Chapter 41: Atlas Accompanies Together
"Are you a bandit or something?"
I yelled at him, a bit annoyed.
"Of course not, but to make sure you eat properly, I don't mind playing the bandit."
As Atlas said this, he was about to pick me up, which scared me into letting out a scream. "I'll get down myself."
"Smart choice."
Atlas reached out his hand.
Holding my hand, I jumped down from the car.
He quickly led me into the hotel, where the manager had been waiting for quite some time. Seeing me behind Atlas, his eyes showed obvious surprise.
"Mr. Lancaster, the usual?"
Atlas glanced at me and said, "Add a seafood soup for Ms. Lockwood."
"Yes, sir."
The manager bowed and left. Atlas thoughtfully poured me a glass of water and said, "Eat properly. We'll talk about other things after you finish."
Given the situation, I could only nod.
When the food arrived, I realized I was really hungry. I picked up my utensils and started eating.
Throughout the meal, Atlas didn't touch his food. Looking at the dishes in front of him, I frowned. "Aren't you eating?"
Hearing this, Atlas looked at me and said, "Watching you enjoy your food so much, I'm already full."
"You're really something."
My face turned red, and I stopped paying attention to him.
After I finished eating, Atlas stood up and said, "Let's go."
I followed him out of the hotel. Soon, the car stopped at the entrance of The Lockwood Manor. Atlas looked at me and said, "Don't worry. I'm here for everything. If we really can't produce it, I'll figure out another way."
"No, Atlas, I won't let that happen. Don't worry, we'll definitely deliver on time."
Seeing my serious expression, Atlas smiled and nodded. "Alright, then I'll wait for your good news. Call me if anything comes up."
I nodded, got out of the car, and walked toward the house.
When I entered, I was surprised to see Henry smoking.
Henry never smoked normally, so smoking meant he was really troubled.
"Dad, is there any news about the warehouse incident?"
Seeing me come in, Henry put out his cigarette and rubbed his temples. "Yes, someone deliberately let water into the warehouse. There's a mole in the company."
Although I had already guessed this, hearing Henry say it still made me worry.
"Who is it?"
"A supervisor on the production line. He did it for money."
"Who paid him?"
Henry shook his head. "He won't give up any names. He only said he's willing to use all his assets to compensate for the losses, but he won't talk about who instructed him."
"I've already sent him to the police. Fortunately, we discovered it in time, and only this batch was damaged."
Then Henry looked at me. "How's the search for a contract manufacturer going?"
I shook my head and told Henry everything that happened today.
Hearing this, Henry frowned deeply. "Something's not right."
"Yes, Dad, I feel the same way. It seems like everything is targeting our family, as if someone's pulling strings behind the scenes."
I thought back to my previous life when the company's orders had problems, and the Pemberton family immediately came to help, taking the opportunity to get fifteen percent of the shares.
Thinking of this, my heart tightened. Could it be the Pemberton family again?
But they don't have money now. They're living off the money Henry lent them. They wouldn't do something like this, would they?
But thinking of Knox's ruthlessness in my previous life, I started to feel uneasy.
No matter what, the Pemberton family needs to be watched.
"Leave the investigation to me. Your main priority now is to find a contract production facility and not delay the Lancaster family's order."
Then Henry looked at me. "Since we can't find one in Starwave City, what's your plan?"
I thought for a moment. "On the way back, I searched on my phone and found capable manufacturers in several nearby cities. I'm planning to fly there tomorrow and negotiate in person."
"Good, you're truly my daughter. You came up with a solution so quickly. Very good."
At this point, Henry thought for a moment. "I'll have the production manager go with you tomorrow."
"Okay."
After we settled this, I went back to my room and started researching, narrowing it down to three companies before lying down to rest.
In the morning, I was woken up by a phone ringing.
I picked up my phone and saw it was Atlas calling.
"Come downstairs when you wake up."
Hearing his voice, I jolted. Come downstairs? Did that mean Atlas was at my house?
I hurriedly changed clothes. When I went downstairs, I was stunned. Wasn't that Atlas sitting on the sofa?
Looking at Henry across from him, smiling broadly, I panicked. What was going on? They seemed to be having a great conversation.
"Helena's up. Mr. Lancaster has been waiting for you for quite a while."
Seeing me, Henry called out and waved me over.
I walked over somewhat mechanically. After sitting down, I looked at Henry. "Why is Mr. Lancaster at our house?"
Henry smiled. "Mr. Lancaster heard you were going out to find production companies, so he offered to go with you. Now I'm even more at ease."
At ease? How could Henry be at ease?
Wasn't having Atlas come along like a lamb walking into a tiger's den?
My smile was a bit forced. "Dad, don't you trust me? With the production manager, I can definitely handle it. No need to trouble Mr. Lancaster."
I looked up and met Atlas's amused eyes. My heart tightened, and I swallowed. "Really, it's not necessary."
"That batch is Mr. Lancaster's order. Having Mr. Lancaster personally inspect the equipment, with his understanding of the products, makes it more reliable. As a client, he's going this far—I should be grateful. Don't be ungrateful."
Seeing Henry's tone become more serious, Atlas spoke up. "Mr. Lockwood, you're too kind. After all, this also involves the Lancaster Group. I urgently need this batch of goods, so let's work together to solve this problem."
"Yes, yes, Mr. Lancaster is right."
With things said to this point, if I refused again, it would seem ungrateful.
Thinking of this, I could only nod. "Alright, then, thank you, Mr. Lancaster."
"No trouble at all. When do we leave?"
I stood up. "Now, I guess."
"Good. Helena, be careful. Discuss things with Mr. Lancaster and call me anytime."
I nodded at Henry. "Okay, I'll remember."
After leaving home, I got in the car. Atlas smiled at me. "We're about to start a short journey together. Are you ready, Ms. Lockwood?"
Hearing his words, I froze, then spoke. "Atlas, although I agreed to let you come along for Dad's sake, I'm on a business trip. You can't cause trouble."
"How would I cause trouble? Don't forget, it's my goods that have a problem. I want the goods produced even more than you do."
Atlas pressed the accelerator. "Ms. Lockwood, if you don't trust me, I might get upset."