A Call That Changed Her Entire Life

Chapter 1459 A Dilemma

In the conference room of the KING Group, a meeting was being held.

Wearing a decadent gray suit, Darren casually sat at the head of the table. He was casually playing with a felt-tip pen in his hand, but his handsome face still had a cold and composed demeanor.

On both sides of the long desk, more than a dozen shareholders sat with a smile on their faces. All of them took turns to praise Darren's work.

"Mr. Xu, you've dug a big trap for the HT Group this time. Compared to them, it's amazing how many steps ahead you are."

"I've told you that Mr. Xu is an unmatched genius in the business world. He will definitely lead the KING Group to a bright future."

But Darren couldn't be bothered to listen to their petty compliments. However, a slight grin on his face showed that he was in a good mood.

"Since all of you have the utmost belief in me, I won't let you down," Darren uttered in a calm tone, but with an underlying hint of dread deep in his eyes.

All of the shareholders truly believed that Jacob's every attempt to undermine Darren would get trampled every single time.

A touch of seriousness could be seen in Darren's eyes, while he furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "Is the financial report for this month ready?"

Harlan, who was holding the documents in his arms, silently placed the report in front of Darren. He then said, "Mr. Xu, here they are! Please have a look."

Without moving his head, Darren ran his eyes over the documents. With his slender fingers, he thoroughly flipped through the papers. Everything was as expected. Their profits had significantly increased. It was a big step forward in reclaiming their former glory. But it would take a lot more time to expand the company to its full potential.

Perhaps if it weren't for Jacob's constant pestering, Darren wouldn't have been so eager to achieve immediate results.

He tried his best to hide the excitement he felt from beating Jacob and said in a firm tone, "Are there any other questions?"

After such a huge success, the shareholders couldn't think of a single reason to be dissatisfied. They blissfully smiled and simply shook their heads. It seemed like all of them were completely loyal to Darren at that point, and they all left the conference room feeling content.

The huge meeting room soon became empty, and Harlan was overcome with concern. He looked at the smile on Darren's face. He hesitated to talk for a long time, but he couldn't help himself from asking, "Mr. Darren, can we really do this?"

Darren casually took the contract in front of him and grabbed a pen to sign it. But before he did, he lowered his head and asked, "What's wrong?"

Harlan gave him a bitter smile and replied, "The price of that factory is 5% higher than the market price. If we insist on a partnership with the factory, I'm afraid..."

All of a sudden, Darren's hand stopped and the light in his eyes grew dim. His face completely showed his desperation. He glanced at Harlan and said in a low, rigid voice, "Do you really think we have any other option?"

Harlan was rendered speechless with this single question.

It was true that it was not easy to find a raw material factory. If they refused to cooperate with the factory, where could they possibly find another one in such a small amount of time?

They were certainly in a situation where they couldn't win.

Darren sneered. "Hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained! Harlan, we have no other choice but to move forward."

Harlan still had his worries, but he couldn't think of a better plan, so he had no choice but to go with it.

A few hours later, it was already late in the afternoon. The time had come to sign the contract with the factory.

Darren rushed over to the factory. He entered a room which looked like a single dollar hadn't been spared in an attempt to make it luxurious.

The owner of the factory sat on the gorgeous leather sofa, wearing a thick gold chain around his neck. He asked his beautiful secretary to make them some tea. And when the tea was ready, the secretary poured some into Darren's glass while smiling at him.

"Mr. Xu, this is one of the best teas from Myanmar. I asked a friend to buy me some when he went there. Please, try some."

Naturally, Darren casually picked up the teacup and took his time to admire its quality. He placed it near the tip of his nose and sniffed it a bit before taking a sip. NôvelDrama.Org holds text © rights.

The tea left its fragrance between the lips and the teeth. It tasted bitter and sweet at the same time. It was quite extraordinary.

Darren placed his teacup down and gave his praise. "Mr. Wang, your tea tastes wonderful. It's indeed unforgettable."

Mr. Wang chuckled and replied, "Well, it's my honor to serve you, Mr. Xu."

However, Darren hadn't come here for afternoon tea. Instead, he wanted to settle the problems of the KING Group as soon as possible.

He furrowed his eyebrows and paused for a moment. A few seconds later, he went straight to the point. "Mr. Wang, I think you know why I'm here today. When can we sign the partnership contract that we talked about last time?"

With a faint smile, Mr. Wang didn't even bother to answer his question. Instead, he pointed at the steaming teapot on the table and asked, "Mr. Xu, do you know how much this tea costs?"

Upon noticing that the owner chose to change the topic once again, Darren became impatient. But he did his best to control his temper. He replied in a plain tone, "Since it was chosen by you, I'm sure it's very expensive."

Harlan, who was standing beside them, frowned at the fact that their conversation was progressing at such a slow pace. He couldn't fathom what Mr. Wang truly wanted.

Mr. Wang suddenly laughed and replied, "Good tea won't exhibit its value unless it's tasted by someone who knows what quality is like. Don't you agree, Mr. Xu?"

Darren had a suspicion in his heart that Mr. Wang was implying something else. His eyes gradually turned distant. "Mr. Wang, how about you tell me what you really want?"

Mr. Wang pointed at the table while he slowly placed his teacup down. A few moments later, he replied with enthusiasm, "My factory is just like this cup of tea. Mr. Xu, how much do you think it's worth?"

It was obvious to Darren that the question was a trap. He clearly knew that the moment he answered the question, he would be in the owner's grasp. No matter what he said, the owner would have him by

his neck.

Darren lowered his gaze and was overcome with a little bit of panic. Still, he managed to stay calm and responded, "Well then, Mr. Wang, how much do you really want?"

Mr. Wang didn't want to beat around the bush anymore, but stated his exorbitant price without hesitation. He exclaimed while raising five fingers in the air, "5% higher than the original price. Mr. Xu, I don't believe that an increase of this margin should bother you, right?"

But before Darren could say anything, Harlan couldn't help himself but intervene. "Mr. Wang, you're asking for way too much. We won't even make that much money with the current agreed price. If we were to increase it by 5%, we would be operating at a loss."

Mr. Wang's gentle smile dissipated, and his tone became indifferent. He had no intention of backing down from his offer.

"Mr. Xu, it seems like you don't really want to cooperate with us. In that case, there's no need for us to continue this conversation."

Darren still maintained his composure, but his eyes grew dim and nonchalant. Everyone could feel the uncomfortable atmosphere that surrounded them.

"Mr. Wang, the KING Group is not just a lousy company. We are renowned in the business world. I don't think you should underestimate the potential profits if you chose to cooperate with us. So, Mr. Wang, do you really insist on your request for a meager increase, or do you want to consider choosing a different plan for the future?"

Darren's suggestion was not only a threat, but also a way to tempt the man. All businessmen valued making profit more than anything. Naturally, Mr. Wang should be able to get the gist of Darren's words.

However, contrary to Darren's expectation, Mr. Wang wasn't a single bit tempted by his offer. The man simply smiled at Darren and said, "Mr. Xu, I've already told you my price. If you agree to my request, we can sign the contract now. If you don't, I don't think we should be wasting our time here anymore."

A look of despair came to Darren's face. He was in quite a dilemma. If he rejected the offer, it would be another blow on top of their problem regarding the HT Group. But if he agreed, it wouldn't help the KING Group's progress.

Harlan wanted to chime in, but ultimately decided to stay quiet on second thought. He knew that whatever he said would be pointless. Only Darren could save them now.

A long period of silence ensued, causing both parties to feel awkward.

Suddenly, Darren sneered and looked at Mr. Wang without any expression in his eyes. He then said, "Then, wish us a pleasant partnership in advance."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Wang immediately understood what Darren meant. He stood up and was about to shake hands with him.

But suddenly, Darren turned a blind eye and asked Harlan to draw up a new contract.