Chapter 15: Encounter

Upon hearing her question, Michael suppressed his smile and spoke earnestly, "I've already been working on a solution to this issue." Chloe furrowed her eyebrows, waiting for further explanation. "Recently, I've been in contact with a medicinal herb supplier and have discussed the prospect of long-term cooperation with them. We're on the verge of signing the contract, and the signing is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. The reason for the previous difficulties was that the institute was in the early stages of construction, dealing with many complicated matters, and the personnel were not very stable. It's only recently that things have finally stabilized," Michael explained. "Additionally, the medicinal herb market in Phoenix is largely monopolized by major suppliers, making the supply scarce. Coupled with us being newcomers, many suppliers maliciously inflated prices. It took us quite some time to negotiate and push the prices down, hence the delay until now," he continued. While it might sound simple, negotiating with cunning suppliers proved challenging for a researcher like him. He didn't delve into the specifics, but Chloe could imagine the difficulties. As the person in charge of the institute, dealing with various issues and encountering challenges was part of the job. She had faced similar situations during her time abroad. After listening to Michael's explanation, Chloe's expression eased, "You've worked hard during this time." Michael's lips curled slightly, "Not hard at all. This is what I should do." "What company is the medicinal herb supplier this time?" Chloe shifted back to business. "If possible, I'll accompany you during the signing tomorrow. In the future, I'll be taking over the institute's related matters, so it's appropriate to greet them." Michael nodded, "Sure, I'll let you know tomorrow." Chloe nodded. The two returned to Chloe's office. Seeing that the person behind hadn't left, Chloe was a bit puzzled, "Is there anything else?" Michael smiled politely, "I wanted to ask if you have time tonight. Since today is your first day at work, I've organized a dinner, a sort of welcome for you, and an opportunity for you to get to know the people at the institute." Hearing this, Chloe relaxed her brows, "Thank you. I'll treat you tonight." Michael, seeing her agreement, didn't dwell on the minor details, nodding with a smile, "Great, see you after work." After saying that, he was about to leave. Chloe stopped him, "Bring the documents that need my attention. Since there's nothing urgent, I might as well take a look." "Sure, I'll go get them now." Michael quickly retrieved the documents. After delivering them, he politely exited, closing the door behind him. The office was now occupied by Chloe alone. She took out her phone and called Elene, "Elene, do you have time tonight? Can you pick up Daniel and Leo for me? I have something to attend to, and I might be late getting back." Elene didn't inquire about the specifics and simply replied with a "Sure." After arranging for the two kids, Chloe focused on the documents. It wasn't until Michael knocked on the door from outside that she disengaged from work. It was already the end of the workday. "Time really flies..." Chloe grabbed her coat and stood up, heading towards the door. Michael smiled, "You're dedicated to your work. So you didn't notice the time." The two of them chatted as they walked. Exiting the research institute and getting into Michael's car, they headed to the restaurant. After a little over ten minutes, Michael signaled for her to look ahead, "That's the place." Chloe glanced up and saw an ancient building, elegantly situated by the river. From a distance, intricate dragon and phoenix carvings adorned its exterior, exuding a charming vibe. This restaurant was named River View Pavilion. Michael parked the car, and the two of them walked towards the grand entrance of the restaurant. Simultaneously, as they entered, in the night's embrace, a Rolls-Royce gracefully pulled to a stop by the roadside. Hudson stepped out of the car and opened the rear door. A tall and well-proportioned figure, Quintus, emerged into the night, his eyes narrowing slightly as he fixed his gaze on the entrance of the River View Pavilion. In the car just now, he distinctly saw a figure resembling Chloe.