This morning, Mr. Wang received an anonymous call saying that the Shi Group had lost the signed file.
At first, he did not believe it. However, when he came to the group to verify the news, it turned out to be
true.
Being worried about the future is inevitable. If something goes wrong at the moment, there would be a
greater chance that something will go wrong as well in the future, right?
Mr. Wang was furious not because he was already prepared but because Jacob's attitude had been
remarkable.
"Although we didn't want this to happen, it's still our fault. We can still talk about this nevertheless.
Sadly, it won't be easy to make another deal. In that case, we should discuss this thoroughly."
Jacob's attitude was now so much better. Thanks to Mr. Wang, Jacob was now enlightened.
"Yes, you're right. However, I'm afraid we've lost our trust in you. Now, we can only take two paths from
here. One, terminate the contract. Or two, find it."
When Mr. Wang finished speaking, he gazed outside the window. As usual, gray clouds rolled in the
sky.
James frowned and pondered about Mr. Wang's words. There seemed to be nothing wrong with it. It
seemed that he was indeed left with only two choices. Well, there was nothing else he could do
anyway. He was not the one who had the final say.
"It's not my intention to make things difficult for you. Besides, negotiating is never an easy thing. I'm
aware that reaching a satisfactory condition for both sides is, if not impossible, extremely hard. It's a
pity that we have to terminate the contract just because the contracted file was missing. But since you
can't even safeguard it, I think it's only necessary for us to end it, isn't it?"
Mr. Wang smiled. Despite the circumstances, he did not seem malicious nor sarcastic anymore.
The two managers did not say anything further. The vice president was right, so they could only listen.
"I understand. But we would appreciate it if you give us some time to find it. If we don't, you can
terminate the contract or do whatever you like,"
Jacob replied in a calm tone. His words were a little beyond Mr. Wang's expectation. In fact, the ending
he had imagined was not like this.
But since Jacob had changed his attitude, Mr. Wang decided not to push him. Instead, he looked at
Jacob seriously and said in a gentle tone, "As a matter of fact, I do have something in mind."
"I don't know what you mean, Mr. Wang. Could you explain it to me?" Jacob propped his hands and
clenched his fists on the conference table.
His posture showed that he was relaxed yet on guard. It was unclear what he was thinking at the
moment.
Mr. Wang smiled and asked, "You want to know why I know that the document is gone? Let me tell you.
An anonymous person called and informed me."
The managers beside Mr. Wang remained silent. They just looked forward to seeing the astonishment
on the faces of Jacob and James. Unfortunately, the two merely glanced at each other. They just
exchanged tacit looks upon hearing the news.
Jacob turned to look at Mr. Wang and said, "I see. I'll figure this out as soon as possible. Please give us
some more time. Rest assured that we will be absolutely reliable for cooperation."
"Okay then. You see, I'm not a stubborn person myself. I'll give you three days to look for the
document. Only if you find it will we continue our cooperation. If you don't, we will terminate the
contract immediately. Of course, we won't pay for the damages."
With that, Mr. Wang stood up, straightened his clothes, and took a one last look at Jacob.
Feeling the gaze of Mr. Wang, Jacob looked up cautiously and glanced at James. Then, he looked
back at Mr. Wang's scrutinizing eyes. "I'll keep you updated, Mr. Wang. Please take care."
"Sure." Before Mr. Wang left, he smiled at Jacob first. The latter nodded politely as a response.
When Mr. Wang and his subordinates left, only James and Jacob were left in the spacious meeting
room. With a frown, James asked, "Did you understand what he said?"
"Yeah," Jacob answered with a nod.
Of course he understood everything clearly. How could an anonymous person tip Mr. Wang for no
reason? The one who had called must be the person who took the document. Perhaps he was working
for the company; otherwise, how could he have known the news?
There were so many people in the company. As of the moment, there was not enough evidence to
suspect anyone. Besides, there was a possibility that the document might have already been
destroyed.
"The worst-case scenario is that the file wasn't just taken but destroyed."
James frowned. At the thought of this, his heart felt heavy as if a stone was blocking it.
Unfortunately, good luck never comes in numbers, and bad luck always comes in the end.
"Don't worry, Uncle. I think the person who took the file just wanted to threaten us. If he has already
destroyed it, then what's the purpose of his threats? There'll be no reason for him to come at us. I think
it's highly unlikely that the document was already destroyed."
Regardless of this possibility, Jacob was still restless. But at that moment, he would rather hold on to
something. He wanted to believe that the document was still in one piece.
"You're right. Let's be hopeful in the meantime." James looked at Jacob confidently. Over the years, he
had watched Jacob grow and improve.
Whether it was physical or mental growth, James saw Jacob ace it. Now, many things from the past
were brought to light for James.
Perhaps one day, he would be even more successful than his father. James could attest to that. After
all, he had already seen Jacob's mature temperament.
Jacob looked back at James. Although this matter was tricky, it did not matter. He would not stop until
he was successful.
The more he looked at the matter at hand, the calmer and more at ease he felt. He realized that what
was happening was inevitable. As one goes along the course of life, there are always people who will
hinder him from making progress. As long as he surpasses them, they will become a stepping stone for
his success rather than a hindrance.
"What are you going to do?" James asked with admiration in his eyes.
"Just keep quiet. I have an idea." Jacob narrowed his eyes and looked out of the window.
For others, this might be a catastrophe. On the other hand, for Jacob, it was baptism. Gazing out of the
window blankly, Jacob noticed that some of the sun's ray had pierced through the clouds across the
sky.
Dark clouds rolled over and blocked the sun temporarily, causing a boundless mist to envelope the city.
Today was not a new dawn. It was just an ordinary day in an ordinary week on an ordinary month.
James left soon after, and Jacob was left alone. For so many years, his deep feeling of loneliness had
never subsided.
Every time he encountered mishaps in life, he always felt that he was alone. It seemed that today was
the day he felt the loneliest.
Jacob stared at the door of the meeting room absentmindedly while thinking about what he would do
next, although he had told James he had his own way.
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