Chapter 683 - 679: Who the Fuck Are You Kidding?

Cecilia didn’t hide it and gave a slight nod. "You heard him just now, but it won’t happen that quickly. There’s no need for anyone to worry for the time being."

"But what about all our tenants? What are we going to do?"

"Don’t renew the leases for tenants whose contracts are expiring in the short term, and don’t accept any new tenants. As for the tenants with active leases, we’ll give them six months to a year’s advance notice. That should give them enough time to find a new location."

"Flora, this is a major undertaking. There are a lot of companies in the industrial park. If the property management team is short-staffed, just let me know. I’ll figure something out."

"Don’t worry, Boss. I can handle it."

Cecilia smiled. "And I promise you this," she added, "the day the industrial park is fully vacated and officially acquired, I’ll give every employee still on the payroll a substantial severance package."

Flora knew that her boss always kept her word.

"Thank you, Boss. You’re already very good to us."

Just then, Julian Summers sent Cecilia a voice message. "Cecilia, Cirrus is hosting a jadeite exhibition today. Want to go?"

’A jadeite exhibition?’

Cecilia hesitated. It did sound like a novel idea. "Is it any fun?" she replied.

"I think you’ll be interested," he sent back. "I remember you missed out on that jadeite bracelet at the last charity gala, right? There might be some good pieces today."

Cecilia smiled as she read the message. ’Who would have thought?’ She’d always seen Julian Summers as carefree and a bit of a goof, but he was surprisingly attentive to the little things.

There really had been a jadeite bracelet of exceptional quality at the charity gala’s auction. But Mrs. Lane had been determined to outbid her out of spite, and in the end, Mr. Vance had won it.

She had wanted to buy it for her mother. She’d completely forgotten about it herself, but somehow, Julian Summers still remembered.

"Sure, why not? I’m free today anyway," she replied.

Half an hour later, Cecilia’s car rolled to a stop in the outdoor parking lot of Cirrus Palace.

It was a top-tier private club, much like Aetherium. Its business model was similar, though it was slightly smaller in scale. Still, it was considered one of the very best in the country.

Julian Summers was already waiting by the entrance.

"Why are you dressed like that?"

Julian’s eyes widened when he saw Cecilia in casual wear, bundled up in a heavy coat and cradling a small dog. "It’s a jadeite exhibition!"

Among the upper crust, a jadeite exhibition was a formal affair. Attendees were expected to be dressed to the nines.

Julian, for instance, was decked out in a flashy orange suit.

"They won’t let me in?" Cecilia hesitated for a second, then turned to leave. "In that case, I’ll just go home."

Julian quickly grabbed her arm. "No, that’s not it! With a face like yours, no one’s going to care what you’re wearing. The face alone is your ticket in."

Cecilia laughed and asked casually, "Is Secretary Grant not with you?"

"She’s on her period. The second day is always agony for her, so I told her to rest at home."

"How thoughtful of you."

"What choice do I have? She’s not the quickest on the uptake to begin with. If she’s in that much pain, I’d have to look after her, and that would just be more of a headache for me."

They chatted as they got into the elevator, which ascended all the way to the 33rd floor.

The doors opened to reveal a long, straight glass corridor. It was a grand, magnificent sight, but Julian couldn’t resist commenting, "Not bad, but it still can’t hold a candle to your Aetherium."

Cecilia just smiled, saying nothing. But Julian wasn’t wrong—the architectural details of Aetherium were in a class of their own.

At the end of the corridor was a spacious, brightly lit exhibition hall. It looked like they had replaced the lighting specifically for the jadeite exhibition, the better to display the pure quality and color of the stones.

Julian whipped out a pair of formal admission tickets, saying smugly, "This is no small-time event. Even the cheapest pieces in here start in the six figures. You’ll definitely find something you like."

"Is that so? It’s a shame I’ve never really had an interest in jadeite."

But Cecilia quickly realized she had spoken too soon—and too definitively.

Her previous lack of interest, she now understood, was simply because she had never seen pieces of this caliber. Or rather, had never seen pieces of this caliber up close.

The jadeite in every display case was so pure, its color so rich it seemed to flow like liquid.

Cecilia stopped in front of a wordless jadeite pendant, her gaze fixed on its green hue. Even with the naked eye, she could sense its smooth luster and the deep, cool translucence within.

"So? You like it, don’t you?"

"Can this be bought?" Cecilia asked, her eyes still glued to the pendant.

"Pieces like this are usually from private collections. You really think jadeite of this quality is still circulating on the open market?" Julian explained. "The moment something like this is unearthed, it goes straight to the top collectors. Us players on the fringe never even get a look in."

Cecilia nodded in understanding and reluctantly pulled her gaze away.

’If you can’t have it, don’t pine for it.’

Julian glanced at her. Seeing she was genuinely interested, he couldn’t help adding, "It’s not completely impossible, though. For a top collector to be willing to exhibit a piece this good, they probably have some intention of selling. If you’re interested, I can ask around for you."

Before Cecilia could answer, he added, "I mean, you’ve got the money for it. And this stuff is the ultimate money pit."

"Let’s just look for now." Cecilia calmed herself and pulled Julian deeper into the hall.

And the deeper they went, the more exquisite the displays became.

Cecilia was no expert on jadeite, but she knew what she found beautiful. She had never experienced its beauty so viscerally before.

Julian was already making the rounds, socializing with other business owners at the exhibition, while Cecilia wandered from case to case, still holding her dog, completely absorbed as she leaned over each display.

She found every color and shape of jadeite beautiful—blue, green, red, pink—they were all stunning.

"This pair of bracelets is Imperial Green. The translucency is maxed out. They’re considered a fairly top-grade specimen."

Just as Cecilia was staring, mesmerized, at a pair of bracelets, a deep, magnetic voice suddenly spoke up beside her.

Cecilia was still leaning over. Hearing the voice, she instinctively turned her head and glanced up. When the man’s face came into view, a flicker of sheer astonishment crossed her eyes.

’Shawn Lane?’

Shawn Lane was dressed in a sharp black suit. He seemed taller, more imposing than before.

’No, that’s not it,’ she thought. ’It’s his aura.’ It was deeper now, more formidable, making him seem larger than life.

He tilted his head slightly, the corners of his lips lifting into a faint smile as he looked down at Cecilia. "Long time no see," he said softly.

Cecilia slowly straightened up, staring at the familiar face before her, at the aura that seemed to have undergone a complete metamorphosis, as if he were an entirely new person.

But only four words slowly formed in her mind.

’What a fucking act.’