Chapter 79: A Win
Take a look at Chapter 79 of "Suddenly, I Am Rich": Chapter 79: A WinThe moment the plates were set down in front of them, Gray... See what happens next!
Chapter 79: A WinThe moment the plates were set down in front of them, Gray stared at the steak like it was a final boss he hadnât been trained for.
The meat was thick and perfectly seared. It was resting in a pool of red wine reduction sauce, with buttery mashed potatoes on the side. His stomach gave a warning twitch.
âIâm going to die here. This is how I go. In a conference room... over a second lunch.â
Still, Gray lifted his fork and knife, cutting into the meat with calmexpression. He took small bites, spacing them out, nodding along as John continued talking about supplier networks and price strategy.
Thankfully, John didnât seem to notice or care that Gray was only poking at his food more than actually eating it.
Halfway through the meal, Gray finally worked up the courage. Because if he didnât, he didnât know what would happen to him.
"By the way... I, uh... actually had lunch before this," he said casually, lifting his water glass to hide his expression. "I apologize. I Didnât expect weâd be eating again."
John blinked, then let out a low laugh.
"Oh? You shouldâve said something earlier."
"I didnât want to be rude."
John waved it off. His face was crumpled, finding Gray amusing and funny at the same time. He didnât know if he had to pity Gray because he barely touched his food or laughed at him.
"Youâre not. Donât worry. I just thought itâd be nice to talk outside of business since we still had some time. You held your own during the meeting. Thatâs already a good sign. Outside of business, think of us as just friends."
"Thanks. I appreciate that." Gray smiled, this time more genuinely.
After that, the atmosphere around them lightened further. Their conversation drifted into business again, but more casually as John shared a few personal stories about his early days. He shared how he also had mistakes in the past, and what he learned from them.
He offered Gray some simple but direct advice.
"Just remember, Gray, always know the numbers better than the people youâre buying from. And never promise what you canât afford to lose."
Gray took that to heart.
And before it came long, their lunch came to a close. John wiped his mouth with a napkin and glanced at his watch.
"Iâll get the team on those numbers after I go back to the company," he said as he stood. "Weâll be in touch."
"Iâm looking forward to it," Gray answered as he stood up with him.
Aaron bowed again with a polite smile.
"Thank you for today, Gray."
"No, thank you both." Gray extended his hand again, and they shook it once more.
Then, with a few more quick goodbyes, Gray finally stepped out of the restaurant.
He made it about five steps from the door before he loosened his tie again and exhaled hard.
"God..." he muttered, patting his stomach. "That steak almost ended me."
But despite the food overload, he couldnât deny itâthings had gone well.
His meeting with John had turned out better than he initially expected. It was not just professionally, but in terms of connection, too. The guy looked intimidating but kind, and Gray felt like heâd taken a step forward in the right direction.
So yeah... Today?
Today was a win.
"Good job, Gray." He muttered to himself.
Gray got back into the car feeling like he needed to nap for a week and walk it off at the same time.
Daniel glanced back from the driverâs seat, raising an eyebrow with curiousity. "How did it go, Sir?"
Gray let out a quiet groan and dropped his head against the headrest.
"Great. Really great. Also, Iâve never been more full in my life."
"It seemed like Mr. John invited you to eat," Daniel chuckled under his breath. "Should I drive slow so you donât burst, Sir?"
"Oh, please."
Daniel smiled. He silently started the car and drove off.
The ride back to the office was silent. Because of it, the food coma was slowly creeping in, but Gray kept himself alert by scrolling through his phone.
Finally, when they pulled up to the company building, Gray stepped out and made his way back to his office. His pace was slower than usual but it was because he was really feeling lazy now.
Gray took the elevator to his floor and walked straight into his office. He was about to call Marcus, when he saw that he was Marcus already there. Marcus was sitting at the small lounge on his office.
"Sir,"Marcus glanced up the moment he saw him. "Youâre back."
"Yeah. Thankfully I survived," Gray muttered, tossing his blazer over the back of the chair.
"I take it that the meeting went well?"
"Yeah," Gray nodded, pulling out the seat across from him and sitting down with a sigh.
"Johnâs sharp, but not a pain. He took everything I brought seriously, and said, heâll have a revised draft ready within a day. So fingers crossed."
Marcus gave a short nod. " That sounds promising."
"It was." Gray leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "He was chill too. After the numbers talk was over, he gave me some advice. I could say that heâs a good man."
Marcus gave a slight smile. "Thatâs nice, Sir."
They sat in silence for a few seconds, before Gray let out a sigh.
"By the way..." he said, quieter now. "Thereâs something else I wanted your opinion on."
Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
"Itâs about Will."
Marcus didnât respond right away. He just leaned back slowly and folded his arms, signalling that whatever it is, he was ready to listen.
"Iâve been looking into the past reports. The numbers looked clean, but there were some noticeable suspicious transactions. They are named after maintenance costs and vague labels like âemployee welfare.â It was nothing big, but it was freequent." Gray continued,
Marcusâs expression didnât change, but his eyes sharpened.
"And what are you thinking of doing, Sir?" Marcus asked.
"I want him out eventually. But I want to do it right. Thatâs why Iâm asking you, Marcus..." Grayâs plain and firm voice trailed off for a moment.
"How do I do this?"