However, this incident was not as simple as it seemed. That was because the head of Haddock Chamber of Commerce had way too much authority. The hidden benefits he received were simply unimaginable!
“Rio Potter and the others won’t stop here. That’s why you must be careful at all times. Don’t allow for anything that they can use against you,” Jasper said thoughtfully with narrowed eyes.
“I know. I’ll keep your advice in mind, President Laine.”
“Alright; That’s about all for today. I’ll return to Nauritus City first. Contact me anytime you encounter any trouble that you can’t handle on your own.”
Jasper left after speaking. He would help Dean and the Haddock Chamber of Commerce as much as he could. Gale had told him to do so while he was still alive, and Jasper would not forget that.
***
At the same time, in a villa within Swallow Capital.
Rio and the others were gathered. They were discussing a counterattack.
“I didn’t expect Jasper Laine to be there. Otherwise, we would definitely have been able to force Dean to give up on his position today!”
Dio nodded silently after hearing what he said. There was a complicated expression on his face. “Yes, I can only say that it was beyond my expectations. Jasper is way too powerful right now. We can’t afford to offend him.”
Jethro, who was standing by the side, asked in a low voice, “Rio, what should our next step be? We can’t give up just like this, right?”
“I don’t know what to do for now. Dio is right. We can’t compete against Jasper,” Rio sighed. “Jasper’s presence at the venue today is a clear sign that he’s on Dean’s side. We can only wait till Jasper leaves Swallow Capital. There will definitely be a way around this.”
Dio and Jethro immediately agreed after hearing what he said.
They were sly wolves that had survived in the market for a few decades. Anyone at their level understood what Rio meant. All three of them understood the fact that they could not offend Jasper right now. They could only finish what they intended to do after Jasper left. Once they completed the deal, it would be too late and Jasper would not be able to change the outcome either.
***
The next morning, Dean sent Jasper away at the airport. He then received a text before he could even sit down after arriving home. Dean smiled after reading the contents of the text message.
Jasper had just left. Could these people not wait for a second longer?
In the past, Haddock Chamber of Commerce often organized group conferences as well. Everyone could discuss business, collaborations, and so on during these events. Gale had been the one leading most of the gatherings. To phrase it nicely, they would be holding a conference for company members. However, today’s gala was obviously a set-up. Although Dean did not want to attend the meeting, he had no choice but to do so due to his identity.
After sending a text to Jasper, Dean got up and headed to the venue of the gala, Red Star Hotel.
Meanwhile, the entire hall of Red Star Hotel had been booked for the event. The female ushers stood in a row before the door and greeted the bosses of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce courteously.
Naturally, not everyone could make it since the members of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce were spread all over the country. However, those with free time and those who stayed in Swallow Capital all managed to make it.
After half an hour, more than forty people made it to the event. The majority of these forty people were all on the side of Rio and the others.
“Everyone, I’d first like to thank all of you for making it here today. Today is an event where old friends like us get to gather for a chat,” Rio smiled as he greeted all the guests.
As soon as he finished speaking, the voice of an old man rang out.
“Rio, just get straight to the point. I heard that you were the one who suggested holding today’s conference. What do you intend to do?”
Rio was slightly stunned after hearing his words. Immediately after, he noticed that Dean had arrived in the hall of the hotel as well. He laughed and brought up the main topic straight away.
“Alright, I know that everyone’s time is extremely precious. I won’t keep up the suspense anymore.”
“All of you know that a lot of conflicts have risen within the Haddock Chamber of Commerce after Old Master Hurlbutt passed away some time ago. This has caused a lot of problems.”
“Dean should be the one taking the lead to resolve these conflicts and problems. It’s just a pity that he can’t do so for the time being. That’s why I thought about this. Shouldn’t Dean have given up on his position?!”
Rio did not waste time with any nonsense and got straight to the point irmnediately. He fixed a heated gaze on Dean, who had just arrived at the hotel.
The old man let out a heavy sigh after hearing what he said.
“You bastard! Rio, since when have you had the final say in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce?!” The old man’s voice was firm and powerful despite his old age.
“Mr. Shamus, you’re old. I won’t recommend you to involve yourself in the issues of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce.” Rio narrowed his eyes and looked at the old man.
This old man’s name was Shawn Shamus. He had been working under Gale in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce all along. He was close friends with Gale as well. However, he did not show himself frequently and had always kept a low profile. When Gale passed away, Shawn had visited his funeral as well. He stood outside the door and mourned him silently for a total of three minutes. He then left quietly. Nobody knew about any of this.
Gale had recommended Dean as the next leader of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce. Therefore, Shawn was beyond angered after hearing what Rio had said.
“Rio, don’t think that I don’t know what you’re up to. Gale hasn’t been gone for long, yet you’re already thinking of taking over?”
Shawn gripped his cane and thumped it against the floor harshly. A hole appeared on the delicate wooden floor due to the cane’s impact!
“Mr. Shamus, have you lost your mind after getting old? I’m doing this for the Haddock Chamber of Commerce. Why are you making it sound like I’m trying to take over the company? Besides, shouldn’t the leader of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce be someone equipped with great capabilities?”
Rio smiled in distaste as his gaze landed on Dean.
Dean clenched his hands into fists after hearing what he said. Given his experience, he was truly considerably lacking as compared to everyone else. However, not only was Rio denying Dean’s abilities as a leader, he was also denying Gale’s decision at the same time!
This was extremely disrespectful!
