Chapter 131
Early the next morning, Kingsley was having breakfast with Peter when Xavier entered the room with light, measured steps.
He bowed his head slightly, offering a respectful greeting: “Mr. Sherwood, Mr. Peter p>
Peter dabbed the corners of his mouth with a napkin and glanced up, a trace of amused curiosity in his eyes. “He knows me? Is this your new special assistant?
Kingsley shot him a glance, his tone laced with warning. “Don’t get any ideas about my people p>
“Relax, I don’t have a death wish,” Peter chuckled, all too familiar with Kingsley’s ruthless streak.
Once breakfast concluded, Kingsley grabbed his overcoat and led the way out, with Xavier following close behind. Watching Xavier’s retreating figure, Peter called out, “Did your boss’s terrible temper finally drive Shane to quit p>
Xavier paused, turning back with a polite smile. “Shane didn’t quit. He was promoted to Chief of Staff p>
“Right. I assume the salary Mr. Sherwood offers is just too tempting to refuse,” Peter shrugged, making conversation.
Xavier didn’t confirm or deny it. The pay was indeed substantial, but the demands were equally high, requiring near twenty-four-hour availability.
“The compensation packages at Sherwood Group and Cosmoscope Group are industry-leading,” he added softly.
“Yeah, well, that’s because your boss is basically a cash machine. He’s never short on cash,” Peter teased.
Xavier didn’t reply, simply stepping forward to open the car door for Kingsley.
Kingsley glanced sideways at Peter. “Where’s your car p>
Without a word, Peter opened the other door and slid into the back seat. “I had the driver take it back last night. I’m hitching a ride with you today p>
Kingsley didn’t argue and got into the car. As soon as the door closed, Peter turned his head. “About that project in the development division-you aren’t putting it up for bid p>
“No need,” Kingsley’s voice was flat.
Peter laughed immediately, his tone teasing. “Kingsley, are you hoarding it for personal reasons p>
Kingsley kept his eyes lowered on his tablet, scrolling through documents, ignoring him completely.
Peter, however, had no intention of shutting up. “Even if you save it specifically for her, she might not appreciate the gesture p>
Seeing he still wasn’t getting a response, Peter clicked his tongue. “You really are a bore. If I were her, I’d run away too p>
At this, Kingsley finally looked up. His thin lips pressed into a hard line, and his voice dropped a few degrees. “You can get out and run right now p>
Peter immediately wiped the grin off his face, waving his hand in a placating gesture. “Kingsley, I’m just joking p>
When the car arrived at the branch office, the two men walked in side by side. Peter suddenly leaned close, lowering his voice. “You have quite a few of my ‘kind’ in your company p>
Kingsley didn’t break stride, his voice carrying a warning. “If you want to play, go play outside. Don’t touch my people p>
“Understood, understood,” Peter drawled.
The branch manager was already waiting at the entrance, accustomed to Kingsley’s sudden visits. It wasn’t that the branch was underperforming; everyone knew that Mr. Sherwood seemed to have developed a fondness for this Swiss city.
Half an hour later, inside a conference room.
Kingsley sat at the head of the table, fingers lightly tapping the surface. Peter sat lazily beside him, while Xavier sat on the other side, taking minutes.
Kingsley scanned the project timeline projected on the screen and spoke first. “The pipeline renovation plan for the Old Town needs adjustment. The deep burial method originally planned could damage the foundations of the medieval architecture p>
Slouching in his chair with his chin resting on one hand, Peter chimed in casually, told you the local heritage bureau is fussy. Why not switch to shallow trenchless technology Costs goup by fitteen percent, bute you’ll save at least three weeks on approval time p>
On the other side, the General Manager looked up. “We communicated with our contact yesterday. They prefer preserving the original architectural look and suggested we send a technical team for an on-site survey next week p>
Kingsley pondered for a moment, then nodded. “We’ll go with Peter’s technical adjustment. Xavier,
coordinate the technical team’s
schedule and send me the net
the survey plan by next Wednesday. Also, submit the additional cost application to finance
simultaneously. Ensure the process
is cleared before the end of the
month p>
As soon as the meeting ended, Kingsley handed a proposal to Xavier, speaking
concisely. “Have Shane send this to The Holt Group p>
Xavier nodded and turned to execute the order. Shane, upon receiving the
message, dared not delay and immediately sent the email.
In the offices of The Holt Group, Jules clicked open the email. Looking at the project delivered right to his doorstep, he tapped out a reply: [Is there a designated designer p>
Shane didn’t dare make that decision himself and blind-copied Kingsley on the email. Kingsley’s instruction came back quickly: [Reply as you see fit. Others can take it too p>
Shane stared at the screen, troubled. How could he just “reply as he saw fit”? He deliberated for a moment before cautiously typing out a response. Not long after, Jules replied with two words: [Very well p>
After sending the email, Jules leaned back in his office chair, absently rubbing his mouse, confused. What was Kingsley planning? He wasn’t demanding Lucy take the job; he was even offering it to his “romantic rival voluntarily. Since when did such good things happen? Unable to figure it out, he stopped obsessin and sent a message to Lucy [Sherwood Group has a project. Do you want to take it? If not, I’ll assign it to someone else p>
It took a good while for Lucy to reply: [Jules, are you asking a rhetorical question p>
Jules quickly explained: [No, just letting you know. I looked at the project; it’s not overly difficult p>
Lucy didn’t reply again. Jules sent a follow-up: [Don’t be mad. Aren’t I always the most lenient with you p>
This time, Lucy replied instantly: [Because I make you money p>
Reading that sentence, Jules felt a tightness in his chest, nearly choking on exasperation. He stared at the screen with a bitter smile-if he ever poked through that thin layer of paper between them, would she just hand in her resignation and walk away?