Capítulo 72: Chapter 69: Better Place!
"Raymond? Hey, are you with us?"
Luke's exasperated tone cut through Raymond's reverie, bringing him back to the present.
"Hmm?"
He blinked, refocusing his attention on Luke.
"Sorry about that," Raymond said as he shook off his distracting thoughts.
"Call everyone together. We've got a meeting in an hour."
"Got it," Luke replied, rolling his eyes as he set about his task.
An hour passed, and Raymond and Luke navigated the corridor with a vigilant bodyguard at their side, finally reaching the meeting room.
Luke shot Raymond a puzzled glance, noting the distant look in his eyes that seemed to recur.
Shrugging off the odd behavior, Luke muttered, "Whatever."
Despite Raymond's seemingly lost in his thoughts, Luke had confidence in the kid.
"The kid's a genius anyway," he muttered to himself, knowing Raymond would still be fully engaged in the upcoming meeting.
As Raymond and Luke entered the room, they were greeted by the sight of the key figures from Celestia Consortium, Celestial Force, and the higher-ups from Sam Song already gathered.
A sense of reverence filled the air as the attendees rose from their seats, offering respectful bows to Raymond.
"..."
Raymond acknowledged their gestures with a nod, his expression composed as he took his place in the middle seat at the head of the room reserved for the owner of the Celestia Consortium.
Beside him, Luke settled into the seat designated for the figurehead of Celestial Force, prepared to fulfill his duties.
With the head figures now seated, the rest of the attendees followed suit, straightening their postures before taking their seats.
"..."
As Raymond glanced around the room, a hush settled over the familiar faces gathered there.
These were individuals who had once held prominent positions but had since stepped down from public view.
Though officially replaced by new figures, they still retained the true power within the company.
The newcomers now occupying their former roles were mere puppets, serving as a front for public perception.
In truth, it was these individuals before Raymond who wielded the authority and influence that truly mattered within the organization.
Luke was similar.
He had also retired from active duty, claiming he was wealthy enough to live comfortably for the rest of his days.
However, due to a lack of competent candidates, he reluctantly assumed the role of chairman of Celestial Force.
"Chairman Lee, could you update us on the situation?"
Raymond addressed Lee Song, who nodded in acknowledgment.
Lee signaled to his secretary to distribute a folder containing relevant information to the key figures present.
"Thank you," Raymond said, taking the folder and carefully examining its contents, his brow furrowing in concentration.
"As you're all aware," Song began, his brow furrowing with concern, "there have been some recent regulatory changes with the new Ministry of Economics stepping in. They may seem minor at first glance..."
He paused, shaking his head, continuing, "But given our company's expansion plans, these seemingly small adjustments are proving quite costly for us financially."
"Fatso Lu, huh?" Luke clicked his tongue as he muttered under his breath.
Song nodded solemnly, confirming Luke's suspicion, "He's not exactly on our side, especially since we've thrown our support behind their opposition in the last campaign..."
"We don't take sides," Raymond asserted, cutting through the tension in the room. All eyes turned to him as he shook his head.
"In politics, as businessmen, we align ourselves with the winner."
"..."
A heavy silence descended upon the room, Raymond observing their stunned reactions with a shake of his head.
"These folks are too innocent for the harsh realities of modern politics," he thought to himself.
Still...
He couldn't help but notice that even in the Republic of Padokea, they were overly dependent on the government, which didn't bode well for a multinational company like theirs.
It should be the government relying on them, not the other way around!
"I need to assert control over the political landscape faster," Raymond resolved silently as he glanced at Song.
"So this new regulation is squeezing our profit margins, huh?"
Raymond remarked, prompting Song to nod in agreement.
"Exactly."
"In that case, let's set up our factory somewhere else."
"Yes, that's the plan," Song confirmed, signaling his secretary to activate the monitor across the room.
The screen illuminated, displaying a world map with various countries marked and potential locations strategically chosen for constructing their new factory.
Song cleared his throat, drawing attention to the Mimbo Republic, situated next to their own country.
"We've already set up some factories there, but expanding further could cause conflicts of interest," he explained.
Raymond listened intently as Song moved on to discuss Jappon, a small island nation where local competition made it difficult for them to expand their operations.
A spark of determination flashed in Raymond's eyes as he pondered his next move.
"I'll need to find another way to break into the Jappon market," he thought, already brainstorming ideas.
Song then mentioned the Kukan'yu Kingdom as a potential site for a new factory.
Despite the technical feasibility, Raymond noted Song's concern about the profit margins in that region.
Luke nodded in agreement, "They do put a heavy tax on foreign companies..."
Raymond nodded along while processing the information and silently plotting his strategy for expansion.
Song then pointed towards the Azia continent.
"We already have a significant presence in Azia, so building a factory there would be our best option. However, we need to consider the Federation of Ochima's reaction since we're competitors in the same industry."
"What about the United States of Saherta?"
Luke chimed in, pointing to the Yorbia Continent.
Song shook his head, "Shipping our goods from there would be costly, given the Ten Dons' influence in the States. Our best bet for now is to focus on the Azia continent and the Begerosse Union."
"Still, Azia seems like the most practical choice as shipping from Begerosse would introduce unnecessary delays and risks."
Luke let out a weary sigh, scratching his head, "It's going to cost us, but probably less than staying put, right?"
Turning to Raymond, Luke addressed him directly.
"So, boss, what's your call? The ball's in your court."
All eyes turned to Raymond as he tapped his fingers thoughtfully on the table.
"..."
The room fell silent, knowing that Raymond was carefully considering the best course of action for their company's future.
"...A place where we can build without breaking the bank, with lower taxes and bigger profit margins," Raymond murmured, his eyes lighting up with sudden realization.
"There's a better option," he declared confidently.
"A better option?"
Luke and Song exchanged puzzled glances.
Raymond's expression morphed into a sly smirk as he continued, "...Ever heard of a little place called Meteor City?"
---
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