Chapter 19

Elena could tell that Samuel had conceded. He knew nothing good would come of continuing to fight Emmanuel. Therefore, he sought an excuse to give in. In other words, Samuel was a paper tiger. As the saying goes, the more one owns, the greater the fear of losing everything. They were no longer the same when they had nothing.

Emmanuel, on the other hand, was giving his all because he had nowhere else to turn. He was no fool; he quickly and without hesitation asked, “So, what do you want to do, Mr. Webber?”

Sheldon trembled with excitement. It seemed this matter could actually be resolved. For him, the sense of accomplishment surpassed the commission. He had no regrets about risking his life to come there with Emmanuel that day. After all, he could return and boast about participating in such an important event for the rest of his life.

“We’re not occupying this land by force. We just want to recover our friends’ hard-earned money. As long as Terence Group is willing to pay the wages owed by the previous owner, I swear they will leave.”

Samuel was also skilled with words. Knowing the other party only wanted money, Emmanuel impatiently asked, “How much?”

Samuel boldly responded, “Five million.”

Emmanuel burst out laughing. “Do you think I’m stupid? What kind of salary costs five million? Did you think I didn’t know only about ten people are ex-employees of the factory, while the others are just unemployed hooligans? Their combined salary is only about a hundred thousand per month. What you’re asking for is about five years’ worth of salary. Are they fools? Why continue working for a boss who owes them five years’ worth of salary?”

The data silenced Samuel. He would have killed Emmanuel if not for his fear of losing.

“Are you saying you’re refusing to pay and want us to leave?”

“Hold on. Let me ask the boss.”

No matter how fierce Samuel was, Emmanuel would not give in easily. One might easily mistake Emmanuel for bullying the group.

Samuel looked grim, as if he could lose his temper at any moment. The sight made Elena shudder. After all, a man with hundreds of subordinates was being challenged by one man.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel called Mackenzie. She was rushing somewhere when her phone rang. Seeing it was Emmanuel, she felt oddly relieved. He’s still alive. Even so, she answered nervously, worried he was calling for help.

The moment she heard Emmanuel’s words, her eyes widened in surprise. “What? Mr. Webber only needs five million to leave?”

That amount was insignificant to Terence Group compared to the future profits from the project. She would have agreed without hesitation if Samuel had proposed it earlier.

“Yes. I’ll continue negotiating with them if you’re not willing to pay.”

Emmanuel didn’t think Terence Group should pay. He guessed Mackenzie would object.

“Okay. I’ll accept that.”

To his surprise, she instantly agreed. She even reminded Emmanuel not to anger Samuel further.

Emmanuel furrowed his brows after hanging up. He was only pretending to be troubled. If he agreed too quickly, Samuel and the others might try to increase the amount.

Sure enough, Samuel judged the outcome unfavorable from Emmanuel’s expression. He, too, didn’t want to continue fighting someone as stubborn as Emmanuel. Thus, Samuel negotiated, “Three million if you insist on being calculative. My friends’ time is precious, too. If Terence Group isn’t even willing to pay three million, then let’s stop collaborating.”

With that, he slammed his hand on the table. Clearly, he was at his limit. After all, money was their motivation for being involved in that industry.

“Three million?”

Emmanuel continued to frown. Deep down, he was relieved to have saved two million for his wife’s company. This should be enough to prove my worth. Still, he faked a sigh.