Chapter 1175: Tricky

Chapter 1175: Tricky

Brody looked calmly at everyone and spoke unhurriedly, "Since no one

seems to have any objections, then from this moment on, I have

decided to appoint Preston as..."

Before Brody could finish his sentence, his phone suddenly rang.

The ringing of the phone interrupted Brody's words, and everyone

turned their gaze towards him simultaneously. The atmosphere in the

meeting room instantly fell into silence.

All eyes were fixed on Brody, and even he was slightly taken aback. He

glanced at the caller's name displayed on the phone screen.

Preston's gaze also instantly fell upon it, but he couldn't see who was

calling. However, the ringtone made Preston feel uneasy, and a solemn

expression appeared on his face. He spoke up, "Mr. Armstrong, unless

it's an important call, perhaps we should continue with our current

matters?"

Brody nodded in agreement and was about to end the call.

At that moment, Horace's secretary received a message and reminded,

"Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Burris is calling you. It's better to take the call.

Perhaps Mr. Burris has something important to discuss with you."

Preston narrowed his eyes, his gaze revealing a hint of indifference. "If

Mr. Burris doesn't wish to attend the meeting, then so be it. Why did he

bother calling back? What does he mean by this? Does he want to

command Mr. Armstrong to do something?" Preston snorted, hoping to

deepen the misunderstanding between Brody and Horace. The deeper,

the better. This way, no matter what Horace wanted to do, it would be

announced after the fact.

However, Horace's secretary was also anxious and said, "Mr.

Armstrong, Mr. Burris has no intention of disrespecting you. He just

wants to share some good news with you. He has secured the Simpson

Group project.”

As the secretary's words fell, Preston witnessed Brody's eyes light up

before his very eyes.

Brody subconsciously asked, "What did you say? He partnered with the

Simpson Group?”

"Yes, but I don't have the specifics. It would be best if you have a chat

with Mr. Burris on the phone!" the secretary whispered, then directly

dialed Horace's number on his own phone. Since Brody didn't answer

the call and it was automatically disconnected, it was highly unlikely

that Brody would proactively call Horace, especially with Preston

attentively watching his every move.

The secretary acted swiftly, so fast that even Preston had no time to

react. By the time he realized it, the secretary's phone was already in

Brody's hand, and the call had been connected.

The secretary had put the call on speakerphone, so Horace's voice

could be heard throughout the entire meeting room.

Horace spoke in a low voice, "Mr. Armstrong, I apologize for

interrupting your meeting. I also apologize for not being able to attend

the meeting on time and having my secretary stand in for me. I hope

you won't hold it against me."

Brody, however, wasn't in the mood to listen to Horace's apologies. His

mind was filled with what the secretary had just said about Horace

securing a partnership with the Simpson Group. He was eager to know

the details.

So he casually said, "Don't worry, it's just a regular meeting. Why don't

you tell us about the situation on your end first? I heard you secured a

partnership with the Simpson Group? What kind of partnership with the

Simpson Group? Quickly let us know."

Brody's words were filled with excitement and anticipation, which

Horace could discern, and Preston could certainly pick up on as well.

The others present in the room could naturally sense it too.

Preston discreetly clenched his fists, and his face turned extremely

ugly. Quintus couldn't help but glance at him, noticing his displeasure.

Quintus spoke up, "Mr. Armstrong, we're already halfway through the

meeting. I think it's best to continue with the meeting first. After all,

everyone is waiting!"

Quintus's interruption halted the response from Horace on the other

end. Brody's gaze instantly turned sour, and he coldly glanced at

Quintus, his eyes seemingly conveying the message that it wasn't

Quintus's place to dictate the course of the meeting or remind them

what to do.

Simultaneously, Brody cast an annoyed glance at Preston. Though he

didn't say anything, Preston understood the meaning in his eyes.

Preston also gave Quintus a cold look and indifferently remarked, “Mind

your own business. Does it fall to you to interject when Mr. Armstrong is

taking a call?"

Quintus quickly lowered his head and apologized, but the atmosphere

became even more tense as a result.

On the other end of the phone, Horace remained silent until Brody

spoke up again, "Mr. Burris, please continue with your matters."

Only then did Horace speak, "Mr. Armstrong, I have been following the

Simpson Group's collaborations lately. I know that you have always

wanted to continue working with them, but many of Simpson Group's

projects aren't quite suitable for us at the moment. As you know,

Armstrong Corp hasn't been the same since the major setback. We

need to gradually stabilize and rebuild. It seems that luck has been on

our side as Armstrong Corp. I learned that the Simpson Group

partnered with Flento CityKing Group and secured the Nores Group's

land. So, I have been negotiating with the Simpson Group to get a

piece of the pie. I exchanged my personal interests for this project, with

the goal of giving Armstrong Corp a chance to reclaim its position in the

business world. That's why I didn't attend today's meeting. Mr.

Armstrong, you won't hold it against me, will you?"

Horace spoke at length, and Brody listened attentively, especially when

he learned that Horace had used his personal interests to secure the

Simpson Group's project. It made him feel very good because he didn't

have to give anything in return and could still obtain such a substantial

opportunity with the Simpson Group. It was undoubtedly a deal where

he only stood to gain.

The more Brody thought about it, the happier he became. His face was

filled with a smile, and he praised, "Mr. Burris, why would I hold

anything against you? You've done something important, and this

meeting isn't important at all. Whether you attend or not doesn't matter.

Let's discuss the Simpson Group project in detail. What part will

Armstrong Corp be primarily responsible for?"

Horace honestly informed Brody that Armstrong Corp would collaborate

with the Simpson Group and King Group, which was like a small fish

being carried by two sharks. This news would undoubtedly bring

tremendous benefits to Armstrong Corp once it was made public.

Brody was well aware of this fact, which caused his attitude towards

Horace to make a complete U-turn. Knowing the effort Horace had put

into securing this project, Brody quickly expressed his concern and

discussed the main topics of today's meeting with him.

He said, "I was initially worried about some complications with the

museum project, but now that we've secured the Simpson Group

project, it's likely we can continue with the museum project without

needing a promotion. If that doesn't work, we don't even need that

project anymore. Who knows, once our collaboration with the Simpson

Group becomes public, the museum might even scramble to work with

us!"

Brody's words were also directed at Preston, showing that he didn't

care about Preston's face or thoughts at the moment. His sole focus

was on Horace successfully securing the Simpson Group project, and

he was extremely pleased about it.

Brody said to Horace, "If the meeting is over, come back quickly.

Tonight, I'll celebrate for you. Such a significant achievement must be

celebrated.”

Horace didn't delay and simply replied, "Alright, everything according to

your instructions. After all, Armstrong Corp hasn't had something to be

this happy about in a long time."

Brody agreed repeatedly, and then the call ended. He immediately

instructed his secretary to book a restaurant. Brody had hired his

former young male assistant from the company after Elijah, so his

assistant was quick-witted. As soon as Brody finished speaking, the

assistant left the meeting room to make the restaurant reservation.

After Brody finished the call with Preston, the atmosphere in the

meeting room became quieter. The people who had opposed Preston's

promotion before were now waiting to see how Brody would explain the

situation to Preston.

However, Brody didn't intend to give them that opportunity. He

straightforwardly said, "Alright, all of you can leave first. Finish your

work early today, and we'll have a joyful dinner together tonight.”

Brody dismissed everyone, and they couldn't see how Brody would

explain things to Preston.