My Ex-husband Begs Me Back
Chapter 922: Proficiency

Chapter 922: Proficiency

Kian's eyes flickered, but he soon responded in a calm tone, "MissKhan, this question is something that only Arnold can answer, right?You're aware of the situation with the Burton family. Although Arnoldhas a feud with Mr. Simpson, the relationship between the Burtonfamily and Mr. Simpson is still quite good. So, even if Mr. Simpsonwants to help you, he'll be in a difficult position.”

Kian didn't delve into the details, just touched on the matter, and thenturned to Eileen, saying, "Miss Khan, rest assured, I will definitely talkto Mr. Simpson about your request.”

Eileen nodded and thanked him, "Thank you for your trouble, Kian.""Miss Khan, you're too kind," Kian nodded slightly. He had conveyedwhat needed to be said, achieving his purpose. He then excusedhimself and returned to the Simpson Group.

Kian informed Ayan about Eileen's request. It was clear that Eileen wasseeking Ayan's help. Ayan knew well, based on his understanding ofEileen, that she wouldn't wait around for a response from him. She waslikely to have her foot in both boats, favoring whichever one ensuredher security.

Ayan remained silent for a while after hearing the update from Kian.Kian couldn't read his thoughts and whispered, "Mr. Simpson, shouldwe delay responding to Eileen for now?"

"No need to rush with a response. Let her stew a bit. This informationhas just been released. She won't fully believe it yet. She'll likelyinvestigate. Only when she comes to you on her own, after herinvestigation, will that be her genuine reaction.”

Ayan didn't dwell on this matter any longer. There were other matters toattend to within Simpson Group. He raised his eyelids and looked atKian, asking softly, “Where are they?"

Kian promptly glanced at his watch and replied, “They're five minutesaway from here."

Ayan nodded lightly, "Mr. and Mrs. Bell seemed quite eager, so Mr.Mikkola must be in a hurry. Prepare the contract terms I mentioned andtake them to the conference room later. Let them decide forthemselves.”

"Mr. Simpson, if we do that, won't we completely distance ourselvesfrom Mr. and Mrs. Bell?" Kian asked.

"Why would we?" Ayan responded coolly, “In business, there are nopermanent friends or enemies.”

As long as Mr. and Mrs. Bell intended to continue their business inHance City, they would inevitably rely on Simpson Group and Ayan'sassistance. If Ayan severed ties with them completely, their charitableendeavors in Hance City would suffer.

As for Ayan, even if he withdrew at this point, it wouldn't affect theproject or the people behind it. Yet, it could unfairly cast Simpson Groupin a negative light. Furthermore, since Simpson Group bore no fault,they wouldn't withdraw due to someone else's unreasonable decisions.Five minutes later, Mr. and Mrs. Bell, along with Mr. Mikkola, arrived atSimpson Group.

Camille didn't need to attend today's meeting. After all, she was thearchitect of the project, and the current issues weren't related to it. Theproblems pertained to post-construction publicity, so she could beexcused.

Just like the previous time, Preston participated via voice call, and Danwas present as well. Grace and Horace hadn't attended the lastmeeting, with Horace being occupied with the fallout with Brody fromfollowing Ayan's instructions. After resolving those issues, he hadreturned to the project.

Kian had already briefed Horace about the previous meeting, so hewas familiar with the situation.

The meeting officially commenced with Ayan taking the lead, firmlygrasping control.

He began, "Once again, I appreciate everyone's presence to discussthe Modest Temple Hotel publicity at Simpson Group. Regarding theapproach Mr. Mikkola mentioned during the previous meeting, I'vegiven it careful consideration. I don't fully agree with that method. Itcould tarnish the concept of charity. It might lead people to perceive usas using charity as a front for profit. This not only risks a negativeimpact on the project but also on Mr. and Mrs. Bell."

As Ayan spoke, his gaze swept across the room. Aside from Dan,Horace and Grace, the expressions of Mr. and Mrs. Bell and Mr.Mikkola didn't seem to change significantly. They appeared to haveanticipated this point.

Preston, participating through the voice call, spoke before anyone else,his tone casual, "I understand Mr. Simpson's perspective, and I don'tdeny that his reasoning is sound. Mr. Simpson has thought this throughthoroughly. However, Mr. Simpson, aren't we businessmen? Isn't ourprimary focus on profits? Mr. and Mrs. Bell have already taken a stanceon this matter. It's a perfect outcome for everyone involved in thisproject. Does Mr. Simpson believe Mr. Bell and Mrs. Bell's decision iswrong?"

Preston managed to acknowledge Ayan's viewpoint while subtlyendorsing Mr. Mikkola's proposal, indicating it would clearly favor themall. He attempted to sway Dan and Horace's opinion. Preston didn'tcare about the public's opinions of the proposal, nor did he care aboutany potential negative repercussions of following Mr. Mikkola's plan. Hewas deliberately acting against Ayan's wishes, trying to provoke Ayanand undermine him. As long as Ayan was annoyed, Preston waspleased.

Ayan was well aware of his intentions. Such passive-aggressiveremarks were meant to convey that if Ayan didn't agree, it would beseen as disapproval of Mr. and Mrs. Bell.

But was Ayan afraid?

Certainly not.

Ayan's position today and his influence in Hance City's businesscommunity were not mere words. His capabilities were widelyrecognized, and Simpson Group's continuous advancement had placedhim at the forefront of the corporate world. Based on this alone, hemaintained a solid foothold at the top.

Ayan looked at those present, especially Mr. and Mrs. Bell, Mr. Mikkola,Dan, and Horace and Grace. A faint curve appeared at the corner of hismouth. It wasn't overly pronounced, but it couldn't be ignored. Ayancalmly stated, "Are you implying that I criticized Mrs. Bell and Mr. Bell? Iwas merely expressing my opinion. Mr. Baxter, there's no need toexaggerate, is there? What we're discussing is about the project. Itdoesn't really matter how I perceive it, does it? You just need to tell meyour thoughts and decisions. Why bother with so much manipulation tosow discord among us?"

Ayan's words left no room for misunderstanding. He made it clear thathe didn't hold Preston in high regard. This reply directly slappedPreston in the face.

After concluding his statement, Ayan didn't give Preston an opportunityto speak. He redirected the focus back to Mr. and Mrs. Bell, asking,"Mr. Bell, I hope you'll reconsider. The project has garnered attentionthroughout Hance City. Using a profit-oriented approach for publicity atthis stage will undoubtedly generate negative consequences for theproject. Do you want to think it over?"

Mr. Bell's expression turned solemn. He subconsciously glanced atMrs. Bell beside him. His look seemed conflicted and hesitant. Helowered his voice and said, "I've thought about the issue youmentioned. However, I'm not well-versed in publicity. That's why Iintend to leave this matter to Mr. Mikkola."

Although Mr. Bell's response didn't explicitly reject Ayan's proposal, heseemed to be using Mr. Mikkola as an excuse.

Ayan didn't press the matter further. He simply inquired, "What are Mr.Tucker and Mr. Burris’ opinions on this matter?"