Chapter 342 - 194: One Step Ahead, Every Step Ahead

Chapter 342: Chapter 194: One Step Ahead, Every Step Ahead

From the moment Charles arrived at the villa on the hillside and saw the security personnel stationed near the main gate and the equipment they carried, he knew Su Chen was every bit as formidable as the reports had suggested.

Seeing is believing, as they say. Even though Charles had been mentally prepared, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe when he saw it for himself. After all, this was a level of security only the absolute elite could command.

As far as he could see, there were at least fifteen of the industry’s top security professionals. He had a keen enough eye for that.

After waiting at the entrance for a short while, he was led inside the villa by Jiang Hui.

Charles had been full of confidence, but as he approached the rear garden, he glanced through the indoor floor-to-ceiling windows and saw Arthur Morgan drinking tea with Su Chen. His mind went completely blank.

He never would have imagined that the person here to acquire Longteng Technology’s new tech would be Young Master Arthur, a direct heir of the Morgan family. According to their predictions, shouldn’t it have been a high-level executive from the Morgan Group?

’Why would a member of the Morgan family come in person? Weren’t they said to have retreated behind the scenes, never to step into the limelight again??’

’What is this game??’

’The direct heir himself is here. As a mere executive from BlackRock, what standing do I have to compete with him?’

For a moment, Charles wasn’t sure if he should even proceed to the rear garden.

Jiang Hui, walking ahead, noticed that the BlackRock representative had stopped. He turned to Charles and asked, "Mr. Charles, is something the matter?"

Jiang Hui’s words pulled Charles back from his thoughts. He waved his hand dismissively. "It’s nothing. I was just thinking about something."

Charles then saw things clearly. He was already here; how would he know the outcome if he didn’t at least try?

Taking a deep breath, he strode purposefully toward the rear garden.

Regarding Charles’s arrival, Arthur remained as unshakable as a mountain, sipping his tea and chatting with Su Chen. But Su Chen, as the host, could not be as nonchalant as him.

After saying a word to Arthur, he turned his gaze toward the approaching Charles.

Although Su Chen didn’t recognize him, he figured the man must be from BlackRock’s upper management. Otherwise, Bird wouldn’t be trailing behind him with his head bowed like a chastised schoolboy.

Jiang Hui, having naturally learned of Charles’s identity when he received him at the gate, led him into the garden. He then walked briskly to Su Chen’s side and made the introduction. "Sir, this is Mr. Charles, a Vice President at BlackRock."

"Hello, Mr. Charles!" Su Chen said with a smile, his eyes glinting slightly.

"Mr. Su, hello!" Charles replied, giving a slight bow.

It wasn’t a deep bow, but it was enough to show that he had already humbled himself significantly.

Of course, Charles couldn’t be blamed. Had he not been facing men like Su Chen and Arthur, whose backgrounds were practically celestial, he would have been the one holding his head high, looking down on them with disdain. His tone certainly wouldn’t have been so polite.

"Mr. Charles, please, have a seat. Let me introduce you to the gentleman beside me..."

Before Su Chen could finish, Charles turned to Arthur and addressed him respectfully, "Young Master Arthur, it’s been a while!"

Arthur set down his teacup, glanced at Charles, and gave a faint nod in acknowledgement.

A flash of surprise flickered in Su Chen’s eyes at this, but he quickly returned to normal. Considering their respective statuses, it was perfectly normal that they knew each other.

No matter if you become a top executive or even the head of a company, you can only bow your head when facing the real boss behind the scenes. After all, you’re still just an employee—merely a high-ranking one.

He gestured for Charles to sit and poured him a cup of tea.

Just then, Mark also arrived. The reason he was able to get to the hillside villa so quickly was due to his foresight in renting another villa nearby, just a few hundred meters from Su Chen’s.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Su Chen prepared to get to the main event. It was already around four in the afternoon; if they delayed any further, it would be evening.

"We’ve had our tea, and everyone knows each other now, so let’s get straight to the point," Su Chen said with a smile.

"I wonder, are you two planning on an open auction, or would you prefer a silent one? Or perhaps you’d like to discuss it privately first?"

Su Chen hadn’t expected the people from Morgan and BlackRock to run into each other, but this did save him a lot of trouble. ’Unfortunately,’ he thought, ’the guy BlackRock sent this time seems a bit weak. He’s already lost his nerve in front of Arthur.’

’I wonder if this will affect the bidding later on.’

Hearing this, a thought sparked in Charles’s mind. ’If it’s a silent auction, I can avoid a direct confrontation with Young Master Arthur. I won’t have to bid against him openly, and I won’t be too intimidated by his status to make a bold move.’

It was a nice thought, but reality was cruel. Arthur, who seemed to have his own ideas, spoke up to Su Chen. "Mr. Su, could you give Charles and me a moment to speak privately?"

The moment Arthur spoke, Charles was dumbfounded. If not for the unflappable composure he had honed over many years, he would have jumped up, pointed a finger in Arthur’s face, and unleashed a torrent of curses.

’You power-abusing bully! You shameless scoundrel!’

Of course, this was all just a fantasy in Charles’s mind. He wouldn’t have dared to do it even if he had ten times the courage.

After all, the Pacific Ocean doesn’t have a lid, and his body wouldn’t feed very many fish.

Hearing this, Su Chen simply smiled and nodded. He then stood up and walked back into the house. Seeing this, the others also took their leave from the rear garden.