No matter how beautiful the dream was, Aurora had to face reality. She returned to the company.
Carmine walked in holding a stack of documents. “Miss Aurora, these are all the materials on Radiant Horizons.”
Aurora could have easily searched online for the information herself, but Carmine, concerned about Aurora’s pregnancy, discouraged her from spending too much time on computers. It was bad for her eyes and carried radiation risks. So Carmine had prepared everything in advance, including analysis and comparison tables.
Aurora spent an entire day poring over the thick stack of documents on her desk. By the time she finished, she had a thorough understanding of the company. Like R Corporation, Radiant Horizons was established in New York in the previous century.
In terms of operational scale, it was on par with R Corporation. If R Corporation was a tiger, then Radiant Horizons was a lion.
While their scales matched, their business strategies differed. Radiant Horizons preferred forming alliances with other companies, which not only spread risks but also expanded the market. After all, lions were social animals.
What puzzled her, though, was that despite Radiant Horizons collaborating with numerous companies over the years, it had never partnered with R Corporation. The two companies had competed for many contracts, and although they maintained a facade of civility, they clearly didn’t like each other.
Over the years, there had been plenty of open and covert conflicts. Now, suddenly seeking collaboration with their rival was bound to be challenging.
Aurora finally understood why Mio’s face had darkened the moment he learned Radiant Horizons was involved. The situation was indeed tricky.
Still, no matter how difficult it was, Aurora had to move forward. After familiarizing herself with Radiant Horizons’ background, she began researching the company’s staff.
At the same time, Mio was preparing in his own way. He didn’t need to study the company’s background-he already knew it. His focus was on analyzing the leadership, searching for exploitable details.
Both Aurora and Mio represented the same company, backed by equal resources and history. The difference lay in their methods.
In business, networking was everything. Having worked in New York for years, Mio believed his connections were far better than Aurora’s.
His assistant quickly compiled a list for him. Mio scanned the list, noting that Radiant Horizons’ president was a woman in her forties, similar to Tina. One vice president position was vacant, while the other was held by the president’s daughter, Rebecca, a 27-year-old single woman known for her capabilities.
“Rebecca. Perfect. It’s you,” Mio muttered with a smirk.
He excelled at charming women. If it were a man, he’d use other strategies, but against women, his expertise as a seasoned seducer came into play.
“Find out everything about Rebecca for me. Her preferences, the school she graduated from, her dating history-everything.”
“Got it,” the assistant responded, unfazed. This wasn’t the first time Mio had used such tactics to secure deals.
Women, Mio believed, were fundamentally different from men. No matter how formidable they seemed in the business world, they were all the same behind closed doors.
When desire overwhelmed reason, they’d give him anything he wanted. All he needed to do was promise them an unrealistic future.
During the courting phase, he treated women like princesses, playing the perfect lover. But eventually, he’d find an impeccable excuse to end the relationship. Using this method, he had charmed one woman after another.
Rebecca was clearly his next target. Whether or not he secured a deal, gaining insider information from her would be valuable enough.
While Aurora was still studying Radiant Horizons, Mio was already strategizing his next conquest.
“Miss Aurora,” Carmine interrupted, “I just received some news. Tomorrow is the 28th birthday party of Mr. Maxwell Barnet’s grandson from Radiant Horizons. All the top figures in the financial world have been invited. This could be a great chance to approach them.”
“His grandson? That’s odd. I remember his grandson isn’t 28,” Aurora said, recalling the information she’d read.
“Miss Aurora, you must mean Nimo. He’s not 28. The birthday celebration seems to be for another grandson of Mr. Barnet.”
“The records only mentioned several granddaughters and a very young grandson. Where did this 28-year-old grandson come from?”
“I’m not sure. He’s never appeared publicly, and most people didn’t even know he existed. The invitation caught everyone by surprise. They’re all wondering how Mr. Barnet suddenly has such an adult grandson.”
“Alright, whether he’s a real grandson or not, make the arrangements. I’ll attend tomorrow.”
Carmine nodded. “What about a birthday gift? Should we go with the usual-a luxury watch?”
“For a family like theirs, they must already have countless luxury items. Giving a watch is too unoriginal and risks overlapping with others. It’d be embarrassing,” Aurora remarked thoughtfully.
“You’re right, Miss Aurora. But upper-class circles typically exchange such gifts. What are you planning to give?”
“They have money and brands in abundance. Let me think. What could make an impression?” Aurora pondered.
If Mr. Barnet was hosting such a grand party, it showed how much he valued this grandson. Pleasing the grandson might pave the way for a potential deal.
“Exactly. They lack nothing. What should we give?”
“Carmine, can you find out this grandson’s preferences? Tailoring the gift would be ideal.”
“That might be difficult. There’s no information on him. People don’t even know if he’s based in New York. If any details existed, someone would’ve found them by now. But if you’re willing to wait, I can ask a friend who works as an assistant at Radiant Horizons.”
“Alright, I’ll wait for your news.”
There was still a day left. If no information surfaced, she’d resort to buying a watch as a last resort.
“Understood. I’ll get to work.”
By late afternoon, Carmine returned with a lead. “Miss Aurora, I managed to learn one thing about the young master. Apparently, he likes handmade strawberry cakes.”
“A man who likes strawberry cake? Did I hear that right?” Aurora asked in surprise.
“Yes, but that’s all I could find. Should I order a custom cake from the best bakery? But just giving a cake might seem too simple.”
“Do you think his party will lack cakes? Don’t buy one. I’ll make it myself. A handmade gift is truly unique.” Aurora had made up her mind.