Chapter 87 Undercurrents Approaching
Half a month flew by in the blink of an eye.
During this time, Alexander focused most of his energy on the year-end assessment for the rank of Deputy Superintendent. Samuel had already made it clear to him that at the beginning of next year, he would be promoted two ranks and take on the role of team leader. So, before that, he needed to learn how to write a performance report, deal with the examiners from the police department, and write quarterly work reports, among other things.
With Alexander being so busy, the drug line was mostly handled by Andrew, John, and others. Fortunately, Coco's team was quite professional and always delivered on time, so they didn't need to worry too much.
Everyone had their own tasks to handle, and Robert wasn't idle, either. He was still in contact with David, as the latter seemed genuinely interested in sitting down for a proper discussion rather than continuing the conflict.
It was around nine o'clock in the evening.
Robert was sitting in the warehouse, holding a phone, and said to Benjamin, "David has been contacting me these past few days, wanting to continue the talks."
Benjamin pondered for a moment and replied, "As soon as we lower our prices, the Patrick family's sales plummet, and Terry can't sit still. It's normal, but I'm a bit surprised he wants to reconcile."
"About that?" Robert responded with a smirk, "Terry is different from us; he has too many interests to consider. We, on the other hand, got the sales rights from Alexander, giving us much more freedom. In fact, as long as we can sell, we don't need to consult Alexander on the specifics. So, it's normal for Terry to be anxious. If he can't beat us quickly, his sales will continue to drop, and when the higher-ups get anxious, he won't be able to explain. I think Terry genuinely wants to talk, but we should just drag it out, neither consenting nor dissenting; as long as we can delay, we can capture more market share."
Benjamin, who had been a cold, coughed and replied, "Don't oversimplify the problem. I know Terry's character; he's used to being domineering and won't allow a team of similar size to compete with him. Even if he seems weak now, we can't be careless."
"Uncle Benjamin, I think you're being too cautious, letting the Maple Street incident scare you." Robert frowned and retorted, "You have to understand. We control the pricing power now. Our costs are lower, and Terry has big companies behind him that need to profit, so he can't lower his prices to compete with us. So, I don't think we should worry about them. Instead, we should aggressively capture the market. I mentioned in today's meeting that each of our hundred or so distributors should carry only 2 pounds of drugs per day. This way, even if they try to cause trouble officially, they won't have much to go on. The most they can do is catch someone and give them a year or so in prison, which is meaningless."
"That approach is indeed safer, but as I said, even if they seem to be yielding now, we can't be careless. With the New Year approaching, we shouldn't cause trouble for Samuel," Benjamin reminded again.
"Got it." Robert nodded. "You should rest and recover at home. I'll keep an eye on the business; there won't be any problems."
"Okay, but don't get complacent. Stay in the warehouse to avoid any trouble."
"Got it."
"Alright, I'm going to rest; I have a headache."
"Okay."
After chatting for a while, Benjamin and Robert ended the call.
Around ten o'clock at night, in the warehouse.
Robert, wearing a military coat, sat in a chair feeling bored, fiddling with his phone and watching a live stream.
The door opened, and Matt walked in, reminding him, "I just moved two more boxes; there are less than ten left. They will be used up by the end of the week. Should we notify Alexander to restock?"
"Alexander is busy studying these days and doesn't have time for this." Robert yawned and replied, "But I told Andrew, and the delivery will come in a few days. Just be ready to receive it."
"Got it." Matt nodded.
Robert, watching a variety show on the live stream and smoking, said, "I'm so bored. Why don't you get a couple of guys to play cards?"
"I can't; I have to go out later." Matt shook his head while drinking water. "I talked to a few agents in the suburban living village who also want to buy goods. I'll go check it out."
"So what am I supposed to do?" Robert, who couldn't sit still, felt restless if he didn't go out to have fun for a day.
"Just stay here."
"I've been here all day; I'm bored." Robert, smoking, turned off the live stream and started flipping through his phone book.
At that moment, his phone rang.
Robert's eyes lit up, and he immediately answered it. "Hello!? Andrew, you miss me again?"
"Where are you?" Andrew asked.
"In the warehouse. What's up?"
"You got some time? Andy Murphy from the security team is here with me," Andrew said softly, "If you're not busy, come over, and I'll introduce you to him."
"The captain of the security team?" Robert asked.
"Yes." Andrew nodded. "If you're busy, you can come tomorrow. I'll be in touch with him for a few days."
"I'm not busy." Robert stood up. "I'm bored to death. Where are you? I'll be right over."
"At Faith's restaurant."
"Okay, wait for me." Robert hung up and grabbed his coat from the rack.
Matt, sitting on the couch, frowned and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Andrew wants to introduce me to the security team captain. I have to go."
"Nonsense. You just want to drink, right?" Matt asked, exasperated.
"Meeting new contacts is serious business." Robert hurriedly walked out, shouting, "Todd, I'm going out for a bit. Keep an eye on the warehouse and distribute the drugs as usual."
"Don't you have the keys?" Todd Price shouted from downstairs.
"I left them on the table. Just take them, but don't give them to anyone else."
"Got it."
After hurriedly giving a few instructions, Robert left the warehouse, and Matt, having his own business to attend to, also left for the living village shortly after.
Close to eleven at night.
A car quickly stopped on the street behind the warehouse. A young man got out and asked, "Did you bring the stuff?"
"Yes," The driver asked, "Is he not here?"
"Yes," the young man instructed, "Unload the stuff at the back door and leave quickly."
"Okay." The driver nodded.
Five minutes later, the driver, holding the steering wheel with one hand, drove away and sent a text message: [Boss, it's done.]
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