In the next two days, under Lance's suppression, the Cody Group fell into an unprecedented crisis.
Jeffery knew that the Cody family alone could not compete with the Mercer family, so he proactively sought out other noble families in Cloudmere.
He was well aware that many of these families were dissatisfied with the Mercers' dominance but had never found a way to overthrow them.
This time, since the Mercer family was being ruthless, he would resort to any means to fight back!
With this determination, Jeffery took his assistant to visit the Dawson family.
The Dawson family was second only to the Mercer family in status and had a comparable heritage.
If anyone could challenge the Mercer family, it would be the Dawsons.
In an ancient courtyard with exquisite pavilions and corridors, a middle-aged man in a long robe led Jeffery through the hallway into a grand reception room.
The room was large, furnished with luxurious wooden furniture that exuded understated opulence.
"Master, Mr. Cody is here," the middle-aged man reported respectfully before stepping back.
An elder on the sofa scrutinized Jeffery. "I heard you wanted to see me?" he said, pointing to the sofa opposite him.
Jeffery nodded and sat down, feeling somewhat uneasy. "Yes, Old Dawson. I hope you can lend me a hand."
He then took out a document from his briefcase and respectfully handed it over.
Old Dawson did not immediately take it but said slowly, "You should know that the Dawson family and the Mercer family have always stayed out of each other's way."
"I know, but I also know that for years, you've wanted the Dawson family to surpass the Mercers and become Cloudmere's new wealthiest family," Jeffery said, enduring the pressure emanating from Old Dawson.
Old Dawson squinted his eyes, a glint flashing in his dark pupils. He remained silent, sipping tea from his cup without revealing any emotion.
The atmosphere in the room grew tense. Jeffery fidgeted on the sofa.
Just as he was about to say something more, Old Dawson spoke slowly, "Leave the document. I need to think about this."
Hearing this, Jeffery felt a wave of relief. At least he had a fifty percent chance now.
"In that case, I'll await your good news," Jeffery said.
"Go ahead," Old Dawson replied indifferently and called for his butler to see Jeffery out.
After leaving the Dawson estate, Jeffery instructed his driver to head to the next house. He visited seven noble families throughout the day.
Unbeknownst to him, Lance received updates every time Jeffery visited a family.
Xavier stood before Lance with a frown. "If these families join forces against us, it could be problematic."
"Then make sure they can't join forces," Lance replied coldly. He wasn't concerned about Jeffery's tactics.
With a smirk, he ordered, "We have been collecting information on these families for years. Have someone compile it and send it to them."
"Understood," Xavier nodded and left to carry out the task.
That evening, every family Jeffery had visited received an email from the Mercer family.
The eldest son of the Dawson family was both shocked and furious upon seeing its contents. He hurriedly took his laptop to his father. "Dad, look at this information from Mercer Group. Are they declaring war on us?"
He placed the laptop in front of Old Dawson. The email contained incriminating secrets about their family spanning decades.
Old Dawson's face turned serious as a cold light flashed in his eyes. His son's angry voice echoed in his ears again.
"Dad, look at this last sentence in the email: 'Don't meddle in things you shouldn't.' What does that mean?"
Old Dawson followed his son's finger and indeed saw those words. He frowned in thought and recalled Jeffery's visit earlier that day. It became clear that Mercer was warning them not to interfere.
Sighing deeply, he murmured, "The Mercer family truly is enviable."
"Dad?" The eldest son looked at him in confusion.
Old Dawson's eyes darkened as he explained slowly, "Today, Jeffery visited me and offered twenty percent of Cody Group's shares for our help against Mercer. Any benefits gained would be split seventy-thirty in our favor."
He paused and glanced at the laptop screen before shaking his head with a bitter smile. "I was tempted by his offer initially, but now it seems Mercer is one step ahead and more farsighted."
His last words were tinged with helplessness. With such incriminating information on hand, there was no way they could easily oppose the Mercer family.