Chapter 641
“Mr. Brunner, you absolutely don’t have to submit to him," Christina snapped angrily. "You’re the CEO of Glorious Pharmaceuticals, a leading name in the industry! You stand tall and refuse to be intimidated; no one can oppress you!”
Aspen quickly chimed in, “Mr. Brunner, you can’t give in to a thug like him. If you stand up to him, I’ll back you to the very end!”
Stephen rolled his eyes and said impatiently, “You two are rambling too much. Who told you I was being oppressed or forced to submit?”
Christina stared at him, dumbfounded. “Mr. Brunner, are you saying you’re doing this willingly? But…”
Stephen cut her off with a sharp tone. “No ‘but’–I’m doing this willingly, alright? Mr. Lloyd let bygones be bygones and gave me a chance to collaborate. If I can’t see an opportunity like this and seize it, Glorious Pharmaceuticals would’ve been destroyed long ago!”
Stephen could not understand what was going through these two women’s heads. The underground king of Jayrodale was sitting right in front of them, yet they were still caught up in petty concerns.
At a time like this, all that mattered was staying on Andrew’s good side. If they pleased him, Glorious Pharmaceuticals and Stephen himself could get anything they wanted.
Christina gasped. “But Mr. Brunner, you’re the CEO! How can you endure such humiliation–getting beaten up and covered in blood?”
Stephen shrugged dismissively. “In our line of work, a little sacrifice is nothing. Mr. Lloyd and I had a rough start, but sometimes, you have to bleed a little to truly understand what’s important. That’s more valuable than anything else to me!”
Christina and Aspen were at a loss for words. They wondered if Stephen’s brain was damaged from all the beating. After all, it had to be the only explanation for him saying something so ridiculous.
Andrew glanced at Dylan with an amused smirk. “Mr. Garner, your friend sure knows how to play the game.”
Dylan chuckled awkwardly. “You’ve got jokes, Mr. Lloyd. That fool isn’t close to me at all. Still, I’ll give him some credit–Stephen does have his moments.”
Andrew nodded and turned to another man. “Mr. Chapman, let’s get down to business. You’re up. Talk to Mr. Brunner."
Marcus was startled by the cue and snapped out of his thoughts. “Oh! Right. Mr. Lloyd, I’ll handle it. You’ve worked hard–take a break.”
Marcus’s mind raced. The thought of Andrew–a seemingly easygoing young man–being the undisputed ruler of Jayrodale’s underground world was almost too much to process. He would never have dared imagine something so insane.
Tiana had always looked down on Andrew. Michael also constantly tried to challenge him. Marcus could not help but wonder–if Andrew ever got serious, Michael would not stand a chance. Even Tiana, known for her iron fist, would likely have to bow her head.
Shaking off his swirling thoughts, Marcus spoke with a steady tone. “Mr. Brunner, Rhodes Corporation’s Pharmaceutical Division would like to collaborate with Glorious Pharmaceuticals to produce two new medicines. What do you think about…”
Before Marcus could even finish, Stephen cut in enthusiastically. “Mr. Chapman, you don’t need to say another word. We’re friends! Bring me the formulas, and I’ll have the factory running overtime tomorrow to get everything done for your division!”
Marcus stood there, stunned. He had been negotiating deals for decades and had faced every kind of challenge imaginable.