Chapter 32: Showdown!!

Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Showdown!!

Nathaniel Beaumont raised his eyes.

"Let them in."

A few minutes later, several figures entered the reception room of Cedar Heights Estate.

Leading the group was Colin Whitmore, head of the Equipment Trading Department of the Beaumont Trading Consortium. Beside him walked Victoria Shaw, the consortium’s chief financial officer, Marcus Reed, head of security, and several veteran executives.

Every one of them was impeccably dressed. Their expressions were composed, and their movements carried the confidence of people accustomed to holding positions of authority.

Yet when they looked at Nathaniel, their eyes showed little of the respect one would expect toward the legal heir of the consortium.

Instead, they assessed him.

Some displayed barely concealed skepticism. Others wore the sympathetic expressions people reserved for an inexperienced young man they believed couldn’t understand the situation he had inherited.

Nathaniel didn’t stand to greet them.

He remained seated on the sofa, his expression calm.

Uncle George stood behind him, while Daniel Mercer stayed to one side, watching the visitors with a deepening frown.

Something about their arrival felt wrong.

Colin was the first to speak.

He forced a sorrowful expression onto his face and lowered his head slightly.

"Young master, we’ve all heard about what happened to your parents. Please accept our deepest condolences."

Nathaniel looked directly at him.

"They aren’t dead."

Colin’s expression stiffened for a moment.

He hadn’t expected such a blunt response.

Victoria quickly stepped into the conversation.

"Young master, naturally, we all hope Chairman Nathan and Chairwoman Eleanor return safely."

She paused, adopting a measured and professional tone.

"But the operation of the Beaumont Trading Consortium cannot depend entirely on hope."

Her gaze swept across the room.

"The situation outside is becoming increasingly unstable. Our consortium controls an enormous commercial network, but we’ve suddenly lost the protection of our strongest guardians."

She folded her hands in front of her.

"If we don’t respond immediately, the consequences could be disastrous."

Nathaniel leaned back slightly.

"So, what do you intend to do?"

Victoria took a document from her assistant and placed it on the coffee table.

"This is a proposal prepared by the senior management after last night’s meeting."

She opened the folder and turned it toward Nathaniel.

"We intend to surrender a portion of our distribution channels and profit shares in exchange for joint protection from several major commercial organizations in the Southern Province."

She continued without hesitation.

"At the same time, we’ll establish a temporary management committee. The senior executives who understand the consortium’s operations will take over its daily management until the crisis has passed."

Her expression remained perfectly composed.

"You will retain your position as the legal heir and continue receiving the profits you’re entitled to."

She paused.

"However, the consortium’s practical decision-making authority will need to be transferred temporarily to the committee."

Daniel’s expression changed immediately.

A temporary management committee?

That sounded respectable enough.

But what Victoria was really proposing was to take control of Nathaniel’s inheritance while leaving him with a title and a share of the profits.

They wanted the authority without the responsibility of answering to the rightful owner.

Nathaniel glanced at the document without reaching for it.

"In other words, you want to hand over my parents’ legacy to outsiders."

Colin frowned slightly.

"Young master, that’s not what we’re proposing. We’re trying to preserve the consortium’s strength."

He spread his hands.

"We must recognize reality. The Beaumont Trading Consortium is no longer in the same position it occupied when your parents were here."

His voice grew more serious.

"Without the two chairmen protecting it, we may not be able to maintain such a vast operation."

Nathaniel’s response was immediate.

"With me here, the consortium won’t collapse."

Silence settled over the reception room.

For a moment, Colin simply stared at him.

Then he let out a short laugh.

It wasn’t a genuine laugh of amusement. It was the sort of helpless chuckle an adult might give when a child confidently announced something far beyond his understanding.

"Young master, I know you’ve performed well since your class awakening."

He shook his head.

"And I understand that you’re eager to prove yourself."

Colin leaned forward.

"But a trading consortium isn’t a school, and it certainly isn’t a dungeon."

His tone became patronizing.

"This is the real world. Running an organization of this scale requires experience, judgment, and connections. Perhaps you’ll develop those abilities in ten or twenty years."

He gestured toward the document.

"But you don’t have them today."

Another veteran executive immediately joined in.

"Young master, your priority should be developing your class and improving your strength. Managing a commercial organization is complicated, and the current situation is particularly dangerous."

He offered a reassuring smile.

"Let us handle the business affairs on your behalf. It’s the safest arrangement for everyone."

Uncle George’s expression darkened.

Every sentence sounded as though they were considering Nathaniel’s interests.

Yet each one was designed to deny his authority.

Victoria suddenly turned toward Uncle George.

Her tone softened.

"Uncle George, you’ve watched Nathaniel grow up. We all know how much he trusts you."

She sighed.

"At a time like this, you should help us explain the situation to him. Surely you understand that we’re trying to protect the business his parents built."

As she spoke, an assistant stepped forward carrying an exquisite silver box.

He placed it on the coffee table and opened the lid.

Inside lay three items.

A pale cyan crystal core.

A high-grade potential potion.

And a complete set of silver equipment that shimmered with a faint silver light.

Victoria gestured toward the contents.

"Daniel Mercer awakened the Archer class, didn’t he?"

Daniel’s eyes narrowed.

Victoria continued as though she hadn’t noticed.

"This Wind Spirit Crystal Core can improve an Archer’s elemental affinity. The potential potion can help strengthen his early development, and the Silver-grade Gale Hunter equipment set is suitable for an Archer between Levels 10 and 30."

She looked toward Uncle George.

"You’ve devoted many years of service to this family. Consider these items a small gesture of appreciation from the senior management."

Her voice lowered slightly.

"If you help persuade Nathaniel to accept the proposal, there will be more resources available in the future."

Uncle George didn’t answer.

His expression had become so cold that the room seemed to lose several degrees.

Daniel, however, moved before anyone else could speak.

He stepped forward, grabbed the silver box, and lifted it from the table.

A faint smile appeared on Victoria’s face.

Then came the next instant.

BANG!

Daniel smashed the box against the floor.

The crystal core bounced across the polished surface.

The potion bottle shattered, spilling its contents.

The silver equipment scattered in several directions, its metallic clatter echoing through the reception room.

Every executive froze.

Victoria’s smile vanished.

Daniel stared directly at her.

"What exactly do you mean by this?"

His voice was sharp enough to cut through the silence.

"Are you trying to bribe my father with this junk?"

He pointed toward the scattered items.

"You want him to help you betray Nathaniel, and you think a few pieces of equipment will be enough?"

Victoria’s expression hardened.

"Daniel, you’re young. There are things you don’t understand about business."

"I don’t understand your complicated schemes, that’s true!"

Daniel interrupted her without hesitation.

"But I understand loyalty!"

His voice rose.

"Nathaniel has treated me like a brother since we were children. His parents have always treated my family with kindness and respect."

He took a step forward.

"Now that something has happened to them, you come here trying to take control of their business. And when that isn’t enough, you try to bribe my father into helping you!"

His chest rose and fell with anger.

"Do you people have any shame?"

Daniel pointed toward the broken potion bottle.

"Even if I end up as a useless Archer for the rest of my life, I will never use these things to betray Nathaniel!"

The reception room fell completely silent.

Uncle George slowly closed his eyes.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then he opened them again, and the hesitation that had lingered in his expression was gone.

He stepped forward and positioned himself behind Nathaniel.

"Everyone, please take your things and leave."

His voice was low but firm.

"The young master’s decision is my decision."

Colin’s forced smile finally disappeared.

"Uncle George, you should think carefully about what you’re doing."

Uncle George met his gaze without flinching.

"I have thought about it very carefully."

His tone remained steady.

"My loyalty has always been to this family. It hasn’t changed, and it won’t change now."

The atmosphere turned icy.

Victoria withdrew the last trace of softness from her expression.

"Young master, we came here intending to resolve this matter peacefully."

She looked directly at Nathaniel.

"If you agree to our proposal, everyone can move forward without unnecessary conflict."

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"But if you refuse, we have other ways of handling the situation."

She paused.

"And if it comes to that, things may become unpleasant."

Colin took over.

"Young master, you’re the primary heir, but the consortium isn’t a personal toy that you can manage however you please."

He straightened his jacket.

"We have a senior management council, shareholder agreements, and established operational procedures governing each department."

His expression became cold.

"If we follow the proper procedures, you may discover that taking control of the organization isn’t nearly as simple as you imagine."

For the first time since the meeting began, Nathaniel smiled.

It was a small, almost casual smile.

"Legal procedures?"

He looked at Colin.

"I’m the legal heir. My parents’ inheritance documents are clear."

His expression remained composed.

"If we take this matter to court and follow the proper procedures, you may find that things don’t turn out the way you expect."

Colin’s eyes darkened.

"Young master, what exactly are you trying to accomplish?"

Before Nathaniel could answer, one of the veteran shareholders abruptly stood up.

His face was red with anger.

"Do you even understand how dangerous the consortium’s situation is right now?"

He pointed toward Nathaniel.

"Are you determined to drag the entire organization down with you just because you refuse to accept advice?"

His voice grew louder.

"This is the legacy your parents spent their lives building! Are you really going to destroy it with your own hands?"

The accusation hung in the air.

It was a familiar tactic.

Moral pressure.

Blame disguised as concern.

And the convenient claim that anyone who disagreed with them was endangering the greater good.

They wanted to make Nathaniel feel that refusing their proposal meant betraying his parents.

They wanted him to believe that surrendering control was the only responsible choice.

Nathaniel looked at the executives without changing his expression.

He had heard enough.

He had no interest in watching them continue their performance.

In the end, this was a world where strength determined how much respect a person received.

He had learned that lesson repeatedly over the past two days.

Power could protect what mattered.

Power could silence those who tried to seize what wasn’t theirs.

And power could turn an impossible situation into a simple decision.

Nathaniel slowly rose from the sofa.

The executives instinctively watched him.

His gaze passed over Colin, Victoria, Marcus, and the other visitors.

"Since you’ve all come here to discuss strength and the right to control this consortium..."

He paused.

A faint shadow moved beneath his feet.

"Then let’s stop pretending this is merely a friendly business discussion."

The room grew quiet.

Nathaniel’s eyes settled on Colin.

"Tell me something."

His voice remained calm.

"Have any of you ever wondered why my parents trusted me with their inheritance?"

No one answered.

Nathaniel took one step forward.

"Perhaps you should have asked yourselves that question before coming here."

The shadows beneath the furniture deepened almost imperceptibly.

And for the first time since entering Cedar Heights Estate, the senior executives began to feel that they might have seriously underestimated the young man sitting across from them.