Chapter 345 Nathaniel Harris
Blossom Community was a typical suburban neighborhood. Built about a decade ago, it had modest green spaces and no elevators, just stairs. Genevieve lived on the fourth floor and led Noah up to her apartment.
"Mom, we have a guest!" Genevieve called out as she opened the door.
Noah stepped inside and swapped his shoes for a pair of slippers.
"Who's here?" A pleasant voice drifted over, mature and slightly sultry, instantly captivating.
A woman appeared from one of the rooms. She had a curvy figure and was wearing a red nightgown that looked almost sheer, showing off her legs and exuding a mature allure. She was in her thirties, and any man who saw her would be immediately drawn in.
Seeing the woman, Genevieve quickly introduced them, "Noah, this is my mom. Mom, this is Noah, my guitar teacher."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Emma Ashbourne." Emma smiled politely at Noah, but there was a hint of coolness behind her politeness.
"Nice to meet you. Noah Anderson," Noah replied with a smile. He noticed that both Genevieve and Emma shared the last name Ashbourne, indicating Genevieve took her mother's surname.
"Mr. Anderson, please have a seat. I have some work to finish up. I'll be with you shortly," Emma said, looking quite busy.
"No problem," Noah said casually.
Emma gave a polite smile and returned to her room.
Noah sat on the sofa and noticed a pile of documents on the coffee table, presumably Emma's work files.
He picked a few files up and glanced at it. The titles were "Summary of Chemical Equipment Procurement," "Crude Oil Equipment Procurement," "Silverlight City Hospital Medical Equipment Sales Overview," and so on. The documents were about factory equipment and medical equipment, purchasing and sales, with thick accounting reports underneath.
What caught Noah's eye was that the funding source for the procurement amounts was consistently a person named Nathaniel Harris. And the name of the seller in the "Hospital Medical Equipment Sales" document was Zaid, a name Noah was very familiar with.
"Nathaniel, Zaid," Noah muttered, a chill in his eyes.
Nathaniel was mentioned in the information Atticus had given him. Nathaniel was a high-ranking executive in the Harris family, responsible for managing and developing the family's business interests. The Harris family held the largest shares in several chemical, oil, and synthetic fiber factories in Silverlight City, all managed by Nathaniel.
As for Zaid, there was no need for further explanation. Zaid's factories supplied one-third of the medical equipment in the eastern part of Eagleland.
'All these documents have the Harris family's name on them, and they're in Emma's home. This Emma...' Noah was puzzled.
"Noah, have some water," Genevieve said, bringing Noah a glass of water with a smile.
"Since my dad passed away, my mom has become colder, and she focuses all her energy on work. So, Noah, please don't mind my mom's attitude earlier," Genevieve explained.
"No worries." Noah waved his hand and casually asked, "By the way, what does your mother do for work?"
"She's a certified public accountant at an accounting firm. Basically, she does the books for big companies. The company is pretty big, I think it's called the Harris Group," Genevieve said after thinking for a moment. "I don't usually ask much about my mom's work."
Noah nodded and didn't say more, just continued looking at the documents in his hand.
About half an hour later, the sound of footsteps approached. Emma walked over and sat across from Noah. Seeing him holding her work documents, she curiously asked, "Mr. Anderson, do you know much about accounting?"
"A bit," Noah replied with a smile.
Noah had a basic understanding of financial knowledge, enough to grasp the essentials. He wasn't a professional, though. Larry's goal in educating Noah was to make him a master of overall control, someone who knew a bit about every industry but didn't delve deeply into any.
Deep learning would consume too much energy, and a master didn't need to do that. They just needed to know the basics and let their subordinates handle the specifics.
Simply put, a king's son learns to manage his subjects, while an ordinary person's child learns skills to support themselves.
"I see these documents are about purchasing environmental equipment," Noah said, putting down the file with a smile.
"Yeah," Emma replied, seeming more interested in discussing work. "The country is pushing for energy conservation and emission reduction. The old equipment in the factories has been used for over ten years and doesn't meet standards anymore. They emit too much pollution and can't pass inspections, so we have to buy equipment that meets the requirements."
"That's good, protecting the environment," Noah said.
"It sure is, but the equipment that meets emission standards is several times more expensive than the old equipment. If the factories invest in it, it will take three to four years to recoup the costs, and the higher-ups are reluctant to spend that much money," Emma said, shaking her head in frustration. "The contracts you see are preliminary calculations and haven't been signed yet."
"By higher-ups, you mean the Harris Group?" Noah asked.
"Yeah, the Harris Group," Emma replied, not considering it a secret. "The Harris Group is backed by the Harris family in Silverlight City, and the group's controller is Nathaniel. He has a good business mind but is very greedy. He values even the smallest profits."
"With the country's initiative to shut down factories that don't meet emission standards, Nathaniel's factories failed inspections. So, there are two choices: shut down the factories or buy compliant equipment. But the compliant equipment is expensive, and Nathaniel doesn't want to spend the money."
Emma rubbed her temples, looking tired. "His reluctance to spend money makes it hard for us accountants. We're constantly calculating to reduce the budget for equipment purchases to a level he finds acceptable. But the prices are fixed; it's not something that can be easily reduced."
Noah stroked his chin. "These factories aren't solely owned by Nathaniel, are they?"
"Of course not. He just holds the largest shares and has control," Emma replied.
"Then he could have other shareholders contribute more money for the equipment. The extra money could be compensated by Nathaniel transferring shares to the investors," Noah suggested with a smile.
"That's possible, and Nathaniel has considered it. As long as he retains the largest share, he's fine with it," Emma said. "The problem is, no one is willing to invest. The economy in Eagleland is poor, and the real economy is struggling. People with money are investing in the internet and finance sectors, not in the real economy."
"In short, the real economy is in decline," she added.
"I know a businessman who's very interested in the real economy," Noah said with a slight smile.
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