Me! Cleaner!.

Chapter 51: Little Cotton-padded Jacket

“I hope you can keep your word this time!”

After pinching his brows again, Old Charles, who was a little exhausted, hesitated for a moment, then sighed and said:
"Also, he saved my wife after all. Once you find him, try to be gentle and be careful not to hurt him."

"Okay, we'll remember that!"

"Well, remember it and go get it back for me!"

After several people from the detective agency left with new tasks, the old man, with tired eyes, relaxed his body, leaned back on the thick cushioned office chair, put his index and middle fingers together, and kept rubbing his swollen and aching temples.

I am still getting old...

As Charles Department Store grew bigger and bigger, after all these years of good times, my vigilance has dropped a lot. If it were me twenty years ago, or even ten years ago, I would never have let things develop to this point.

Even if I can't be ruthless and force the hydro company to stop the project from the beginning, I won't be so lazy as to not even ask for control and agree to those bastards to put the company name "Char"...

Just as old Charles was pressing his aching head, thinking about training a qualified successor while he could still hold on, there was a knock on his office door.

"Tuk, Tuk, Tuk."

The old man tensed up when he heard the knock on the door, as if he had pressed a switch. He immediately switched back to his smart and capable state, straightened his slightly hunched back, lowered his head and flipped through the documents, and responded loudly:

"Enter!"

"Dad, it's us!"

Accompanied by a somewhat helpless voice, a baby-faced girl in a professional suit helped Mrs. Charles, who had an angry face, into the office.

"Char!"

As soon as the office door was closed and she confirmed that the sound inside would not be heard, the middle-aged woman, who had obviously reached the limit of her patience, immediately screamed:
"What's going on with the company's shares! If you give away 40% of the shares in one go, is Charles Department Store still Charles Department Store?"

"You still have the nerve to come to me?"

Before the middle-aged woman opened her mouth, Old Charles already knew what she wanted to say. He slammed the table hard and asked angrily with a frown:
"How is the matter with the water company? Did the problems I was worried about finally happen? If I hadn't reacted quickly and didn't rely entirely on you to negotiate, Charles Department Store would be gone now!"

"..."

Hearing Old Charles mention the water power company, the middle-aged woman's momentum was discouraged, but she still forced herself to continue:
"You can't give away 40% of the shares at once, and most of them are from my mother's side..."

"If you don't give me 40% of the shares, can you still stand here and yell at me?"

Without hiding his exhaustion in front of his family, Old Charles leaned back in his chair, rubbing his brows and said tiredly:
"Have you forgotten? When Charles Department Store was almost defeated fifteen years ago, I refused to give up any of my shares. I am definitely more opposed to dividing the shares than you are, but this time I really have to divide them.

Now it seems that the problem has been solved, but the solution is too rough. We can make a lot of money, but we will hurt the interests of all our peers at once.

Did you know that we have brought the price standards of fifteen industries down to the lowest level in one go? The Federation of Commerce is already very dissatisfied. If we don’t distribute the shares and let them have a taste of the soup, what do you think will happen in the end? "

Looking at his wife who suddenly trembled all over and seemed to understand something, Old Charles said expressionlessly:
“Although Charles Department Store will be able to expand completely this year, after the end of the year, when the heat of the matter has died down and the compensation that should be paid has been paid, Charles Department Store will no longer belong to Charles.

Without the support of the Business Association and the congressmen, I alone cannot protect this company, and I cannot even guarantee basic safety. Then our family will have to be reunited in prison. Do you understand?"

Looking at his wife who was suddenly sweating profusely and finally sobering up from the stimulation of the huge amount of money, Old Charles seemed to be still unsatisfied. He knocked on the table and raised his voice and said:

"Do you know what the stupidest thing about you is? If you don't know, let me tell you! The stupidest thing about you is that you always think everything will follow the rules!

Do you think that a veto written into the contract can stop those old aristocrats from messing around?

Do you think that we can force everyone to make concessions by holding the factories and retail channels hostage?

Do you think that once a company becomes big, it doesn’t need to consider the opinions of the Chamber of Commerce? That’s absolutely stupid!”

Looking at his wife, whose face was ashen and who had only been supported by her daughter to avoid falling down, a trace of pity flashed across Old Charles' eyes, but he finally hardened his heart and said:
“Normally people are willing to play by the rules with you, but that’s because they have no confidence in beating me when playing with things outside the rules!
But now we are the ones who engage in dumping first, breaking the rules that everyone has tacitly agreed upon and driving others into a dead end. Do you still expect them not to take drastic measures and continue to abide by the rules with you?

If you don’t quickly give up your shares and bring capable people along to shoulder the responsibility, are you just going to sit there with the money and wait for death?”

"Dad! You... don't say that. Mom also has good intentions and wants to help you, but her vision is a little lacking.

But think about it, Dad. How many people can start from scratch and become one of the top three merchants in the capital in just 20 years? How can ordinary people compare with you in vision? "

After looking at her trembling mother with worry, the baby-faced girl quickly winked and tried to smooth things over:
"Dad! Mom was a spoiled noble lady. After she ran away from home to follow you, she learned how to do laundry and cooking, and stayed up late to help you with inventory. She has worked hard with you all the way to where she is today. It's not easy!

Over the years, apart from this time's error in judgment, she has helped you manage the company's affairs in an orderly manner, and there has never been any trouble. Moreover, when I was young, you were always very busy, and she had to take care of me while learning how to..."

"Stop talking."

She shook off her daughter's hand, and the woman, who looked 60% like her daughter and vaguely resembled her when she was young, pursed her lips, turned her head away, and said stubbornly:

"If it's wrong, it's wrong. Why are you talking about the past?
In the past, I ran away from home and followed him because it was your mother's will. Now that I've made a mistake, it's also my own choice. There's no need to bring up these past events to gain sympathy!

Also, looking at your dad, if no one takes care of him, he will probably die of exhaustion in the office. You stay and keep an eye on him! There are too many people coming to buy things now, and the people in the company may not be able to take care of them all. I'm going to keep an eye on them!"

"Mom, you've just recovered from your illness, why don't I just..."

"No need for you!"

"..."

Watching his wife push the door and leave in a hurry, Old Charles was silent for a while, then waved his hand and said to his daughter who wanted to say something:
"You don't need to persuade me. I don't mean to blame her. The reason I said that just now was to let her remember the loss she suffered this time. As for those things in the past, I actually remember them better than you.

Do you know that because Dad was too poor to give your mom health supplements, she was not in good health after giving birth to you, and she didn’t even have much milk?

At that time, I had to earn money to support the family. I went out early and came back late every day. I was not able to do anything. She was spoiled in the past and could only wear a tattered apron. In the middle of winter, I held you crying with hunger and begged for milk everywhere. In the end, I knelt down to ask for a little milk..."

Recalling the hard days in the past, Old Charles said with a dark look in his eyes:
"When I was worried about the situation at home and rushed back early to see that scene, I made up my mind at that time. Even if I had to sell my soul to the devil and become a bastard who did all kinds of evil, I would let you and your mother live a good life! Sigh... Now that I think about it, it's really...

Your father has never been afraid of anyone in my life, but I can never get the better of your mother. When the water power company was being planned and established, if I had insisted a little longer, maybe it wouldn't have become like this... Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore."

After touching the four stacked metal boxes on the right and confirming that the locks were still intact, Old Charles shook his head slightly and said:

"Let's go, your mother is not in good health, let's go..."

"Oh no!"

Just as the father and daughter were about to get up, the door of the office was suddenly opened, and an employee dressed as a shopping guide rushed in, saying in panic:
"Boss! A..."

"Gu! Gu!"

Two deafening frog croaks outside the window interrupted the employee's unfinished words, while a gentle and clear baritone sounded in the hearts of more than 50,000 people around the headquarters of Charles Department Store.

“I ask you, those who come here in pursuit of wealth.”

After climbing out of the huge money box with some difficulty, the giant toad, whose body was covered with various currencies, puffed up its golden pouches on both sides of its cheeks, spit out golden wheels that were enough to form a river with a croak, and then narrowed its eyes and smiled kindly.

"Is the gold I spit out enough to buy your life?"

(End of this chapter)