Chapter 56: Tacit
Understanding
Riding on Fletcher and Davina’s coattails, I was finally allowed into Gary’s office.
The secretary, who had been arrogant just moments ago, now stood nervously to the side, obediently listening to Gary’s reprimands.
After a few sharp words, Gary turned to me with an apologetic look.
“You should apologize to Ms. Grande right away.”
His expression was as sincere as it could be.
I glanced at the secretary’s uneasy expression and decided to downplay the
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situation. “It’s not her fault, I was just careless.”
Gary looked at Fletcher and Davina, as if gauging their reactions, before turning back to me with a soothing tone. “Ms. Grande, you really are a magnanimous person. I just learned that you’ve worked with Mr. Lynton and Ms. Bates. If we’ve been remiss in any way, please do forgive us.”
Gary’s apology was directed at me, but his explanation felt more like it was aimed at Fletcher.
But it was all the same in every industry -connections were everything. If this act could help me achieve my goal, I was more than happy to play the supporting role.
“Mr. Wood, you’re overreacting. Charlene is famous for her generosity,” Davina chimed
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in, her dimpled smile as sweet as ever. “But to be honest, Charlene, I didn’t expect to run into you here at Mr. Wood’s. We really are quite in sync, huh?”
I curled my toes, forcing a tight smile.
My foot still throbbed, but I kept quiet, trying to suppress the strange bitterness rising in my chest.
I decided to go straight to the point. “Mr. Wood, we’re genuinely hoping to invite Free Spirit to collaborate with us. But I understand that before committing to any partnership, it’s important for him to thoroughly understand his potential partners. Last time, I came in a hurry and didn’t have much prepared. Today, though, I’ve prepared a short project introduction video–just two minutes long. I’d appreciate it if you could pass it along.”
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I handed over the USB drive I had prepared.
I had edited the video overnight–concise, detailed, and far more engaging than flipping through several pages of project proposals. It was more efficient and far more likely to grab attention.
In the information age, we all had to find ways to capture our guests‘ interest within seconds, especially when it came to someone as in–demand as Free Spirit.
I imagined Gary would only spend a second or two on each form, so I had to make it stand out.
Gary raised an eyebrow when he heard me and his expression shifted slightly, a look of curiosity flickering in his eyes. “Ms. Grande, would you mind if I watched it first?”
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“Of course, Mr. Wood. If you’d like to give me feedback, I’d be more than happy to hear it,” I responded confidently.
“Then I suppose I should learn from you, Charlene, Davina said, standing up and edging closer, her tone still playful. “Let’s see what secret tricks you have been preparing.”
She said it teasingly, completely unaware that this was a pivotal moment where I was working hard to win Gary’s approval.
Oh, right–she didn’t need to be cautious.
With Fletcher in her corner, she could afford to act as she pleased. She didn’t need to tread carefully like I did.
A moment later, the short video ended. Gary stared at the screen in apparent disbelief,
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then turned to me. “Ms. Grande, as expected of someone with an IT background. Even with such a short video, you managed to make it so creative. You’ve really impressed me.”
I had put some thought into the video’s design, using the style of Free Spirit’s occasional updates on Twitter for reference. I assumed that Free Spirit, being so busy, wouldn’t have time to pay attention to such details, which left only one possibility: it had to be Gary’s taste.
“Mr. Wood, you flatter me,” I said, keeping my expression calm. “It was just a little trick, nothing too impressive.”
“Ms. Grande, you’re being humble.”
Gary’s attitude seemed to warm up slightly. I thought that this might be the turning point
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where things started looking up, but then he shifted his tone and said, “However, we all know how Free Spirit is. Unless he himself is interested in collaborating, no one else can make that call.”
He left some room for interpretation in his words, and there was a sincerity to it, though I knew it was aimed at Fletcher.
For a moment, I couldn’t quite tell whether Gary was being truthful or not.
“It’s fine, Fletcher’s gravelly voice finally broke the silence. “Collaboration depends on mutual interest. If our project isn’t something Free Spirit is interested in, forcing a partnership wouldn’t be right. Ms. Grande, wouldn’t you agree?”
I hadn’t expected Fletcher to take such a firm stance at this moment. After a brief moment
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of surprise, I responded, “Mr. Lynton has a point. But my intuition tells me that once Free Spirit learns more about our project, he’ll be more than willing to collaborate. Mr. Wood, what do you think?”
We were playing our cards right, using a combination of approaches–Fletcher, with his strength and confidence, took a hard stance, while I, being more the doer, kept my tone respectful and modest.
Together, we were seamlessly complementing each other.
It was so well–coordinated that even I was a bit surprised.
Gary, who had been maintaining his stern demeanor, finally showed a crack in his expression when he saw how the situation was unfolding.
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It seemed like he couldn’t hold out any longer
After all, with Fletcher’s status, even if he remained quiet, his mere presence exuded a certain pressure.
The negotiation ended with Fletcher using the excuse that Davina was hungry to wrap things up. Despite Gary’s repeated invitations, Fletcher refused to join him for a meal.
Clearly, Fletcher had managed to shift the tide of this negotiation with just a few words.
In the parking lot, the three of us stood in a
row.
I had just learned from Fletcher’s phone call that Duke, who was coming to pick them
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up, had been delayed by a traffic jam at the intersection and would be a few minutes
late. So, I had no choice but to wait with them.
I noticed that Davina’s mood had been off since we left Gary’s office. She seemed unusually low–spirited, even more so now.
The young woman wasn’t good at hiding her emotions–her head hung low, her shoulders drooped like a wilting plant, and everything about her face showed her displeasure.
Fletcher noticed this too and asked with concern, “Tired?”
Davina lifted her gaze, briefly glancing at me before lowering her eyes again with a soft sigh.
Jar
That was when I realized how out of place I
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was standing there.
I quickly caught on and said, “Sorry, Mr. Lynton, I’ve got something urgent to take care of. I’ll take my leave now.”
Davina blinked her long lashes, her sad expression lifting slightly, and she looked at me with a hint of hope. “Charlene, aren’t you joining us for lunch?”
“No, I’ll pass,” I replied firmly. “I’m not familiar with the parking lot here, so I’ll go find a spot.”
1 gave myself a reason that was both practical and dignified.
But when I reached the corner, I suddenly realized I had left my phone in Gary’s office. I had no choice but to turn back.
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As I passed the intersection, I couldn’t help
but glance over at where Fletcher and Davina were standing. I saw Davina looking at
Fletcher with a pitiful gaze, her voice choked as she said, “I wanted to help you out during this opportunity, but it feels like you and Charlene have a better connection… I feel like an outsider, just standing there, unable to even join in the conversation.”
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