Chapter 440 Word Travels Fast
Even though Robert had named conditions, I was still thrilled that he had agreed to work with our company. If nothing else, we at least got a one-year contract with his company.
“Fair enough. I promise we won’t let you down, Mr. Downer. My secretary and I will be at your office tomorrow. We can go over the details then.”
Since Robert was willing to give our company a chance, I had to strike while the iron was hot. As soon as his contract with Michael ends, I’ll have to get him to sign one with us.
“No problem.” He then glanced at me before continuing, “Ms. Garcia, aren’t you curious why I agreed to work with your company so readily?” questioned Robert with his smile still hanging on his face.
“Why is that?” I did wonder why he agreed to hire our company so quickly, but I just thought I was overthinking it. Since the man pointed it out, I was curious to find out the reason.
“I respect your dedication. As the director of your company, you could’ve had somebody else meet me, but that’s not what you did. It shows you’re a very responsible person and I can depend on you to get things done.”
Robert paid me yet another compliment for my eagerness, but I knew I only did what I did because I was desperate to consolidate myself.
Of course, I could not tell my potential client that, or I would risk getting myself into unwanted trouble.
“Thank you for your kind words and for putting your trust in me, Mr. Downer. All I can do is promise to live up to your expectation.”
Smiling at Robert, I suddenly felt hopeful. The meeting went better than I expected, which made me feel like I had gotten the better of Michael for once.
After chatting for a while and finishing up our coffee, we each went our own way.
All fired up because of the successful poaching, I started preparing for the next meeting with Robert as soon as I got home.
Meanwhile, Michael received news of my discussion with Robert not long after I had met the man.
That evening, after I was done compiling the documents for Robert, my doorbell rang. Curious, I hurried over to the front door with an eyebrow raised.
It turned out that Michael had come to visit. I could not help but be shocked to see the man since we had not seen each other for three days. My heart was racing as I gazed at him in surprise.
“Why are you here? Is there something you need?” I questioned with a slight frown.
Even though it was not unusual for companies to be poaching each other’s clients, I still felt somewhat guilty when Michael appeared at my doorstep.
“Is there a reason why you seem guilt-ridden?” inquired Michael as he looked into my eye.
“Why would I be guilt-ridden? I just don’t want to see you,” I said coldly, trying my best to sound as indifferent as possible.
“It seems I may have underestimated you. To be honest, I didn’t expect you to poach one of my clients so soon.”
Michael’s cold stare and sharp words got my heart beating even faster. So, this really is about me stealing his client! How did he even find out so soon? I just spoke with Mr. Downer today. Heck, we haven’t even signed a contract yet!
“Then maybe you shouldn’t have done that. I know just how capable you are, but I’m no pushover either. Working fast and hard is the only way to beat you.”
Even though the act of poaching was not exactly something to be proud of, it was, however, a norm in the business world. Just like nature itself, the strong would always survive.
Michael did not expect me to be so forthcoming. He glanced at me before walking into my living room uninvited.
I furrowed my eyebrows in response because I did not appreciate how the man acted as though he owned my apartment.
Then, I sat down across from him with my arms crossed to show him that he had overstayed his welcome.
“Did you just come here to tell me how I’ve poached your client? If that’s the case, you can go now because I’m well aware of what I did.”
There was not much for us to talk about since we were competitors, and I was not about to give his client back to him.
“In order to attract clients, you’re willing to reduce your profits. Do you really think that’s a smart move? Is that how you think you can win my clients over?” Michael seemed so composed it was almost impossible to tell if he was upset that his client got poached.
“How I win my clients over is none of your business.” To be honest, I was impressed that he even found out about the offer I made to Robert.
“You’re right. It’s none of my business. In fact, I can’t think of a reason to stop you from doing so. If you continue down this path long enough, you might even bankrupt the Nifty Group yourself,” sneered Michael condescendingly.
“What the heck does that mean?”
As much as his harsh words annoyed me, I could not help but feel a sense of insecurity after listening to him.
“Most companies would charge their clients the highest price the clients can afford to pay. On the other hand, you were willing to reduce your price and, in turn, increase your risk exposure. What if there is a change of plans or an unforeseen situation? Are you sure you’ll have enough to cover your costs without burning through your capital?” explained Michael in an icy-cold tone.
My heart almost skipped a beat when I heard the rhetorical question. Suddenly, I started to doubt myself. All I could think about was how to poach Michael’s clients, which has prevented me from seeing the bigger picture. He’s got a point. Maybe I was too desperate. As he said, if something were to happen, the low budget might not be enough to cover the extra costs. If worse comes to worst, our company might even have to pay out of our own pocket.
Although Michael made me feel anxious, I still tried my best to seem collected. Inside, I assured myself that everything was going to be fine, and he was just trying to mess with my head.
