Estelle hurriedly changed the topic after struggling slightly to keep a distance from him.
“Well… Sir, let’s talk about some business. Now the legal person of the company has been changed to my mother. What should I do… next…”
Before she finished her words, Mr. Mysterious gently bit her on the shoulder.
Feeling a slight pain in her shoulder, Estelle let out a soft moan and curled up in a tight ball nervously.
“Estelle…” Mr. Mysterious said in a hoarse voice.
“I know what you want to do, but we can’t do it now. My mother’s room is located nearby…”
Mr. Mysterious said, “Your mother’s room is on the first floor. The walls of your room are clad with many layers of thick sound insulation boards. Unless you set off fireworks, she won’t hear any sound in this room.”
“Thick sound insulation boards?”
“Yes.”
“You… you deliberately asked the workers to install them?” Estelle was stunned.
“You can say that I’m standing on the shoulder of a giant. I learned from Cristofer’s past and did what he didn’t think of before. Am I great?”
Blushing with shyness and annoyance, Estelle asked, “Do you think it is something to be proud of?”
Seeing her lovely look, Mr. Mysterious chuckled and said, “I’m just kidding. Don’t be angry. I won’t force you to do what you don’t want.”
“Sir…”
“Earlier, you asked me about what your next steps should be, correct? I would also like to discuss this topic with you. Estelle, the third strategy I will share with you is known as being a modest opportunist, where short-term actions lead to long-term success.”
Hearing this, Estelle immediately knew what she should do next.
“York is ambitious but incapable and vain. His greatest weakness is that he is susceptible to flattery. Back then, Melody took advantage of this and won his heart. York is a man who yields to a soft approach but rejects force.”
“Remember not to provoke him. If he were to sell all his shares in a fit of anger and disappear, it would become more challenging for you to regain ownership of the shares and hold him accountable later on. Instead, allow him to retain the shares for now and strategize a comprehensive plan to defeat him in one decisive move.”
Estelle attentively listened and nodded in agreement. “The present company is a result of the merger between the Hudson Group and the Hans Group. Half of my father’s shares have been transferred to me, while York holds the remaining half. Additionally, other shareholders possess the remaining shares of the Hudson Group. During the merger, York managed to acquire all the shares of the Hans Group. Consequently, he currently holds over fifty percent of the shares in the company, making him the largest shareholder.”
Mr. Mysterious nodded in agreement and continued, “Indeed, we can consider ourselves fortunate in a way that York is a distrustful individual. He doesn’t place his trust in anyone, not even Melody, who couldn’t persuade him to transfer his shares to her. He firmly believes that as long as he retains control of the company, he will have immense wealth for the remainder of his life. However, his lack of business acumen is regrettable. Over the past six years, the market value of such a sizable company has actually decreased by half under his management. It’s quite remarkable, albeit in a negative sense.”
Upon hearing this, Estelle sneered and expressed her disdain, saying, “He’s utterly worthless. He led a wretched existence, repeatedly borrowing money from my father for failed investments. Eventually, my mother couldn’t bear to witness his predicament any longer and requested my father to offer him a job at the company. Little did she know that she was essentially entrusting a fox to guard the geese.”
“Your parents’ generosity is admirable. However, Estelle, I must be frank with you. In the business world, those who are excessively kind often end up experiencing losses. Kindness is important, but it should always be grounded in principles and a strong sense of judgment.”
“I see. You are right.”
Embracing her tightly, Mr. Mysterious let out a sigh and advised, “Your priority now is to generate substantial benefits for the company swiftly. Demonstrate to York that you possess the ability to drive profitability and earn his trust.”
“Alright, I understand,” Estelle replied, nodding in agreement.
“There’s another thing I want to say.”
“Go ahead,” Estelle urged him.
Mr. Mysterious clenched his teeth and expressed his displeasure, “Maintain a distance from Tim. Lately, he has been constantly obstructing my plans.”
“What has he done?” Estelle inquired.
“Hmph!” Mr. Mysterious snorted, indicating his frustration, but remained silent, suggesting that he had experienced significant grievances that he chose not to elaborate on.
****
The following day, Estelle received the answer during her meeting with Rebecca.
“Tim? He’s been acting quite strange lately. You won’t believe it, but he’s been conducting investigations on all the orphans in Hadale. Justin even suspected that Tim had lost his mind after being rejected by you,” Rebecca revealed.
“He actually went to investigate the orphans?” Estelle was taken aback, feeling shocked by the news.
Helplessly, Rebecca nodded and absentmindedly poked at the lemon slice in her glass with the straw. “Yes, unfortunately, Tim is always so stubborn. However, honestly, I believe it could be beneficial if he manages to uncover information about Mr. Mysterious. Estelle, don’t you want to discover the true identity of Mr. Mysterious?”
“I suppose it’s sufficient for me to know that he is indeed Mr. Mysterious,” Estelle replied firmly.
Rebecca pouted and agreed, nodding her head. “You’re right. Unfortunately, Justin has been keeping silent about Mr. Mysterious lately. Despite all my attempts to charm him, he simply refuses to divulge any further information,” she shared with a hint of disappointment in her voice.
With a smile, Estelle reassured her, saying, “That’s alright. I no longer have any interest in delving into Mr. Mysterious’ past. You don’t have to go out of your way to please Justin on my behalf. Regarding your relationship with him, I hope you can carefully consider what is truly best for yourself.”
Upon hearing this, Rebecca sighed helplessly and replied, “Estelle, I understand that Justin still loves me. He is handsome, wealthy, influential, and treats me well. However, he cannot give me what I truly desire – freedom.”
She then lifted the glass of cola in her hand and continued, “Let’s take this cola as an example. Justin believes that consuming excessive cola is detrimental to my health, so he buys me various expensive and nutritious drinks instead. But I don’t want those expensive drinks at all. I simply want to drink cola.”
Estelle had known Rebecca for many years and had developed a deep understanding of her preferences and desires.
Rebecca was kind-hearted, straightforward, enthusiastic, and loyal to friends. She was a free spirit, and no one could stop her from pursuing freedom.
Estelle inquired, “Do you have any desire to be with Howard? Have you been in contact with him lately?”