Three days later. Sunday. At Patrick Anderson's Fortis company branch office building.
"Do you know how many people pioneered the Fortis company and made your father's company one of the top 10 largest companies in the world, Vincent?"
Patrick Anderson, a middle-aged man of 45. His physique was well-maintained and fit. His face was stern. His eyes were quite sharp, appearing somewhat sunken. Thin eyebrows. Hair neatly cut on the sides and top, already half-gray. His jaw was slightly square, like a coach who likes to shout loudly or a rough man in his youth.
He always shaved his mustache and beard once a week. This was evident from the clear shave marks below his nose and chin. His height was almost equal to Vincent's, who walked alongside him.
"There are seven of them, including my father, right? You are one of them." Vincent replied.
He wore a formal black suit and a white shirt with a red tie. Beside him, Patrick wore the same style of clothing, only in different colors. The older man wore a stone blue suit matching his trousers, with a black and white checkered tie.
Behind them, Mia, Jian's assistant manager, and a beautiful female assistant of Patrick's whom Vincent didn't know but recognized her name from the name tag on her chest, Clara Adelin. A red-haired woman with brown eyes. She looked about the same age as Mia or slightly older.
"Yes. Virtus Fortis was a genius. He united all the major companies in this city and five other cities. Making Fortis company the largest building infrastructure and raw material supply company in the world. All major infrastructure projects like the Burj Al Khalif in Dubai, the second leaning tower of Pisa in Italy, the most magnificent and beautiful modern Pyramid in Manhattan which is now always the center of global attention, those are our creations and belong to us, Vincent." Patrick said while walking towards the elevator.
"In addition, our company is the largest raw material supplier in the world. Let's say six out of ten large ships floating in the ocean come from our company. Eight out of twelve airplanes are made from raw materials purchased from our company. Seventy out of one hundred cars and motorcycles are made from quality raw materials sold by our company. You must have seen the Fortis logo in your car or just on motorcycle tires on the road." Patrick continued speaking inside the elevator. Vincent and his assistant Mia just listened.
The four of them then went up to the highest floor of the magnificent castle-like building in the middle of the city next to where Vincent lived. That was Patrick Anderson's office building.
A box-shaped building with perfect glass windows surrounding all four sides on every floor. There was a building logo that read Fortis Metal. Indicating that the forty-story building Vincent was standing on was the administrative report building for every mine in his country. All iron mines and other mining products in Vincent's country belonged to the Fortis company. Patrick Anderson was in charge of it.
"Virtus Fortis was not only smart in building businesses and uniting various business empires. He rose from nothing, with his genius ideas and various unexpected decisions in leading the company, he made us, a local-scale business, into a national-scale business in 1 year. In the next 10 years, we successfully became an international-scale business. He was a man full of ambition. Until finally he got married and the fire of his ambition died down."
Stepping out of the elevator, Vincent was still listening to the old man talking beside him.
"He seemed to lose his way after getting married. His ambition vanish. After that, he only cared about his family and made this company stagnant." Patrick continued, opening his office door.
A room where, upon opening the door, iron walls with various material engravings and types were visible on three walls of the square-shaped room. Bookshelves with various titles of leather-bound books lined two walls. Behind Patrick's desk was a glass wall that revealed a city view. It looked tall and clear from above. Like a lighthouse.
Patrick then sat in his desk chair, which looked plush and luxurious. The chair's arms and backrest were gold-plated and covered in soft red velvet. Meanwhile, the guest seating across the desk was made of silver. As if saying, I am the king of all mines in this country.
Vincent sat in front of Patrick's desk. They both faced each other, separated by a large teak desk with a gold-plated surface. Mia, Jian's assistant manager, stood behind Vincent. Meanwhile, Clara, Patrick's assistant, stood behind Patrick.
"So? What does all this have to do with the problems we're facing? Can you tell me, Mr. Patrick, the cause of our declining stock in your industry?" Vincent asked. He sat upright and looked at Patrick seriously. Patrick was slightly impressed but still saw Vincent as a boy.
Patrick smirked at one corner of his lips.
"I invested."
"In whom?" Vincent asked spontaneously, furrowing his brows. Feeling strange.
"In her."
Patrick raised a hand towards the door behind Vincent. Vincent and Mia immediately turned their heads behind them. The silver door adorned with jewels opened. Someone opened the door for a girl to enter the room.
Vincent's pupils widened at the sight of her. She was none other than.
Perseus Reiss.
"Perseus?" Vincent even stood up from his chair to see the girl's face.
Perseus wore a beautiful and professional outfit. A long, calf-length black pencil skirt, and a white long-sleeved Victorian-style blouse with black and gold cuffs and lace on the shoulders. Her dark blue hair flowed down her back. Her eyelashes were a similar dark indigo blue. So were her pupils. Typical of the noble Reiss family.
"What are you doing here?" Vincent asked spontaneously, even though he knew the answer.
Perseus smiled faintly. "Starting today. Patrick Anderson will work for me. The Reiss family has many connections and jobs, Vincent. I have a better vision for the future. I will take over your company. Making you and all that is yours, mine." Perseus said as she sat next to Vincent's chair.
Vincent sat back down with a surprised and confused expression.
"Mr. Patrick. Does this mean you're leaving Fortis company?" Vincent asked with a serious face. He looked angry and annoyed.
Patrick, instead, laughed. "On the contrary, you're the one leaving Fortis company, Vincent. The girl next to you will take over the company president's seat and make our company number one in the world!" Patrick smiled broadly as he said it, while Perseus merely closed her eyes.
Vincent sighed. "What exactly did she do to make you so confident in choosing this girl to replace our company president?" Vincent asked. Trying to think clearly. "You wouldn't choose her just because of the words she promised, would you?" He furrowed his brows.
"Of course, I am not a snake-tongued girl, Vincent." Perseus replied. "Let me explain. For the past three months, your company's raw material revenue has been slowly declining, Vincent. Your father passed away, and your company's temporary replacement couldn't achieve any increase because they were busy managing the company's balance. I gave Mr. Patrick an opportunity to increase the company's revenue in a short time. My family bought a small portion of the shares owned by Fortis Metal company and paved the way for higher income. Namely, the medical world."
Vincent was a little confused hearing this.
"Vincent, do you know how much raw mining material is needed for hospitals to operate?"
Vincent shook his head.
"All this time, your company's focus has been on building infrastructure and semi-conventional needs. I have a vision and a target to elevate your company to a high-tech level. One gateway to this is through the medical world.
"I managed to gain several advantages from working with Mr. Patrick. Obtaining various raw mining materials bought at high prices for the needs of the medical world. The result? Mr. Patrick will get a 50% profit from his usual earnings. Meanwhile, I will get 10% since my work was recognized by the main family yesterday. With this, we managed to gain profit and an agreement. Especially for me to join your company, Vincent."
Vincent could not say anything but remain silent. He had not thought much about how his father's inherited company would develop in the future, and now he was facing the consequences earlier.
But Vincent was not the type of person to just stand by and accept defeat.
"In other words, you're challenging me, Perseus? If you expect everything to go according to your plan, then that's too bad. The opposite will happen." Vincent stood up and gripped the back of the chair Perseus was sitting on. He leaned his face closer to the girl who was smiling faintly.
"I will make you and everything you own mine. And I will not let anyone take my position of responsibility in the future." Vincent said with a wide, enthusiastic smile.
"If you say so. I will look forward to it. Let's fight fairly. My love." Perseus said while touching Vincent's cheek, but Vincent brushed her hand away.
Vincent then stood tall and straightened his tie.
"Alright, this explains the 10% drop in Fortis company shares from you, Mr. Patrick. A 50% profit in the future is indeed tempting. But I can make it 100% within one month. During that period, I will not fire you or scold you out of respect for your past relationship with my father and your greedy goals for the company. I hope we can compete well, Mr. Patrick Anderson." Vincent said last before turning around and walking out of the room. Mia immediately followed Vincent.
"I'm looking forward to it. Show me if you can. Kid!" Patrick exclaimed, watching Vincent's back disappear through the door.
"You've started a war within our company, Perseus. I hope you can truly meet my expectations." Patrick continued, speaking to Perseus.
"Of course. Both he and I, the final outcome will be mutually beneficial." Perseus replied with a mysterious smile.
***