Prince suddenly smiled and slowly sat back down. He raised his hand to play with his earring and said, “Wow. You’re not a weak opponent at all, Mr. Laine. Very well, then. Let’s start the conference.”
Everyone felt uneasy at the drastic difference in Prince’s attitudes. It was as if he had turned into a completely different person.
Jasper was the only one who frowned slightly as he internally raised Prince’s level of danger toward him.
The impression Prince gave Jasper right now was of an arrogant and insolent man. However, beneath all these emotions hid an even stronger capability to control them.
People like him were very difficult to deal with.
Mr. Wilcher finally found the opportunity to speak. He cleared his throat and said, “Let’s move on from the previous topic. There are two agendas for this conference today.”
“Firstly, about the access review policy plan Mr. Prince Chavez proposed for the online payment industry. It’s a great plan, and after further research, we’ve found that we can use this suggestion as a sort of the blueprint while designing the future policy.”
Prince finally smiled after he heard Mr. Wilcher’s words.
The entire proposal was designed with a professional AI policy research team under Mr. Wilcher.
The proposal ensured that the government’s goals were met while his own interests were kept. As far as Prince was concerned, there was no reason for this proposal to be rejected.
Prince chuckled and said, “I just want to standardize the industry even more. Otherwise, other people might start thinking that just because they came first, that the entire industry now belongs to him. They should at least take a look at themselves first. Wouldn’t you say so, Mr. Laine?”
Prince’s attention was fixed on Jasper the entire time, so he did not realize the awkward smile on Mr. Wilcher’s face.
“Uh, I’m not done yet,” Mr. Wilcher interrupted.
Prince leaned back against the chair and said casually, “It’s alright. There’s no need to praise, to thank, or to give me recognition. I’m just doing my part. Only by brainstorming and working together can we make the best out of the industry.”
Mr. Wilcher’s expression turned even more awkward.
“After a research meeting and taking all aspects into consideration, we’ve decided to use Mr. Jasper Laine’s proposal as the final executed standard that will decide the future direction of the industry’s policies.”
With Mr. Wilcher’s words, the conference room fell pin-drop silent.
Prince’s smile froze on his face and his expression became as dark as a moonless night.
Mr. Wilcher had been speaking about how Prince’s proposal could be used as a blueprint mere moments ago, only to state that they would use Jasper’s suggestion as the final executed standard in the next. The stark contrast in both sentences had the other employees in the room feeling agitated, let alone Prince himself.
Prince’s explosive temper could not be contained anymore, and he turned to glare at Mr. Wilcher. “What did you say?!”
Mr. Wilcher felt awkward, but his identity and status were still somewhat powerful. Hence, he felt displeased when he heard Prince’s interrogative tone.
“Mr. Chavez, I understand where you’re coming from but please correct your attitude. All decisions were made during the research meeting and was not decided by any one person.”
Prince felt like he had been made fun of as he suppressed his fury that was moments away from exploding again. He answered, “Didn’t you say that my proposal would be taken as a blueprint? What the f*ck is Jasper’s proposal?”
Mr. Wilcher sighed and said, “The overall decision of the higher-ups is to carry out the license issuance system. The government will do a comprehensive qualification review before a company can apply, and they will only be issued a license should they pass it. Your idea of a 1 billion Somer Dollar security deposit has also been retained.”
“Mr. Chavez, the biggest difference between Mr. Laine’s and your suggestion is that he proposed that the bank can partner with multiple companies possessing an online payment license, meaning that the industry is open to the public. Mr. Chavez, the scope of your proposal was too narrow.”
“Online payment is new, but it will become a huge industry. No one is allowed to monopolize it.”
Prince’s expression darkened with every word.
When Mr. Wilcher told him unkindly that his scope was too narrow, Prince slammed the table and pointed at Jasper’s nose while scolding, “How dare you f*cking steal my profits, Laine?!”
Jasper looked up and glanced at Prince before he replied calmly, “Didn’t you say it yourself? I’m just doing my part. Only by brainstorming and working together can we make the best out of the industry, no?”
The last thing Prince expected was for Jasper to revoke the most important part of his proposal.
“Are you f*cking crazy?! What good does opening this industry to the public do for you? You’re willing to screw everyone over just to stop me from profiting, huh?”
Prince was infuriated.
“The license qualification review and the 1 billion security deposit means nothing. But you allowing the bank to partner with multiple companies means that you’re completely opening the industry to the public! How f*cking cruel of you, Jasper!”
