Chapter 168: Mason’s Plan
Lucas smiled faintly before replying,
"Yeah."
"I’m helping a friend."
There was a brief pause.
Then Lucas suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right."
"You can come over now."
"I’m already at Bellagio Grand."
"We can head to the banquet together later."
The moment Mason heard that...
His mood instantly improved.
"That’s perfect!"
"I’ll be there right away."
"Wait for me."
After exchanging a few more words, the call ended.
The moment the screen went dark...
Mason immediately sprang to his feet.
There wasn’t the slightest hesitation.
He grabbed his suit jacket and strode out of his office.
Outside...
His chauffeur was already waiting beside the car.
As soon as Mason got inside, he said decisively,
"Bellagio Grand."
"Immediately."
"Yes, President Mason."
The luxury sedan smoothly pulled away from the company.
Sitting quietly in the back seat...
Mason looked out the window while countless thoughts raced through his mind.
Tonight...
He had an important objective.
Although he hadn’t revealed it to Lucas...
He desperately wanted Lucas to attend the banquet.
As for the real reason...
That could wait until the right moment.
For now...
Meeting Lucas face to face was far more important.
People trusted people...
Not phone calls.
If he wanted to leave a good impression...
Personal interaction was undoubtedly the best choice.
Nearly forty minutes later...
The Rolls-Royce slowly stopped in front of the magnificent Bellagio Grand Hotel.
Looking at the luxurious building before him...
Mason immediately called Lucas.
"I’m here."
"Where are you?"
Lucas’s relaxed voice came through the speaker.
"I’m in my office."
"I’ll have someone come pick you up."
Mason didn’t think much of it.
After all...
Bellagio Grand was enormous.
It wasn’t strange for someone to guide visitors.
A few minutes later...
A graceful figure walked toward him.
She wore a perfectly tailored business suit.
Her elegant temperament immediately drew attention from everyone nearby.
Stopping in front of Mason, she smiled professionally.
"Excuse me."
"Are you Mr. Mason?"
The moment Mason saw her clearly...
He froze.
"...Manager Connie?"
His eyes widened slightly.
Although Connie wasn’t part of the city’s upper-class social circle...
As the manager of Bellagio Grand...
She was someone many wealthy businessmen knew by face.
After all...
Very few people ever received personal attention from the hotel’s general manager.
Most visitors...
Never even had the chance to exchange a few words with her.
Yet now...
She had personally come downstairs to receive him.
Mason couldn’t help becoming slightly surprised.
He quickly nodded.
"Yes."
"I’m Mason."
Connie smiled politely and nodded.
"Chairman Lucas is waiting for you."
"This way, please."
The moment Mason heard those words...
He stopped in his tracks.
"...Chairman?"
A look of confusion flashed across his face.
He naturally knew Lucas wasn’t an ordinary rich kid.
Someone who could casually purchase a multi-million-dollar luxury car in cash was already far beyond what most people could imagine.
Mason had respected Lucas from the very beginning.
But...
Chairman?
Of Bellagio Grand?
That was something he had never expected.
He looked at Connie with a puzzled expression.
"Manager Connie..."
"Did you just call Lucas..."
"...Chairman?"
Connie seemed slightly surprised by the question.
She smiled politely.
"Yes."
"Chairman Lucas."
"Is something wrong?"
"..."
Mason fell silent.
There was nothing wrong.
He was simply...
Caught completely off guard.
He had assumed Lucas was the son of some powerful family or the heir to a large corporation.
But he had never imagined...
Lucas himself was the Chairman of Bellagio Grand.
Seeing Mason standing there quietly, Connie gently reminded him,
"Mr. Mason."
"Chairman Lucas is waiting upstairs."
Mason finally came back to his senses.
"...Right."
Suppressing the surprise in his heart, he followed Connie through the luxurious lobby.
Before long...
The two entered the chairman’s private elevator.
As the elevator slowly rose toward the top floor...
Mason couldn’t help smiling bitterly to himself.
"...Looks like."
"I underestimated Lucas again."
The deeper he got to know the young man...
The more unfathomable Lucas became.
Mason followed Connie all the way to the end of the corridor.
When they finally stopped...
He frowned slightly.
At first...
He had assumed Connie was simply taking him to one of Bellagio Grand’s luxurious VIP lounges.
After all, guests of Lucas’s status certainly wouldn’t be meeting people in the public lobby.
But...
This wasn’t a lounge.
It was an office.
A massive pair of ebony double doors stood before them, radiating authority.
Mason subconsciously raised his head.
The next second...
His entire body froze.
His pupils contracted violently.
Above the doors...
Several golden words were elegantly engraved into a polished black plaque.
Chairman’s Office
For a brief moment...
Mason thought he had seen it wrong.
He blinked once.
Then twice.
The words didn’t disappear.
"...Chairman’s... Office?"
His breathing unconsciously became heavier.
All the confidence and composure that naturally came with growing up in a wealthy family disappeared almost instantly.
Mason wasn’t like the arrogant young masters found everywhere.
He had always carried himself with quiet confidence instead of pride.
His family background naturally gave him a certain noble bearing.
But right now...
That calm, wealthy young master’s demeanor completely collapsed.
His mind had gone blank.
Chairman’s Office...
Why was Connie bringing him here?
More importantly...
Why had she addressed Lucas as Chairman Lucas downstairs?
At first...
He had thought he simply misheard.
Just then...
A familiar voice drifted from inside.
"Come in."
It was Lucas.
Mason’s entire body stiffened.
His heartbeat instantly accelerated.
Connie respectfully pushed open the doors before slightly bowing.
"Chairman Lucas."
"Mr. Mason has arrived."
Only after hearing those words again...
Did Mason finally accept reality.
His throat suddenly felt dry.
Chairman...
She really was calling Lucas Chairman.
Lucas wasn’t merely rich.
He wasn’t simply some mysterious second-generation heir.
He was...
The real chairman of Bellagio Grand.
The hidden owner behind one of the most luxurious hotels in the entire city.
Mason stood rooted to the spot.
His mouth opened slightly...
Yet no words came out.
His brain simply couldn’t process the revelation fast enough.
Only after Connie quietly closed the office door behind him...
Did Mason slowly regain his senses.
Meanwhile...
Lucas remained seated comfortably behind the enormous chairman’s desk, smiling as though nothing unusual had happened.
He casually gestured toward the sofa opposite him.
"So..."
"What’s the deal?"
Mason forced a bitter smile.
Originally...
He had come here full of confidence.
He even believed he had a decent chance of persuading Lucas.
But now...
After discovering Lucas’s true identity...
His entire plan suddenly felt ridiculous.
He slowly shook his head.
"...Actually."
"Forget it."
"Since you’re already helping your friend tonight..."
"I won’t trouble you anymore."
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"...That’s all?"
Mason nodded before hesitating for a moment.
Then...
Unable to suppress his curiosity any longer...
He finally asked the question that had been stuck in his throat since entering.
"...Lucas."
"Are you..."
"...the owner of Bellagio Grand?"
Lucas merely smiled.
Instead of answering...
He casually waved his hand.
"Let’s not talk about that."
The answer wasn’t direct.
But...
It was already more than enough.
Mason wasn’t stupid.
He immediately understood.
Lucas simply didn’t want his identity discussed.
So he wisely chose not to ask any further.
Some things...
Were better left unspoken.
Taking a slow breath...
Mason finally straightened his expression.
Since Lucas had already trusted him enough to let him into the chairman’s office...
There was no point hiding his real purpose anymore.
He looked Lucas in the eye.
"...Alright."
"In that case..."
"I’ll tell you why I originally wanted to invite you tonight."
His expression gradually became serious.
"For me..."
"Tonight’s banquet is much more than just another business gathering."
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