Ch. 951..960
Chapter 951: Why Are They Everywhere!_1 “The venue we’re using for our competition belongs to a group where Weifeng has the largest stake.
And Weifeng is a good friend of Adrian Zhekova, part of the Wells Family, which is Clifford Wells’s family.” The Secretary General explained.
Lucas Johnson nearly lost control and wanted to throw something, “How come they’re everywhere?”
“Since when did they extend their reach so much?” Lucas roared in fury.
It seemed like, throughout the world, there were traces of The Big Eight Families everywhere!
Were they really that omnipotent?
“Our competition, after all, is a major one, with many participants.
Even if it’s a niche event, it still draws a sizable audience.
...
Plus, we strive to put on a good show.” The Secretary General said.
Especially after observing this year’s competition in Pingla and the way they set up the stage, they were truly inspired and motivated.
How could an international event be inferior to a domestic competition in Pingla?
“So, the venue we have now is the most suitable one we could find.
It has a stage that can hold up, is spacious, and also well-known.” The Secretary General sighed.
At this time, Lucas received several calls from board members questioning the situation.
The Secretary General said, “Lucas, if this keeps up, who knows what new situation might arise.”
“Our major competition is about to begin and there isn’t much time left.
If we have to start everything over, we definitely won’t have enough time.
If we rush into the competition, we’ll be the ones to lose face.” The Secretary General said.
“Or…
Lucas, should we have a serious talk with Adrian Zhekova again?” The Secretary General proposed, “Doesn’t he just want Jenny Kirk to leave?”
“Initially, we protected Jenny because of her family’s influence in the Hearth Nation.
But now it seems that it’s not helping, and there’s no need to sacrifice our Cooking Competition to save just one person, Jenny Kirk.” The Secretary General said.
“But if we give up now, Adrian’s demands may not be as simple as driving Jenny Kirk away.” Lucas said solemnly.
At this time, another call came in on the secretary’s internal line, “Lucas, it’s a call from Mr.
Mokleys.”
“…” Lucas spoke in a heavy voice, “Put him through.”
“Mr.
Mokleys.” Lucas greeted.
“What on earth are you doing!
How could things get so out of control!” From the other end of the line, Mr.
Mokleys was clearly angry, not bothering to maintain a polite demeanor towards Lucas.
“Mr.
Mokleys, Adrian Zhekova has allied himself with seven other extremely powerful families in the Hearth Nation.
We’re just a subsidiary.
We’re no match for them.” Lucas explained.
“So, why did you have to strain the relationship at the very beginning?” Mr.
Mokleys queried.
“Mr.
Mokleys, at first, I was very polite to Adrian and demonstrated our sincerity.
It’s just that Adrian went too far.
We’re supposed to be equals, but he treated me like a subordinate, expecting me to obey his commands and give him whatever he wanted.”
“Mr.
Mokleys,” Lucas said, “If this company was independent, and not a part of the Mokleys Group, then of course, this single company could not possibly oppose Adrian, and I would have accepted defeat.”
“But if I keep bowing to Adrian, wouldn’t the entire Mokleys Group have to put itself in a lower position compared to Pingla?” Lucas questioned.
“Mr.
Mokleys, the original idea was to cooperate with Adrian for a win-win situation, but he’s too oppressive, even trying to interfere with our company’s decisions.
Are we truly supposed to continually tolerate this?”
“What would that say about us to the outside world?” Lucas cautioned.
“Stop giving me these sweet talks.” Mr.
Mokleys snorted, “From the beginning, it was your poor decision making.
If you hadn’t insisted on protecting Jenny Kirk, would any of this have happened?”
“I’ve found out that you were keen on protecting Jenny because of her family’s influence in Hearth Nation.” Mr.
Mokleys said.
“But Jenny Kirk’s family counts for fuck all in Hearth Nation!” Mr.
Mokleys snapped, “What could a small family like the Kirk family possibly amount to?”
“The trouble was caused by Jenny Kirk from the start.
Any smart person would’ve banished her by now, yet you still insist on protecting her?” Mr.
Mokleys said, “And now, I’ve personally called to inquire about it.
And you’re still making excuses, claiming to be thinking about the Mokleys Group?”
“Lucas, I’m very disappointed in you!” Mr.
Mokleys intoned.
“Mr.
Mokleys…” Lucas tried to offer more explanation.
Mr.
Mokleys said, “Take a few days off.
You and your Secretary General should both take a break.
I’ve already sent someone to your company.
For the time being, we’ll have him take over.”
“As for what to do after this incident is over, we’ll discuss it then.” Mr.
Mokleys said.
“This call wasn’t to question you in any way.
What’s done is done, and me questioning you about it won’t change anything.”
“I’ve just called to inform you of the headquarters’ decision, and the Mokleys Group has already issued an announcement on all social media and Hearth Nation’s Facebook, stating that you’ve been temporarily suspended from work.” Mr.
Mokleys said.
“Mr.
Mokleys.” Lucas said, “You can’t do this.
Our original intention was for the reputation of the group.
Even though things are not going as expected now, we’re trying to negotiate with Adrian Zhekova.
But to suspend our work, this is too much.”
“We’ve been devoted to the Group, and the Group can’t just let us down like this.” Lucas stated.
The Secretary General didn’t know exactly what Mr.
Mokleys was saying on the other end of the phone.
But hearing what Lucas said, his expression became serious.
“Lucas, I have been very patient with you, your poor decision has led to consequences, and you must bear the price.” Mr.
Mokleys said, “So far, your decisions have not only damaged the International Culinary Competition but also led to the stalling of many plans of the group.
Even the group’s stock prices are falling.”
“The fact that I haven’t fired you two acknowledges that you were initially considering the group’s reputation.
This is the greatest tolerance I’ve shown!” Mr Mokleys declared.
“If you’re not happy, you can resign!” Mr Mokleys blasted.
Lucas’s poor decisions had caused heavy losses for the group.
Mr.
Mokleys is obviously holding back his temper to converse with him.
Back in Hearth Nation, Adrian observed Mokleys Group’s statement.
He smiled indifferently and said, “The crisis management is pretty timely.”
“So, what do we do now?” Sheldon Rowland asked.
“We will proceed as planned until Mokleys contacts us.” Adrian stated.
Chapter 952: What Else Can Be Done?_1 “Yes,” Sheldon Rowland nodded.
Sheldon thought to himself, thank goodness Adrian Zhekova had foreseen this.
Thanks to their early preparation, they launched their attack on Lansford Company with lightning speed.
Claiming the initial advantage early on.
Now they can just sit back, relaxed, and watch Mokleys Group’s next move.
Regardless of what happens, they hold the initiative.
Due to Lucas Johnson’s wrong decisions, Mokleys Group is now in a passive position.
...
Even if they handle their public relations promptly and suspend Lucas and the Secretary General,
It’s indeed relieved some of the netizens’ anger.
But it all depends on what they do next.
“It won’t be long before Mokleys Group contacts us,” Adrian Zhekova said.
On Mokleys Group’s end, Lucas and the Secretary General were suspended,
Then Jenny Kirk was fired.
Jenny was still in Hearth Nation when she received the email, and she was stunned.
How could she be fired all of a sudden?
She called a colleague she had interacted with before for answers.
“Damn!” the colleague said, “Even Lucas and the Secretary General have been temporarily suspended.
We’re not sure whether they will regain their positions after this incident passes.
But I doubt it, they might be demoted or fired directly.”
“Including your dismissal, all were ordered personally by Mr Mokleys himself, as were Lucas’s and the Secretary General’s suspension,” the colleague said, “This is going to be tough.”
If the big boss of the group directly gave the order, what else could be done?
Who would dare to shield her at this time?
Actually, the colleague didn’t dare to say much to Jenny Kirk.
She felt that Jenny Kirk wasn’t thinking clearly.
If she had been clearer, she wouldn’t have messed up like this.
So, the colleague didn’t dare to say much to Jenny Kirk.
Who knows that Jenny Kirk, in her unclear state of mind, might inadvertently incriminate her by revealing too much to others.
So, the colleague only comforted Jenny Kirk with a few words and quickly ended the call.
Meanwhile, the official microblog of Mokleys Group issued another sincere apology.
They claimed they were holding the responsible parties accountable.
Jenny Kirk had deceived both the International Culinary Competition organizers and the Pingla Culinary Competition, causing a misunderstanding between them.
They apologised profusely for the trouble and losses caused to the Pingla Culinary Competition by Jenny Kirk.
Furthermore, Lucas and the Secretary General, for their inappropriate decisions, were suspended.
After all, Lucas is the CEO of a company.
Suspending him, a high-ranking executive, is indeed a severe punishment.
This letter of apology indirectly answered Pingla’s question earlier.
Concerning whether Jenny Kirk would be reinstated after the situation had calmed down.
Now, Mokleys Group has issued an answer.
They not only won’t reinstate Jenny Kirk, but they have also outright fired her.
“The big boss is indeed magnanimous.”
“From now on, you must keep an eye on your subordinates.
Before you know it, they may end up sabotaging you.”
“Mokleys truly exemplifies the phrase ‘it’s not the godlike enemies that should be feared, but the pig-like teammates’.
First, there was Jenny Kirk and now Lucas.”
Because of Jenny Kirk’s actions, combined with Pingla’s teamed strategy alongside the Smith family to target Lansford Company.
The most recent incident has piqued the interest of bored netizens with no gossip, leading them to dig deeper into Lansford Company.
They also found out that the CEO of Lansford Company is Lucas Johnson.
“However, I’m curious, why is Lucas so protective of Jenny Kirk?
Although Jenny Kirk is a middle manager, what does a mid-level manager amount to when faced with the reputation and interests of a company?
Just let go at will.”
“Replying to the person above, are you insinuating that Lucas and Jenny Kirk have an inappropriate relationship?”
“I didn’t suggest that.
Please don’t say that.
I don’t want to get a letter from a lawyer.
I’m just expressing a reasonable suspicion.”
“If it’s an improper relationship, I think that’s unlikely.
Jenny Kirk’s family is quite formidable in Hearth Nation.
She wouldn’t stoop so low as to have something with Lucas.
We might as well ponder on other potential interests.”
Netizens come from all walks of life.
There are students, salaried workers, broader vision people, and those in relevant professional fields.
A survey conducted a while ago showed that more than 72.4% of internet users in the country have a monthly income of less than 5,000 yuan.
But among the remaining 27.6% of netizens, although the proportion is not high, there are those with high incomes, wider perspectives and extensive connections.
Thus, a netizen analysed, “In this, I wouldn’t rule out some transport of interest.
However, I have checked, there’s no overlap of interest between Lansford Company and Jenny Kirk’s family company.”
“To the person above, Mokleys Group has always wanted to enter the Hearth Nation market.
Lansford Company may want to take advantage of Jenny Kirk’s family influence in Hearth Nation to facilitate their market entry, making it more accessible and convenient.”
Adrian Zhekova laughed as he read the netizens’ comments.
He flicked the edge of his mobile phone screen nonchalantly and said, “Some of their analyses are quite accurate.”
“Comparing the two, it’s clear that Mr Mokleys is far more capable than Lucas,” he added.
Sheldon Rowland, who was also watching, couldn’t help but say, “Mr.
Zhekova, according to the current situation, netizens’ hostility towards Lansford Company has lessened, and they seem to have developed some goodwill towards Mokleys.”
Most netizens are easily swayed,
They have low decision-making power,
And are easily influenced by the emotions and opinions of others.
“That means nothing,” Adrian Zhekova said without the slightest worry, “Don’t forget, our goal from the start was not to boycott the International Culinary Competition, but to get as much benefit from the International Culinary Competition and International Chefs Association as possible.”
“If we truly boycott them, preventing their entry into Hearth Nation, the benefits we want would diminish in importance.
Although they would still be useful in the international market, it would not be as profitable as opening up the Hearth Nation market.”
“At the beginning, the participation of netizens in the boycott put Lansford Company in a disadvantage in terms of public sentiment, thereby creating pressure.
Once pressure sets in, foolish decisions are bound to occur,” Adrian Zhekova said with a faint smile.
“Moreover, it added pressure on Mr Mokleys to suppress Lucas, paving the way for negotiations.”
“Now we are at a stage where we no longer need the participation of netizens in the boycott.
Otherwise, are we really refusing to participate in the International Culinary Competition?
That would not benefit us.
If we turned around to participate in the competition after the heated boycott by netizens, it would only disappoint them.”
“The boycott sentiment of the netizens would then become our constraint.
We would find ourselves in a difficult situation.”
Chapter 953: Only Surrounding This One Point_1 “This time, thanks to Mokleys’ decision and their group’s announcement, we were able to shake off our pinch in time before we found ourselves in a difficult position.” said Adrian Zhekova.
“Would Mokleys not realize that this would only help us?” Sheldon Rowland frowned slightly, “I think, as the owner of such a big group, he must have thought of it.”
Mokleys and Adrian Zhekova both come from a large family.
The educational system they received from childhood was presumably similar.
What Adrian Zhekova could think of, Mokleys should certainly imagine.
“He certainly could think of it,” said Adrian Zhekova, “but even if he thought of it, he had to do so.
Because the netizens boycotted them, while it was not in our favor, their loss would be greater.”
“They didn’t have to sacrifice their interests to break the netting with us,” Adrian Zhekova said, “compared with making us suffer a loss, their entrance into the Hearth Nation market is more important.”
“And showing an upright attitude is the most direct and effective way to make netizens abandon the boycott, and leave a good impression on them,” Adrian Zhekova said.
...
“So even though he knows, he has to do it that way.”
“I see.” Sheldon Rowland nodded.
He has always known that Adrian Zhekova is formidable.
In the many years he has been with Adrian Zhekova, he has never seen him make a wrong calculation.
This moment further confirmed this.
He was right, the educational system Mokleys received from childhood was actually pretty similar to that of Adrian Zhekova.
Even if there were minor differences, the overall similarity was quite strong.
In the situation where their advantages were equal, Adrian Zhekova still outplayed Mokleys, which was alarming.
Mokleys was twenty years older than Adrian Zhekova.
He had seen more, experienced more, naturally more than Adrian Zhekova.
Yet, he was still thoroughly maneuvered by Adrian Zhekova.
Adrian Zhekova accurately calculated each step, Mokleys’ psychology, his state, Lucas Johnson’s starting point, and the endpoint of Mokleys.
Sheldon Rowland thought that he still had much to learn from Adrian Zhekova.
He would rather continue being Adrian Zhekova’s assistant than venture out on his own.
What Sheldon Rowland could think of, Mokleys certainly could think of too.
At this moment, Mokleys was in his office, telling his secretary, “One should always respect the younger generation!”
He spoke in Mandarin that was very close to native proficiency.
From this, it was apparent that Mokleys had indeed made great efforts in preparing to enter the Hearth Nation market.
He was trying very hard to understand Hearth Nation.
“From now on, it’s not about relying on the boycott of netizens,” said Adrian Zhekova.
“We still continue to target Lansford Company.”
“It’s somewhat difficult to launch an attack on Mokleys Group as a whole.
Even if we, the Big Eight families, unite, there will be losses.
Moreover, if the target is too dispersed, the effect will not be good,” Adrian Zhekova said while drawing a big circle on the blank screen of the Ipad Pro, representing the entire Mokleys Group.
“Rather, combine all our power and only besiege this one point!” Adrian Zhekova pointed at a small red dot in the large circle.
“In the Mokleys Group, Lansford Company plays a crucial role.
Although it may not seem important in the grand scheme of the group, it bears the responsibility of promoting the Mokleys Group’s culture.”
“And Mokleys Group is planning to use the International Culinary Competition as a platform to enter Hearth Nation and make the competition serve as a pioneer for promotion.”
“So no matter how you look at it, Mokleys Group won’t just let Lansford Company fend for itself.
We only besiege this one point – it seems as if we’re fully mobilizing, but in fact, we’re not really consuming much,” said Adrian Zhekova.
“Since we’re not going to boycott participation in the International Culinary Competition, the money Benjamin Hamilton spent on the exclusive broadcasting rights will not be wasted and the sponsors can still return.
Instead, it can be an effective means to threaten them.
Unless, due to this incident, they are wary of the threat of Hearth Nation enterprises, they would rather give up high sponsorship fees and choose lower-priced sponsors.”
“It won’t be long before Mokleys comes to negotiate with me.”
Mokleys reacted very quickly.
After issuing that announcement.
Seeing that Adrian Zhekova was not going to back off, showing intentions to wage a long-term battle.
Mokleys vaguely guessed Adrian Zhekova’s plan.
While he was sighing “One should always respect the younger generation,” he dialed Adrian Zhekova’s number.
“Mr.
Zhekova.” When Adrian Zhekova picked up, he heard Mokleys speak almost impeccable Chinese.
Although it couldn’t compare with foreigners who had been living in Hearth Nation for many years, nor with Charles Dean’s proficiency level.
But for a foreigner who had been living abroad and studied Chinese there, Mokleys was performing very well.
Adrian Zhekova was taken aback.
He knew, Mokleys speaking to him in Chinese was a sign of sincerity.
Adrian Zhekova also very sincerely used Mokleys’ native French language to talk with Mokleys.
Mokleys was somewhat surprised, not expecting Adrian Zhekova’s French- it was more accurate and closer to native proficiency than his Chinese.
At the same time, he also grasped Adrian Zhekova’s intention from it.
Two people who were not close had a rare tacit understanding.
Mokleys continued in Chinese, “Mr.
Zhekova, I am very sincere, willing to bury the hatchet and make peace with you, wondering how much sincerity it would take to make Mr.
Zhekova and your friends step down?”
Mokleys Group was different from Adrian Zhekova’s Pingla Group.
They could indeed mobilize the entire group’s power to specifically target a subsidiary of Pingla.
But how could the power of their entire group compare to the power of the Big Eight families?
They couldn’t be as diversified either.
Moreover, if they did end up in a battle, Mokleys Group would have to be wary of a wolf-like environment, guarding against other competitors taking the opportunity to bite them.
However, Pingla Group was different.
The other seven major families were only helping in their own fields, and they were far from giving it their all.
They still had plenty of spare power to help Adrian Zhekova watch out for their surroundings and protect Pingla Group from being attacked from behind.
This was something that Mokleys Group couldn’t accomplish.
So, Mokleys, realizing this, had no choice but to make peace with Adrian Zhekova.
He knew their announcement couldn’t satisfy Adrian Zhekova.
Adrian Zhekova wanted to seize the opportunity to gain even more.
Mokleys sighed, feeling that this was normal.
Being driven into rage for the sake of one’s beloved was clearly not the case.
Chapter 954: Look at how wronged you are!_1 Adrian Zhekova’s real goal was to gain more benefits.
He wouldn’t bother getting out of bed without something to profit from.
And until now, Adrian Zhekova had always lacked a proper excuse.
But now, Lucas Johnson had personally handed him the perfect one.
This made the situation all the more frustrating for Lansford.
Lucas really is a fool!
Initially, Lansford had only planned to suspend Lucas for a while.
...
But now, he was planning to directly fire Lucas and his foolish Secretary General!
“Mr.
Lansford is indeed candid.” Adrian Zhekova said with a smirk, “In that case, I won’t beat around the bush, I’ll speak directly.”
“Please do,” Lansford said.
Lansford’s cunning far surpassed Lucas’s.
Even at this point, he had not exposed his true feelings.
“What I want isn’t much.
I want Hearth Nation’s membership quota in the International Chefs Association to increase from its current 15% annually to 20%.”
The number of ordinary memberships to the International Chefs Association varies each year and depends on the number of applicants.
Des Moines holds 20%.
Star Stripe Nation also occupies 20%.
Italy claims 15%.
Land of Tuqi gets 10%.
And Hearth Nation has 15%.
These five countries together occupy 80%.
The remaining 20% is distributed among other nations.
Originally, the Land of Tuqi isn’t a very powerful country, but it is indeed one of the world’s three great gourmet nations, hence it’s granted a quota of 10%.
The Star Stripe Nation doesn’t really have any gourmet culture and relies on its national strength and good relationships to secure a 20% quota.
But Hearth Nation only has 15%.
This made Adrian Zhekova very unhappy.
He had planned to demand more quota for a long time.
If it exceeds Des Moines, Lansford would certainly not agree.
Therefore, Adrian Zhekova’s requirement is not high.
As long being on par with Des Moines is enough.
Adrian Zhekova heard Lansford taking a deep breath on the other end of the phone.
It seems no matter how deep the city is, facing Adrian Zhekova, it couldn’t bear it.
“That should be fine,” Lansford managed to say.
Adrian Zhekova’s teeth finally came out into the light.
This brat wants to cut the international market into pieces, unable to hide anymore!
“And also,” Adrian Zhekova continued.
“Anything else?” Lansford couldn’t help but raise his volume.
Realizing his slip, he coughed twice and asked, “Anything else?”
“Don’t tell me you thought that was all my demands?
Then why did we go through all the trouble with the Lansford Company before?
It cost us a lot,” Adrian Zhekova said, sounding rather aggrieved.
Lansford: “…”
Who asked you to do all this?
You could not have done it!
And now you feel aggrieved by it!
“What else do you need?” Lansford asked through gritted teeth.
“What I mentioned was just the proportion of memberships in the International Chefs Association.
There are also cadre positions.
I will have my assistant send you a detailed list,” Adrian Zhekova said.
Lansford: “…..”
How much do you want for the detailed list?
Is a separate document necessary?
Lansford now somewhat regretted talking with Adrian Zhekova.
“Besides, the position of Vice President of the International Chef Association needs to be vacated this year,” Adrian Zhekova said, “I’ll just tell you straight now.”
Lansford: “…..”
He wanted to curse!
You fucking have your eye on the Vice President’s position now?
You’re not even a chef, who would you give it to?
Though they were on the phone, Adrian Zhekova couldn’t hear Lansford’s thoughts.
However, it’s as if he could predict Lansford’s thoughts.
He said to Lansford: “Of course, the position of the Vice President isn’t for me.”
What does he want with a Vice President’s position?
He couldn’t spare the time for that.
Moreover, why would he do the extra work when he could let others do it instead?
“But, I have someone particularly suitable in mind,” Adrian Zhekova said.
“Tell me,” Lansford said, somewhat worn out.
Can you be straightforward and say all at once?
Adrian Zhekova then said: “I have a brother named Samson Zhekova, who is an excellent chef and currently serves as a director in the International Chefs Association.”
Lansford indeed had an impression of him.
He couldn’t remember the names of all the members of the International Chefs Association.
But he knew about the upper echelon.
Especially since Samson Zhekova was Adrian Zhekova’s brother.
Given this relationship, Landsford naturally paid extra attention.
And was on guard in case Adrian Zhekova infiltrated something from within.
However, it seems he wasn’t cautious enough.
Now, Samson Zhekova doesn’t want to be a director anymore, he wants to become Vice President!
Next, will they ask for the position of President?
“My brother is outstanding, and in the International Culinary Competition two years ago, he got second place,” Adrian Zhekova said.
“As to how the second place came about, I wonder if you still remember?
The judges’ evaluations at the time were unfair.
Netizens from Hearth Nation protested a lot,” Adrian Zhekova said.
“It was not that I was being unfair about this matter, but at the time, the loss was indeed regrettable,” Adrian Zhekova said.
“Because the contestant who got first place was from your system.”
As for Hearth Nation, they obviously had their unique system.
Not only in international relations did everyone guard against Hearth Nation.
Even in this kind of competition, they were being cautious.
Adrian Zhekova found it rather ridiculous.
At the same time, he also realized he was not strong enough yet.
Otherwise, was there any chance for Samson Zhekova to be unjustly relegated to second place because of this?
“But even if he didn’t come in first, with his skill level, becoming a Vice President shouldn’t embarrass the International Chefs Association, right?” Adrian Zhekova said.
Lansford: “…”
What?
Does this mean being a Vice President is a dishonor to your brother?
“Of course, I recognize Samson Zhekova’s skill, but he is still too young and does not have enough prestige.
I’m afraid he won’t be able to manage the crowd,” Lansford said.
“Prestige is for the President.
What prestige does a Vice President need?
As long as he has skill, it’s enough.
Besides, he is a director in the association now and does not lack prestige,” Adrian Zhekova said, “Moreover, even if it comes to voting, I have many votes on my side.
If Lansford could cooperate, Samson would have it in the bag.”
Lansford naturally had his own nominees.
Adrian Zhekova then said: “I know you want to nominate Jonathan Hudson.”
“But judging from the number of votes we have in hand, Jonathan Hudson might not necessarily win,” Adrian Zhekova said.
Lansford was shocked at heart.
When did Adrian Zhekova get so prepared?
Chapter 955: Why Don’t You Rob It!
_1 Adrian Zhekova dared to make such a statement, at least he was confident that the votes he held could match those in support of Jonathan Hudson from the Mokleys Group.
At least he was sure that even if Samson Zhekova wasn’t elected, neither would Jonathan Hudson who was put forward by the Mokleys Group.
When two tigers competed, both sides would suffer damage.
Letting others take advantage, how frustrating would that be?
However, Adrian Zhekova’s words weren’t backed up by any evidence.
...
The Mokleys Group also doubted the truth of what Adrian Zhekova said.
But how could this be proven?
By going over each person with voting rights one by one, asking them if they would vote for Samson Zhekova?
They could only wait until the time of voting to know.
However, the Mokleys Group was more inclined to believe Adrian Zhekova’s words.
Adrian Zhekova didn’t seem like a person who bluffed.
Just like what he first told Lucas Johnson.
Lucas also thought he was bluffing.
So what was the result?
Adrian Zhekova targeted the Lansford Company, and now it’s too late for Lucas to regret.
He had to personally solve this problem.
“To exchange the stability of the group for a vice president, it’s not a big deal, right?” Adrian Zhekova said again.
Compared to the follow-up of the group’s entry into the Hearth Nation market, the weight of a vice president would indeed decline a bit.
But that’s still a vice president!
It’s not a cabbage!
But considering the future development of the group in Hearth Nation, if Adrian Zhekova really tripped them up, it would indeed be troublesome.
A powerful dragon wouldn’t crush the local snake.
Not to mention that Adrian Zhekova was a low-profile dragon rather than a snake.
This time their direct overseas attack on Lansford Company has already demonstrated Adrian Zhekova’s strength to the Mokleys Group.
They naturally dare not gamble.
The Mokleys Group took a deep breath and said, “Alright, I agree to this.”
“And there’s more.” Adrian Zhekova said again.
“More?” This time, even the Mokleys Group couldn’t help but laugh, “Young man, quit while you’re ahead, don’t push it too far.
Otherwise, I’d rather nullify all the conditions I’ve agreed to earlier, and really never end this with you!”
They were also a big group, didn’t they have tempers?
They couldn’t be constantly retreating and losing face, could they?
Adrian Zhekova just laughed it off, the advantage was on his side anyway.
He wasn’t afraid of the Mokleys Group’s half-hearted threat.
“The last condition,” Adrian Zhekova said, “I’m not unreasonable, how could I go too far?”
The Mokleys Group just chuckled twice, not wanting to respond to his comment.
Adrian Zhekova?
Reasonable?
Ha!
“I know that the International Culinary Competition is hosted by Lansford Company.
But the major countries all have a stake in the International Culinary Competition,” Adrian Zhekova said.
After all, it’s the International Culinary Competition, you can’t let Lansford Company dominate, making the Mokleys Group the sole decider, right?
What’s the purpose of the International Culinary Competition?
If the Mokleys Group can decide everything, who wins, what scores they get, it would all be up to the Mokleys Group.
If so, how could other countries agree?
They wouldn’t want to play with the Mokleys Group anymore.
If the International Culinary Competition lost its authority like this, who would recognize this brand?
Therefore, the Mokleys Group had to involve several major countries with decision-making power.
The International Culinary Competition was established early, when Hearth Nation didn’t receive as much attention as it does now.
A few countries got involved, and they didn’t even consider Hearth Nation.
In recent years, Hearth Nation has become increasingly powerful and cannot be underestimated.
But the makeup of the International Culinary Competition has been stable for so many years.
These countries deliberately ignored it and had no intention of involving Hearth Nation.
This is why Hearth Nation’s participants in the International Culinary Competition have suffered some unfair treatment over the years.
Because there was no one from there!
In recent years, Pingla has been taking more and more seats in the International Chefs Association.
And competitors from Hearth Nation are getting in a better situation, which cannot be said without the protection from Pingla.
Adrian Zhekova has always wanted to find a chance to increase Hearth Nation’s voice in the International Culinary Competition.
So that when Hearth Nation’s contestants participate, they wouldn’t lack the backing.
Perfect timing, Adrian Zhekova wanted to take this opportunity and negotiate terms with the Mokleys Group.
Originally, if Lucas Johnson had given in earlier, the one negotiating terms with him would be Lucas.
But Lucas couldn’t make the decision, and he would have ended up passing messages in the middle.
Having Lucas pass messages back and forth would be very inefficient and it would delay the time, missing the best negotiation time, which is not good.
Now that Lucas Johnson has stepped down and the Mokleys Group is personally coming to talk, it coincides with Adrian Zhekova’s intentions.
The eyebrows of the Mokleys Group jumped a few times, thinking this guy is finally getting to this point.
He had a vague premonition that Adrian Zhekova would find him to talk about this sooner or later.
Just didn’t know when to bring it up.
Unexpectedly, he was waiting at this moment.
“As a food kingdom, Hearth Nation sends contestants to the International Culinary Competition every year who usually perform outstandingly.
And every year, the International Culinary Competition cannot be held without Hearth Nation.
Without the participation of Hearth Nation, the International Culinary Competition seems incomplete,” Adrian Zhekova said.
This time, in order to get a hold of the Mokleys Group, apart from the market in Hearth Nation, it depends on whether the contestants from Hearth Nation will participate in the International Culinary Competition.
If no one from Hearth Nation participated, the International Culinary Competition would become a joke.
The Mokleys Group was also taking this point into consideration.
“But when Hearth Nation’s contestants participates, there’s no corresponding enterprise of Hearth Nation participating in the International Culinary Competition, which is somewhat unfair.
Simply put, if something really happened, we wouldn’t even have a say,” Adrian Zhekova said.
“My condition is simple, we, Pingla, want to be one of the hosts of the International Culinary Competition,” Adrian Zhekova said.
“Correspondingly, Pingla will naturally support the International Culinary Competition,” Adrian Zhekova said, “We will follow the requirements of other companies based on the investment ratio.”
“What Pingla wants is not much, it can’t possibly surpass the Mokleys Group,” Adrian Zhekova said, “You can rest assured about this.”
“At most, just the same as the Golros Group in Star Stripe Nation,” Adrian Zhekova said.
The Mokleys Group: “…”
He almost sprayed out a mouthful of spit.
Just like Star Stripe Nation, why don’t you go rob somebody!
“The Golros Group in Star Stripe Nation, is already the company with the highest investment ratio besides the Mokleys Group!” The Mokleys Group couldn’t keep calm at this point.
This guy’s appetite is really big!
Chapter 956: This is obviously an improper relationship between men and women!_1 “What’s wrong with us investing more?
Isn’t it just us giving you more money?
That’s a good thing,” Adrian Zhekova said.
What a load of crap!
Mokleys cursed internally.
The more investments there are, the more shares one will possess in return.
And a higher return!
...
If not, who would invest merely for the sake of investing?
No one wants to absorb such losses, right?
“In that case, a redistribution is necessary,” Mokleys stated.
“Of course,” Adrian Zhekova replied, nodding.
Indeed, since the distribution is proportional.
For example, if the total is 100, Mokleys’ firm holding 60 is constant, and the remaining 40 is shared among others like Golros of Star Stripe Nation, Botalli of Italy, Egerton of Avalon, and Takahashi Corporation of Cherry Blossom Kingdom.
The investment and dividends are given based on the proportion.
If Pingla is also joining, the remaining forty will have to be reallocated.
This forty wouldn’t be equally divided either, with each entity’s strength being weighed up.
Put simply, if you’re strong, you get more.
If you’re weaker and easier to bully, then you get less.
The Golros Group of Star Stripe Nation is the one with the highest stake out of what is left.
Adrian Zhekova insisted on comparing his share to that of the Golros Group.
After all, Pingla is no weaker than the Golros Group!
Mokleys knew that Adrian Zhekova had made up his mind to join and would never back down.
This was only a matter of time.
He prepared himself for some time actually.
Mokleys ironically sighed, “This is the last condition, right?
There’s no more, correct?”
Mokleys asked, evidently still unsure.
“No more,” Adrian Zhekova responded.
Mokleys breathed a sigh of relief.
In reality, it was Adrian Zhekova who had been taking advantage.
He felt slightly aggrieved for feeling relieved at merely being exploited slightly less extensively.
How very embarrassing!
“While I have a significant say in your joining, I can’t make the decision alone because the other groups are also involved,” Mokleys said.
This was the truth, and it only reaffirmed Adrian Zhekova’s conviction to join.
Just think, what a huge say I will have after joining!
In the future, there’ll be more benefits to reap from the International Chefs Association.
We can even give the president’s position to Samson Zhekova.
It’ll be easier for our Pingla to expand its business in the international market.
“I’ll need to hold a meeting with the others to make a decision,” Mokleys said.
“Of course,” Adrian Zhekova replied, nodding in agreement.
Mokleys was thinking to himself about how unusually agreeable Adrian Zhekova had become.
Just then, Adrian Zhekova spoke up, “However, you might want to keep in mind that my refusal to continue undermining the Lansford Company and your growth progress in the Hearth Nation is conditional.
If our negotiations don’t pan out, then we’ll have no choice but to continue.”
Mokleys was speechless.
Could you have any shame!
Should you say such things so frankly?
He only spoke about not causing any more trouble for the Lansford Company earlier.
Mokleys merely anticipated that the Mokleys Group’s expansion into Hearth Nation would be impeded.
He didn’t expect Adrian Zhekova to disclose this matter so outright!
In other words, if he hadn’t suspended Lucas Johnson earlier and taken over the matter, Adrian Zhekova would have indeed planned to give him a hard time on his home turf in Hearth Nation.
What an annoyance!
All Mokleys could say was, “I will certainly do my utmost to persuade them.
However, once I’ve convinced them, it’s down to you to fight for as much proportion as you can.”
“That’s not a problem,” Adrian Zhekova happily agreed, without imposing any further conditions.
He felt that Mokleys was already on the brink of losing his temper.
He didn’t want to push it too far.
“I look forward to hearing good news from you then,” Adrian Zhekova said.
Mokleys asked, “So, can you temporarily halt your attacks?”
“No problem,” Adrian Zhekova agreed again.
Now, Mokleys was utterly astounded.
Was he so easily agreeable?
It was some time after the call had ended that Mokleys came to a realization.
Adrian Zhekova had only gotten all the sponsors in Hearth Nation to temporarily withdraw.
He had also caused Wei Feng’s venue to reject them, siding with him instead.
However, he didn’t take any further action.
Still, it was because of this series of events that they couldn’t sit idly by and had to seek peace with Adrian Zhekova.
Meaning, all Adrian Zhekova had to do now was nothing, which would be the same as temporarily halting his attack.
Once Mokleys were able to meet all the conditions proposed by Adrian Zhekova,
All Adrian Zhekova had to do was to get those sponsors back and reclaim the venue.
This way, Adrian Zhekova won’t suffer any loss.
On the contrary, Mokleys had to fulfill Adrian Zhekova’s conditions as soon as possible.
To quickly get those sponsors back and stabilize the situation as soon as possible.
In the end, they were still completely at Adrian Zhekova’s mercy.
Mokleys sighed and quickly issued orders.
Once Sheldon Rowland sent a detailed document over, Mokleys handed it to someone else for further action.
There were some minor details and room for negotiation and haggling.
But overall, they had to satisfy Adrian Zhekova’s demands.
As for Mokleys himself, he hastened to look for the presidents of the other member corporations to discuss this matter.
As for how he would convince them, it didn’t matter to Adrian Zhekova as that was Mokleys’ problem.
What Adrian Zhekova had to do was negotiate for as many shares as possible.
The outcome was already set in stone, so let’s not go into that for now.
At Sharp-edge, Jacob Zahn’s contract was still being held up by Lyke Zhekova.
At this time, on his office desk, there was an investigative report about Mr.
Houston and Jacob Zahn sent by Wallace Martin.
Lyke Zhekova looked at the photos on the desk with a stern face.
They were all pictures of Mr.
Houston and Jacob Zahn together.
In the photos, Jacob Zahn was very attentive to Mr.
Houston.
There was waist-holding, shoulder-wrapping, face-kissing, and whispering in the ear.
These obviously went beyond the bounds of normal social contact.
To claim that they only held a regular customer relationship was pushing it.
It’s actually insulting to others’ intelligence.
“So, this is why Mr.
Houston handed the business over to Jacob Zahn,” Lyke Zhekova sneered.
“There are some things that I generally don’t investigate too much, as long as they aren’t too excessive.
After all, I also need to give them some benefits.
But to hand over business based on romantic relationships?” Lyke Zhekova commented.
But after he finished saying this, the image of Peggy Lewis appeared in his mind.
Lyke Zhekova paused for a moment, then added, “This is obviously an illegitimate romantic relationship!”
Mr.
Houston is married, so he couldn’t have any proper romantic relationship with Jacob Zahn.
“Is the relationship between Jacob Zahn and Mr.
Houston a long-term stable one, or is it only for the duration of their business dealings?” Lyke Zhekova asked.
Chapter 957: Isn’t He Worth Taking a Shot at?_1 Wallace Martin didn’t notice the unusual reaction of Lyke Zhekova, saying, “It should only be temporary.
I found out from my investigation that Mr.
Houston is quite!”
Wallace Martin struggled to swallow, saying, “handsome.”
Lyke Zhekova raised his eyebrows, as if thinking he may have heard wrong.
He bent down to further verify from the photo.
“Handsome?” Lyke Zhekova questioned.
“Jacob Zahn is not!
He looks pretty average.”
Lyke Zhekova’s expression indicated that he thought himself far superior.
...
Wallace Martin coughed and immediately said, “Of course, compared to you, he falls far short.”
Lyke Zhekova nodded in agreement.
Wallace Martin continued, saying, “But if you compare him to you, the standards are a bit too high.
Isn’t it like comparing him to a young DiCaprio?”
As for the present day DiCaprio, Wallace Martin believes it’s best to forget about him.
Extra weight ruins everything.
“That’s a harsh comparison.” Wallace Martin said.
“You make a valid point.” Lyke Zhekova nodded agreement.
Wallace Martin then said, “Actually, if you look at him alone, with not-so-high expectations, he has well-proportioned facial features and can be considered good looking.
If he were to use the popular TicToc filter, he could definitely achieve the standard of an Internet celebrity.”
Jacob Zahn pays quite a lot of attention to his appearance.
His hairstyle and clothes were all pretty trendy.
“Besides, he’s young.
Mr.
Houston is already 45,” Wallace Martin said.
“No matter how well one upkeep, her collagen has declined substantially.
For her, Jacob Zahn is a boy toy.”
“Jacob Zahn is making quite a sacrifice,” Lyke Zhekova nodded, saying, “He’s even willing to sell his own body for business.”
Lyke Zhekova does not have prejudices about a woman’s age.
Nor does he think there is anything wrong with an older woman dating a younger man.
If well-maintained, a boyfriend can always be 20 years old.
However, judging by Jacob Zahn’s looks, he does not seem to be a reliable man.
His affection for Mr.
Houston is just superficial.
He trusts that although Mr.
Houston likes handsome men, she can still discern what kind of person Jacob Zahn is.
Otherwise, would someone with principles sell themselves for business?
“I checked, and Jacob Zahn is not the only one who has had this kind of relationship with Mr.
Houston.
There were several before Jacob Zahn,” Wallace said.
“Mr.
Houston doesn’t seem to be picky about the status of her boy toys.
From college students to those who specifically earn money from rich women at a pub, she can accept it.”
“She isn’t looking for genuine affection with them either, frankly, she’s just after their bodies,” Wallace Martin said.
Lyke Zhekova, “…”
“I’ve seen it, she first looks at the body, then at the face.
Of course, the face can’t be too bad.
Like Jacob Zahn, he’s probably her lower limit.
She likes all those above that,” Wallace Martin said.
Lyke Zhekova, “…”
He suddenly felt a bit unsafe.
He was wondering if Mr.
Houston looking at his handsome face every day would give her any improper thoughts.
The corners of Wallace Martin’s mouth twitched.
Seeing Lyke Zhekova’s reaction, he knew Lyke was getting narcissistic again.
Wallace Martin gathered his thoughts and continued, “This time, I guess Jacob Zahn intentionally found out some of Mr.
Houston’s preferences and chose to please her.”
“Whether Mr.
Houston will continue her relationship with Jacob Zahn after the contract is signed is uncertain,” Wallace Martin said.
“But, perhaps during the cooperation, she will feel like hanging out with him?”
In simple terms, he’s a sex friend!
No one can say whether the two will have a resurgence of interest in the future.
“So, Mr.
Houston does business in this way.
She doesn’t look at whether the other party’s company is suitable, but whether there are men in the company she can fancy,” Lyke Zhekova said coldly.
“If there are men she can fancy, would she ignore whether the other company is suitable?” Lyke Zhekova said.
“Even if the other company’s product is not good, if there are various unsuitable reasons, can she still cooperate?”
Wallace Martin wasn’t sure about this either.
“After discovering her relationship with Adam Zahn, I checked some of Mr.
Houston’s previous business cooperation.
I found that although there were male employees in some of them who had relations with her, not all of them did.”
One reason is that Mr.
Houston does not personally take charge of every piece of business.
Another reason is that not every company that negotiates with her happens to have a handsome man.
In effect, Mr.
Houston is quite discerning and does not go after every man that comes her way.
Thinking of this, Wallace Martin started to worry about himself.
Truth be told, he was also quite good looking, only slightly less so than Lyke Zhekova.
If graded, he would definitely rank as a top-level handsome man.
Who knows if Mr.
Houston has ever had designs on him?
Wallace Martin suddenly felt a little scared.
“Mr.
President.” Wallace Martin called nervously.
“What?” Lyke Zhekova was still looking at the photo and thinking, quite annoyed.
Hearing Wallace Martin’s voice, he looked up.
Wallace Martin looked anxious and said to Lyke Zhekova, “Sir, not just you, I am also rather good looking.”
Lyke Zhekova, “…”
“Mr.
Houston, even if she has secretly coveted you, she would not dare to really make a move, would she?” Wallace Martin, looking rather pathetic and shivering, said, “But it’s not the same for me.
I am just a little assistant.”
“What if Mr.
Houston sets her sight on me!” Wallace Martin said pitifully.
Lyke Zhekova, “…”
Wallace Martin thought for a moment and felt frightened by the possibility that Mr.
Houston had been…
Wallace Martin was scared!
He was helpless!
Lyke Zhekova said indifferently, “You and Mr.
Houston have been in the company for so many years.
If she wanted to make a move on you, she would have done it a long time ago.
Why wait until now, and make you feel so threatened?”
Wallace Martin, “…”
The president’s words were quite ruthless.
Wasn’t he worthy of being hit on?
Lyke Zhekova honestly felt that if anyone was to be hit on, he would be a better candidate.
It’s just that he is the CEO, and Mr.
Houston wouldn’t dare.
“Back to the main topic,” Lyke Zhekova reminded Wallace Martin.
He should stop worrying about such unlikely things.
Although Wallace Martin is just an assistant, he is Lyke’s assistant.
Being by his side is equivalent to being Sheldon Rowland to Adrian Zhekova.
It is equivalent to Adam Zahn to Zane Hamilton, Nial Townsend to Zander Hamilton.
Although the position appears to be just an assistant, it is not someone Mr.
Houston can easily provoke.
Not to mention Mr.
Houston, even General Manager Webster wouldn’t dare.
Even the directors of the company wouldn’t dare to mess with Wallace Martin easily.
What if they offended Wallace Martin, and he said something to Lyke Zhekova?
Chapter 958: Who exactly do you want to be in charge of Rui Shi?
_1 It would only jeopardize his own position or his interests, and that’s not worth it at all.
So, the fact that Wallace Martin worries that Mr.
Houston is targeting him is purely his own overreaction.
Having been reminded by Lyke Zhekova, Wallace Martin continued, “I’ve looked into the business that Mr.
Houston has previously dealt with.
...
Every time, she has been taking benefits from every business and then eventually chooses the most suitable company to cooperate with us.”
“So, although she takes benefits, it doesn’t affect the company’s cooperative interest,” Lyke Zhekova said.
“Exactly, she takes the benefits anyway but she still chooses based on the company’s strength,” said Wallace Martin.
“The chosen company also gave her benefits, they thought they were chosen just because they gave her benefits.”
“Companies that weren’t chosen either think they didn’t offer enough, or although they think Mr.
Houston is greedy and don’t keep her word, they wouldn’t dare to offend her because she is Vice President of Majestic.”
“Because they still hope for future cooperation.
It would not be worth it if they annoyed Mr.
Houston, and then even lose the slightest chance for cooperation in the future,” Wallace Martin said.
“So even if Mr.
Houston isn’t quite ethical, nobody dares to challenge her, let alone expose her,” Wallace Martin said.
“As for some companies that have physical transactions, we haven’t found anything inappropriate either,” Wallace Martin said.
In this regard, Mr.
Houston is really smart.
Being the Vice President of Majestic for many years without running into any problems shows that she has her own way of doing things.
“Huh!” Lyke Zhekova scoffed, “So, if we try to find her, could she use the excuse that it was her private life and it doesn’t affect her work?
If we confront her about accepting gifts, do you believe that she would say it’s just private exchanges between friends?”
Without a second thought, Wallace Martin nods: “I believe, I do!”
How could he not believe what Lyke Zhekova said?
Lyke Zhekova had never been wrong.
“What should we do now?” asked Wallace Martin.
“Is there any problem with Sharp?” asked Lyke Zhekova again.
“Sharp is fine,” Wallace Martin said, “I’ve looked at the other competing companies for this time, even without Jacob Zahn or Mr.
Houston, Sharp has a strong competitive edge.
If it were up to me, I would choose Sharp.”
Lyke Zhekova nodded his head.
It’s no wonder it’s the company where Peggy Lewis works.
Peggy Lewis’s judgment is credible.
“So, we’ll still choose Sharp for the collaboration.
It’s not appropriate to change the company now, but we won’t let Mr.
Houston take charge of it,” Lyke Zhekova said.
“You’ll handle this yourself,” Lyke Zhekova squints, “Since Mr.
Houston has these questionable private affairs, it’s not certain whether CEO Wu has the same.
Look into CEO Wu as well, keep Mr.
Houston’s situation under control for now, or it may alert her.”
“Yes,” Wallace Martin nods.
“On Sharp’s side, you tell them to replace Jacob Zahn.
Don’t let him talk,” Lyke Zhekova said.
“If they asked why, how should we explain it?
After all, we cannot let Mr.
Houston get suspicious,” Wallace Martin said.
“Tell Mr.
Houston to take a break and suspend her current work.
Don’t tell her about your previous investigation.
If she asks why she has to take a vacation, tell her only about her things with Jacob Zahn, this should be enough for her to stop asking further, and just go on vacation.”
“Jacob Zahn’s matter isn’t something to be proud of, she probably won’t want to tell CEO Wu, but we can’t be too sure,” Lyke Zhekova said.
“However, I think CEO Wu probably isn’t as naive as Mr.
Houston.
CEO Wu does have some brains.
Some things, even if he does them, he wouldn’t do them as recklessly as Mr.
Houston,” Lyke Zhekova said.
As long as it’s not too much, Lyke Zhekova doesn’t intend to make things difficult.
After all, it’s not easy to be in the position of CEO.
CEO Wu really has capability, or he wouldn’t have become the CEO.
If we fire CEO Wu just because of a little thing, it would be difficult to find a suitable replacement.
In terms of competency, CEO Wu is indeed competent.
What’s important is that he has good judgment.
So, Adrian Zhekova said, “In any case, even if Mr.
Houston tips off CEO Wu, we do not care.”
“Consider it a wake-up call for CEO Wu.
If he has nothing to hide, he naturally has nothing to worry about.
If he does have something, it will serve him as a warning” Lyke Zhekova said.
“Yes,” Wallace Martin nodded.
“The rest, you handle it as you see fit,” Lyke Zhekova said, “you know the stakes.”
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll go and sort it out now,” Wallace Martin said.
There is so much to be done as an assistant to Lyke Zhekova.
No wonder not just anyone can be his executive assistant.
Even the board and CEO Wu couldn’t really do anything to him in the company, solely relying on his competence!
Wallace Martin lamented privately that keeping this position is certainly not easy.
“Wait.” Lyke Zhekova said again.
Wallace Martin looked at Lyke Zhekova, waiting for his instruction.
“Tell Sharp that they’re replacing Jacob Zahn and he won’t be negotiating the deal.
When Sharp chooses someone else, tell me first, and then I’ll decide whether to continue the negotiations,” Lyke Zhekova said.
Wallace Martin stood silent in front of Lyke Zhekova’s desk, hesitating to leave.
Lyke Zhekova raised his eyebrows, “There’s nothing more, why aren’t you leaving to sort things out?”
Surprisingly, even after Lyke Zhekova said that, Wallace Martin still remained unmoved.
Lyke Zhekova, “…”
“What else?” Lyke Zhekova asked.
Wallace Martin took a step forward and lowered his voice, “Why not just tell me plainly, who do you want from Sharp to take charge?”
Lyke Zhekova, silently looking at him.
“Even when you withheld the contract earlier, besides thinking that there was something strange about Mr.
Houston, the other reason was also that Jacob Zahn wasn’t the person you had in mind to handle Sharp’s business, right?” Wallace Martin asked in a lower voice.
As Lyke Zhekova’s assistant, one must certainly possess one function, which is to be smart.
From Lyke Zhekova’s behaviors and words, Wallace Martin bravely grasped the truth.
Lyke Zhekova, once again falling silent.
“Why don’t you just tell me?
I’ll then personally make sure that the person you have in mind takes charge,” Wallace Martin said.
“Cut them some slack and stop dragging this on, Sharp must be feeling anxious too,” Wallace Martin said.
It’s a good deed to give the company a clear answer!
Wallace Martin thought he was so kind.
How could he be so kind!
He didn’t even know anyone from Sharp, yet he was already considering it for Sharp.
Chapter 959: What is Your Relationship with Miss Lewis?_1 Lyke Zhekova looked distastefully at Wallace Martin.
Just as Wallace Martin thought that Lyke Zhekova probably wouldn’t say anymore.
He heard Lyke Zhekova say: “In Realforce Corp’s Business Department, there is an extremely capable employee, much stronger than Jacob Zahn.”
That made him wonder about this big deal, how it had fallen into the hands of Jacob Zahn.
Logically, with Peggy Lewis’ abilities, such good luck shouldn’t have fallen into Jacob Zahn’s hands.
“Mmmhmm.” Wallace Martin’s eyes shone with a gossip-like light, “Who is it?”
“…” Lyke Zhekova said, “There’s an employee named Peggy Lewis in their department.”
“A female employee?” Wallace Martin immediately caught the key point.
Remembering how Lyke Zhekova had just complimented Peggy for her exceptional ability, much stronger than Jacob Zahn.
Lyke Zhekova rarely complimented people.
...
It was a rare occasion for him to praise someone.
To get him to praise someone, that person must be incredibly outstanding.
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
He felt that Wallace Martin was trying to gossip!
“Anyway, she’s going to take over, and the results will be attributed to her.” Lyke Zhekova said.
By her name, definitely a girl.
Interesting, Wallace Martin found her name familiar.
“Oh, right, I’ve heard her name before.” Wallace Martin said.
Lyke Zhekova immediately looked at Wallace Martin: “You know her?”
How else would he have heard of Peggy Lewis’ name?
Suddenly, Lyke Zhekova squinted dangerously at Wallace Martin.
What’s the relationship between Wallace Martin and Peggy Lewis?
Hoping it wasn’t because he had seen her before and found her attractive, intending to pursue her!
Wallace Martin had not expected Lyke Zhekova, a perennial bachelor without any experience in romance.
To have such rampant imaginations now, such a strong sense of crisis.
And was so unreasonable in his fit of jealousy.
Wallace Martin, who knew nothing, truthfully said, “Of course I don’t know her.
Didn’t you ask me to investigate Realforce Corp previously?”
“Their Business Department’s manager is getting a promotion, and he’ll officially take the position on the first of next month.
So before the end of this month, they have to select a successor from their Business Department.” Wallace Martin said.
“Peggy Lewis and Jacob Zahn are the two hot candidates.
Even the departmental manager plans to select one of them as the successor.” Wallace Martin said, “I had previously heard about this when I investigated Realforce’s affairs, so when I heard Peggy Lewis’ name, it sounded familiar.”
“Originally, if Jacob Zahn had successfully signed this deal with us, then the matter would have been settled.
Because Realforce attaches great importance to our deal, they even had their Chief Manager personally lead Jacob Zahn.”
“If he had indeed succeeded, the Realforce Chief Manager would have directly appointed Jacob Zahn to the position of Business Department Manager without needing the current manager to say anything.” Wallace Martin said.
“Moreover, I’ve heard that Jacob Zahn is not a very good person, he’s narrow-minded.
If he happens to rise to power, he’ll definitely squeeze out Peggy Lewis.”
There was no need for Wallace Martin to say, Lyke Zhekova could guess it too.
A common maneuver in the workplace.
Otherwise, keeping a former competitor and her connections in the company would create numerous obstacles.
Of course, this was what people of lesser ability would think of.
Those with real ability would never bother with such issues.
As long as the individual is capable, they would definitely be able to utilize the individual’s capabilities for their own purposes.
Lyke Zhekova then said: “So when you propose the change of personnel, try not to cause trouble for Peggy Lewis.”
This was originally Jacob Zahn’s deal, and now it is suddenly given to Peggy Lewis to handle.
There would inevitably be gossips within Realforce Corp.
But knowing that this deal could benefit Peggy Lewis and knowing that Peggy Lewis was within Realforce.
There was no way Lyke Zhekova could pass the deal to another company or another person within Realforce Corp.
Lyke Zhekova was determined to do this, no matter what.
Therefore, he could only try to minimize the attack Peggy Lewis received within the company.
“Got it.” Wallace Martin nodded at Lyke Zhekova while making an “OK” gesture.
But after saying that, Wallace Martin still didn’t leave.
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
“Why are you still here?” Lyke Zhekova asked with a disgusted face.
Not only did Wallace Martin not leave, but he moved even closer.
Where did he get such courage?
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
Then Wallace Martin asked: “CEO, what is your relationship with Miss Lewis?”
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
“What’s it to you?” Lyke Zhekova said, clearly not pleased.
Wallace Martin seemed unafraid of Lyke Zhekova’s annoyance and said, “I need to know so that I can gauge my actions.”
“When it comes to protecting Miss Lewis, there are different levels.
If she’s a friend of a friend, that’s basic protection.
If she’s your friend, CEO, that’s intermediate protection.
If she’s a particularly good friend of yours, that’s advanced protection.
If she is someone you like…
as in my future CEO’s wife.”
Wallace Martin patted his chest and said: “Anyway, I will definitely protect Miss Lewis and make sure she doesn’t suffer the slightest grievance.”
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
Wallace Martin continued: “This is the highest level of protection!”
“…” Lyke Zhekova reluctantly said, “She’s my friend.”
After all, he didn’t quite know what he felt towards Peggy Lewis now.
He hadn’t seen her since the final round of the Cooking Competition.
Mainly because he hadn’t found an opportunity to see her again.
Wallace Martin was somewhat disappointed.
Who would have thought she wasn’t the future CEO’s wife?
But soon, Wallace Martin perked up.
Because even if she’s not the future CEO’s wife, he had never seen Lyke Zhekova show such concern for a girl before.
Not to mention specifically instructing him to ensure that Peggy Lewis wasn’t made to suffer due to the gossip.
So, Wallace Martin thought, becoming the CEO’s wife seemed inevitable.
Just as he thought that, he heard Lyke Zhekova say: “But you’ll have to protect her at the highest level.”
Wallace Martin stared at Lyke Zhekova with a suggestively deep look.
Lyke Zhekova: “…”
“Ditch your gossiping look and get to work.” Lyke Zhekova said in a deep voice.
Wallace Martin, who seemed to have developed a leopard’s guts, refused to leave.
He even said to Lyke Zhekova: “CEO, when I was investigating Realforce Corp, I inevitably saw a photo of Miss Lewis.”
“Although it was an employee photo, not a personal one, and I’d never seen her in person,” Wallace Martin continued.
Lyke Zhekova was about to complain, shouting that instead of investigating the company, he had gone to look at Peggy Lewis’ appearance!
But after hearing what Wallace Martin had to say, Lyke Zhekova swallowed his retort.
“But employee photos are always taken in extreme close-up and usually aren’t very flattering.
Despite that, Miss Lewis still managed to stand out in such a photo.” Wallace Martin said.
Chapter 960: Do you know that your behavior makes you a scumbag, don’t you?_1 “Now that’s beauty by sheer talent!” Wallace Martin said to Lyke Zhekova, “Mr.
CEO, as you know, employee’s photos read like ID pictures.”
“All of them are headshots, and even with makeup on, the makeup is usually minimal.” Wallace Martin said, “Even in those photo studios that promise you flawless retouching, they can’t compare with the effect shown by girls who have their makeup on and then use a beauty App for selfies, which is much closer to their real looks.”
“Oh no, they’re usually even uglier than their natural appearance.
It’s like comparing the selfie taken by the front camera of an iPhone to looking in the mirror.” Wallace Martin took the opportunity to educate Lyke Zhekova.
“But even so, Miss Lewis’s employee’s photo is still quite attractive, good enough to turn heads.” Wallace Martin said.
Lyke Zhekova gave Wallace Martin a cold look: “Have you also seen her employee’s photo from the company?”
Under the cold stare of Lyke Zhekova, Wallace Martin didn’t look flustered at all.
He’s used to it by now.
...
Even though Lyke’s gaze was frigid, it didn’t necessarily mean he was angry.
Wallace knew very well when Lyke was pretending to be angry and when he was genuinely upset.
And now, Lyke Zhekova was clearly not really angry.
He was just putting on an act, giving him a warning.
But as Lyke’s assistant who has been by his side for many years, Wallace knew Lyke intimately.
He had anticipated Lyke’s reaction and was neither worried nor afraid.
“Of course I couldn’t.” Wallace explained with a smile, “I have my own work to do, how could I have that kind of time?”
Lyke snorted curtly, “If you did, I’d consider giving you some extra work.”
“Oh no, absolutely not, definitely not!” Wallace was frantically waving his hands, and quickly denied it.
“It’s only because of Jacob Zahn that I happened to look into their business department.
I found out that they’re planning to change their director and that Miss Lewis is competing with Jacob Zahn.
And as a result, I also looked at Jacob’s profile and got to see the files of their entire department.”
“Mr.
CEO, you have met Miss Lewis in person, right?” Wallace asked again.
Lyke Zhekova: “!”
“Of course I have!” He couldn’t lose this round.
Wallace had only seen her photographs.
“I thought so, Miss Lewis is your friend, you must have met her in person.” Wallace responded.
Lyke Zhekova: “!”
Why did he feel like he was being set up by this youngster?
Then he saw Wallace rubbing his hands together, gauging Lyke’s reaction all the while and saying, “Hey, Miss Lewis, even those ID photos that reduce one’s looks by at least 30%, are taken so well by her, I wonder how beautiful she must be in person?”
Lyke Zhekova: “!”
He would definitely not tell Wallace how beautiful Peggy Lewis was.
Eventually, Wallace said, “However, it’s not important.
I will be meeting Miss Lewis very soon anyway.”
Lyke Zhekova: “!”
Lyke was left speechless as he saw Wallace Martin looking excited and hopeful, saying: “Mr.
CEO, is Miss Lewis really just a friend to you?”
Lyke Zhekova stared at him, “And what if she is?”
“I am just asking if there’s a chance of her becoming!” Even with all the guts he could muster today, Wallace was still backing out a bit.
But knowing that chances like these don’t come every day, Wallace did not want to miss out.
No matter how intimidating Lyke Zhekova was, he simply wasn’t going to drop it.
After all, Zhekova can’t possibly fire him!
Finding someone as capable, diligent, stress-resistant, and tolerant of Lyke’s cold gaze like him is a hard bargain!
So, Wallace plucked up his courage and asked: “Is there a chance she could become the CEO’s wife?”
Lyke Zhekova: “!”
Seeing Lyke silent, Wallace perked up and said, “If she is just a friend, then if I find Miss Lewis very likable, I might pursue her, right?”
“You haven’t met her yet!” Lyke growled.
Wallace, on the inside, was laughing pleasantly.
What a good man their CEO is.
Who knows how pissed he was, and he still wasn’t throwing a fit.
Whoever says their CEO has a bad temper again, will have to answer to him!
Their CEO has such a good temper!
“I know that, so I’m just thinking ahead and seeking your opinion about this matter.
If you have no objections and don’t mind me pursuing Miss Lewis.” Before Wallace could finish his sentence.
Lyke couldn’t help but raise his voice and retort: “You haven’t even met the person yet, and you’re already deciding to pursue them?”
“Wallace Martin, let me tell you, you must take responsibility for your actions!
You can’t just flirt with a lady and then abandon her!” Lyke raised his voice, “Your behavior is what characterizes despicable men, do you get it?”
Wallace Martin: “!”
Wallace Martin pretended to be shocked and clutched his chest.
Oh, their CEO is having a fit, he is genuinely having a fit.
How scary it is!
Seems like the CEO genuinely has a soft spot for Peggy Lewis huh?
Lyke now understood why Cindy Clarke was so worried about Peggy Lewis getting hurt.
Wallace responded, “Mr.
CEO, don’t worry, don’t you know me?
When have I ever been a scumbag?”
“And all I wanted was to get your approval first, if you thought it was okay.
Then I’d decide what to do next.
I haven’t met Miss Lewis yet, but I am about to see her real soon, aren’t I?”
“I’m going over to ‘Rui Shi’ to be in charge of this cooperation.
You know, I am single, and my family is putting a lot of pressure on me to settle.” Wallace said.
Lyke Zhekova: “!”
Well…he did know about that.
Because he once overheard Wallace on the phone with his mother, Phoebe Martin.
Although he didn’t overhear the conversation between Phoebe and Wallace on the phone.
But he heard Wallace say to Phoebe, “Mom, our CEO is still single and doesn’t even have a girlfriend.
If he isn’t in a hurry, then I shouldn’t be either.
As long as he stays single, I can too.”
“When he starts dating, I’ll consider that age as my deadline.
I must find someone before that age, what do you think?” That’s how Wallace talked to Phoebe then.
However, Lyke did not hear Phoebe roar at Wallace over the phone, “What I think, my foot!”
Even though Wallace wasn’t exactly badmouthing Lyke.
But Lyke held a grudge for it.
Wallace had even made him into a deadline?