It was noon, the peak hour for both work and lunch.
For the first ti since his marriage, Glades Horne was not having lunch with Julia Bluen.
He had chosen a luxurious private room at the Emperor Hotel, waiting for Helen Griffin to arrive and report to him personally about the efforts to undermine Cosmos.
In the quiet yet opulent room, he sat at the table, exuding an inherently regal and imposing aura, much like an emperor. Two bodyguards stood behind him. Two hotel attendants also stood behind him, awaiting his commands, while two more were stationed at the room's entrance.
Upon entering the Emperor Hotel, he had instructed the manager to bring Helen Griffin upstairs to him as soon as she arrived.
Guests invited by Young Master Horne were typically early. Although Helen Griffin wasn't the first to arrive, she certainly wasn't late. She appeared in the room punctually when their agreed-upon ti arrived, taking a seat across from Glades Horne.
Helen Griffin was still dressed in her androgynous attire. Though a woman, she possessed a masculine spirit. Furthermore, being a lesbian, she played the "man's" part in her relationship with her partner.
"Glades, sorry to keep you waiting," Helen said with a hearty laugh, exuding the air of a heroine. In business, she was more astute than her brothers, and more resourceful when it ca to dealing with opponents. That was why she had beco the heiress of the Griffin Family, earning her brothers' mixture of affection and resentnt.
"It's fine," Glades Horne replied with a faint smile. He signaled the two attendants with his eyes, and they promptly left the room to instruct the servers outside to bring in the dishes.
"It's rare for you to treat to a al today. Why didn't you bring your Julia? I still haven't seen your Julia since you two got married. I want to see if your darling has blossod even more beautifully under your... devoted attention," Helen asked with a teasing laugh.
Glades Horne smiled, his expression always softening whenever Julia Bluen was ntioned. "The Bluen Family is dealing with a particular situation, so she's at ho."
"TSK, TSK, TSK, married n really are different. The mont their wives are ntioned, their faces soften with affection. Even you're no exception," Helen couldn't help but tease.
Glades Horne chuckled, unbothered by her teasing, a testant to their strong friendship.
Once the food and drinks were served, Helen ate with an elegance that did not detract from her impressive presence. As she dined, she said to Glades Horne, "Before I left, I received calls from several people. These individuals used to be clients of Cosmos, but all their contracts had expired. I approached them, and we were discussing the details of cooperation, but now, it's all fallen through."
Glades Horne did not eat. His smile faded as he listened quietly to Helen.
"Nicholas Coldwell is indeed tough to deal with," Helen continued. "He actually found a way to snatch those clients right out of my hands. He offered them two percent more profit on top of the original terms, and as a result, they signed contracts with him. He'd just returned from the Golden Phoenix Inn after sealing the deals, apparently as smug as a victorious rooster, practically strutting."
Noticing Glades's silence and his untouched food, Helen wasn't bothered; she knew her old friend well.
His invitation for a al, however pleasant it sounded, was essentially for her to "report." She was hungry and certainly wouldn't miss out on a free feast.
"Glades, should I also raise the profit margin by two percent? Or maybe three?" Helen suddenly asked, her sharp, phoenix-like eyes fixed on Glades, a rchant's calculating glint in them.
Glades Horne looked at her, not missing the scheming glint in her eyes. He pursed his lips and asked coolly, "Are you willing to do business at a loss?"
"Of course, no one wants to do business at a loss. But isn't undermining Cosmos what you want? I'll offer clients an additional two, or even three, percent profit. You cover the losses incurred by the Griffin Family. How about that? This way, I can help you completely crush Cosmos," Helen said with a chuckle.
Glades Horne remained silent. He stood up, braced his hands on the table, and leaned forward, bringing his handso face close to Helen's. His deep eyes stared into hers as he asked in a heavy tone, "Do you think my money—Glades Horne's money—is easy to get your hands on?"
Helen pushed his handso face back. "Stay away from . Be careful my sweetheart doesn't see this and get upset. If your money were easy to get your hands on, then ascending to heaven would be as simple as walking on flat ground for ."
Glades Horne sat back down and said coldly, "Good that you know."
Even close friends couldn't sche against him, and they wouldn't succeed even if they tried!
"So, what's your plan? What's the next step? Do you still need ?" Helen dropped her playful deanor, looking at Glades Horne with rare seriousness and concern.
Instead of answering, Glades Horne simply took out his phone and dialed a number.
Once the call connected and the other party answered, he said in a low voice, "Hanley, do a favor."
On the other end, Edo Hanley, who had unexpectedly received the call while entering the Emperor Hotel with an attractive woman on his arm, was laughing as he walked. "What's up? So, you actually need my help sotis, huh? You're at the Emperor too, right? Which room? I'll co find you."
Glades Horne told him the room number.
Since Edo Hanley was also at the Emperor Hotel, there was no need to say more over the phone. After giving Edo the room number, Glades ended the call.
After listening to Glades Horne's brief phone conversation, the astute Helen quickly understood his next move.
Edo Hanley's father was a transportation tycoon in T City, holding a near-monopoly over the local transport industry. Almost all companies had to rely on the Hanley Family's fleet to dispatch goods. Cosmos Group's business, naturally, wasn't limited to the local market; they also sold to other cities, other provinces, and even internationally. Every shipnt required negotiation and cooperation with the Hanley Family's transportation fleet.
If the Hanley Family were to cease cooperation with Cosmos, their own losses would be minimal, but the impact on Cosmos Group would be massive. Failure to deliver on ti, or at all, would an hefty compensation paynts to clients—a substantial financial loss. Even if they managed to deliver, delayed shipnts would lead to client claims for compensation or discounts, with Cosmos Group still bearing the losses.
Given the relationship between Glades Horne and Edo Hanley, if Glades made the request, the Hanley Family would undoubtedly make things difficult for Cosmos regarding transportation. Cosmos might have clients, but without trucks for shipping, could they resort to sea freight? On other transport routes, Glades had plenty of connections; Nicholas Coldwell would be defeated by him yet again.
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