But how could this be? He’s just a useless son-in-law. How could Renee possibly value him this much?
Just as Michael was lost in his thoughts, Leo spoke up, “Michael, I believe you haven’t forgotten our little bet from earlier. Master Browne is the one I called. Now, you can fulfill your end of the bet.”
Of course, Michael knew the terms of the bet: kneeling outside the gates of Azure Financial for two days.
The reason Michael had so readily agreed to this bet was simply his disbelief that Leo could bring Renee with just a phone call.
However, faced with the undeniable reality now, compounded by Renee being right there, Michael found himself in a tight spot.
“Since there’s a bet, one must be ready to lose. Michael, as you know, our company doesn’t favor those who don’t keep their word,” Renee said calmly.
Renee’s words were crystal clear: if Michael didn’t fulfill the bet, she would fire him.
Being fired from Azure Financial would likely make him undesirable to all major companies in Langstel, leaving him with no ground to stand on.
Renee’s words hit Michael’s heart like a lightning bolt.
The reason he joined Azure Financial was its potential for a better career and brighter prospects.
To lose everything due to a bet would jeopardize his mortgage, his marriage plans-frightening thoughts indeed.
“Master Browne…” Michael’s eyes revealed a plea.
“You deal with it yourself,” Renee said, leaving with Leo and entering the company gates.
Michael stood there, grappling with the agony within.
To kneel or not to kneel, that was the question.
Kneeling meant losing face, losing dignity.
Not kneeling meant losing his job, losing money.
After much contemplation, Michael chose work and money in the end.
Let’s face it, who really has a problem with money?
Finally, Michael slowly knelt on the ground.
For a clever person, enduring a moment of humiliation was no big deal. Once he succeeded in the future, he could surely trample Leo underfoot.
There’s no denying it-sometimes, such kind of self-comforting is incredibly useful. At least, Michael was experiencing the benefits of mental victory now.
Over an hour later, Leo and Renee emerged from the company together.
Seeing Michael obediently on his knees, Leo couldn’t help but smile.
This guy, a while ago, seemed like he wanted to challenge him like a real man, but in the face of harsh reality, he chose to yield and compromise.
Observing Leo and Renee coming out, Michael got up from the ground and approached Leo, speaking in a subdued tone, “Leo, I was blind. I apologize for my behavior earlier.”
Regardless of Leo and Renee’s relationship, Michael was determined to swallow his pride. Only by keeping his current job could he potentially climb to the higher echelons of Azure Cloud Group and flip the tables on this useless son-in-law.
Leo found Michael’s sudden apology somewhat surprising.
No wonder this guy could climb to an executive position, earning a seven-figure salary. His level of sophistication and endurance surpassed that of an average person.
Of course, Leo wasn’t naive enough to believe that Michael was genuinely repentant. It was just because Renee was by his side, and Michael didn’t want to lose his job.
Leo smiled and said, “I accept your apology, but you still have to kneel here for two days. Since it’s a bet, losing naturally comes with a cost.”
Once Renee and Leo walked away, Michael squeezed out a vicious remark through gritted teeth, “You worthless piece of trash, go ahead, feel proud of yourself. You better pray you never fall into my hands in the future, or I’ll make you beg for life and wish for death.”
After uttering this threat, Michael reluctantly knelt again. The sensation of his knees against the hard ground was anything but pleasant, and he desperately wished for knee pads.
Leo had no intention of getting Renee to fire Michael. For one, Azure Financial wasn’t his company, and secondly, you have to respect the boss. Renee was Michael’s boss.
After lunch with Renee, Leo went to the clinic to see patients.
In the consultation room, Leo called Sophia and informed her that he had secured the billion dollars and that Azure Financial would send someone to assist her in managing this billion. He also mentioned that they were preparing to counter the malicious takeover of their shares.
Leo’s call made Sophia very happy, giving Leo the power to taste her lipstick whenever he wanted.
With the business matters sorted, they exchanged playful banter before hanging up.
Leo had just poured himself a glass of water when trouble came knocking.
This time, it was Harry, whom he hadn’t seen in a while.
In the consultation room, Harry briefly described the patient’s situation to Leo and then drove him to the Grand Prosperity Hotel.
In the hotel parking lot, after parking the car, Harry led Leo directly to the hotel’s penthouse.
The penthouse was reserved for the wealthiest and most influential people.
Two men in black suits with earpieces stood on either side of the door of a penthouse. After Harry revealed his identity, the two men still conducted a quick body search before letting them in.
In the penthouse’s living room, there were three men. One was a chubby man in his fifties, with a greasy face and the typical appearance of a middle-aged man who enjoyed his comforts.
The second man, younger than the chubby one, appeared to be in his forties. He dressed plainly, wore sunglasses, and sat with a serious demeanor.
The third man was a young man about Leo’s age, dressed in expensive clothing, with stylishly groomed hair, looking rather handsome.
When Harry saw the two men besides the young man, he seemed surprised.
“Mr. Toby, welcome. Please, have a seat,” the young man smiled at Harry and gestured towards the couch.
As for Leo, the young man assumed he was Harry Toby’s assistant and completely ignored his presence.
“Dr. Bloomer, this young man is Baldwin Meredith from up north, Mr. Meredith,” Harry whispered to Leo.
Leo merely nodded, having encountered plenty of these wealthy and well-bred individuals before.
Baldwin took a seat across from the man with sunglasses and inquired, “Dr. Burns, how long have you been practicing medicine?”
“I’ve been studying under my teacher since I was five. Today, it’s been forty years,” the man with sunglasses replied, tilting his head slightly to locate the sound and then responding.
This is when Leo and Harry realized that the man with sunglasses was blind.
The blind man’s name was Ryan Burns, a well-known Chinese medicine practitioner.
As for the greasy middle-aged man, he was Thomas Wordsworth, a businessman like Harry but with less renown.