“Half a month ago, didn’t you obtain a manufacturing order for three 5,000-tonne cargo ships through your connections in Harbor City? This was originally a good thing. The entire shipyard has been working together to complete this order.
“However, a few days ago, the buyer suddenly came to the shipyard for an inspection. He found out that we were using a batch of imported steel plates of subpar quality. He was furious about it and he proceeded to sign a new contract with another shipyard.
“I received news that the other shipyard had secretly contacted the buyer a long time ago. They offered him a price that was nearly 20% lower than ours.
“Therefore, this deal was determined to be done for. The old mister and madam have been so troubled over this lately that they can’t focus on anything else.”
After listening to what Lucas said, Jasper frowned. “I obtained this order through a special connection of mine. However, one always has to consider their own interests in business,” he said in a heavy tone.
“I know about these three ships. The value of each ship is around seven million dollars. It makes up a total of 21 million dollars, which isn’t a small number. The buyer will definitely be careful about it.
“Why are we using a batch of imported steel plates of subpar quality?”
“That’s the odd thing,” Lucas replied immediately.
“Mr. Laine, you’ve told us time and time again that we must only use genuine materials. The old mister and madam have never violated this rule. We would never dare order a batch of defective steel plates.
“I checked this batch of steel plates. There’s no inventory record and no purchasing record. It was as if the steel plates had suddenly appeared out of thin air.
“Someone must have been in the factory the night before without anyone knowing. The next day, the buyer came in for a surprise inspection as soon as the factory opened.
“Of course, we could not come up with any excuses when the buyer saw the batch of defective steel plates in the factory. The buyer was reluctant to listen to our explanation as well. He left after throwing a tantrum.”
Jasper’s expression darkened as he gently rapped his knuckles against the table.
“That means that the order was already leaked when the shipyard just received it. When the buyer was here for an inspection, a batch of defective steel plates from an unknown source suddenly appeared in the factory and the buyer just so happened to see it.
“Therefore, you didn’t have the chance to clarify things as the buyer left in a fit of rage. Not long after, another shipyard offered the buyer a lower price for the same order and snatched this deal from us?
“That’s what happened. The entire incident is suspicious. After thinking about it for a while, I thought that I should report it to you,” Lucas said with a firm voice.
“You made the right decision. Someone is plotting against our shipyard.”
Jasper sneered and said, “This is a big buyer. His orders exceed two billion dollars in value annually. Most importantly, we could quickly expand the shipyard’s market in Harbor City and Auma City through this. That’s why I put in a lot of effort and asked someone for a favor to get my hands on this order.
“It seems like someone is after our accomplishments.
“A single order is nothing much, but I won’t allow others to fool and belittle my parents’ shipyard like that. Furthermore, this is such an important buyer.
“I’ll make a trip to Brac County tomorrow. Let’s talk then.”
“Alright, Mr. Laine,” Lucas said excitedly as he breathed out a sigh of relief.
After putting down the phone, Jasper raised his head and caught sight of Wendy who had walked into his study.
“Has Tiffany gone to bed?” Jasper asked.
“She’s resting,” Wendy said. She sat down in front of his study table and supported her chin with a hand.
“Do you want to tell me anything?” Jasper asked with a chuckle.
Wendy was slightly hesitant, but she still voiced her opinion, “I don’t think it’s suitable for Tiffany to be working outside due to her personality. She has too little experience,” she said.
“What are your plans?” Jasper asked with interest.
“I think that we should let her stay at home as our nanny. How’s that?” Wendy suggested.
Jasper was slightly stunned. He smiled bitterly and said, “That doesn’t sound appropriate. She’s still so young. She just came of age this year.”
“Just let her help us out at home. Let’s pay her a salary every month. We can reduce her burden by doing so.
“I pity her way too much. Furthermore, her innocence and kindness give me a good feeling about her. If I didn’t know her, I wouldn’t bother to do anything. However, since I know about what she’s going through, I want to help her if I have the ability to do so.”
“You can decide for yourself. I’ll support you,” Jasper said gently.
“Alright,” Wendy said as she smiled radiantly.
