Chapter 838 It's Up to You, Francis
Francis hadn't yet figured out what he meant when Antonio had already called James and instructed, "Go to my office and bring over the projects we reviewed earlier."
James responded and left, returning shortly with a stack of folders.
"What are these..." Francis asked.
Antonio, already familiar with the contents, pushed them toward Francis. "These are the projects from the review period. There are many, but the company only plans to select two as key projects for the second half of the year. I think you can handle this."
Francis couldn't help but laugh, "You're really treating me like free labor, aren't you?"
"Not free," Antonio smiled. "Isn't the whole company yours? Now that you're back, don't think you can stay out of it. I'll tell everyone to come to you for any major decisions."
"As for me, I need more time to be with Sarah. She's about to have the baby." As he spoke, Antonio's expression softened.
"So, I guess I have no reason to refuse?" Francis casually opened the folder in front of him and sighed, "You were mischievous as a kid, and now you're still taking advantage of me."
Antonio laughed heartily, "When you get married, I'll make sure you have plenty of time with your wife."
At the mention of marriage, Francis's expression subtly stiffened, but he smiled and said nothing.
But Francis really had no reason to refuse. After all, he was idle now and had planned to take over some business upon returning to the company.
He quickly flipped through the project proposals, setting each aside after reviewing it, until he picked up the next one.
Suddenly, he paused.
His gaze fixed on the bold title—Western Development Project.
Francis's eyes locked onto the bold letters, his grip tightening, leaving a deep indentation on the paper's edge.
He couldn't suppress his excitement, his body trembling slightly.
Antonio had been watching his reaction and naturally didn't miss this moment. "Francis?"
Francis quickly looked up, his pupils still dilated from excitement. "What is it?"
"Nothing," Antonio said calmly. "I just wanted to say that once you select the key projects, you'll probably get really busy. You can choose two people from the company to be your assistants, to help you out."
Francis's mind went blank for a moment, unsure of what to say.
"There's no rush. You can take your time." Antonio seemed to understand his feelings, saying casually, "If you really don't know who to pick, you can take someone from my team. If you find anyone suitable, just have them follow you."
"That's not necessary." Francis finally collected his thoughts and declined the offer.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, "I... I have someone in mind. No need to take from your team."
Antonio nodded, "Also, I want to make an announcement appointing you as the company's Vice President. Is that okay, Francis?"
The current President was Brian, and there had been recent personnel changes. Another sudden change might affect the company.
So, making Francis the Vice President was the most appropriate position for him to handle business legitimately.
"Okay." Francis still held the document, his expression grateful.
"Antonio, thank you. I never thought I could return to the company and be involved in the business again. If it weren't for you and Brian encouraging me, I wouldn't have had the courage."
Antonio looked at his reddened eyes and remembered what Ryan had said on the phone earlier, feeling a mix of emotions. "Francis, don't be so polite. This is what you deserve."
Francis just shook his head, saying nothing more, and patted Antonio's shoulder. "Antonio, don't worry. No matter what happens, I won't let the Valencia Group lose money."
On the surface, it sounded like a reassurance.
But if Antonio thought deeply, it seemed to imply something else.
Antonio's eyes showed a hint of contemplation, but he didn't ask anything, just smiled and nodded.
They discussed some project details, and Francis glanced at the time. "Let's talk specifics in tomorrow's meeting. It's about time. Isn't Sarah waiting for you outside? You should leave."
"Yeah, let's go, Francis. I'll drop you off first, then go on my date with Sarah."
"You guys go ahead." Francis waved his hand. "You've handed me such a big responsibility. How can I let you down? I plan to stay and get more familiar with the company's affairs. You go enjoy your date with Sarah. I won't disturb you."
Just then, Sarah walked in, looking at them. "Everyone's almost gone. Should I get you guys a model worker award?"
Antonio smiled at her, "We're leaving now. Francis, call me if you need anything."
"Okay." Francis nodded at Sarah. "You two go ahead. Don't let the kids go hungry."
He watched them walk out of the conference room together, his smile slowly fading. He stared at the project proposal for a while, then took out his phone and dialed a familiar number.
The other end picked up quickly, answering in a business-like tone.
"Hello, who is this?"
"It's me," Francis said, noticing the other end's pause. He smiled slightly, "Roy, how have you been all these years?"
Roy Brooks, sitting in his office, was stunned, his eyes filled with excitement and disbelief. It took him about a minute to recover. "Mr. Valencia?"
His voice was light, as if afraid it was a hallucination.
"Yes." Hearing the familiar address, Francis's mind flashed back to their years of working together. "I'm back, now the Vice President at the Valencia Group. Some important projects are coming up. I need you to come back and help me."
Roy had been his assistant since graduating from college. After years of working together, their mutual understanding surpassed even that of family, so some things didn't need to be said.
"Mr. Valencia, it's really you!" Roy's eyes reddened, almost crying with joy.
He took several deep breaths to calm down, suddenly remembering something else. "Mr. Valencia, half a year ago, I received an email. Was it from you?"
Years ago, Francis had a car accident and was presumed dead. As his assistant, Roy was devastated for a long time.
Having worked with Francis for so many years, Roy had considered him a good friend. The sudden incident was hard to accept.
Roy even wanted to leave the Valencia Group and transfer to a branch in another city.
He spent years in a daze.
Unexpectedly, half a year ago, he received an overseas email.
The content was simple.
[I'm Francis. I'm still alive.]
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