Elliot!
The founders of Gotham City, a powerful family dynasty stretching back a hundred years, an object of reverence for countless people...
There was so much to say about their story.
Robert had never dreamed that the heir to the Elliot family would seek him out.
Warren nudged him with his elbow.
"Well, aren't you going to invite us in!"
Robert snapped out of his shock and quickly extended his right hand.
"Hello, Mr. Elliot!"
Thomas Elliot didn't even look at him, walking straight into the house.
Robert's face froze for a second. He turned around as if nothing had happened and followed him.
"Mr. Elliot, may I ask why you are looking for me?"
As an honor graduate of Harvard Medical School, Thomas strictly adhered to his graduation oath: no smoking, no drinking, no drugs, maintaining a proper lifestyle, and never touching anything dirty.
Consequently, the moment he stepped into the room, his body registered intense rejection. He was highly uncomfortable with the air thick with the smell of smoke and alcohol, as well as the furniture and carpet covered in grime.
Since he disliked it, there was no need to stay. Thomas merely left a command: "We'll talk on the roof," and turned to leave.
The atmosphere instantly became incredibly awkward.
Robert stood there motionless, his face dark enough to drip water.
Warren quickly apologized, placating his old friend while pulling him outside.
A Cold Offer
When they reached the roof, Thomas was standing right on the edge of the wall. One step forward was a precipitous drop, yet he paced back and forth carelessly. His black suit rustled loudly in the night wind, making him look as if he were about to float away.
"I've reviewed your personal file. You have a deep feud with Falcone. Coincidentally, I dislike that arrogant man who calls himself a Roman. Do one thing for me, and I'll give you a chance at revenge."
Robert said coldly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Elliot, but I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. My feud with Falcone is in the past. All I want now is to start over."
"Is that so?"
Thomas smiled faintly, pulling a stack of photos from his coat and tossing them at Robert's feet. The photos showed a young woman with a beautiful face, chained to a wooden stake, her body covered in scars.
Despite the dim lighting, Robert recognized the woman. Memories buried deep inside resurfaced. His somewhat handsome face instantly contorted, and his body trembled, his eyes flickering with deep, unconcealed hatred.
"Some hatreds never disappear. They only grow stronger with time."
Thomas stepped down from the edge of the wall and said expressionlessly, "Falcone's men are everywhere in Gotham. He's always surrounded by a dozen bodyguards when he goes out, and he has high-ranking political officials acting as his shield. How can you possibly kill him? By strapping yourself with explosives for a joint suicide? Do you have the courage for that?"
Thomas leaned closer and whispered in his ear,
"Without my help, you will never get your revenge."
The statement was like a searing steel needle, piercing deep into Robert's heart. After a long period of silence, he finally roared,
"I don't trust you."
"You can only trust me."
Robert lowered his head without a word. There was no such thing as a free lunch. The other party certainly wanted something, and after thinking it over, it could only be ShowMe.
Seeing his old friend remain silent, Warren quickly urged him,
"Mr. Elliot is a trustworthy man. He never goes back on his word. I can stake my life on that. Besides, who else in this world can help you get revenge besides Elliot? Are you counting on your young boss? What can he do besides chase women?"
"We aren't asking you to betray him. We just need you to leak some inside information and take one step back at a critical moment."
With that, Warren took out a check and placed it on the ground. The check had the number 5 followed by six zeroes.
Five million dollars!
Robert gasped, looking at his old friend with complex emotions.
"This is the deposit. After the job is done, there will be another check for the same amount. Furthermore, the position of CFO of Sequoia Group is yours."
Sequoia Group?
Robert's heart stirred. He seemed to understand something. Eight years ago, Sequoia Group went through a major equity change when CEO Lambert Kahn sold all his shares to a mysterious wealthy investor.
Since then, Sequoia Group had been completely revitalized, becoming an internet industry giant in just a few years.
Could that mysterious wealthy investor be the Elliot family?
"I won't keep it a secret. The real owner of Sequoia Group is Mr. Elliot, right here. Following him is better than following your current boss."
Robert still chose silence. Warren wanted to continue persuading him, but he saw his boss shake his head and closed his mouth, standing to the side.
Time passed slowly in the strange atmosphere.
Half a minute later, Robert looked up and said, one word at a time,
"With the deep financial resources of the Elliot family, acquiring ShowMe shouldn't be difficult. Why do you need me?"
"That's a question you should ask your young boss. Why is he so stubbornly unwilling to sell his shares."
Thomas grimaced, recalling the events of the past few days.
"Three days ago, I offered to acquire ShowMe for 100 million dollars in the name of the Sequoia Group, and he hung up the phone without hesitation. Subsequently, the offer was raised to 150 million dollars, yet still no result. This is only the second time in over twenty years that I have been continuously rejected."
"The day before yesterday, I commissioned one of my subsidiary companies to submit a financing proposal to ShowMe, hoping to purchase fifty percent of ShowMe's shares for eighty million dollars."
Thomas curled the corner of his lip, his eyes showing a trace of a strange emotion.
"Guess how that turned out?"
Robert wasn't a fool; he dared not answer. After a long silence, he said bitterly, "I don't understand. ShowMe is just a social networking company that offers a free service. Its appreciation potential is limited. Why are you putting so much effort into acquiring it?"
"I don't want ShowMe; I want its database."
"Database?"
Robert frowned, unable to comprehend.
The names and phone numbers recorded in the database could be found through other channels. They weren't very useful!
"You have three minutes to consider. After three minutes, I expect a definitive answer."
With that, Thomas turned and left, quickly disappearing into the stairwell.
Warren patted his old friend on the shoulder and followed him out.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 20 chapters in advance!