Nelson’s meeting had been going on for quite a while.
The other party had chosen to discuss matters in Jaquan’s territory, for it was a good place to have pleasure.
After a few bottles of fine wine, everyone seemed a bit tipsy. Nelson held his wine glass with one hand, his eyes filled with calculation as he looked up. “Mr. Gallagher, the Vankey project is nearing completion. Let’s be direct-who told you there were significant flaws in the project?”
After hours of socializing, they finally reached the critical question. Mr. Gallagher couldn’t sit still any longer and signaled for a pot of good tea to be brought in.
“Mr. Oconnor, your information seems quite accurate. Could it be true?”
Nelson gently set down his wine glass. “Even in half a month, nothing will go wrong with Vankey.” His tone was confident and unassailable.
“If there were truly no issues, you wouldn’t need to sit here with me for half an hour,” Mr. Gallagher said, his face flushed from drinking. “Six hundred million dollars in subsidy funds have flowed into Oconnor Group’s account. If something goes wrong with Vankey, the trouble will fall on Oconnor Group. If things escalate and some old issues are exposed, it could be a big problem.”
He watched Nelson’s expression closely as he squinted his eyes.
“I said, Vankey will not have any issues.”
“Ha…” The other party, seeing that Nelson was not yielding, lost patience and laid his cards on the table. “The central support materials in the southern commercial district have problems and are at risk of collapsing at any time. The longer this is hidden, the greater the chance of casualties.”
Seeing Nelson’s expression change slightly, he continued, “Do you not know?”
Nelson remained calm and called Anthony in, whispering a few words in his ear. Anthony’s face changed, and he hurried out.
“It’s strange; I didn’t know. How did you find out?” Nelson lit a cigarette, appearing to suppress his anxiety.
Mr. Gallagher was pleased with Nelson’s reaction. “As Oconnor Group’s arch-rival, it’s natural to have some special intelligence, isn’t it?”
Nelson took a deep drag on his cigarette. “What do you want?”
“Not much, just six hundred million dollars.”
Nelson raised his eyes at the outrageous demand, then smiled and repeated, “Six hundred million?”
“Mr. Oconnor, are you unwilling? If something goes wrong, dealing with it will cost more than six hundred million.”
Nelson seemed to consider it as he slowly finished his cigarette. Anthony returned from outside.
“I asked the project contractor; it’s true. Not only the central supports but other supports also have issues.”
“Is it reliable?” Nelson’s tone turned sharp.
“The moment I mentioned it, they confessed and were sobbing over the phone.”
Nelson understood. He picked up his wine glass again, filled it with the remaining wine from the bottle, and toasted Mr. Gallagher with a smile. “I really can’t bring myself to spend six hundred million on information.”
“What do you want?”
“Of course, a solution. If Mr. Gallagher can offer me a strategy, I’ll gladly pay the six hundred million.”
The other man’s eyes gleamed as he slapped his leg. “Everyone says Mr. Oconnor is clear-headed and a rare talent. Seeing you today, it seems you’re not as sharp as I am!”
The more he spoke, the louder his laughter became, full of smug satisfaction.
He looked at Nelson, who indeed had good looks and a strong presence, knowing when to advance and retreat. But when it came to handling problems, he seemed inexperienced!