Chapter 159 Merger

Before the start of the chapter, I would like to express my gratitude to the reader swcowboy for their active support of my book. Today, there will be +3 additional chapters. This helps me grow and financially support my family. Thank you very much. Enjoy your reading.

===

Raising an eyebrow, the man turned towards Alexander, who was looking at him as if Adam were responsible for all the wars in the world. The refined gentleman's body trembled, and he pointed at Adam, as if in a game, saying, "You damned womanizer! Rot in agony, you scoundrel!"

"Why are you so worked up? I thought your daughter had beaten all the shit out of you," Adam remarked, surprised.

Alexander made a strange sound, "Khyk!" as if he had just swallowed water and suddenly choked on it when he heard the shocking news. Adam could barely contain the smile on his face, filled with mockery and amusement. The story went like this: Vanessa suddenly found out that her father was enthusiastically frequenting brothels, thus betraying her mother. She was furious and chased after the man for two hours, trying to beat him until Alexander himself asked for forgiveness. All of this was recorded on an artifact and handed over to Adam.

"I remember, I laughed a lot that day," Adam recalled the day and smiled. "Like a cat and a dog."

Smirking, Adam wiped the smile from his face and approached a small table, gesturing for others to join him. The traders exchanged glances and, shrugging, took their seats. The seating order was as follows: Adam sat at the head of the table, with Marina and Sabrina on his left, hugging him passionately. On the left side of the table sat Avalon and the cheerful Ricky, while on the right side, Alexander sat, gritting his teeth.

This lively company had gathered primarily to discuss important matters related to the global problems and wars that could potentially affect their business's future, including secret plans. Adam interlocked his fingers and turned his gaze toward Avalon, silently indicating that he was ready to listen to him. The male merchant nodded and stood up, pushing back his chair, creating a quiet and unpleasant squeak. He cleared his throat falsely and straightened his posture, beginning his speech in a deep and velvety voice.

"Dear colleagues, Baron Rio, and of course, respected Sir Adam, I welcome you after a long time and am pleased to start our meeting first," he began with welcoming words and a few compliments towards Adam, and then, seeing that others were losing interest, continued with disappointment, "Ah... the situation with the food industry is as stable as ever. Given the recent military campaign by the Avalonian authorities, we have managed to secure a stream of orders and requests, primary thanks to Sir Adam's reputation and the trust of Her Majesty, Saint Elizabeth De Lilya Avalonia."

Clap-clap-clap! Applause followed, and Adam warmly smiled, applauding as well, though his thoughts were somewhat different.

"How in the world did he remember her full name?" Adam marveled. In his past life, he had trouble remembering names.

Soon, the applause died down, and Avalon took a deep breath, placing his right hand on his chest while twirling a metal ball with rough surfaces in his left hand. It was his habit when he was nervous or deep in thought. When he finally came to something, his hand movements stopped, and his posture straightened again.

"Following Sir Adam's advice, I invested a portion of my money in investments, thereby supporting a small business through lending, as Sir mentioned. Well... the results didn't go as well as I had imagined. I deeply apologize for that," Avalon said with a sigh, bowing his head. However, Adam just smiled and asked him to continue, noting that there was no need for apologies. Avalon continued with relief, "Thank you for your kind words, Sir Adam. So... business, as we understand, is a challenging endeavor, and not everyone succeeds in it. Although I did want to see increased competition, it seems that not everyone can allocate their funds correctly. Out of the twenty carefully selected businessmen, only two were able to start a business and fully cover the loan with interest, while the others failed and had to pay from their pockets, returning the money a month later. So, considering that we provided them with 590 Dragon Stones, we're currently in the plus by 17 Platinum Dragon Stones, taking into account that the loan was taken for a year at an interest rate of 35%."

Adam nodded, pulling out a notebook from the inner pocket of his black suit, where he recorded expenses and earnings from the previous month. One by one, the traders gave their reports and sought Adam's opinions on various matters, receiving guidance and instructions on how to improve.

"Regardless, I've heard your proposals and reports. I'm glad that our joint business is thriving, and we are gradually capturing the market, thereby establishing dominance. Thank you all for your hard work," Adam said, smiling from ear to ear, indicating his good mood. He interlocked his fingers and smiled, looking at everyone and saying, "I have a proposal, ladies and gentlemen. Are you ready to hear me out?" historical

"Yes, of course, Sir Adam. I'm listening attentively," Avalon spoke.

"Uh-huh. So, what's up?" Ricky cheerfully responded.

Marina and Sabrina, who were covered by Adam's and Alexander's jackets, nodded silently, and the latter just looked closely at Adam's face, signaling that he was entirely focused. Seeing that he had become the center of attention, the man nodded.

"I propose the following... a merger," Adam began, raising a finger when he saw that a commotion was about to start. "Please, let's keep quiet and listen to me. Afterward, you can express your opinions, alright?"

Nods all around. Adam smiled when he saw the traders nodding and continued.

"A merger, as you already understand, is one of the ways for a major businessman to increase the capital of a company and reach a new level. It is often a complex and laborious task, but I would like to do exactly that with our projects, which have already become a brand, almost comparable in terms of development to major corporations," Adam said, leaning back in his chair and looking closely at the faces of the traders, who were equally attentive to his words. "In our work, there are several problems, one of which is separate capital that sometimes needs to be used to develop other businesses. This can lead to many conflicts, which I am eager to avoid. In this case, a mixed type of merger, in which we will combine several businesses into one whole company, is suitable."

The expressions on the faces of the table participants immediately changed. The seriousness on their faces reflected how tense this issue was and how much depended on the right decision. Adam's proposal had both pros and cons, which put the traders into a slight shock. However, it was surprising that no one asked any questions. They were silent, pondering this matter, dedicating every part of their minds to it, desiring to achieve the maximum result.

Adam didn't rush or pressure them in any way. He just smiled and immersed himself in his thoughts, rhythmically tapping his index finger on the surface of the table. Time passed slowly, but no one was in a hurry. In the traders' minds, their little war was brewing.

A merger. This meant that they would likely have to lose a significant portion of their power, but it also meant that the financing of their projects would flow more smoothly. Considering what the result could bring, their earnings would increase several times. Changes would also affect their working relationships because if they currently had a horizontal type of relationship with Adam (as equals), after the merger, it would become a vertical type of relationship (boss-subordinate).

It was a matter of pride and principles. Greed played a part as well because individually they held 50% power over their brand, which meant greater freedom of action. But the merger promised even better results, which could tempt them.

"Following the merger, we'll lose a significant portion of our power, but in return, we can increase our profits. Financing for projects will become much easier, and event organization will be more cohesive," Avalon thought, furrowing his brows. "Ricky will approve of this. He was only interested in money in his youth, but now he's more focused on coming up with new fashion styles. Marina and Sabrina will resist this until they are offered favorable terms, and I... damn, I don't even know what to do."

Avalon narrowed his eyes, feeling perplexed. Before him, it was as if a mysterious figure with sunglasses appeared, offering him a red and a blue pill. The red pill meant agreement with the merger and new opportunities, while the blue one meant rejection, which could lead to a decline in financing from Adam. It was a pitfall that, if he fell into it, could leave him there forever.

"Rejection will have serious consequences for my business. Adam may appear friendly on the surface, but there's nobody more cunning and venomous than him," Marina thought, crossing her arms over her chest, emphasizing them. "If I refuse, he will almost immediately cut funding and will only participate in my projects as the face of the brand, without any involvement in the business. Besides..."

Marina shifted her gaze to her close friend, Sabrina, who appeared as if she had made a serious decision. The woman sighed.

"We became rich and famous thanks to Adam's brilliant ideas and plans. I think his 'proposal' was just a formality, and in reality, he had long foreseen our choice."

With horror, Marina realized that Adam had made them dependent on him. Without his help and advice, they couldn't keep their business afloat.

They were sitting in a luxurious cafe. She, Marina, was wearing a revealing dark blue dress with a high slit. They were sipping wine, when suddenly Adam said, "Marina, I'll only take 30% of the profit from the 'Handsome's Kiss' brand. At the same time, I demand ownership rights of the production technology and a patent for it."

At that time, she agreed because the proposal didn't harm her in any way. Besides, at that moment, her mind went blank, as if she had drunk too much. Marina suddenly felt like she was suffocating. Turning her head towards Adam...

"!!!"

To be continued...