Chapter 3 North
Leopold mentioned the Emerald Elegance Hotel, and Caroline's first thought was of that advertisement, followed by the expansion approval paperwork she had rejected.
It seemed that what the clerk couldn't accomplish, the hotel manager had come to handle personally.
Caroline's gaze lowered to the clean, slender hand suspended in mid-air. She loosely returned the gesture, "Hello, Mr. Wipere, please have a seat."
At her indication, Leopold pulled out the chair and sat down properly.
Leopold placed his prepared documents on the table and smiled at Caroline, "Ms. Tudor, I'm here about the capacity expansion equipment again. Our staff wasn't clear enough last time, which led to a misunderstanding when determining the installation location. Today I've brought all the materials for your review. If you have any questions, I can answer them in person."
Caroline flipped through the materials, noticing only one additional drawing review sheet compared to what was previously provided. She closed the file and pushed it back, saying, "Mr. Wipere, based on the materials you've provided, I still cannot approve this."
Seeing his slightly raised eyebrow in question, Caroline opened the map of the hotel surroundings and pointed to the northeast corner, "Here is where you've designated for installation."
"From an external perspective, the installation seems fine, but the engineers you've hired aren't familiar enough with the local natural environment and topography."
"Solstice Mountain frequently experiences landslides during the rainy season. Below it is a mine that's been hollowed out, stretching for hundreds of miles and filled with water. If there's a breach, the rush of water would destroy the transformer and the connected high-voltage lines. This wouldn't just endanger the hotel's safety, but also affect surrounding residents."
"Mr. Wipere, we can't put profit before safety protocols and the well-being of local citizens."
Leopold frowned, "Frequent landslides?"
Seeing his skepticism, Caroline nodded, "Yes."
Leopold said, "If I may ask, could I see the relevant survey documents?"
Caroline replied, "I don't have the survey documents on hand, but I grew up there and understand the environment."
To Leopold, Caroline's words seemed like deliberate obstruction.
Leopold had come prepared. He took out a bank card and pushed it toward her, "No problem. Would this meet the approval requirements?"
If Caroline accepted this card, Leopold would report her when he returned.
A bribe?
Caroline glanced at the bank card in front of her, her brow furrowing involuntarily. "Mr. Wipere, what do you mean?"
Leopold smiled, "Ms. Tudor, the PIN is 6182."
Caroline's face darkened completely as she said sternly, "Mr. Wipere, please take your things back."
Leopold's direct gaze studied the person opposite him. She wasn't taking it?
He couldn't read her thoughts anymore.
Caroline said seriously, "Mr. Wipere, tomorrow I will provide written materials about the safety risks in the mountain structure. Also, if I see anything other than documentation on my desk next time, don't bother coming back."
After being scolded, Leopold retrieved the bank card and leaned back slowly, his gaze intense as he stared at the documents in front of him. After a moment, he said, "Ms. Tudor, thank you for your opinion, but could we possibly relocate? Having the transformer at the hotel's front entrance is indeed unattractive and affects the design of the fountain. I need to consider the hotel's overall decorative style as well."
Caroline responded with absolute certainty, "No."
Leopold fell silent.
Such a direct refusal?
Actually, it wasn't just her quick dismissal—previous news reports and colleagues sent to measure had all reached the same conclusion. A transformer wasn't something to take lightly, and high voltage wasn't to be trifled with. Everything was based on safety considerations.
Caroline was waiting for him to stand up and leave, but Leopold clearly had no such intention. He was leisurely flipping through the documents again.
A minute passed, and Leopold still hadn't left.
Caroline stared at the person across from her, her fingertips lightly tapping the desk. Was he really not planning to leave?
She withdrew her hand and said, "Mr. Wipere, we've given our opinion on the installation plan. Perhaps you should take it back and reconsider."
The message to leave was clear. Surely he would go now.
Leopold smiled warmly and nodded. "Alright."
So, he was going to leave, right?
But in the next second, Leopold glanced at his watch and politely invited, "It's lunchtime. Would Ms. Tudor do me the honor of joining me for a meal?"
What did he mean?
"No need for courtesy, Mr. Wipere. I appreciate the lunch offer." Caroline wasn't foolish—if she agreed to lunch, it would signal she had a weakness he could exploit.
Leopold said, "Don't feel obligated. I simply want to make a friend in Seaside City. Actually, I was previously in charge of hotels in other cities and only moved to Seaside City last month. I'm not very familiar with this place and don't have friends here. We'll inevitably meet often for business matters. I've just studied several installation locations—would you mind taking a look during your lunch break? Is that feasible?"
His sincere attitude, friendly tone, and handsome appearance made it difficult to refuse.
But Caroline needed to rush to Atticus's place to get a video, so she politely declined, "I'm sorry, Mr. Wipere, I really have something today. Next time."
She began tidying up the documents on her desk. Leopold didn't rush to leave but took out an embossed gold business card and placed it on her desk. "Ms. Tudor, could we exchange contact information? I'll send you my ideas."
Caroline was in a hurry to leave, so she took out her phone and added his contact. Leopold noticed her selfie profile picture and nickname: Caroline.
As they leaned close to exchange contacts, Caroline looked up and met Leopold's deep eyes. She instinctively straightened up and stepped back.
Leopold said, "Please accept the request."
Caroline saw the friend request: [I'm Leopold.]
His profile picture showed him scuba diving—crystal-clear water, colorful fish, and vibrant coral. His username was: north.
His magnetic voice reached her ears again, "In the future, whenever you travel where there's an Emerald Elegance Hotel chain, you can stay for free with my card."
Caroline glanced at the business card and then at him. He was too socially adept, and her internal warning signals flared up. Similarly, Leopold noticed her smile fading and the caution rising in her eyes.
Leopold thought to himself: 'It's over. He'd been too eager, and his obvious motives had made her wary.'
The Seaside City chain hotel was this year's key project—the sooner it became operational, the better. He hadn't anticipated getting stuck on an electricity approval procedure. The staff sent to coordinate had failed after multiple discussions, and his father had called yesterday to inquire about progress. He couldn't disappoint his father again.
Caroline once more increased the distance between herself and Leopold, politely responding, "Thank you, but I'm busy with work and don't have much time for travel."
Leopold saw her place the card aside and could only retreat strategically as he left.
After walking out of Caroline's office, his previously gentle expression instantly became cold and serious. Once inside his car, he dialed a number.
"Look into Caroline," he said, then hung up.