Chapter 265 A Great Joy from Heaven
Nash had been trying to connect with Beau, this big shot, for ages. He'd asked people to reach out to Beau several times with no response. So imagine his surprise when yesterday he got a call from Beau's secretary, asking him to come to Gastronomy Royale today for a dinner.
Nash knew that being invited to dinner by Beau meant way more than just a meal—it definitely meant business opportunities and potential partnerships. He came with high expectations, but never thought he'd run into Leopold. What terrible luck.
Watching Leopold chat and laugh with the others, Nash felt disdainful but couldn't get a word in. Following behind and being completely ignored only made Nash hate Leopold even more.
If it were anyone else, he would've left already, but he couldn't afford to offend Beau. Beau had started the Collins Group from scratch years ago, and now he was at the peak of his career with extensive connections. He controlled top-tier resources and economic lifelines—offending him would be like cutting off your own financial future.
Beau invited everyone to sit down. Leopold was called to sit in the host's seat, while Nash sat in the secondary position.
By seating arrangement, he was clearly lower in status than Leopold.
Beau smiled at Leopold and said, "Leopold, you already know Mr. Kane, Mr. Pierce, and Mr. Donnelly. You're not familiar with Mr. Hearst yet—why don't you introduce him?"
Leopold smiled warmly. "Mr. Hearst, this is Mr. Pierce from the North Sea Bureau of the Natural Resources Department."
Nash was shocked, completely unprepared for Leopold to have such powerful connections. He'd heard about submarine cable projects in coastal areas and had been wanting to break into that field, but lacked the right contacts. He never expected to encounter such an opportunity today.
He stood up and greeted him eagerly, "Mr. Pierce, hello."
Leopold continued, "Mr. Kane from the Boston Port Authority."
What a heaven-sent opportunity!
Nash suppressed his joy. "Mr. Kane, hello."
Leopold introduced, "Mr. Donnelly from the Boston Investment Promotion Bureau."
"Mr. Donnelly, hello."
Nash was the only one standing at the table, which said enough about his status.
Leopold said, "Mr. Hearst is quite famous in our Seaside City—a well-known entrepreneur. VoltWave Cables is one of the largest companies in the state."
Nash was puzzled by this sudden comment, unsure of Leopold's real intention.
He smiled and said, "Mr. Wipere is joking with me. It's just a small cable factory making a bit of money."
Beau shifted his gaze and said, "Mr. Hearst, don't be modest. VoltWave Cables has made it to the national list of well-known brands."
Leopold seemed to remember something and looked at Stephen Donnelly. "Mr. Donnelly, I heard you're looking to attract investment. Here's a ready-made good company right in front of you."
Stephen had an inscrutable expression, speaking in a measured tone. "As long as it's a good company, we welcome anyone. If Mr. Hearst has plans to expand, I'd certainly support it with both hands. Right now, Boston is offering strong support and subsidy policies for companies that invest here—it's really the best time to invest and build a factory."
Nash maintained his smile, but his mind was working, trying to figure out what Leopold was really up to.
As they were talking, servers came to bring the dishes, interrupting the conversation.
Nash wanted to steer the topic toward the submarine cable project, but the others were deep in animated conversation. Interrupting abruptly would seem rude, so he could only smile and wait on the sidelines.
Halfway through the meal, the group had come to Seaside City on their way somewhere else to meet with friends, and since they were on official business, no one was drinking.
Leopold glanced at Nash across from him and said to the person beside him, "Mr. Pierce, I heard the submarine cable project is pretty hot lately."
Henry Pierce said, "From what we can see, submarine cables have very promising future prospects, but there are very few domestic manufacturers. Existing companies need to upgrade their technology and purchase new equipment—just those two items alone are a significant expense. Then there's the approval process, which is extremely strict. Most companies can't meet the standards to pass. Mr. Kane, have you had many applications for approval recently?"
Ben Kane said, "There have been a few, but none passed. Currently, only two companies in the country meet the standards."
Leopold said with surprise, "Only two companies in the country can do submarine cables? That's a great opportunity. Mr. Hearst, VoltWave Cables started in wire and cable manufacturing. As far as I know, the domestic land cable market is saturated now, and profits are thin. If you could catch this wave, VoltWave Cables would be the third company nationwide capable of taking on submarine cable projects. The potential for growth and value increase would be immeasurable."
Nash's eyes lit up—this was exactly the topic he wanted to discuss.
"Of course we can. Our company is indeed researching submarine cable projects. If we could have some advantages in this area, we could make it happen."
Stephen could see that Nash was serious about doing this. "Mr. Hearst, if you want to do submarine cables, there's a cable factory in Boston that just went bankrupt. You could acquire and renovate it. That would both promote local development and tax revenue, and solve the surplus labor problem. The factory workers are all still there, so you wouldn't need to train personnel or technicians—wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone? The news also reported on the 14th Five-Year Plan, and with our Investment Promotion Bureau's support, the factory would quickly go into production and take on submarine cable projects. With the three of us here in Boston, what's there to worry about if you invest there?"
The opportunity came so suddenly.
Nash was so happy he had the server bring a bottle of liquor, insisting on toasting the group.
Beau interrupted with a smile, "These three can't drink. They were just passing through, and Leopold insisted they stay for a meal. They have to leave right after eating—there's a meeting tomorrow."
Nash awkwardly held up his glass, not knowing whether to toast or put it down.
Leopold poured himself a glass. "Since they can't, I'll have a drink with you."
Nash's expression eased, and he drank it all in one gulp.
The group still had to rush to another city for a meeting. Seeing they were about to leave, Nash quickly said, "I'll plan to move forward with building the factory as soon as possible. Who should I contact next for convenience?"
Stephen said, "You go ahead with the procedures on your end. Leopold can contact us. If you need anything, find him."
Nash paused slightly, looking at Leopold, who smiled warmly and nodded. "Mr. Hearst, feel free to reach out if you need anything."
After seeing the three off, Beau also left.
After watching Beau's car drive away, Nash turned to Leopold and said, "Mr. Wipere, do you have time to chat?"
Leopold replied, "Sure."
The two returned to the private room, and Nash closed the door.
They sat in the same host and secondary positions as before.
"Mr. Wipere, regarding the factory construction, please help me out. Whatever you need, just say the word."
What he meant by need, Leopold naturally understood, but what he wanted wasn't what Nash was thinking.
Leopold said, "You want to build a factory?"
"Yes."
Leopold said, "That's not impossible. For me, it's just a matter of one word."
"Thank you so much. I really didn't expect today to be so fortunate—" Before Nash could finish being happy, the next sentence made his face turn red and white.
Leopold's expression suddenly darkened, his tone cold as he said, "Mr. Hearst is very interested in Caroline?"