Chapter 441 Carrot and Stick Approach
At that moment, the conference room door swung open, and in walked Zephyr, looking all kinds of moody.
"Why the sudden drop-in?" Dashiell jumped up, eyes wide.
"Just here to see how y'all are sweating over Ethan's spot as head honcho!" Zephyr sneered, not a hint of emotion on his face.
"Zephyr, what's that supposed to mean?" Eugene shot up, demanding answers.
"Not your turn to talk!" Zephyr shot Eugene a death glare, then turned to Dashiell. "Ethan's got a Half-Step Grandmaster guarding Beverly. Can you believe that?"
"What? No way!" Dashiell's jaw practically hit the floor.
"I sent that loser Logan to Novaria to win over Beverly, but the second he got to Cloud Group, Beverly's bodyguard booted him out!" Zephyr snorted, looking pissed.
"No wonder you're fuming. So, does that mean Beverly's a lost cause?" Dashiell frowned.
"Not necessarily. Beverly's got a Half-Step Grandmaster, but George doesn't. How many of those can Ethan really hire?" Zephyr shrugged it off.
"Did you send Logan to find George?" Dashiell raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, but Ethan beat me to the punch. He even sent out written orders to all the branch family heads," Zephyr said, teeth clenched, fists tightening.
He had this whole plan to use Ethan's move to win over George, but Ethan acted fast, leaving no room for maneuvering. It was like trying to punch a cloud!
"I guess you figured out his endgame by now." Dashiell sighed.
"His target's never been us or the branch families; it's Brady!" Zephyr admitted, realizing he wasn't even on Ethan's radar.
"All our little schemes don't mean squat to him. We're just helping him corner Brady!" Dashiell nodded, feeling the sting of reality.
"So, what's the game plan now?" Zephyr switched gears.
"I'm stumped! Ethan wants us to wrap up the asset liquidation a week after the succession ceremony, but he wants our answer by tomorrow. He's pushing us to choose now!" Dashiell rubbed his temples, feeling the pressure. He'd seriously underestimated Ethan!
He thought he had Ethan figured out, but this move was next-level, something he wouldn't have even dared to try!
"If the stick isn't working, let's try the carrot!" Zephyr suddenly suggested.
"Carrot? What's that?" Dashiell's curiosity was piqued.
"If Ethan wants us to play ball, let's play ball!" Zephyr explained.
"You mean we should agree to Ethan's demand to reclaim all branch family assets?" Dashiell frowned.
"You're not losing anything. The branch family companies are still with the Wilson family elders. Use your shares to negotiate with Ethan. Didn't he say he'd buy them back? Let him, as long as he pays up!" Zephyr grinned wickedly.
"You're thinking of selling the shares at a high price? Ethan ain't gonna fall for that. You're not worried about him coming after you later, but I'm scared he'll come for me first once he's got everything under control!" Dashiell's face twisted, quickly shooting down Zephyr's idea.
"I'm not saying make him your mortal enemy, just put on a show. Since Ethan's not gunning for us, why go all out against him? Let him and Brady duke it out. We can stay out of it, avoid pissing off either of them, and use the time to beef up our own power. That's the real play!" Zephyr laid it all out.
Dashiell leaned back, deep in thought, weighing Zephyr's plan.
"If Ethan gets all those shares, getting them back later might be a nightmare, right?" After a long pause, Dashiell shook his head, a bitter smile on his face.
"Not necessarily. Ethan and Brady are bound to clash, and that'll be our moment to shine! Follow my lead. After the succession ceremony, I'll head to Celestia Vale. When I get back, I'll help you reclaim everything!" Zephyr promised confidently.
"Stop blowing smoke! Even if you're a Half-Step Grandmaster and got into the Celestia Vale Selection Meeting, it's still up in the air who's stronger, you or Ethan!" Eugene scoffed.
"True, it's a toss-up. But life's more fun with a challenge. You think you can just sit back and wait for a jackpot? That's pretty naive, don't you think?" Zephyr shot back, full of disdain.
"You—" Eugene started, but Dashiell cut him off, standing up suddenly. "Enough, I've made my decision!"
"Dad, you're really going with his plan?" Eugene asked, shocked.
"Yeah, I'm in. Risk and reward go hand in hand. This time, I'm betting on you. Don't let me down!" Dashiell turned to Zephyr, speaking earnestly.
"Relax. This isn't just your fight; it's mine too! I don't believe Ethan's luck will hold forever!" Zephyr nodded, brimming with confidence.
The day after Dashiell and Zephyr struck their deal, Jayden got responses from the branch families. Eighty percent agreed to hand over their shares for cash.
Jayden was floored, spending the whole morning in his office, scratching his head.
When Ethan got the news, he just chuckled. He knew that after he had Jayden stir the pot with the branch families, there were only two ways it could go.
Either way, it was a win for him!
After hearing about Cross Christianity from Elmer, Ethan had switched up his plans. He needed to tread carefully with Brady. Using the branch families to pressure Brady wasn't as crucial anymore. The focus was now on digging into the ties between Brady and Cross Christianity and uncovering the truth about his dad's death.
"Have you made up your mind?" Jessie asked, her face serious.
"Looks like Elmer filled you in on Cross Christianity too. Is that why you agreed to team up with him earlier?" Ethan asked, eyeing Jessie thoughtfully.
"Yeah, I didn't plan to spill the beans this soon. Elmer's more on edge than I thought!" Jessie sighed.
"He's got a point. If he hadn't told me, who knows what might've gone down on the day of the succession ceremony! This is good. I'm looking forward to seeing Brady's face in a few days; it's gonna be priceless!" Ethan defended Elmer.
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