Mercenary’s War
Chapter 1336: 1,319 s: Investing in the Future

Chapter 1336: 1,319 chapters: Investing in the Future

Morgan is from Portland, but he also has a villa in New York. It’s just rented, not purchased, and he rarely stays there. However, when there’s a need to host a cocktail party, the villa comes into use.

Number Thirteen was driving the car while Gao Yang sat in the backseat. They were almost there, and he was still fiddling with all the buttons to see what they did.

“We’re almost there, stop playing around.”

Gao Yang adjusted the boss’s chair to a normal position and then smiled at Number Thirteen, saying, “This car is nice, really. On our way back when no one is watching, I’ll drive, and you can sit in the back to feel it. It’s comfortable, really comfortable!”

Number Thirteen didn’t reply and slowly parked the car at the villa’s entrance. A butler invited by Morgan opened the car door, so he didn’t need to get out and open the door for Gao Yang.

Gao Yang got out and stepped onto the red carpet. After steadying himself, he handed the invitation to the butler who opened the door for him.

The butler glanced at the invitation and then politely said, “Welcome, Mr. Gao.”

Gao Yang arrived relatively early. Although this cocktail party was a semiformal event intended to facilitate guest networking, he wasn’t at the level where he’d arrive last. Besides, given his personal relationship with Morgan, it was appropriate to arrive early and help Morgan greet some guests.

At the entrance, where Morgan was welcoming guests, Morgan and Gao Yang shook hands. They appeared formal, but their conversation was quite casual.

“I saw it, your car is quite something. It’s actually a bulletproof Rolls-Royce. This car needs to be custom-ordered. Did you buy or rent it?”

“That car? I bought it. It’s the highest-level bulletproof vehicle. Really expensive, one million six hundred thousand.”

“Oh? One million six hundred thousand? That really is expensive.”

“It’s not that bad. Tomler paid for more than half, so I only spent seven hundred thousand US dollars to buy it, and I saved the custom-order waiting time. How about it? Wasn’t the purchase worth it?”

Morgan said in surprise, “Tomler paid for you? What do you mean?”

Gao Yang leaned closer to Morgan and said with a smile, “Tomler ordered the car, paid part of the money, and three months ago the car was delivered on schedule. But he died, and no one paid the remaining money, so we managed to bargain at the dealership and bought the car.”

Morgan laughed and said in a low voice, “If Tomler knew that after his death the car he ordered became yours, and that he ended up paying a hefty sum for you, he would be furious enough to come back to life.”

Gao Yang smirked, “That would be great. If Tomler came back to life, I would kill him again.”

After a laugh, Morgan said in a low voice, “Have you decided where to set up your company’s headquarters?”

Morgan had recommended a few places to Gao Yang, such as Utah, Colorado, California, and Idaho, where Gao Yang’s farm was located. For the east, it was Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and in the south, Texas.

Gao Yang planned to place his company headquarters in Idaho, to register in Idaho, for no other reason—since any place in America made no significant difference to him, selecting Idaho was merely because his farm was there.

“I’m planning for Idaho, but it’s not final. We’ve discussed it, and location doesn’t really matter. I don’t understand these things anyway, so you can just make the decision for me.”

Morgan thought for a moment, then said in a low voice, “If it doesn’t matter to you where it is, I suggest Texas. There are plenty of reasons and benefits, which I’ll explain to you later. If you think Texas is suitable, we can go there to complete the registration tomorrow and get everything done.”

Gao Yang smiled and said, “Sure, this thing is going to trouble you.”

“Let’s set out early tomorrow. We’re going to Houston. Alright, let’s head inside, I need to greet the guests.”

Gao Yang walked inside by himself. There weren’t many people yet, and he recognized two of them. This cocktail party was mainly for people within Morgan’s social circle, and Morgan had already introduced a few to him.

It was a cocktail party for networking and meeting new people. Gao Yang mingled a bit with those he had met before, and with Morgan’s introductions, he met new acquaintances, gradually expanding his social circle.

There wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy about the cocktail party. The heavy lifting would happen the next day in Houston.

The following day, on Morgan’s new plane, Gao Yang sat next to Morgan. Morgan, feeling exuberant, said, “Gao, you can take that old plane. When you have more money, you can get a new one, but you’ll need to pay for a crew. You can’t always use my crew.”

Gao Yang hesitated and said, “But there’s the issue of maintenance and parking for the plane, as well as the crew. I have no idea how to handle it.”

Morgan laughed, “Just use the same airport I do for maintenance; it’s simple. The contract for the old plane hasn’t expired yet. You just need to complete the transaction with me, change the plane’s number, repaint it, and hire two pilots.”

After speaking, Morgan quickly added with a smile, “Don’t ask me how much it’ll cost. The plane is a gift to you, and as for hiring the pilots, surely you won’t mind spending a little money?”

Gao Yang smiled, “Alright, having a private plane is indeed convenient. I won’t hold back then. We’ll arrange to finish the plane’s transfer when we have some time.”

Morgan nodded and smiled, “There’s news I haven’t told you yet. Just this morning, Depp Corporation decided to stop negotiations. Davidson personally informed my people that they’re completely and utterly withdrawing from the competition. Additionally, Davidson apologized. He sincerely apologized for the troubles Depp Group has caused us in the past.”

With a resolution finally reached, Gao Yang smiled, “That’s good, Davidson seems sensible. So, this matter can be considered settled.”

Morgan shook his head, “No, it’s not completely settled. I told Davidson that the diamonds we produce will be entrusted to them for distribution initially; about ten to fifteen percent of what we produce will be handled by Depp Group. We’ll see about increasing the percentage later depending on how it goes.”

Gao Yang asked curiously, “Why? We’ve finally broken free from Depp Group.”

Morgan laughed, “There are no grudges between businessmen, only interests. Our dispute with Depp Group was one of interests, not emotional. Now that Depp Group has backed down and is genuinely afraid, why shouldn’t we use their sales channels? Don’t forget, Depp Group is still one of the largest diamond companies, and they’re the largest blood diamond distributor. If we can sell diamonds at a price we’re satisfied with, it doesn’t matter to whom we sell. Besides, after this incident, Depp Group has lost the courage to oppose us. Where else would you find such a good trading partner?”

Gao Yang smiled softly and said, “As long as you decide, I’m okay with it. You make the call on these things.”

Morgan nodded with a serious expression, “That’s how business works. We’ve achieved our goal, had our fill, so why not let the opponent have some leftovers? If we can sell the diamonds at a price we’re happy with, the more channels, the better. And Depp Group can earn considerable profits from the transactions with us, which could help ease their concerns with us.”

Morgan raised his hand and said seriously, “Most importantly, if we can bind Depp Group’s interests with ours, it would most effectively ensure Depp Group keeps quiet. After all, Depp Group knows about the existence of that diamond mine.”

Gao Yang asked curiously, “Then why didn’t we propose this kind of cooperation with Depp Group from the start?”

Morgan laughed, “It’s not the same. If we had proposed this at the beginning, it would be like we were begging Depp Group and Davidson. This would only further provoke his greed and lead him to make more excessive demands. But it’s different now. Now Davidson is frightened to the point of trembling, and he’s starting to plead for mercy. This is when cooperating with him becomes an act of charity on our part.”

Gao Yang sighed and said, “I understand now. Offering a cooperation opportunity to Davidson whether we are pleading with him for cooperation or giving him charity is entirely different.”

Morgan pointed to Gao Yang and laughed, “You get it, you grasp things quickly. Alright, let me tell you about a key figure you need to meet tonight. His name is Andrew Quincy Adams. He leans towards a conservative stance and is staunchly aligned, representing military industry interests. Your work aligns with Andrew’s stance, so you can try to approach and support him to gain long-term benefits in the future. This will be your first investment for the future, seize the opportunity.”

Gao Yang asked curiously, “Why won’t you engage with him deeply?”

Morgan laughed, “He represents military industry interests, whereas I am not part of the military industry bloc. We’re in different camps.”

Gao Yang nodded, then asked, “Then why hasn’t he received support from military industry interests and needs me to provide campaign funding?”

Morgan laughed, “It’s simple, very simple. In the eyes of military industry interests, he’s just a small fry, just one of many potential choices. It’s not too late to step in once he stands out, but for you, he’s a prime target for long-term investment. You need to help him rise from the multitude of early-stage competitors. It’s simply a matter of perspective based on status. You need to understand that the positions the military industry interests are concerned about and are keen to secure are the highest roles in this country.”

Gao Yang nodded and laughed, “I understand now. We need to take greater risks in our investments to gain a future with rich returns.”

Morgan laughed, “That’s right, but Andrew can’t be your only investment. He should be just one among many. You shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

Gao Yang shrugged, “I get it, cast a wide net.”

Morgan said solemnly, “With my help, you’ve started higher than many of your peers, and higher than I did. Tonight marks a beginning, an effort to climb a higher rung for your future, but it’s just the beginning. You need to weave a big net for yourself until you become a giant. Gao, in a few years, we might see who ends up helping whom. So, work hard at it.” (To be continued. If you enjoyed the work, please vote for recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)