Chapter 389 More Harm Than Good
Cecilia shot a look at Dominic, who was all teary-eyed, then shifted her gaze to Kai.
Kai was straight-up bummed out with Dominic. In his head, he probably figured Dominic was just all about the cash.
First impressions? Yeah, they stick like glue and are tough to shake off.
She coolly told Dominic, "I'm selling at this price to keep the Kingsley Group's name clean and to give Mr. Ward a solid story for the public."
"You're just in it for yourself!" Dominic snapped back.
Cecilia, looking like she didn't want to beef with the Kingsley Group, turned to Kai and said, "Mr. Ward, I did think about this price from a bigger picture. Sure, the Lockhart Group needs to cover losses, but that's just a small part. The main thing is to wrap this up without any backlash. First off, the Kingsley Group took our plan. Doesn't matter who did it or if the higher-ups knew, the fact is they swiped someone else's work. That’s a big hit to their rep. If they don't apologize or cough up some serious cash, their name's gonna tank in the industry."
Kai nodded, thinking Cecilia was on point.
Dominic listened, knowing Cecilia was playing him, but he couldn't argue back.
"Plus, I know Mr. Ward wants to show results, and everyone in Serenovia City knows it too. Basically, Mr. Ward's got a ton of eyes on him, waiting to see how he handles this. If you make the Kingsley Group back out, you'll get slammed, because they've already sunk a lot into this project, and it wouldn't be cool with the contract. If you make the Lockhart Group hand over the plan for peanuts, it’s unfair. People would think you're using your power to crush the Lockhart Group, and you wouldn't be able to explain that away."
Kai kept nodding, totally vibing with Cecilia's logic. He had to give it to her for thinking it all through.
Dominic's face was getting darker by the second. Cecilia was really playing the hero today!
"And if I remember right, when the Kingsley Group won the bid, Nathaniel told the media this project was all about charity, no profits. So, if it's for charity, is the Kingsley Group still trying to make bank off this? I crunched the numbers. After all costs, the Kingsley Group can still pocket 20 to 30 million dollars. So, paying a 20 million dollar fee for the plan isn't a loss." Cecilia smirked. "Or was Nathaniel just blowing smoke about charity, or does his idea of charity mean making some profit instead of none?"
Cecilia's words hit Dominic hard. In the business world, charity usually means making some profit, not zero. No profit to them means a loss.
This was one of those unspoken rules in the business world, and Cecilia just threw it out there in front of Kai, leaving Dominic stuck. If he admitted it, the Kingsley Group would look like total hypocrites, exposing the dirty little secrets of the commercial game. They'd get roasted by everyone!
Dominic was fuming, his face twisted with anger.
"Mr. Kingsley, it's one thing to be embarrassed, but trashing the company's rep is a whole other level. Don't make it harder for Nathaniel! He bragged to the media about how the Kingsley Group busted their butts for this project. If you let the Kingsley Group look shady for a bit of profit... Well, every company has its own way of doing things. I'm just throwing out my two cents. In the end, it's up to the Kingsley Group." Cecilia's words were sharp, but Dominic couldn't poke any holes in them.
She added, "As for the Innovation Arc project, I've already promised Mr. Ward that the Lockhart Group will back out. I will keep my word even if the Kingsley Group doesn't pay us a dime. So, the Kingsley Group can decide what price is fair. The Lockhart Group will roll with it."
With that, she put Dominic in a tight spot. This woman was too sharp for him to handle. She had just demanded 20 million dollars, and after breaking it all down, knowing he couldn't say no, she let him decide. Cecilia really had all her bases covered!
Even now, she made him acknowledge her thorough thinking!
He had already taken a hit, and now he had to give her props?
Dominic had never hated someone so much, to the point of gritting his teeth and feeling totally powerless.
"I've got a super important meeting in half an hour," Cecilia said, glancing at her phone. "I came to see Mr. Ward today to lay out my thoughts. Now that I've said my piece, I won't take up any more of Mr. Ward's time. However the Kingsley Group wants to handle this, just let us know. Like I said, the Lockhart Group will accept it."
With that, Cecilia stood up, acting like she couldn't care less about the project, giving Kai all the respect.
"Alright!" Dominic suddenly agreed. He knew he had to. Cecilia had pushed him this far. If he hesitated or tried to haggle, it would be clear he didn't respect Kai.
Dominic took on this project to boost the Kingsley Group's image, as it was a public welfare gig. Doing it right would bring good press. Secondly, it was also to show off their muscle. Since the Lockhart Group, a top construction company, had lost to them on this project, the Kingsley Group's skills would get mad props. Plus, the Kingsley Group had already seen some benefits, with their stock prices going up. The third reason was to keep things cool with Kai.
Since it was about keeping good relations, Dominic couldn't afford to tick off Kai now, or it would backfire big time!
Cecilia really left him with nothing from this project. Since the plan theft got out, the stock market had been tanking, and now he was stuck with a trashed reputation!
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
