Inside Leo's office
"Joseph, you previously declined the opportunity, and now, when I extend another offer, you hesitate to accept it," Leo questioned. "What is it that you truly desire? You mentioned the importance of maintaining certain secrets, but your actions have left me perplexed and uncertain."
Joseph raised his gaze to meet Leo's and responded with a smile, "What I desire is quite straightforward. I need a significant sum of money, and I believe you are the only person who can assist me in obtaining it."
Upon hearing Joseph's words, Leo froze, taking a moment to process the request. Finally, he asked, "What do you intend to do with the funds?"
Joseph replied firmly, "I aim to return to where I began and rebuild my life from the ground up."
Leo was shocked. "What?"
Leo's quickly added, filled with skepticism. "Don't deceive me. You must be well aware of the entity that holds a monopoly over the supply of raw materials. Starting from scratch will undoubtedly be incredibly challenging. Why must you insist on such difficulty? Wouldn't it be more beneficial to return to the Runestone Group? If you feel like you're working for me, I can restore your shares. Wouldn't that be a satisfactory solution?"
Joseph chuckled in response, "Leo, your approach to business resembles a game. If you were to give me back the shares, I'm certain the shareholders would swiftly remove you from the board."
Leo picked his eyebrow, "You look down on me?"
"I don't want to cause such a storm because of me alone. At this stage, if you really want to help me, then lend me a sum of money." He did not want to raise the attention of the media since the matter had been pressed down, then just let people forget.
Leo saw his firm attitude, and he also knew it was useless to persuade him. "You said you want to borrow a sum of money, so well, what are your plans? How much is it? How will the money be used? And what profit would it be for me to lend you my money?"
Joseph took from the bag a document and handed it to Leo, who felt doubtful, and he took a look, feeling surprised, not expecting Joseph to make the plan done.
He opened it, and when he saw the first few lines of text and the contrast list, Leo was surprised, looking at him, "You want to develop the waste mine of the Runestone? Joseph, are you crazy?"
"Mine No.1 is not suitable for the Runestone, but it's for me," Joseph explained his original intention. Leo didn't understand.
Joseph delved into his analysis, discussing the simplicity of the company's name, the Runestone Group, and its dedication to developing the finest diamonds. He pointed out that the company had primarily focused on drilling and prioritizing the quality of raw ore, potentially neglecting the utilization of scrap materials. Joseph further examined Runestone's target market, which primarily catered to high-end individuals in first-tier cities. However, he raised an important consideration: What about consumers in second and third-tier cities? What if they also desired diamonds and jewelry? He highlighted the growing purchasing power in these cities, contrasting the declining purchasing power in certain first-tier cities. Joseph emphasized the need to shift focus towards tapping into the potential of second and third-tier cities to capture the expanding consumer market there.
Leo expressed concern about the potential limitations of Joseph's proposed focus on second and third-tier cities. "But can Mine No.1 provide enough resources for you to develop in those areas?" Leo questioned, expressing his worry.
"Yes, as I mentioned before, Mine No.1 possesses raw ore that can be developed. Although its quality may not meet the Runestone Group's standards, it is still suitable for the second and third-tier cities," Joseph affirmed with confidence.
The next work began to be fine cutting and grinding, and Joseph naturally did the process. The next day, when he was too busy, he received a call from Antonio.
The call was probably important. Joseph connected the mobile phone.
"Bro, Kelly's background is not simple. Later I will fax you a copy of the information. You'll see, there is one thing you may not know."
"What is it?" Joseph vaguely felt a bad feeling.
Antonio recited the information he had discovered in a meticulous manner. "Kelly had transferred a significant amount of money to an account belonging to a Mexican guy associated with a notorious assassin organization. Remarkably, this transaction coincided with the timing of the gun battle you encountered in South Africa," Antonio stated. He then posed a thought-provoking question, "Consider this carefully. Was it Kelly who desired to kill you or perhaps your wife?"
Joseph's face tensed up, and processing the information took him a couple of seconds. He then exclaimed, "Send the data to me immediately!" His urgency and demand for the evidence were evident.
The conversation was cut off.
Coincidentally, Daisy happened to approach them at that moment. Without wasting a second, she attentively listened to Joseph's command. "Book a ticket to Los Angeles immediately!" he instructed, conveying a sense of urgency.
Antonio's phone call felt like a jolt to Joseph's head, leaving him breathless. The fact that Joseph had started suspecting Kelly and had involved Antonio in the investigation made the delay in receiving the news all the more perplexing. Joseph couldn't help but feel a sense of unease and confusion.
There were only two plausible explanations for the situation. Firstly, Kelly had a highly intricate background that potentially involved numerous unknown factors. Secondly, Kelly could genuinely be innocent, but investigating a straightforward individual might take longer than someone with a complex background.
And Antonio finally gave the news and pointed out that Kelly had something to do with the attack in South Africa!
How come it happened?
Kelly was too quiet, letting people often ignore her existence.
So, Antonio illuminated her at the last word.
Joseph's suspicion towards Kelly stemmed from multiple factors. Firstly, he considered the possibility that Kelly might have easy access to drugs as a housewife. Additionally, her request for Joseph to persuade William to abandon the appeal raised further doubts. Various signs further fueled his skepticism, such as the discovery of a folded book in William's study and the presence of painted flower pictures. Joseph began questioning whether someone deliberately wanted Irish to come across these items.
Imagine, Kelly had mastered the art of camouflage, needing to maintain a facade of natural behavior in front of William. This would require a high level of psychological tolerance, endurance, and meticulousness in her thoughts and actions. It is possible that even though William was close to her daily, he remained unaware of her true intentions and mindset.
It raises the question of how such a meticulous person like William could have inadvertently left the evidence out, which Irish coincidentally discovered.
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