Chapter 54 Was the Man That Night Michael?
Michael's eyes went dark.
Right then, John slid down and rushed to Rachel's side. "Rachel, you okay?" he asked, his voice full of concern.
"I'm fine," Rachel said.
"Good to hear." John let out a sigh of relief, then yelled up the slope, "Miss Brown, hurry up!"
When Mandy finally slid down, John didn't hold back. "I have witnessed it; you bumped into Rachel!"
Mandy bit her lip and apologized to Rachel, "Sorry, Ms. Williams. I was wearing a helmet, and my vision was a bit blurry."
John waved his hand in front of Mandy's face. He snorted, "Rachel was right in front of you, not to the side. If so, you must be blind! Miss Brown, are you really blind? Need me to find a doctor for you?"
"That's enough," Michael said, clearly annoyed. "I just saved Ms. Williams, and Mandy already apologized."
John sneered, "Mr. Smith, you know this slope is steep, and Rachel's a beginner. If no one had saved her after Miss Brown bumped into her, she could've broken a bone rolling down! Can I consider your girlfriend's actions as attempted murder?"
"John, stop being so aggressive," Mandy said, her eyes reddening with anger, her voice trembling. "I really didn't see her just now. If you want to be so petty, I'll go back up and let Ms. Williams bump into me."
"Fine!" John agreed immediately. "Go up and let Rachel bump into you, and I'll save you!"
Mandy leaned against Michael, looking more fragile and pitiful by the second.
Seeing Michael's face darken, clearly angered by John, Rachel tugged at John. "Let's go back," she said.
John was fuming. "I'm not leaving! You've divorced Michael, and now his girlfriend is bullying you. Are you just gonna take it?"
Rachel leaned closer and whispered, "Joseph gave me the acquisition info for Blue Sky Ventures."
Joseph had a good relationship with Michael. If Michael asked him to do something, he'd comply without considering his collaboration with Rachel.
Rachel didn't want to let Mandy off the hook, but she also didn't want Michael to interfere, preventing her from acquiring Blue Sky Ventures.
Once she explained, John got it, snorted coldly, and stopped arguing with Mandy. But as they left, he turned back and flipped them off.
Mandy was furious. She'd never seen a guy as vile and nasty as John!
Seeing Michael's stern face, Mandy murmured, "I was just focused on skiing and didn't see Ms. Williams. I also apologized, but I didn't expect John to be so aggressive." She bent over and coughed twice, her face turning paler.
Michael's face softened. He pulled her into his arms. "With me here, John is just venting. He won't dare do anything to you. It's too cold; I'll take you back to the hotel," he said gently.
Mandy held onto him, a faint smile on her face. "Okay."
When Rachel and John got back to the hotel, it was already 5 PM. She went to the front desk and found out Benjamin was in the game room. She went there alone and told him she wanted to acquire his company, saying the price was negotiable.
No matter what she said, Benjamin refused. Finally, he got impatient. "No matter how high your offer is, I'm not selling. Leave!" he declared and kicked Rachel out of the game room.
Rachel was at her wit's end and thought about calling John, but considering Benjamin's attitude, she doubted even John could persuade him. Besides, how could she gain experience if she didn't negotiate personally?
Rachel thought of that man, opened Facebook, found him, and sent a message: [Have you ever dealt with Benjamin, the owner of Blue Sky Ventures? He's tough to handle. No matter what price I offer, he doesn't want to talk to me.]
After sending the message, Rachel realized it might've been a mistake. Why was she asking this guy instead of Joseph? She wanted to retract it, but it was too late. Just then, the guy replied.
Z-H: [Benjamin is proud and doesn't like his company being taken over or managed by others. He previously sought funding to save his company but refused because the other party wanted control.]
Z-H: [He has a bad relationship with his father. You could use that to your advantage.]
Rachel quickly caught on.
Rachel: [I can negotiate without taking control of his company but offer a higher share of the acquisition or use his father to provoke him.]
Z-H: [Smart move.]
The guy's replies were short but super helpful. The negotiation tips he gave made everything clearer. She even knew how to avoid getting the short end of the stick when dealing with the owner of Blue Sky Ventures.
Rachel: [Big White Goose, do you work for Joseph, or do you have your own company? You seem to know a lot.]
Z-H: [I'm not called Big White Goose.]
Rachel: [But you haven't told me your name. It's just a nickname!]
Rachel: [I won't delete you, so don't delete me either, okay? You're a good friend and knowledgeable, and I need someone to guide me.]
Rachel: [I won't waste your time for free. How about I pay you for each question I ask? You set the price.]
Meanwhile, in his hotel room, Michael looked at Rachel's multiple messages and laughed in exasperation. Because she had helped James, he had casually given her a piece of information. But now, Rachel was pushing her luck.
After a while, Michael replied: [Okay.]
Rachel: [You're so knowledgeable and kind, and are just as cute as your profile picture!]
Michael's mouth twitched. He couldn't bear to look at the message and exited the chat, calling David.
David answered quickly, "Mr. Smith, what's up?"
Michael frowned. "I had a Facebook account managed by you before. With so many profile pictures to choose from, why did you pick a goose?"
David replied tactfully, "The goose looks cute and makes you seem approachable."
Michael fell silent.
David suggested cautiously, "Mr. Smith, you've had this account back for a while. If you didn't like the goose profile picture, why didn't you change it? If you don't know how to change it, I can teach you now."
"No need!" Michael replied before hanging up immediately.
During dinner, Rachel and John went to the table where Benjamin was sitting. Rachel sat across from him, smiling faintly. "Mr. Rivera, I see you have many empty seats here. Do you mind if my friend and I join you for dinner?"
Benjamin continued eating without acknowledging her.
Rachel clasped her hands on the table and said calmly, "I know you built Blue Sky Ventures from the ground up and cherish it like your own child. After Skyline Corporation acquires Blue Sky Ventures, I promise that the control will remain in your hands. Blue Sky Ventures will operate independently, and I won't send any executives to monitor it."
Hearing this, Benjamin finally looked up at her. He asked, "Who taught you to negotiate like this, your ex-husband?"
Rachel was taken aback.
Benjamin put down his fork, looking displeased. He complained, "Your ex-husband has always coveted my company, sending executives to negotiate with me multiple times. I'm sick of it. I just went abroad to get away and ski, and now you're here!"
"I've been divorced from Mr. Smith for a while. Another friend gave me the acquisition information for Blue Sky Ventures," Rachel explained, but she was suspicious.
Benjamin said that the Smith Corporation's executives had told him the same things she was saying. But these were taught to her by Z-H. If this was true, then was the man that night Michael?
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
