Duchess Anastasia. Among the elite, she was known as a socialite and renowned for her connections. To be her friend, if not a close acquaintance, ant that most corporations and aristocrats could help you in a difficult situation.
Initially, Adam planned to beco her close friend, but he encountered a small problem... she was associated with the Branks Company, who were direct competitors for Adam.
From the side of the aforentioned company, there were many hints about etings to buy Adam's company, but they received a categorical refusal.
And a week ago, Amarantha received a personal letter, stating the desire of the Branks Company to have a personal conversation and exchange views.
The letter was t with suspicion, as Adam did not believe they were inclined to a peaceful conversation. There were attempts at attacks that led to Branks, but it was impossible to say anything as the evidence was very vague.
However, a decision was made to et at the mansion, in a different space, and face-to-face discuss the issues of interest.
And that was today's eting with Adam, attended by Duchess Anastasia. They sat behind a rectangular table. The spouses sat next to each other, while Anastasia was on the opposite side.
Adam nonchalantly sipped his cup of tea and glanced at Anastasia out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't help but nod in satisfaction, seeing that this woman was able to switch to business mode in an instant.
It was a very useful skill that he valued and tried to instill in his employees so that they wouldn't get flustered in front of particularly demanding clients.
"Duchess, I hope you'll forgive for my little joke. I didn't know you were coming to visit ," Adam began the conversation, politely smiling at the duchess, who responded with an equally polite smile.
"Sir Leonid, there's no need to worry about that. Of course, I'm not offended."
"Hehe..."
Adam simply smiled and leaned back in his chair, relaxing his body and looking into her eyes. It was difficult to sit them at the sa table like this because her butler was very reluctant to leave his mistress in the company of a man, so they had to invite Amarantha, who would negotiate on his behalf. He was here only out of curiosity.
Crossing his arms on his chest, Adam narrowed his eyes and asked the question that interested him.
"Duchess Anastasia, I've always regretted that I couldn't respond to your invitations for a personal eting, but it was unexpected for that our first encounter would be like this," Adam began the dialogue and smiled, cracking his neck. He looked into her eyes and asked, "How were you chosen as the representative of the Branks Company, for , it was truly unexpected. So, getting to the essence of today's eting, I'd like to ask the question that interests ... What does Branks want?"
"A rather sharp start to the conversation, I must say," Anastasia said and smiled warmly, clasping her hands together. "Let begin by saying that the CEO of Branks Company would like to offer his apologies for not being able to attend this personal eting, but as compensation, he proposes good cooperation with you."
"Oh, really... Branks Company, whose CEO is a man of unknown background, is trying to make a deal through an ambassador... sounds funny, don't you think?" Amarantha interjected, smirking. Anastasia frowned and squinted her eyes, sensing displeasure, but Amarantha paid no attention to it and continued, "If this man is interested in cooperation with the Veridia Company, he should start by presenting himself in person, and then we can discuss matters. It's just a matter of etiquette, you see."
With her words, Amarantha expressed her dissatisfaction with Branks, subtly hinting at their arrogance and lack of manners. It was hard not to notice the almost imperceptible changes in Anastasia's emotions, which Adam could discern through his "Casanova" skill. Thanks to this ability, he could see that she was feeling anger and irritation, although her facial expression remained unchanged.
Adam took out his cigarette case and lit a cigarette. Inhaling the smoke, he observed how Amarantha defended Veridia's rights while also pressuring Anastasia, who was holding her own. In this confrontation, they were trying to establish the hierarchy that would govern their future conversations.
And after half an hour...
"We offer the sa as a few weeks ago. Branks Company is ready to acquire Veridia Company and make Mr. Adam a co-owner, while appointing Sir Avalon, Sir Ricky, Lady Sabrina, and Lady Marina to managerial positions. The purchase price we propose is 1,500 Crystalize Dragon's Tears, and if Mr. Adam agrees to beco a co-owner, we will set the price at 2,000 Crystalize Dragon's Tears, thus showing our respect for your professionalism," Anastasia reported, taking a stack of papers from her lady's bag, which flew into the air and landed in Amarantha's hands.
Amarantha carefully read every line and smiled, passing all of it to Adam. He also examined the docunts and shook his head, sighing. In a nutshell, in this docunt, Branks Company demanded not only the entire Veridia Company but also the patents for the products and designs used by Adam and his subordinates. In other words, they wanted to buy everything.
1500 Crystalize Dragon's Tears equated to 150,000 Platinum Dragon Stones, which was a substantial amount, but in exchange, Adam would have to give up all the products he had already sold and the right to produce them in the future. In other words, they were offering him wealth in exchange for giving up his future. However, with an additional paynt of 50,000 Platinum Dragon Stones, they wanted to provide him with a place in the company so that he could oversee production, ensuring no loss of quality.
This is a simple manipulation and a clear desire for a monopoly. Since there was no antitrust service in this world, Branks Company's actions wouldn't face any problems. And sothing told Adam that even the royal family would support this acquisition.
"..." Neither Amarantha nor Adam said anything despite the answer being a resounding "NO." Selling the company was out of the question as it would be problematic for Adam to remain under soone else's authority, not to ntion his less-than-pleasant experiences in such situations.
Hiss...
Adam exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke and smiled, shaking his head. He found it amusing to witness such arrogant moves from the Branks Company. Their tactic was a simple good cop, bad cop ga. It was entertaining to watch, but when you're so underestimated...
"Of course, my answer will be 'no.' If today's main topic was about this, I suggest we part ways because, as you understand, it's not beneficial for ," Adam said, standing up from his seat. He extinguished his cigarette and flicked the stub into the ashtray on the table a few centiters away from Anastasia.
"Is there sothing else?" she asked, furrowing her brows.
Adam chuckled and used his [Inventory], taking out a round object and tossing it so that it landed right on the table a few centiters from Anastasia. Seeing what it was, she wrinkled her nose, and her anger intensified.
"So curious people ca over for tea, so I decided to take care of them. Unfortunately, the fire was too aggressive, and they got burnt."
Before Anastasia lay a severed, charred head. The eyeballs dangled on thin threads, while the head's appearance was disfigured. Adam smirked slyly and, together with Amarantha, left the space, which soon began to teleport Anastasia out of the estate.
***
As soon as Adam and Amarantha exited the space, their faces turned serious. Without saying a word, Adam quickly returned to his office and imdiately contacted the traders, who responded within two seconds.
"Urgent notice. Imdiately reinforce your security and inform all affiliated businesses to activate the third level of protection. Gather any information regarding the Branks Company, and be prepared for attacks from their side," Adam began giving orders swiftly, and the traders, without asking questions, listened attentively. He tapped his index finger on the desk's surface and sighed, saying, "I also recomnd not visiting public places or getting involved with the criminal underworld until we resolve the issue. Is that clear?"
"Of course!" Adam sighed and disconnected the call, looking at Amarantha, who had already started giving orders. The situation was far from good.
Besides anger and irritation, Anastasia's emotions also included "mockery" and "evil intentions," which were as clear as day. Therefore, Adam had to take matters into his own hands and imdiately issue orders regarding the company. He was confident that the Branks Company would dig under him and do everything possible to undermine their position in this market. However, neither he nor Amarantha had any intention of giving in, and this pressure only fueled their ambitions.
As expected, the Branks Company began taking action.
On the second day, Adam noticed several planted articles attempting to dissect the personalities of the key figures in his company while also questioning the legality of so of his projects. One magazine even accused Adam of supporting demons during the war financially.
There were also several attempts to infiltrate the estate, but all the would-be assassins were caught and were currently being interrogated, albeit with difficulty, to extract information. So shops in smaller towns faced an influx of hooligans and thefts, resulting in minor but still noticeable losses.
Glancing at the endless reports, Adam smirked, feeling a slight irritation. It seed like the Branks Company was doing everything in its power to make him sweat. However, it wouldn't be accurate to say that Adam did nothing in response. Today, at 9 a.m., articles were published in newspapers under his control.
[Is Branks Company a Scam? One of their clients shares his story about being swindled out of 150 Platinum Dragon Stones!]
The Cold War began.
To be continued...
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