Chapter 13 Bum of a Vice General Manager Visits

Jade was seated at the head of the table in the meeting room while Javier sat next to her. She was grateful to the man for helping her to keep the management executives who were trying to rebel in check, and building her intimidation factor on behalf of her. Despite that, she was still curious and wanted to know how Javier found these things out.

How? Javier had depended on the finance hackers who hacked into Terry’s phone and computer. They then tracked down all this information for him, but Javier was not about to disclose that fact.

“I’ve kept an eye on him a long time ago, so I’ve been investigating.”

His answer did not satisfy Jade. “But how did you get into the details?”

Not wanting to linger on the topic, Javier tried diverting the conversation.

“Ms. Odell, I thought that you asked me to stay because you wanted to talk to me about the additional clause on our contract!”

Jade instantly blushed at the mention of it.

It had been really awkward this morning. She tried to excuse herself but in her rush, she tripped and sprained her ankle. Now that it was brought up again…what could she do? Excuse herself once more?

Just as she was at a loss, her phone rang suddenly.

“Oh, look. I have an important call. That’s all then.”

With that, Jade grabbed her phone to leave, her high heels clicking on the floor hastily with a hint of panic.

Javier shook his head with a chortle but did not stop Jade as he watched her flee. Pulling his phone out, he went through the data the hacker had sent him that not only included Terry’s dirty work. It also contained information regarding Jade.

From what the hacker sent, he unintentionally found out Jade’s real identity during his investigation. The director of the Odello Corporation, one of the top three local companies, was Jade’s grandfather. The woman had left Odello Corp. to prove herself because she was unhappy with the contract marriage that her family had arranged for her.

Her family had given her a tire company that was at the brink of bankruptcy and asked her to bring it in profits within three months. By completing the target for this quarter, Jade would be able to prove herself and free herself from the arranged marriage that was based on only profit and interest. Otherwise, she would have to go home and obey her family’s wishes—sacrifice herself and get married for the family’s greater good.

With Jade’s wish to promote Javier to the department director and help him out of the predicament in the hotel restaurant, the man thought that she was decent.

“I shall give you a hand then. I’ll help you hit this quarter’s target!”

Just as he murmured his decision, Jade returned to the meeting room with a hast in her stride.

“Mr. Kersey, I have an important client to meet this afternoon but I just got an emergency call just now. Please go to this appointment on my behalf as the vice general manager. Don’t worry, I’ll send someone with you to negotiate the deal.”

Javier understood what she meant. He did not have to personally be involved in the negotiation. She just needed him, the vice general manager, to be there in person as a sign of respect. Despite that, Javier did not see himself as a pretty vase. He was one capable talent!

“No need. I can do it on my own.”

“No way. You have never negotiated before. I’ll send someone with you and that’s final!”

After leaving her instructions about the company and executives they were to meet, Jade left in a hurry. By the time she came back to the meeting room with the person who was supposed to go with Javier, the man himself was gone.

“Ugh, Javier must’ve gone to the appointment himself. This is infuriating!”

Jade’s phone rang again, the same number from just now blinked up at her. Unable to care more, she could only hurry off. As for Javier attending the business deal on his own, Jade could not come up with a better solution. She was not hopeful that he would succeed but she hoped the deal would not sour.

Fusion Electric Cars, a rather famous local electric car manufacturer, was the client that Jade had a business appointment with this afternoon.

The purchasing manager of Fusion Electric Cars, Jeremy Laster, was chatting animatedly with Zack in his office at the factory’s office building.

“Mr. Dilley, you’re so capable despite your young age. The car seat factory Mr. Dilley Sr. is managing now will surely flourish under your leadership in the future.”

“Oh, Mr. Laster, you flatter me. I did nothing. It’s all due to my father’s efforts. If it weren’t for him, I might only be a regular worker in the company now,” Zack said humbly.

”Unlike you, Mr. Laster, you’ve gotten to the purchasing manager position based on your talent and hard work. I’m really impressed…”

The atmosphere in the office was warm as Jeremy and Zack showered each other with praises. The box of expensive cigars under the table, specifically, had sweetened the mood.

As the men chatted happily, the landline in the office rang. Jeremy put the phone on speaker. “Hello.”

“Mr. Laster, it’s the security booth. We have a vice general manager from Beacon Tires here who says he has an appointment with you.”

Jeremy remembered the appointment and asked the security guard to let the man in. However, Zack was pressed up against the window and was looking down at the entrance.

Beacon Tires was Jade’s company, so the vice general manager had to be…Javier! As he watched through the window, a scowl crept onto his face. Just as he suspected, it was Javier! When he recalled the embarrassment in the hotel restaurant he had suffered earlier this afternoon, Zack’s blood boiled.

Javier wanted to negotiate a business deal now? Dream on!

Thinking quickly, Zack told Jeremy, “Jade’s getting more arrogant now. She’s always gone to negotiate deals personally but why is she sending the vice GM to meet you?

“I know this man. We just had lunch today. Guy’s bullsh*t.

“And Jade sent him to talk to you? Is she looking down on this deal or is she looking down on you, Mr. Laster?”

Jeremy’s face fell the moment he heard Zack’s words. “Is that true?”

Zack looked offended. “Mr. Laster, what do you mean? Perhaps you could doubt me if I was their rival, but I manufacture car seats, not tires. What good will it do for me to sabotage them?

“This man’s name should be Javier Kersey. Call the security and confirm it with them if you don’t believe me!”

Jeremy waved. “Mr. Dilley, you’ve misunderstood me. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Jeremy only looked icier after the perfunctory explanation. He called the security booth and ordered, “Bring the vice GM to the booth so I can speak to him!”

A moment later, Javier’s voice sounded from the other end of the line. “Hello, I’m—”

“Javier Kersey, right? You don’t have to come. I don’t have time to meet a small fry like you. Ask Jade Odell to meet me personally!”

Jeremy hung up right after that, feeling disgruntled. He was annoyed. He had thought that Jade seemed decent. He had not expected this to happen. Not only was she not here personally, but she also sent a bum of a vice general manager to see him. This was blatant disrespect!

While he fumed inwardly, the security booth called again. The moment Jeremy answered, Javier’s voice spoke up, “Laster, don’t regret refusing to see me.”

“Are you threatening me? You’re trying to sell your parts and you’re threatening me?!”

Jeremy was enraged. He had never seen someone so impudent! A supplier was threatening a purchasing manager—had the world lost its mind?!

Zack had poured gasoline into the fire in the office and made Javier out to be someone absolutely outrageous and flippant. It angered Jeremy sufficiently as he growled at the phone, “I’m not seeing Jade even if she personally comes here today. Unless you’re fired, she can forget about supplying tires to us, ever!

“F*cker, I could go to anyone for tires. How dare you threaten me?”

Zack gloated at the scene, laughing in his mind, ‘Javier Kersey, you’re going down!’