Chapter 29
The mountain road stretched on. fading into the night, which had settled over everything
Finally, Yancey slammed the brakes, bringing the car to a stop. Nick didn’t wait a second. He jumped out of the car, rushed to a large tree, started throwing up uncontrollably.
and
Yancey’s wild driving had completely freaked him out. His soul had nearly left his body. His heart was pounding so hard that he thought it might just burst out of his chest and send him straight to the afterlife.
He kept puking until only stomach acid was coming up. Then he felt a little better. Wiping his mouth, he turned around and shouted at Yancey furiously. “Are you crazy? You’re driving like that? If you wanna die, fine, but don’t drag me into it!”
They said you’d go to hell and back for a friend, but the truth was, they weren’t dur close. They were good friends, but not the type to risk their
lives for each other.
Yancey shot him a quick glance, barely sparing him a look. “Scaredy–cat”
Nick’s jaw clenched, his forehead tightening with tension. “I’m not a
ot a scaredy–cat
He had never seen anyone drive like Yancey did. It was like he was daring the car to fly off the edge of the cliff at any second.
Nick grabbed a water bottle from the car, still grumbling. He sat down next to Yancey, swishing the water around in his mouth to calm his stomach. After a moment, he finally asked, “What’s up with you!”
He had never seen Yancey like this. He figured something was clearly on his mind.
Yancey didn’t respond. Instead, he stared up at the stars, his profile sharp under the faint light. He looked cold and distant like something heavy was weighing on him
Nick froze, a strange feeling stirring inside him.
He couldn’t help but wonder, 7s Yancey feeling down?”
Yancey was a big tough guy, and he was a ruthless business mogul. Nick almost couldn’t believe that he was sitting here, showing this side of himself.
Nick hesitated for a moment and then reached out as if to check Yancey’s forehead. “You’re not sick, are you?”
Before his hand could even get close, Yancey slapped it away, his eyes icy “Get lost”
His voice was calm, but it carried such authority that Nick froze in place.
A chill ran down Nick’s spine. He quickly muttered, “Phew, no fever”
“Someone this cold and distant… there’s no way he’s sick. But he sure has an icy vibe like he could freeze himself to death, Nick thought
Yancey didn’t want to talk, and Nick wasn’t about to press him. He squatted down on the ground, fiddling with the water bottle. The sound of it messing around in his hands broke the silence.
The mountain air was already biting, and Nick had barely thrown on anything extra. With Yancey standing there, practically radiating cold vibes, Nick soon started shivering, hugging himself tightly to stay warm.
Just as he was about to speak up, to get Yancey to stop freezing him out, Yancey beat him to
His gaze was as deep as the ocean, and it was so intense that it seemed like it could go on forever. “I think I mistook someone.
“What?” Nick was totally confused. “Who did you think it was?”
Yancey pressed his lips together, silent for a moment. Under the dark sky, his eyes looked even more mysterious. That song.. I’ve heard it before.”
Nick finally got it and waved it off. “Oh, that song’s so famous. Who hasn’t heard it?
Yancey turned his head slowly, glancing at Nick with a look of pity as if he thought Nick was some kind of fool.
Nick
felt insulted and stood up. “What the hell, Yancey! What’s with that look! Just because you’re the CEO of Goodman Group doesn’t mean you cari act like you own the world! You can insult me all you want, but don’t mess with my dignity!”
ed Nick up and down and then asked seriously. “Where do you get your confidence from?”
Yancey looked
Nick froze at a loss for words.
1/2
10:55 AM H
Chapter 29
He was the proud young heir of the Sharpe family. He woke up to compliments every day and went to sleep with praise. Sure, he wasn’t quite on Yancey’s level, but he still thought his looks could rival any top celebrity.
Fuming, Nick said. “People say I look like Leonardo, the star from Menisland”
Yancey let out a sarcastic laugh. “Leonardo! Even a beggar on the street looks better than you.”
Nick was taken aback, feeling utterly humiliated. “How can you say that? Are we still bros!”
Yancey pulled the corners of his mouth into a slight smile. “Boring”
With that, Yancey stood up and started walking away. The tension that had been hanging in the air was gone after all the joking and the racing
The sound of the car engine starting filled the quiet night. Worried he’d get left behind in the mountains, Nick rushed to catch up, forcing a smile as he said to Yancey, “Don’t rush off to the afterlife, alright? Slow down a bit!”
This time, he didn’t slack off. He quickly buckled his seatbelt and double–checked in
Yancey glanced at him through the rearview mirror, a small smirk playing on his lips.
On the road, Yancey did ease off the speed a bit. Nick finally felt a bit more relaxed and decided to start a conversation
You asked me to acquire that nearly bankrupt music company a while ago. The price is way higher than we expected. That old man won’t budge unless we meet his price. Are you sure you want to keep pushing with this?” he asked.
Yancey, one hand on the wheel, casually flicked the ash from his cigarette and answered in a calm voice, “Yes, keep pushing. Hell cave eventually
today’s market, if Goodman Group set its sights on something, no one else would dare get in the way.
Sunshine Music wouldn’t even stand a chance. Sooner or later, they’d be worn down and have no choice but to hand over the company. Even if the price dropped, they’d still give it up with no room for negotiation
Nick understood Yancey, but he lacked his usual confidence. After a pause, he said, “But I heard… the Sheppard Group is also interested in buying this company. Yesterday, one of their reps even met with that old guy to discuss a deal.”
Before, with only Goodman Group interested, no one dared to step in. Sunshine Music wasn’t difficult, but after the Sheppard Group showed up. Sunshine Music became bolder, pushing for a higher price and acting like they had a backup plan.
Yanery furrowed his brow. “The Sheppard Group is involved now!
Nick nodded reluctantly. Yeah. And it’s not just this company. Lately, every time we try to make a move on something, they’re right there, swooping in They’ve even been grabbing up land deals. Every single one of them.”
It wouldn’t have been such a big deal if they were just scooping up companies they were businessmen, after all. The two families had never exactly been on good terms, so some underhanded moves weren’t surprising
But now, the Sheppard family wasn’t just playing dirty behind closed doors; they were doing it out in the open. They weren’t buying up the companies outright. Instead, they were offering to inject money into struggling companies, saving them from collapse.
With an option like that, no one in their right mind would sell a company they worked so hard to build. No matter what Yancey offered, it wouldn’t matter. He prided himself on not backing down, but this made his acquisition plans harder.
A few times could be a coincidence, but after so many, it was clear–they were out to take everything. And the way they fought for land like they were printing money—it was obvious they didn’t want anyone else to get their hands on it
In just a few days, thanks to the Sheppard family’s interference, the Goodman family had lost several major projects–and the profits from those projects were huge.
Nick looked at Yancey, his expression torn. T’ve gotta ask… did you piss someone off in the Sheppard family!”
