Chapter 695 - 691: As Expected of Mr. Jennings

Seeing this, Randall Jennings looked at the two men and asked directly, "Cecilia and I were just discussing recent investment trends in Lorcain. She mentioned you were currently involved in an acquisition?"

Cecilia glanced at Mr. Jennings, startled. ’He’s just going to ask them so bluntly?’

Mr. Bowman and Mr. Holden were also taken aback. Their acquisition talks had all been conducted in private and were not public knowledge. ’How could Miss Sterling possibly know about this?’

"You’re certainly well-informed, Miss Sterling," Mr. Bowman said with a smile, his gaze toward Cecilia now carrying a hint of probing curiosity.

Cecilia maintained a natural expression, simply offering a pleasant smile. "When you’re in the investment business, you have to stay on top of the latest trends. But you’ve done an excellent job keeping things under wraps; I only heard about it a couple of days ago."

With Randall Jennings present, they dared not underestimate Cecilia, much less lie and deny the matter. Mr. Holden nodded in confirmation. "That’s right, we’ve been holding talks within our limited network of contacts."

"How is it progressing? Has anything been settled?" Randall Jennings asked again, gesturing for the two of them to sit.

Mr. Bowman and Mr. Holden exchanged a glance and took their seats. Mr. Bowman then said with a smile, "It’s hardly that easy. Progress hasn’t been very optimistic."

Cecilia knew only that the Churchill Family was negotiating; she was unaware of the other details.

She asked curiously, "Forgive me for asking, but Cirrus Palace seems to be doing very well. Why the sudden decision to sell?"

"It wasn’t a sudden decision; we’ve been discussing it for a long time," Mr. Holden said. He then looked at Randall Jennings, mustering his courage to ask, "Chairman Jennings, would you be interested? Our club might be a trivial business in your eyes, but its annual profits are quite good, and it doesn’t require a lot of hands-on management."

"Then you’re asking the wrong person." Randall Jennings smiled at Cecilia and said earnestly, "The one you should be asking is Cecilia. She’s the real enthusiast for physical investments here in Lorcain."

Cecilia suddenly understood. ’Mr. Jennings is already paving the way for me.’

Hearing this, the two owners turned to look at Cecilia. ’This young woman, who looks to be barely in her early twenties, invests in physical assets?’

But they couldn’t doubt Randall Jennings’s words. Besides, for a young woman to be having a private meal with Chairman Jennings, her status was clearly anything but simple.

’She must have a powerful background,’ they thought.

After quickly re-evaluating Cecilia, Mr. Bowman was the first to speak. "Miss Sterling, have you invested in brick-and-mortar businesses like clubs before?"

Cecilia raised an eyebrow slightly, not denying it. "Of course. Are the two of you truly unfamiliar with who I am?"

"Er..."

Her question left them speechless.

Mr. Holden spoke up hesitantly, "Actually, the name ’Miss Sterling’ does sound a bit familiar. I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere."

Mr. Bowman nodded in agreement. "Same here, but... tsk, I just can’t seem to place it all of a sudden."

"Aetherium," Cecilia offered generously. "I’m Cecilia Sterling, the owner of Aetherium!"

Mr. Bowman and Mr. Holden’s eyes widened in an instant, expressions of sudden realization dawning on their faces.

"Miss Cecilia Sterling! My goodness, look at our terrible memories. How could we forget the name of our main competitor’s owner," Mr. Bowman said in a jesting tone.

Cecilia laughed as well. "It seems my reputation doesn’t precede me just yet."

"That’s not it at all," Mr. Holden explained. "It’s just that you’re very mysterious, Miss Sterling. Besides, this is your first time dining at our Cirrus Palace, isn’t it?"

Cecilia nodded lightly. "Mr. Jennings was close by, so instead of going to my place, we just came here. It feels like fate that we were able to meet because of it."

"Well said."

Just then, the waitstaff began bringing out the food. Mr. Bowman quickly gave an order, "Bring the dishes from our restaurant’s Eight Extremes Dishes that this table hasn’t ordered yet."

"Chairman Jennings, Miss Sterling, the East Sea Sea Cucumber King just arrived this morning. Each one is almost the size of my forearm. You simply must try some."

Mr. Holden then said politely, "Then we won’t disturb your meal any further?"

He made a motion to stand as he spoke.

Cecilia quickly said, "Why don’t you join us for a bite? I’d like to learn a bit more about this place."

The two men froze and instinctively glanced at Randall Jennings. He took a sip of tea and chuckled. "If your deal isn’t finalized yet, you might as well discuss it with Cecilia. With me here, you don’t have to worry about a thing. I’ll vouch for her."

"Oh, Chairman Jennings, please don’t say that. Of course we have complete faith in Miss Sterling," Mr. Bowman interjected quickly, before carefully explaining, "Actually, we’re currently waiting to hear back from Chairman Hugo Churchill. He came to chat with us a couple of days ago but didn’t finalize anything on the spot. After all, it’s a big deal. He said he needed some time to consider it."

Hugo Churchill. Randall Jennings nodded upon hearing the name.

The man was indeed a formidable figure in Lorcain, but Randall Jennings didn’t pay him much mind. He said immediately, "If the deal hasn’t been finalized, then it doesn’t count."

Cecilia also chimed in, "I’m not trying to snatch the deal away, but I am genuinely interested. This is fair competition. It belongs to whoever can lock it down first, right?"

"Y-Yes, of course. Chairman Jennings and Miss Sterling are absolutely right."

Mr. Bowman and Mr. Holden exchanged another glance, then both nodded in agreement. Mr. Bowman looked at Cecilia and said, "Then, shall I discuss the details with you, Miss Sterling?"

Mr. Holden, meanwhile, stood up and stepped aside to call their other partners and explain the new development.

By the end of the meal, Cecilia had learned almost everything she needed to know. Mr. Bowman and Mr. Holden answered all of her questions openly and in great detail.

Finally, the two men stood up and shook Cecilia’s hand once more. This time, however, there was a clear, newfound respect in their eyes directed at her personally.

"Miss Sterling, so we have an agreement?"

"Of course. With Mr. Jennings here as a witness, could we possibly treat this like a game? Go ahead and draw up the contract. And please wrap up any remaining pre-acquisition work as quickly as you can. After all, you’re waiting for the funds, aren’t you?"

"Ah, Miss Sterling, you’re so decisive! I never expected someone so young to have such drive. You are truly worthy of the high praise Chairman Jennings has for you."

Cecilia beamed, accepting the compliment without any false modesty. "Naturally. Which is why you definitely won’t go wrong choosing me."

Her remark made everyone laugh. After they politely said their goodbyes, Cecilia turned to Randall Jennings, her gratitude plain to see.

"Mr. Jennings, thank you so much!" Cecilia said, the full picture finally dawning on her. "You knew from the very beginning, didn’t you? That as long as you showed up here, they would come to you. That’s why you deliberately chose this place for lunch."

Randall Jennings nodded. "Exactly. A simple method, isn’t it? It saves time and effort. The whole thing settled in the time it takes to eat a meal!"

Cecilia gave him a genuine thumbs-up. She finally understood how Mr. Jennings managed his time so efficiently despite his hectic schedule. Some things didn’t require complex strategies; they could be settled so easily.

’Mr. Jennings truly is in a league of his own!’