Jonathan used to be the director of the company, yet he wasn't mature nor was he reliable. There
wasn't really anyone who wished to befriend him.
In the past, this was something he didn't care much about. However, lately their indifference towards
him was getting on his nerves. He knew other people's opinion mattered. Jonathan strove hard to think
of a way to deal with it.
Without friends, it would prove to be extremely difficult to do the things he wanted to do. When this
realization dawned upon him, Jonathan couldn't help but understand he had lived the past 30 years as
a failure.
Thompson, on the other hand, arrived at the Shi Group. He found a parking spot and got off his car.
Carefully, he surveyed the view of the building. A big group like the Shi Group was known by almost
every citizen of the city.
When Jacob handed over his resignation, the story made its way to the news in an instant. It caused an
uproar amongst the public.
After all, it wasn't some small news. The Shi Group was considered the strongest group in this city and
anything having to do with it would have people's attention. It sent shock waves through the public. It
was said that Jacob decided to step down voluntarily because of the scandal of his affair.
From all this, one could easily make out that reputation was vital to the Shi Group. This rumor
pertaining to Jacob had been discussed by almost everyone. Lots of people considered it nothing but a
fun topic to discuss. Very few people took it seriously.
With time, people's temporary curiosity died down. At this point, no one really cared enough to get to
the bottom of the matter.
For the spectators, it was just another hot topic they could laugh about. To sum it up, no one genuinely
cared.
Presently, Thompson's eyes scanned the tall building towering into the sky. A frown crept into his face.
He was certain one person's departure hadn't harmed the company in any way.
The people of the Shi Group continued to work vigorously. Sunlight glinted off the windows of this tall
building.
Thompson's polished shoes were also glinting under the spell of sun. He squinted his eyes and looked
up. He noticed the clouds were quite thick and the sun was struggling to pass through it.
With a deep sigh, he stepped into the Shi Group. He remembered the events of the past with better
clarity than Jonathan did.
When the explosion happened in the Shi Group, Jacob stood near this same door. Thompson couldn't
help but admire that man for his bravery.
Even though Jacob was a young man, he seemed quite mature when he dealt with that issue. If it was
possible, Thompson would have liked to be friends with him. He seemed like a guy worth knowing.
However, he knew it was too late for that. Thompson had reached the height of desperation. It was
useless to dwell on these thoughts.
Since he couldn't obtain it, he had set forth on conquering it.
On entering the building, he quickly glanced at few people The security guard regarded him for a
second and let him in. He looked quite decent and reputable.
He then reached the reception hall on the first floor. It was thronging with unfamiliar faces. Thompson
had anticipated this but for some reason, he began to feel nervous.
"Hello, I have an appointment with Mr. Jonathan. He is expecting me,"
Thompson said gently, leaning his hands against the table. He flashed the lady his best smile.
She was quite taken by his handsome face. She was overcome by an urge to ask if he was single or
taken.
She stood eying this handsome stranger. Thompson waved his hand in front of the receptionist,
snapping her back to reality.
"Well, this way please, sir. I will lead you to the CEO's office." The receptionist made a welcoming
gesture and he followed her lead.
While she led him to the office, some of the employees caught sight of Thompson.
"Oh, who is that man? He looks handsome! He is on par with the former CEO," a girl said dreamily.
"Yes, I have never seen this handsome man before. Who could it be?"
"If I am not wrong, he is a jewelry merchant. I have seen that face before," one of the girls replied.
"Really? Why didn't you mention him to us?"
Thompson overheard their conversation. He turned to them and gave them his trademark smile.
"He just smiled at me!" a girl squealed happily.
"Nonsense! I am pretty sure that smile was for me," another one argued.
"You are so damn narcissistic! For your information, that was for me!"
Thompson let out a laugh as he listened to their banter. These women were crazy but he secretly
relished their compliments. After all, everybody enjoyed such attention.
They took an elevator and Thompson finally reached near Jonathan's office. After expressing his
thanks to the receptionist, he made his way towards the office. He stood outside for a second, taking in
the strange decorations that adorned the office. Something about it made him not want to go in.
"What's wrong? Come on in!" Jonathan called from inside. He noticed Thompson was standing at the
threshold, dubious whether to enter or not. This brought a slight dissatisfaction to Jonathan's face.
However, he composed himself soon and put on a big smile, welcoming his visitor.
"Take a seat. Did my unique decoration capture your attention? What do you think? Isn't it simply
beautiful?" Jonathan asked, proudly looking at the wall behind him, bedecked with all kinds of
decoration.
It was a bit strange and too gaudy according to Thompson's taste. Just by looking at the office, one
could tell Jonathan was a man with a peculiar taste.
In spite of this, Thompson forced a smile and quipped, "I didn't know you had such unique taste, Mr.
Jonathan. I can only say I am spellbound."
Jonathan didn't detect the mockery in his companion's words. On the contrary, he considered it a
compliment. He thought he had finally found the friend he was looking for!
"Well, I am glad you can appreciate it. Unfortunately, not everyone is like you. Someone at the office
remarked my wall was quite ugly. And guess what? I fired a few people over this issue!"
Jonathan's expression suddenly turned stern. He knew firing was quite a harsh action. But what could
he do? He couldn't stand employees whose aesthetic standards differed from his!
"I don't think it was necessary to fire them." The corners of Thompson's mouth twitched. By now, he
had quite a bad impression of Jonathan. The strong smell of paint wafted in the room. It made him
uncomfortable and he slightly fidgeted in his seat.
However, Jonathan was oblivious of his companion's discomfort. He was the sort of man who didn't
care much about others. According to him, if he could stand the smell, others had to.
"Thompson, let's go through the plan carefully. I think we better start discussing about the cooperation.
Presently, the group is short of funds. We need to take care of it first."
As Jonathan spoke, he put his legs on the desk like a self-indulgent man. Thompson found his actions
vaguely similar.
'Isn't that how I perform when I interact with others?' The corner of Thompson's mouth twitched again.
Ever since he spoke to Jonathan, he had become quite curious.
From this short conversation, he was beginning to learn he was speaking to an interesting man.
Jonathan differed from him in some ways, but they also had some uncanny similarities.
The more they conversed, the more he was learning about their similarities. One of the main
differences was that Thompson had learned several lessons from his years of experience in the
business field. Jonathan, on the other hand, was a bit of a novice.
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