Chapter 94 Potential for Collaboration
Sylvia simply smiled without affirming or denying Louis’s point. She knew well that someone as arrogant as Louis would never admit to having family help.
“Your journey to where you are now–do you genuinely believe it was unsupported? How are you any different from me?” Louis retorted.
Sylvia feigned surprise: “I’ve never claimed that I reached my position without my family’s support, but unlike you…”
で
She firmly believed in acknowledging the family’s contribution to her success. Enjoying the privileges of family meant taking on its duties and responsibilities as well. What was so strange about that?
Louis found himself speechless, his face darkening like the bottom of a pan. Juliet, who had been quietly observing the spirited exchange, couldn’t help but let out a laugh at the sight of Louis’s growing displeasure.
“Relying on your family isn’t shameful, but you’re trying to cast aside your family and claim all the glory for yourself. Aren’t you overrating your accomplishments?” Juliet’s family prestige wasn’t far behind the Walkers, so she spoke without fear.
Louis huffed, frustrated by the confrontation that hadn’t gone his way, and stormed off. He
had aimed to intimidate them and make a statement that collaboration was out of the
question. Instead, he ended up being the one provoked.
As Louis left in anger, Sylvia and Juliet shared a look and chuckled.
“It’s for the best that you weren’t aiming to collaborate with him. With his ego, definitely wouldn’t make for a good partner,” Juliet commented.
he
Sylvia shrugged it off: “He’s very smart, a former prodigy even. However, he’s too obsessed with proving he’s self–made, which just isn’t possible.”
No one can entirely escape their family’s influence, especially those from eminent dynasties
like theirs. 1
Juliet nodded, and they rested for a while. Their conversations with others that evening revealed that several promising collaboration opportunities awaited them. They could reconvene later to plan further.
Meanwhile, after his heated exchange with Sylvia, Louis returned to his initial spot. Cyril had been watching Louis approach Sylvia, only to see Louis’s face grow increasingly grim while Sylvia remained unfazed.
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“What did you say to her?” Cyril asked, curious about the interaction.
Louis snorted, “What could I have said? I merely told her that her current status is founded on her family’s influence, as if her business deals were nothing remarkable. Then she accused me of the very same–using our family for my own gains. Don’t I know better than anyone if our years of research relied on the Walkers‘ help? The team I’ve assembled–it’s the result of my own efforts!”
Desperate to validate his independence from his family, Louis continued, only to notice that Cyril’s expression seemed oddly off–kilter.
Louis’s expression changed in an instant.
“You’re not implying that the people I’ve attracted are actually connected to my family, are you?”
“What else could it be?” Cyril responded calmly. “Those individuals are accomplished in their own fields. Why would they abandon their current jobs to follow you? It’s not just because you’re offering better terms. There have to be additional benefits enticing enough for them to move. Even if you deny it, you must acknowledge that the Walker family has supported you in the background. Even without a public declaration, if someone wants to, they can easily uncover the connection between you and the Walkers.”
Louis was internally unsettled by these revelations. He had never heard such things before- not from anyone, not even from Cyril.
“Then why haven’t you mentioned this before? Was your investment in me also because of my family ties?”
“It wasn’t,” Cyril said. “I invested because I found your technology intriguing and untouched by me, which is why I wanted to see how far you’d take it. However, it was only after my investment that I learned of your connection to the Walkers. In other words, it was knowing your family ties that solidified my decision to continue investing in you.”
Cyril didn’t deny his initial interest in the technology, but the ongoing investment was indeed influenced by the Walker family name. Even if their relationship seemed amicable, it was partly facilitated by the intermediation of the Walkers.
Rendered speechless, Louis listened.
“The reason you want to collaborate with me is that we have a mutual foundation for partnership,” Cyril continued. “But beyond that, if you’re looking to establish a solid presence here, I suggest you consider partnering with the Ivan family. Drop your subjective biases; the Ivans are indeed a valuable company for collaboration.”
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Cyril was speaking from a perspective of both fairness and business acumen. dynamics between him and Sylvia were trivial compared to corporate potential, Sylvia bod demonstrated her abilities by securing major projects swiftly within the Ivan comp
which spoke volumes–she was no mere figurehead.
Though stung by Cyril’s blunt truths, Louis was a man open to sound advice. His recent resistance was fueled by the realization that Cyril’s words differed significantly from Sylvia’s. If Cyril suggested cooperation, it somehow seemed more acceptable.
“How can we collaborate? I’ve just had a falling out with Sylvia,” Louis noted, acutely aware that most would abandon all talks of collaboration after such an argument.
“If you’re open to it, I can help you,” Cyril offered, lifting his wine glass and gently swirling it as he addressed Louis.
Indeed, Louis was tempted. Before returning, he had been eager to collaborate with the Ivan family. After all, who wouldn’t want to forge ties with such a prominent companye