Chapter 1257: Proposal

Chapter 1257: Proposal

Ayan locked eyes with Mario. There was no hint of amusement or

expression on his face, and his voice remained calm and gentle as he

spoke, “I don't have any objections personally. I believe that the team's

maturity and capability are high enough to handle the main

responsibility for this project.”

"Mr. Simpson, what do you consider as sufficient maturity?" asked

Mario.

"At the very least, they should have a certain level of experience and

have led projects larger or similar to this one. Otherwise, why should

others comply and cooperate?" Ayan replied.

As soon as Ayan spoke, Mr. Nores fell silent as well. It was evident that

Nores Group did not meet those criteria. Although Nores Group had

worked on large projects before, they were nothing compared to this

particular piece of land.

Mr. Nores let out a soundless sigh, his expression showing a hint of

disappointment. But Mario remained silent, and he certainly wouldn't

speak up.

Facing the conditions proposed by Ayan, Mario nodded in agreement

and calmly said, "Mr. Simpson makes a valid point. However, since this

project was initially assigned to Nores Group, it is only fitting that Nores

Group takes on the main responsibility. What do you think, Mr.

Simpson?"

Mr. Nores was taken aback, clearly not expecting this. A trace of delight

appeared in his eyes.

Ayan narrowed his gaze slightly, casting a fleeting glance at Mario. His

eyes were unusually cold, so cold that it was almost impossible to

detect any ripples.

Their gazes locked, and Mario was the first to speak, asking, "What do

you think of my proposal, Mr. Simpson?"

"It's quite good. What about you, Mr. Nores?" Ayan's expression

remained faint as his deep eyes shifted to Mr. Nores. There was a hint

of detachment in his gaze, which left Mr. Nores somewhat bewildered.

Mr. Nores's face darkened slightly. It seemed that he was genuinely

contemplating the question, and the atmosphere grew quiet as a result.

Mr. Nores pondered for a moment, and after the brief silence, his voice

finally rang out, unhurried and weighty. It appeared that Mr. Nores had

indeed given it serious thought. He said, "Thank you, Mr. King and Mr.

Simpson, for entrusting such an important task to Nores Group. I must

admit that Nores Group truly understands this project the best.

However, I believe that Simpson Group and King Group would be more

suitable overall. After all, the burden of leading the entire team is quite

heavy, and Nores Group might struggle to bear such a responsibility.”

Mr. Nores's words left the members of Nores Group stunned. They

hadn't expected Mr. Nores to say such things. However, his gaze

signaled that they shouldn't question his decision. After all, they had

been following Mr. Nores for a long time and were quite familiar with his

actions. His current statement probably had some underlying reasons.

This remark made the atmosphere even more solemn.

It was only when Mario's laughter broke the silence that he calmly said,

"Mr. Nores is exaggerating. Personally, I believe that Nores Group has

a better understanding of the project and would be more suitable to

take charge.”

Ayan remained silent, but deep down, he couldn't help but speculate

about Mario's intentions behind his behavior today. He didn't really care

about who would be in charge of the project. Regardless of the

outcome, neither he nor his team at Simpson Group would suffer any

losses.

So, was Mario trying to give Nores Group face because they hadn't

received the contract to pause the project? Did he want to use this

gesture to make amends?

If that was the case, Mario had miscalculated.

After all, Nores Group was also retracting, probably because they were

worried that even if they did secure the position of the main responsible

team for the project, they would face difficulties from the two major

contenders.

In that case, the best solution would be to withdraw from the

competition and leave the problem to Ayan and Mario.

Due to Mr. Nores's repeated delays, Mario couldn't force the issue any

further. He turned to Ayan and asked, "Since Mr. Nores and Mr. Burris

are unwilling, it wouldn't be right to continue pressing them. Mr.

Simpson, do you have any suggestions?"

Ayan gazed at Mario with a faint expression as his well-defined fingers

lightly and rhythmically tapped on the tabletop. He didn't immediately

answer the question but remained silent, leaving others wondering

what he was thinking.

The atmosphere briefly quieted down, but Mario's gaze remained fixed

on Ayan. After about half a minute, Ayan finally spoke.

He said, "I don't have any suggestions, but I would like to hear Mr.

King's thoughts.”

Mario was taken aback, seemingly not expecting such a response from

Ayan. From his expression and reaction, it appeared that Mario had

already made assumptions about how Ayan would respond, but reality

didn't align with his expectations, leaving him pleasantly surprised.

Mario didn't pause for long and said, “My idea is for everyone to vote. It

seems to be the fairest approach. What do you think, Mr. Simpson?"

Ayan didn't answer but smiled lightly, although his expression appeared

distant. He said, “There's no need for such trouble. I think Mr. King's

team is excellent. After all, Mr. King came all the way to Hance City,

personally leading his team. It's evident that Mr. King values this project

and values our collaboration. Therefore, I believe it should be Mr. King."

Ayan's words left everyone present in silence, especially Mario and Mr.

Nores. They probably didn't expect Ayan to say such things and

willingly give up the position of the main responsible team.

So, for a moment, the atmosphere grew extremely quiet. Ayan calmly

surveyed the room and then asked, "Why is everyone silent? What do

you think of my suggestion? Any objections or suggestions? We're still

in the discussion phase, and everyone is free to express their opinions,

right?"

Mario narrowed his eyes, his face becoming serious, and his voice

turned hoarse as he said, "Does Mr. Simpson think I was given this

challenging task because I came from afar?"

"Of course not. Why would Mr. King think that way?" Ayan smiled

faintly, displaying an overall relaxed attitude. Especially when he looked

into Mario's eyes, his expression remained indifferent, without any

ripples. Without waiting for Mario to respond, he continued, “Mr. King,

don't overthink it. I simply believe that King Group is more suitable.

Besides, because Simpson Group has many other matters to attend to,

I'm concerned that it might affect the progress of the project. That's why

Mr. King is a better fit."

Mario's gaze remained fixed on Ayan, particularly after Ayan's words.

Mario found it increasingly difficult to understand Ayan's thoughts.

Originally, he believed that Ayan was certain of securing the position of

the main responsible team for the project. Mario had already prepared

his response for when Ayan made that request. However, Ayan didn't

follow his expectations and instead suggested that King Group would

be more suitable for the position.

The more Mario thought about it, the more confused he became,

especially in the face of Ayan's response. It felt as if he was striking a

soft cotton ball with a heavy blow, receiving no impactful response.

The two locked eyes, and Ayan calmly asked, "Mr. King, what do you

think of my suggestion?"