As Eric submitted his proposal, his gaze lingered on Sylvester for a brief moment.Sylvester responded with a warm smile.Eric let out a soft sigh. Sylvester, the charismatic vice president of Williams Corp., possessed not just wealth but also undeniable handsomeness. Even Eric, as a man, couldn't help but find Sylvester attractive, let alone women."Everyone, please be patient while we assess the proposals," Sylvester announced, rising from his seat along with several evaluators. Their departure signified that the winning bid announcement would soon follow their return.Usual bidding processes entailed several steps, but Williams Corp. seemed to be just going through the motions. They didn't require an extensive procedure, and it wouldn't take much time for them to come to a decision.A curious glance was directed at Sylvia. "Aren't you supposed to be working?" Eric asked her quietly. It seemed she had no pressing tasks and had chosen to accompany him for the bidding."No rush,"
Sylvester addressed the room, his voice commanding attention. "Just two days after we sent out the invitations, Mr. Johnson from Innova Tech arrived at Williams Corp. for an on-site inspection, where he meticulously identified numerous issues."In response to the existing problems at Williams Corp., Innova Tech provided targeted explanations and made pertinent modifications to their proposal."Compared to the proposals submitted by other companies, Innova Tech's offering was the most specific, detailed, and tailored to the needs of Williams Corp. If anyone here still suspects any foul play in this bid..." Sylvester picked up Eric's proposal and handed it to those around him, declaring, "Pass Innova Tech's proposal around for everyone to see. Once you've read it, I believe any doubts will be dispelled."The proposal was circulated among the attendees. When it reached David, he didn't even look at it. In Eric and Andy's company, it was evident that the proposal must have originated fr
Innova Tech had just started, so how could it have been chosen to take on Sonnex Corp.'s project?Irvin wore a smile as he posed a question, "Easy... Whose brainchild is Innova Tech's brilliant plan? Yours or Eric's?"Andy was taken aback. How did the CEO of Sonnex Corp. know Eric?"Well... Eric handled the technical aspects of the entire plan since he's an expert in that area. It may not be the best in the business, but I assure you, it's of top-notch quality," Andy replied. He was well aware of Eric's technical skills, especially since Eric was the mastermind behind David Westman's rapid success.Pleased with the response, Irvin nodded. He believed that anyone could handle this project, and the outcome would be more or less the same. So why not entrust it to Eric, especially when his plan was solid?"If you're here... does that mean Eric is meeting with Williams Corp.?" Irvin asked.Andy nodded. "Yes, he is. With two major corporations seeking partnership at the same time, we h
Eric remained stupefied for a moment, his suspicions about Irvin's position confirmed. He had always thought Irvin was the boss of some company, but to learn that he was the CEO of Sonnex Corp., one of the twin business titans in Salt City, was a shock.Eric remembered sending his resume to Sonnex Corp. after graduating, only to be rejected. Ironically, he ended up working for the same corporation through a serendipitous turn of events.The revelation stirred a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts. Andy's call snapped Eric back to reality. "Eric, hey!""Yeah, I know Mr. Sonnex, and I think that played a role in us getting this project. As for why we were chosen for Williams Corp.... I'm not sure. Maybe we can speculate once we're back in our office."Truth be told, Eric had a theory, a rather insane one. What if Sylvia was the CEO of Williams Corp.? It would explain why Innova Tech landed their project. He hung up the call and returned to the office where Kenny was waiting. To confir
Coincidentally, it was Irvin who made the call instead. The phone rang for a while before Eric finally picked it up. "Hey, bro—"He stopped himself mid-greeting and went for a more formal approach. "Mr. Sonnex?""'Mr. Sonnex'? God, Eric, why address me that way? We're sworn brothers now, and this is definitely not how brothers address each other!"Eric laughed dryly as Irvin continued. "So, how was it? Quite the surprise, wasn't it? Ha!"Eric pouted. "Surprise? It was a shock! It could have given me a heart attack when Andy told me all about it!" he grumbled. "Why didn't you tell me you're the CEO of Sonnex Corp.?"This revelation made it difficult for Eric to treat Irvin like an ordinary friend. They were now two people occupying different positions in society. How was he supposed to call a magnate his "bro" without feeling awkward?Irvin, however, simply guffawed. "It's your fault for not asking!" he jocularly retorted. "Have you ever asked me who I am? What kind of work I do?
Sylvia's shadow stretched over the pavement, a solitary figure in the embrace of the night. Yet, her beauty remained untouched, and Eric found her back alluring.Eric parked the car and called out to her, but she didn't respond. He had to step out of the car and raise his voice before Sylvia finally glanced back, surprise shadowing her face. "You? I thought you were celebrating your victory with your colleagues."She had read his message and expected him to return much later in the night. Why wouldn't he? It wasn't every day their company secured two projects from the city's major players."I thought a celebratory dinner would suffice. They wanted to go to a club or karaoke, but I'm not fond of those places," Eric replied.That was his nature—direct and sometimes aloof. He had been declining such parties since he started working at Westman Technology."Do you want to go home or continue walking?" he asked, prepared to go home if she chose the latter.Unexpectedly, she replied, "A
Eric waved. "I consider myself lucky to have a strong heart. That revelation could have given me a heart attack! But that's not important right now. I remember you've been having trouble acquiring land owned by the Sonnex family, right? Well, I can help you with that. Maybe Irvin will actually agree."Sylvia had been considering this idea for a while, but hearing Eric say it so plainly made it even more enticing. If she could obtain more land, she could resolve most of the issues plaguing Williams Corp.However, she resisted the urge to let her desire spill into her words. "Don't jeopardize your friendship for my sake. It might strain your relationship with Irvin too soon."You come from a humble background, Eric. If you rely solely on your own strength, climbing up the social ladder could be difficult. You're more likely to fail and crash."But with Irvin's help, you can go far. The fact that he sees you as a worthy brother means he values your character. I believe he'll gradually
"Goddamnit!" David trembled with rage, his anger boiling over. "It's all because of your ex-boyfriend!"Jasmine looked puzzled, her confusion evident. Why did he bring up Eric?David lit a cigarette and grumbled, "I can't believe it! Those two bastards managed to secure two big projects shortly after establishing their company! The projects are worth tens of millions!"Jasmine was shocked. She had heard from David about Eric starting his own company, but to land two projects worth tens of millions so quickly? And now Eric had become a prominent figure in the industry?Jasmine's emotions fluctuated rapidly. She had approached David for financial reasons, but now it seemed that Eric had become wealthier than David. Regret filled Jasmine's heart. She had betrayed Eric because of his financial status, yet he turned out to be more obedient than David.Unaware of Jasmine's inner turmoil, David erupted in anger. "I don't understand! How did a newly established company manage to secure su