The first heir novel (Master Yu Who Smokes)
Chapter 533

Blake laughed. "Haha, to think Ms. Cain herself came out to greet me. What an honor. You are one of the most beautiful gems of Riverdale's business scene." "You flatter me too much, Mr. Michaels. Besides, our Madam Johnston has far more claim to that title than I do."

Minerva flashed him her signature smile. After so many years in this line of work, she had long since mastered saying the right thing at the right time.

She had heard plenty of compliments from plenty of men too.

"Well, f*ck. Is it just me or is Mr. Michaels interested in Ms. Cain that way?"

The male colleague said, scratching his head.

Philip chuckled coldly. "Oh, all men will give a beautiful woman another look."

He then turned his gaze to Wynn. To him, his wife was the most beautiful.

Wynn noticed his gaze, of course, and she rolled her eyes at him in faux annoyance.

Today, Wynn was wearing a black lace top with smooth and long wide slacks. She wore three- to four-centimeter heels, completing her elegant yet capable look. "Mr. Michaels, shall we talk more inside?"

Wynn said with a smile.

"Sure."

Blake agreed, following Minerva and Wynn into the conference room.

Inside, Blake sat alone on a large real-leather couch, holding up a cup of Longjing tea and taking a small sip.

Next to him, eight of his imposing subordinates stood on either side of him, never once removing their shades.

As for Wynn and Minerva, they sat on the other end of the conference table. They had notebooks in front of them and cast shadows on the wall behind them. "Since you've had your say, Madam Johnston, may I have the floor?"

Blake was experienced and adept, going straight to the point. "Our family has also invested considerably in the research and development of the new drug, but time is running short. Word from Capital City has it that the earlier fraudulent medicine incidents have shone a spotlight on the pharmaceutical industry. A few of our investments hit some roadblocks, and now we're having trouble keeping up with our funding. That is why, after a meeting with our board, we have decided to temporarily pull out of Beacon's research projects."

Blake leaned back against the couch and took another sip of Longjing, awaiting the two women's response... or rather, their negotiation.

"You want to pull out?"

Wynn frowned deeply. Although she had heard tell of this before, she was still somewhat stunned to hear it from Blake himself.

"Why are you pulling out so abruptly, Mr. Michaels? I heard about what's happening in Capital City too, but those rumors aren't really affecting your businesses. Why are you in such a rush to end our contract?" Wynn would not fight a war she was not sure she could win. She had already investigated the Michaels' businesses in secret and found that they were operating as usual without any adverse effects. In other words, Blake must have other reasons.

"Calm down, Madam Johnston. This isn't my decision alone. Our entire board came to this conclusion after much debate."

Blake nodded slightly with a smile. "I still think highly of Beacon's new project, but I can't convince the board. I even got into a huge fight with those old men over this, but the final conclusion was that we're pulling out."

Wynn fell into deep thought, her brow creased.

Next to her, Minerva interrupted with a smile, "Oh, but Mr. Michaels, nothing is set in stone. I'm sure you are an expert in the details of our project, and you definitely don't need me to tell you how much profit potential there is. Besides, we're almost at the end of the development process. If you suddenly pull out, you'll be leaving us in a difficult place."

"I guess it doesn't have to come to that."

Blake suddenly said with a laugh, "There is one other way. Will you consider it, Madam Johnston?"

Wynn frowned slightly, laughing coldly to herself as she looked at Blake. 'Here you go showing your true colors, you old fox!'