The whole room suddenly became silent. Several thoughts ran through the minds of both men. While
Shawn was thinking of the offer, Jacob was waiting earnestly for his response. What would happen
next totally depended on fate.
"What?" Shawn's face lightened up. His eyes beamed with excitement. But soon, he calmed down.
'Hmm. This man wouldn't back down, would he? I can't seem to figure his intentions.
Could he be trusted? Dammit! His expression is unreadable!' Shawn was racking his brain. He was
trying to weigh which was more important between the Shi Group and Jacob. No matter how hard he
pondered, he just couldn't conclude.
For a long time, no one had separated Jacob and the Shi Group from each other. Since he was the
CEO, his name was synonymous with that of the company. No one ever imagined that the two would
become enemies someday. This was the major reason why the players in the business circle were
shocked and angry with Jacob for resigning.
However, Shawn didn't bother himself about whether the man had betrayed the Shi Group. He just saw
him as a capable man. So, he didn't think that Jacob would make any unreasonable decisions.
Honestly, Shawn held him in high esteem. But he didn't show it.
"Do you think I will give up my partnership with the Shi Group just for you? I must say that's hilarious!
To be honest with you, I think you are a capable man. I have heard of your previous achievements as a
CEO. And I have to say that I was quite impressed. But I don't mix my personal sentiments with
business."
Narrowing his eyes, Shawn stared at him as he grinned mischievously. He wanted to see the hesitation
and disappointment in Jacob's eyes. But unfortunately, he saw nothing. He still couldn't read his
expression.
So, Shawn became more determined. He was hell-bent on discouraging this man.
"One more thing. I don't think the Shi Group would prosper under Jonathan's leadership. As you know,
the business has continued to plunge downwards since he assumed that position. Although I feel bad
that my father's years of hard work would be ruined in the hands of my greedy cousin, he already made
me a success by raising me. I'm the man that I am today because of the efforts of my old man."
Jacob spoke with a serious expression on his face. Whenever something concerned Michael, he never
joked with it.
His recent actions didn't mean that he was going to abandon Michael's legacy. Far from it. Jacob just
wanted to survive. And to survive he had to make drastic decisions.
"No pain, no gain. I absolutely understand. I can't deny the fact that all you have said is very
reasonable. Actually, when Jonathan became the CEO, he raised the charge of our partnership. I want
this company to spread its reach as regards intercompany partnership. But in Jonathan's mind, the Ho
Group cannot cooperate with any other establishment."
Shawn wasn't complaining. He was just saying the truth. Recently, that topic had been giving him
headaches. He really wanted to take his company to the next level. But several obstacles were in his
way. His hands were practically tied because of his partnership with the Shi Group.
Therefore, when he heard that Jacob came to visit him, he agreed to meet him without hesitation. He
had thought that perhaps, the former CEO would discuss something that would help him out of the
situation.
As a matter of fact, Shawn wanted to get some useful information that he would use against Jonathan.
He had reasoned knowing his enemy's weakness would go a long way in defeating him.
But what he got was too shocking. Jacob wanted him to abandon the Shi Group completely. And then,
join him in his new company. 'This man wants me to abandon a huge company and join a small
company that isn't even ranked as one of the most successful businesses.' Shawn had the notion that
Jacob's new company could be likened to a bubble. And a bubble couldn't even withstand the gentlest
touch.
"Well..." Shawn was lost in thought. It seemed that there was no need to argue with Jacob.
The next second, he burst out laughing. But this time, the laughter wasn't making a mockery of Jacob
like the first.
"You are impeccable. A true talent. As I listened to your words, I felt hesitant. But they are still not
enough to convince me to partner with you."
Shawn smiled at him. At that moment, his attitude towards him improved. His expression was no longer
as serious as before.
"Please trust me. This is a good deal. If you agree to cooperate with me, we can split the profits thirty-
seventy. I take thirty percent and you take seventy percent. What do you think?" After thinking for a
while, Jacob threw out another bait. He had reasoned that his potential partner would find it hard to
refuse such a huge profit.
However, this was already a huge concession for Jacob. The profit percentage he proposed seemed
foolish, but he had to take the risk. If Shawn still refused to cooperate, there was nothing more he could
do. He would have to find another partner.
"Well, it seems you came well-prepared for this meeting. You keep dropping juicy baits at every turn.
This company only got thirty percent profits from the Shi Group. But you are offering something way
more than that. I must say that it is attractive."
Shawn's eyes glinted as he said this. This showed that he was quite impressed with the offer. If he
accepted Jacob's proposal, the company's performance would reach a whole new level. In fact, the
business would skyrocket straight to the top, if the plan was achieved.
'My goodness! This offer is quite enticing. I can't even begin to imagine how successful the Ho Group
would be if this plan comes to fruition, ' Shawn pondered. Of course, he wanted to agree. As he
continued to think, Jacob stared at his face. It was at that moment that he noticed the change in
Shawn's expression.
But the man smiled and didn't say anything. Although he was tempted, that wasn't his concern at the
moment. What Shawn was most concerned about was the safety of the company. He was worried that
the business would be in danger if he agreed to this proposal.
Deep in his mind, he wondered if the risk was worth it or not. Honestly, Shawn trusted Jacob. At least,
more than how he trusted his other acquaintances.
When Jacob had announced that he was quitting from the Shi Group, those who were partners with the
company were astonished. In fact, there was an uproar in the business circle. And a lot of people
gossiped about him. Shawn was the only one that cared about him. At that time, he tried to look at
things from Jacob's perspective. He didn't just jump into conclusion like the others.
Being the biggest cooperative partner wasn't just child's play. And Jacob understood this very well.
Now that he wanted to start his own business, he knew that it wouldn't be an easy journey.
After all, everything in this world was very difficult at the beginning. And he was only taking the first
step. Jacob noticed his hesitation. This gave him some hope that he was making headway.
As a professional, Jacob knew that he shouldn't be so confident that Shawn would just give up his
cooperation with the Shi Group just because of the few words that he said. He understood that
convincing someone in the business world was far more than that.
Nevertheless, it wasn't impossible. Jacob glanced at the businessman in front of him. At that instance,
he decided to let him solve this puzzle by himself.
"I must say that I'm interested in the conditions you have offered. But I want you to understand that I
can't just make this important decision because of your promise. It's not as simple as it seems. I still
have to inform the senior executives of the company about this. And you know that this industry is still
developing. One cannot correctly predict how things would turn. The future is still very bleak."
Shawn's serious expression didn't change. But Jacob could see that he was tempted by his offer.
Usually in the business world, opportunities and challenges coexisted. For Shawn, this offer wasn't just
an opportunity, but also a challenge. Concluding on which is greater than the other was difficult. Even
though the profit was enticing, the negative aspect seemed unavoidable.
Jacob stood up and bowed. With a smile on his face, he said, "I understand, Mr. Shawn. Thank you for
sparing time out of your busy schedule. I'll take my leave now. But I would be waiting for your
response."
Shawn simply nodded. He was satisfied with his attitude. "Take care."
Jacob confidently walked out of the office.
He wasn't feeling down because of the current situation. On the contrary, he walked with his head up
high. As he left the premises, Jacob assured himself that everything wasn't over yet.
The following week, Jacob met with many potential business partners every day. He tried to convince
them into partnering with him. The experience wasn't entirely a pleasing one. Not everyone gave him a
listening ear like Shawn did. Sometimes, they even behaved rudely and threw him out of their offices.
Indeed, Jacob faced a lot of humiliation.
Although the situation was sad and humiliating, it was the natural thing for a lobbyist. A person seeking
assistance would always meet horrible people. Jacob was unhappy with this. Such cases seemed to be
dragging him back because his time was wasted.
In the past, Jacob had never been mistreated. No one in the business circle had ever spoken rudely to
him. But now, he had to face this embarrassing situation and endure it. It was a bitter pill to swallow but
he didn't have any choice.
When he was at home, he never told Sara about the embarrassment he faced during the day. Jacob
always narrated the occurrences jokingly.
Actually, he didn't want Sara to worry her pretty head over what he was experiencing. Jacob felt that he
was already burdening her with too much. After all, this was his cross. So, he had to carry it on his own.
Moreover, Jacob didn't want to see Sara go through so much pain because of him. He knew that she
would try to help him in any way that she could. Also, he was trying not to seem like a weakling who
couldn't handle his own problems. So, involving Sara was unnecessary.
During the weekend, Jacob lay on the sofa in the living room tiredly. After lobbying for a whole week, it
wasn't a surprise that he was exhausted.
So, he decided to stay back at home and regain his energy. Most importantly, Jacob wanted to re-
strategize. He had to think of new ways on how to solve this problem of collaboration. Although there
was no such thing as a perfect company, he didn't want his beloved woman to face serious troubles.
He concluded that he had to settle this before she found out.
Meanwhile, he was still waiting to hear from the Ho Group. They hadn't called him since his last
meeting with Shawn. As he thought about this, Jacob stood up and fetched a bottle of red wine from
the cabinet. Shaking the glass in his hand, he stared blankly at the space in front of him with dull eyes.
But when he looked at the red liquid in the glass, Jacob suddenly felt relaxed. The pressure in his heart
was swept away. Also, the atmosphere didn't seem as tense as before.
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