"Well, Ben just couldn’t spit it out."
"Spit it out." Attlee was getting a bit impatient. "Whatever you’ve got to say, just say it! We’ve been working together for years; do you really think I’d fire you over a few misplaced words?"
"Mr. Harris, of course you wouldn’t! It’s just that they said so pretty nasty things. I didn’t want to upset you." Ben was too embarrassed to relay the ssage.
The more he kept his mouth shut, the more Attlee wanted to know.
Ben followed him into the elevator and into his office before finally spilling the beans: "They called you an idiot, said they’ve had enough of your stupidity, and don’t want to work with you anymore! Basically,they’ve thrown a bunch of weird insults your way."
"Which company said this?" How dare they insult him?
Attlee was instantly ticked off. He got it; they didn’t want to work with him, but why hurl all these bizarre insults?
"There were three in total, the biggest one being the nastiest." Ben said, struggling to get the words out.
Upon hearing this, Attlee felt a pang of unease: "Was It Allbara Investnt?"
"Yes."
Allbara Investnt was a top–notch venture capital firm in Solterra. Its founder was known as the "God of Venture Capital" and any project she invested in was sure to hit the jackpot.
Many small enterprises were able to expand and strengthen their businesses because of their investnts.
In the past, no matter what Attlee wanted to develop, he could easily secure funds just by ntioning it to Allbara Investnt. Even if the project ended up tanking and the money was lost, they never blad
him.
Seeing Allbara Investnt backing him up, other companies assud he had so powerful backing and treated him with respect.
But what’s going on now?
Why suddenly refused to work with him?
"Which project did we last ask Allbara Investnt for funds for?" Attlee couldn’t rember.
"Mr. Harris, two months ago you secured funding from Allbara Investnt to buy IU Tech."
IU Tech was a high–tech mirror company. People could try on all the clothes in the store just by standing in front of the mirror and touching the electronic system; there was no need for actual clothes...
The Harris family made their fortune in the clothing business, owning their own production company and physical stores. Attlee wanted to install IU Tech’s mirrors in all his stores, allowing custors to try on more clothes without wasting ti and hopefully buy more to take ho.
"But who would have thought that the clothes tried on with IU Tech’s mirrors would look different than when tried on by the custors themselves? The difference was just too big." His secretary regretted.
Not to ntion that the maintenance cost of IU Tech’s mirrors was high; they had high environntal requirents; if exposed to sunlight for a long ti, they would burst into flas; if installed in a damp place for a long ti, they would malfunction; sotis the figure in the mirror would distort In short,
Attlee had tens of thousands of IU Tech’s mirrors installed and then removed.
It cost a fortune; not only did he lose all of Allbara Investnt’s money, but he also lost a lot of his own.
Attlee pondered, "Could this be why?"
Was this why Allbara Investnt no longer wanted to work with him?
"That wouldn’t be it." Ben hurriedly said, "Previously, you took funds from Allbara Investnt to invest in a clothing city and ended up losing everything, including your own money, but Allbara Investnt still continued to work with us."
Attlee thought about it. If they didn’t want to work with him, they would have stopped a long ti ago; why wait until now?
"Did Allbara Investnt ntion anything else apart from insulting ?"
"No."
The founder of Allbara Investnt never appeared in public; all business was handed over to Solterra’s CEO, Mr. Dylan.
"The guy who called and was all sarcastic was Mario." Ben started to say sothing, then stopped short.
"Can you stop beating around the bush? If there’s anything else, just spit it out." Attlee was losing patience, tugging at his tie, looking all sorts of annoyed. "Well, Allbara Investnt doesn’t want to work with us anymore. They seed relieved, even pleased. I could hear them laughing at the end of the call!"
Attlee tried to make sense of this. "No, I have to call Mario myself and find out what’s going on."
Ben quickly fetched the office phone.
Attlee first called Mario, who usually picked up faster than anyone else. But now, there was only the cold automated ssage: Sorry, the number you dialed is switched off!
Attlee refused to believe Mario was ignoring his calls. He tried several tis, growing more agitated.
He’d been ghosted!
He undid the top button of his shirt and dialed Mario’s boss, Dylan, the head of Allbara Investnt’s Solterra division. To his surprise, Dylan had ghosted him, too.
Listening to the emotionless automated voice, Attlee’s frustration peaked. Holding back his anger, he tried the other two companies.
They didn’t pick up his calls, either.
After an hour of futile attempts, no one was responding.
Ben stood off to the side, shivering, when suddenly he received a ssage.
"Mr. Harris."
"Can’t you see I’m pissed off? Shut up! Let cool down!" Attlee was very angry and extrely annoyed.
Ben couldn’t speak, so he took a notebook from the desk and wrote: The board is looking for you, Attlee glanced at the notebook Ben handed him, and his anger flared. "The board is looking for ;can’t you just say it? Why do you have to write it down?"
"Mr. Harris, you’re the one who told to shut up."
"These people, when it’s ti to share the profits, are happier than anyone. But the mont sothing goes wrong, they’re the first to point fingers!" Attlee, frustrated, got up and grabbed his coat. "Never mind them, get my car ready! I’m going to Allbara Investnt Group."
"Mr. Harris.?"
"I’m going to have a word with Dylan!"
anwhile.
Following the location her mother sent her, Rosemary arrived at a company.
The facade was made of glass, and the building was about nineteen stories tall and roughly five storefronts wide.
A large stone at the entrance read, Collins Fashion.
Weren’t they supposed to be a very small company?
As Rosemary walked in, she saw a receptionist dozing off. She gently said, "Hello."
"Hello??" The receptionist, seeing a high–school–looking girl, rubbed her sleepy eyes. "Young lady, I think you’re in the wrong place. This is Collins Fashion." "My na is Rosemary. I’m here to work."
The receptionist, hearing this, was instantly wide awake. "Ms. Collins? Right this way!"
Kenneth had already told them yesterday that soone would be taking over the company. Since they hadn’t disclosed Rosemary’s identity yet, they simply told the staff that Rosemary was sent by the group’s headquarters.
The receptionist led Rosemary to the elevator and pressed the button for the highest floor, the 20th. "I’ll take you to the office first."
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