted her head to confront the tall figure next to her, only to find

herself looking into Jory’s deep-set eyes.

“It’s you!” the two of them blurted simultaneously.

Nancy quickly turned her face away. She chuckled softly. “Well, what do you know? It’s a small world

after all.”

“Sounds more like you owe me one. I helped fix your car, remember?” Jory quipped.

Before he could finish, Nancy held up her injured hand and waved in front of Jory. It had become visibly

red and swollen. “Well, look at what you have done. Does this make us even?”

The conversation hung in the air as silence loomed over them, while the elevator slowly made its way

up the building. Jory felt like he would suffocate if he did not say anything. He might not get another

chance like this. The woman was heading to the twentieth floor, and they were arriving soon. Just then.

Jory did the unthinkable.

He broke the awkward silence between them. He was not very loud, but the tiny space in the elevator

somehow amplified the volume. “Your hand… is it okay?”

Nancy was obviously taken aback by his sudden question. They had only met each other twice.

Unfortunately, he had left her with a bad impression. She thought of him as a generally salty person

with a sharp tongue, and yet here he was, “kindly” asking about her injury. For a moment, her hand was

the least of her worries. She felt mortified all over. Something was definitely off.

That was when the elevator decided to stop, for they had reached the twentieth floor. The door opened

slowly. Nancy simply straightened her hair and casually snorted at the man, “It’s fine. I’m leaving.”