Chapter 358 Enlightened
Joshua gasped, thinking, ‘If the gemstones are fake, the costs must be super low. These sellers must be really shady!’
"A twenty-million-dollar deal. They must be making at least eighteen million in profit, right?" he muttered, snapping photos for evidence.
He pocketed a few gemstones, and his phone buzzed twice. Feeling guilty, he quickly checked it.
It was a message from Luann: [I'm hungry. Gonna to eat. You can catch a ride back yourself later. See you tomorrow!]
Joshua rolled his eyes and left the factory. The car was gone.
He created a group chat with all the company employees.
[I want to have an impromptu meeting. Can everyone come over?]
No one replied, so he rephrased it.
[I heard The Vintage Mirror has some new dishes. I wanted to treat everyone since Luann and I are new here. If anyone is nearby, come over. I'm at The Vintage Mirror entrance, and I'll reimburse each of you a hundred dollars.]
Replies flooded in.
[You're too generous! I'm on my way! Twenty minutes. Wait for me!]
[Oh, I was just in the shower and didn't see the message.]
[Reimbursement is too kind. I love working overtime.]
Everyone except Luann replied and arrived quickly. The high-end restaurant and the reimbursement were big incentives.
In less than an hour, the private room was full.
Joshua placed the reimbursement on the table. Everyone sat up straight, smiling.
"Mr. Curtis, calling us here so late can't just be for dinner, right?"
Joshua nodded. "Take a look at this."
He tossed a small bag onto the table. Everyone passed it around.
"What a beautiful stone!"
"It's not just a stone. It's a gemstone. Have some knowledge."
"Oh, you think you're so knowledgeable."
"What do you mean by this, Mr. Curtis?"
Joshua said calmly, "This is from the jewelry company we plan to invest in. I found out their gemstones are fake, which means the jewelry they sell is fake, too."
"You mean they're just trying to make a quick buck and run?" someone asked.
Joshua replied, "No matter their intentions, this company won't last long."
Everyone looked at each other in disbelief.
"That's impossible. If they were fake, there would have been news online already."
"Yeah, Mr. Curtis, how do you know if it's real or fake? You might have made a mistake; we're not experts in this field."
The slightly sarcastic comment made Joshua pause. It implied he didn't know much and might be talking nonsense. After all, he had few skills when he became a director.
Joshua was dumbfounded, thinking, ‘How can I be so sure the gemstones are fake?’
Scenes of Luann giving him trouble and sending him to the factory flashed in his mind.
He suddenly understood. "Could it be she wasn't giving me trouble?" Joshua murmured in disbelief.
If it weren't for Luann making him memorize all kinds of gemstones, he wouldn't have been able to tell them apart by touch now.
Realizing this, Joshua couldn't help but smile. "So, does this mean I've improved? I used to feel completely clueless about these things."
"Mr. Curtis?" Everyone called out, puzzled by his smile.
Joshua snapped back to reality and cleared his throat.
"I'm sure they're selling fake jewelry. As for why no one has mentioned it, I think it's because their company focuses on affordable jewelry. Wealthy people wouldn't buy it, and those who don't usually deal with these things wouldn't be able to tell the difference once they get the processed jewelry. The level of counterfeiting is high, which requires a keen eye to spot it."
Everyone nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, since you say so, we'll follow your lead. But if we can't invest in this company, which one should we invest in?"
Joshua didn't rush to answer. "Let's discuss it with Ms. Weaver when we get back to work tomorrow."
"Okay."
Luann clearly knew about this all along, bringing him here without a word. People couldn’t judge a book by its cover.
It seemed like Luann had been slacking off all day, but her work efficiency was higher than ten people combined.
When Luann got home, Myron immediately helped her change clothes and took her shoes, very attentive.
"Tired?" Myron stood behind her, massaging her shoulders.
Luann nodded. "A bit."
Playing games all day had made her back sore.
"Take a rest," Myron said softly.
Luann yawned and lazily leaned on the couch.
Just then, John reported, "Ms. Collins is here."
Myron's hands paused, and he spoke coldly, "Let her in."
Diana walked in, carrying a gift box, and casually placed it on the table.
"Why are you here?" asked Myron in an unfriendly tone.
Diana glanced at him. "I'm here to see Luann, not you. Why are you so anxious?"
She turned to Luann. "I heard Dad sent you and Joshua to Aspire Securities. How was your first day? Are you adjusting well?"
Luann nodded. "It's fine."
"That's good. Stay there for now. After a while, I'll find a chance to get Dad to bring you back to the main company."
"The main company is too crowded and noisy. I think Aspire Securities is just fine," Luann politely declined Diana's offer.
Diana frowned slightly.
She and Watson were already divorced. Once the news got out, she definitely couldn't stay at the Curtis Group anymore.
Although Myron's appearance was restored, which was a good thing, he still didn't have a formal job. But Luann was indeed capable.
