The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 1217 Whatever You Say

"Rachel, you know I've been swamped with work recently. I barely even have time for myself, I can't even relax properly! Do you know how low-spirited I am right now?" Lance decided to start off by playing nice. If he could get Rachel to listen to him, that would of course be best. But if she was too stubborn to listen, he would have to take a more forcible approach.

To Lance, the most important thing was his own interests. He didn't give a damn about others.

"Hah!" Rachel burst into laughter. "Oh Mr. Zhan, I didn't know you were such a joker. I know you call all the shots in the Silver Corporation. But since you're such a busy man and have no time, then maybe I shouldn't be here talking to you right now. If you feel that I'm wasting your time, just let me know and I will come back at a better time. In the meantime, I can't decide what to do with this video..." She let her voice trail off, smirking.

"What video?" Lance had managed to maintain a calm and composed facade the whole time, but Rachel's words had him on guard. He wondered if Rachel had managed to record anything from the time when they were together. 'That must be it, ' he thought to himself. 'What other video could she threaten me with?'

"No, no, you focus on your work first. I'll come back some other time when you're less busy. Then we'll discuss the contents of the video." Rachel gave him a charming, innocent smile and turned to leave. Rachel actually hadn't planned on using the video to blackmail Lance. Unfortunately it didn't seem like she had a choice. If she didn't use the video, she might not get Lance's help. Without it, Tarsan Corporation would be doomed. It was a risk she didn't want to take.

She was glad that she had recorded the whole thing. Otherwise, she would be totally helpless in this situation. At least now she had a backup plan.

"Rachel, wait! I can make some time for you right now. Have a seat and we can talk about it," Lance said quickly. He got up and walked over to Rachel. "Yes, I am very busy with work, but regardless of how busy I am, it doesn't mean I'm willing to abandon you. Do you want to know what I have been working on recently?"

Rachel was highly aware of the effect of her earlier words on him. However, she was mature enough to drop the blackmail act. She didn't want Lance's help to be insincere because he was scared of her threats. She switched her tactics. Putting on a sweet smile, she turned to him and asked gently, "What are you so busy with? If you don't tell me, how will I know?" Her voice was warm and friendly and she even managed to fill her eyes with fake care and concern.

"I'm going to tell you right now. So please, have a seat and lend me your ears.

Rachel, I know that Tarsan Corporation is in a very precarious state right now. But you need to know that I don't have much power in Y City. Yes, I can make a few minor decisions here and there, but at the end of day, Charles always has the final say. I really want to help you, but with Charles standing in the way in almost every approach, it's a lot harder than it should be. Having said that, I need you trust me now that you know my situation. No matter how hard it is and what obstacles stand in the way, I will always have your back. Right now, all I can do is try to do some work behind the scenes to make things a bit easier fo you. Doing this without any support will be a bit tricky, but I'll still do whatever I can."

Rachel didn't believe a single word he said. But since she had come here to ask for his help, she had to behave and remain polite. "So what you're saying is, you weren't avoiding me after all? And you were already working on saving Tarsan Corporation in private?"

"That's right. Rachel, you have to understand that with Charles around, I can't work openly. I can only do a few small things here and there. I'm now mediating with some companies, trying to persuade them to do business with Tarsan Corporation quietly. I know it won't help much in terms of competing with Shining Company, but at least it will help you make ends meet and avoid being in the red. Remember, I'm in the business line too. I know how dangerous it is to be losing money, especially for a big company like Tarsan Corporation. There's nothing more terrifying than being in debt!"

Lance spoke earnest and sincerely. He gave out a reassuring vibe, and seemed very convincing in showing his genuine affection for Rachel. He was even willing to risk his career for her!

"If that's what you say, then I'll admit, I may have misjudged you. How many companies have you managed to talk to, and how many of them are willing to help Tarsan Corporation?" Rachel didn't care about Lance's intentions and how genuine they were, all she wanted to know was if Tarsan Corporation could somehow survive this mess.

She was dying to show Charles how much she had changed. She was no longer the spoilt girl who lived a happy-go-lucky life; she was now a grown woman who was willing to work hard to save her company. By proving that she was a different person, she hoped that Charles would look at her differently and pay more attention to her.

After all, there was nothing Charles valued more than perseverance and persistence.

At the very least, if the company managed to hold its own and break through the trade barrier despite Charles' obstruction and monopoly, it would prove her strength and determination. Even if he wasn't impressed, he might possibly develop some admiration and regard her with a slightly higher esteem.

As long as she had the opportunity to change her image in Charles' eyes, she wouldn't hesitate to do it, regardless of the cost. All was fair in love and war, and to win his affections, she had to show her strength.

Lance didn't answer immediately. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. Finally he said, "I'm still working on finalizing things for you. Every move, every word is essential. These people are actually very timid and afraid of getting involved. But since I've spoken to them, they have to do something in returns for my efforts. So can you give me some time? Just a few days. I'll do my best to get some business for Tarsan Corporation. If I fail to get any deals for you, I'll pass some of Silver Corporation's grey transactions to you. That should be enough to keep Tarsan Corporation alive for a while.

Lance was really going all out to pacify Rachel.

"Couldn't you just hand over the grey transactions right now? Why do we have to wait for the other companies to reject us?" Rachel wasn't a total idiot. She knew enough about business to know exactly what she wanted. She also knew that she had to fight hard to achieve her plans.

"Signing the contracts are no problem at all, but like I said, these are grey transactions. These are all shady deals as it is, we can't risk exposing them. We need to work carefully and plan out every move. If these deals are revealed, not only will Silver Corporation face legal issues, Tarsan Corpotation will get dragged along as well. That's why we must be extra careful and wait for exactly the right time." Lance's serious expression and gentle persuasive tone gave Rachel second thoughts.

She couldn't tell if he was bluffing or not, but he had a very good point. She went over his words several times in her head and couldn't replace anything suspicious. She had no choice but to trust him and take his word for it.

"Very well, Mr. Zhan. I will follow whatever you say. But please, try to make it fast. When a company goes too long without any business, not only will the directors cause a scene, I fear the employees will also realize something is not right. And well, once I lose my prestige in front of the employees, there's not much that can be done to restore it in the future."