“So, Mr. Christopher, so you are interested in partnering with us to develop that land?” Arthur leaned forward, curiosity glinting in his eyes.

“Yes,” Christopher replied, nodding calmly but with an air of confidence.

Arthur pressed on, “And how do you envision this collaboration? What are your terms?” He shifted slightly in his seat, eager for details.

Christopher’s eyes sparkled at the opportunity. Adjusting his demeanor, he began, “Well, Mr. Arthur, my company is one of the largest in the Aurelian Federation. Our strength and resources rank among the best in the country.

From what I’ve gathered, your company is relatively new and may lack the necessary resources to develop that land independently.

Therefore, I propose that my company provides all the resources, manpower and materials, to build this project together.

In return, I would take 70% of the shares while you retain 30%. Additionally, management of the land would fall under my company’s purview.”

He concluded with a smile that suggested he was doing Arthur a great favor.

A sharp intake of breath echoed through the conference room as everyone exchanged incredulous looks.

They hadn’t expected Christopher to be so brazenly greedy, demanding such a substantial share and control over management!

Benedict shook his head at Christopher’s arrogance while Ophelia watched Arthur intently; she wasn’t alone, everyone else seemed equally curious about how he would respond to this audacious proposal.

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to Arthur, who maintained a calm smile throughout.

“Mr. Christopher, I must say, your proposal is quite impressive! I genuinely like it,” Arthur said with a confident grin plastered on his face.

“Huh!” The others in the room gasped, their eyes widening in disbelief as they turned to stare at Arthur.

Even Ophelia, who usually wore a cold and indifferent expression, seemed momentarily taken aback by his response.

As if on cue, the atmosphere shifted; disdain crept into the expressions of those around him.

They hadn’t anticipated that Arthur would stand up to Christopher, this made things easier for them.

Christopher met Arthur’s gaze with an air of superiority. He relished using his status to intimidate others; it was a tactic that had never failed him before. A flicker of contempt danced in his eyes as he thought victory was already within reach.

But just as he opened his mouth to speak, Arthur cut in again. “But… Mr. Christopher, don’t you think you’re being a bit greedy?”

“What do you mean?” Christopher’s expression soured at Arthur’s challenge.

“I’m simply pointing out that you’re reaching too far,” Arthur replied coolly. “You want 70% of the land and full management rights? Let me ask you this: did your family buy this land or did my father? Is it under your family name or mine?” His eyes narrowed dangerously.

Suddenly, the entire room fell silent, silent as a cold cemetery.

The stillness was so profound that no one dared to speak or even breathe, except for Ophelia and Benedict.

All eyes were fixed on Arthur, disbelief etched across their faces.

They knew the kind of power Christopher wielded; in Neo-Luminara, few would dare to confront him like this.

Christopher’s expression twisted into a scowl as he glared at Arthur, anger simmering in his eyes. “Listen here, Arthur. I’m doing you a favor by leaving your pathetic family with 30%…”

“Oh! So you’re saying you could have taken the land from us if you wanted to? Wow, Mr. Christopher, I didn’t realize you had so much energy!” Arthur smirked coldly. “Now, go ahead and tell me how exactly you plan to take that land from me.”

Christopher stood up, pointing a finger at Arthur with an air of authority. “You… you really think I can’t do anything to you? Believe me, I can make every company in this country refuse to cooperate with you!”

“Go ahead,” Arthur chuckled nonchalantly, disdain etched across his face.

“Listen here, Arthur. Do you honestly believe that valuable land is yours alone? You’re mistaken! There are countless eyes on that property. Either sell it to me or partner with me for its development, only my Campbell Family has the power and resources to make it happen,” Christopher declared, glaring fiercely.

“Oh? And what if I don’t?” Arthur leaned back in his chair, a smug smirk playing on his lips.

“Well then,” Christopher shot back, “forget about developing that land at all! If even a single piece of construction equipment sets foot on it, I’ll take your surname! If not, prepare to be besieged from all sides and excluded from the industry!” His pretense of cordiality had vanished entirely.

“Hehehehe! Go ahead, I’m not afraid of you or your family, well, unless you resort to underhanded tactics. After all, I’ve tasted that bitter pill before,” Arthur said, licking his lips with a hint of menace.

“The last person who targeted me and my family? Let’s just say they’re now six feet underground.”

Christopher’s expression shifted slightly; he regarded Arthur as if he were a fool. “Are you threatening the Campbell Family?”

“No, no, no! I didn’t say that,” Arthur replied, raising his hand dismissively. “I’m simply stating a fact.” He surveyed the room, making eye contact with each individual present.

“In fact,” he continued confidently, “my Osborn Family has zero interest in partnering with any of you or your companies. So really, you’re wasting your time by even being here.”

“Mr. Arthur, I have to tell you that land isn’t something you can swallow on your own,” a hefty middle-aged man with greasy hair and oversized ears declared, glaring at Arthur. “Just like Mr. Christopher said, you either partner up or sell it to us. Otherwise, brace yourself for the consequences. After all, you wouldn’t want to face bankruptcy again, would you?”

“Thank you, but I’m a bit greedy, I don’t like sharing my food with others,” Arthur declared, his gaze fixed on the middle-aged man across the table.

The atmosphere in the conference room thickened as the others glared at him, their eyes filled with palpable malice.

“Good, good, good. Just wait until the entire industry isolates you. I promise you, not a single piece of construction equipment will ever set foot on that land,” Christopher declared, his fist clenched tightly in frustration.

“And oh, be careful when you go out. It would be such a pity if you were to have an ‘accident,'” he added with a smirk that dripped with malice.

Arthur narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the room, locking onto Christopher’s gaze. “Let me offer you some advice: If anything happens to my family, I won’t hesitate to send you and your cronies straight to hell, starting with you, Mr. Christopher.”

The atmosphere in the conference room shifted dramatically; a palpable chill swept through as everyone felt the weight of Arthur’s cold stare.

For a brief moment, fear flickered in Christopher’s eyes before he masked it with a disdainful snort and exited the conference room, followed closely by his entourage.

Arthur allowed himself a cold smile as they left. Did they really think he was someone they could push around?

His attention was drawn back to two figures still seated at the table, Ophelia and Benedict.

Despite his poker face upon entering, Arthur couldn’t help but admire Ophelia’s stunning beauty; it nearly took his breath away.

In both of his lifetimes, he had never encountered anyone quite like her. Strangely enough, she had remained silent throughout the tense exchange.

“Perhaps you didn’t hear me earlier,” Arthur began again, addressing them directly. “The Osborn Family is neither selling nor partnering with anyone.”

With an intrigued glint in her eye, Ophelia chuckled softly. “Mr. Arthur, I think there’s been a misunderstanding, I’m not here for that.”

“Then why are you here?” Arthur shot back curiously.

“I heard that you’re planning to develop that land into a commercial plaza,” Ophelia replied smoothly. “I wanted to discuss something with you about it.”

“What exactly do you want to discuss… Miss…?”

“Ophelia,” she introduced herself quickly.

“Alright then, Miss Ophelia,” Arthur said with raised eyebrows and curiosity sparking in his gaze.

He was surprised she knew about the project since only select individuals within Urban Development and Construction, and some family members, were aware of it.

“I’d like for you to build me an office building as part of your commercial plaza in the central business district,” Ophelia stated matter-of-factly.

“You mean reserving an entire office building just for you?” Arthur frowned at her request.

“No,” she clarified firmly but calmly. “What I want is for my architectural design, a skyscraper, to be included in your plans for the plaza.”

Her expression turned serious as she continued, “Don’t worry about funding; I’ll provide the funding myself.”

Arthur blinked in surprise; he hadn’t expected this captivating woman to be so well-off herself!

“Alright, if that’s what you want, we can make it happen,” he replied, trying to regain his composure. “Do you have the design with you?”

“No, my team is still working on perfecting it,” Ophelia shook her head apologetically.

Arthur fell silent for a moment, tapping his fingers against the table as he processed the information. “Then we need to hurry because construction is about to start and we’ll need to redesign the blueprint for the commercial plaza.”

“Don’t worry! It will be ready in three days,” Ophelia assured him with a confident nod.

Arthur nodded back but then turned his attention to Benedict, who had been quietly listening throughout their conversation.

“What about you? Are you also looking to build a skyscraper?” he asked with an arched eyebrow.

“Nope! I’m just here waiting for her,” Benedict waved dismissively.

“Oh!” Arthur’s eyes darted between Ophelia and Benedict as a thought struck him. “So, you’re a simp?”

“Huh? What does ‘simp’ mean?” Benedict asked, taken aback by the unfamiliar term.

Arthur’s lips twitched; he realized he is in a completely different world where slang might not translate well.

“Oh, it’s nothing important,” he said quickly.

“Okay…” Benedict frowned slightly and nodded, feeling like maybe Arthur had just thrown some shade at him.

Ophelia mirrored his expression for a brief moment before shaking her head at Arthur’s teasing tone.

“Alright then, Mr. Arthur! I’ll be on my way now,” Ophelia said as she stood up and waved goodbye before gracefully exiting the conference room.

Arthur couldn’t help but steal glances at her curvaceous figure as she walked away; an unexpected fire ignited within him. “Damn it! What a succubus!”

He muttered under his breath before standing up and heading toward the bathroom to collect himself.

———–

NB: Little activity :

1.Design a family tree for the Osborn Family.

2.Design a family crest for the Osborn Family, include all the details about the family Crest.

To win you simply need to have the highest Golden Tickets contribution for both the family tree design and family crest design.

Time duration: End Of This Month

Good luck…..

———

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep