Deandre gazed at Berloff Reed, his eyes filled with deep meaning.
A young man in his twenties, making billions through financial speculation in just half a year—who would believe that?
Honestly, Deandre himself didn't believe it.
In his view, Berloff must have a powerful family backing him, armed with insider information, which allowed this young scion to rake in massive profits in the futures and forex markets.
So, Berloff's sudden purchase of a large number of Acat Group shares was very intriguing.
If things went wrong, Deandre, the founder, could very well lose control of the entire group to Berloff and his powerful backers, becoming nothing more than a figurehead.
This was an outcome Deandre could not tolerate under any circumstances.
"Heh!" Deandre took a deep breath, steeling himself, and extended an invitation to Berloff.
"Mr. Berloff, it's quite crowded here. How about we find a quiet place to talk?"
With such an invitation from a big shot, Berloff naturally couldn't refuse.Soon, with the personal arrangement of the president of Silk City University of Finance, the two of them were seated in a reception room next to the auditorium.
After asking their assistants and followers to leave the room, Deandre stared intently at Berloff and got straight to the point. "Mr. Berloff, with your recent acquisition of a significant number of Acat Group shares, you will soon secure a seat on the board."
"I'm curious, what are your thoughts on the current management?"
"Do you think it's time to reorganize the management team of Acat Group, perhaps replacing an old guy like me with someone younger?"
Sitting next to Berloff Reed, his cousin Rebecca was blushing as she gazed at her idol, Deandre, who sat across from them.
When she heard Deandre's cautious inquiry, Rebecca felt as if a storm had erupted in her heart, her face filled with disbelief.
Her cousin Berloff had reached a level where he could influence the CEO selection of a tech giant like Acat Group? That was terrifying!
Previously, when Rebecca heard that Berloff had amassed a fortune of billions through financial speculation, she was incredibly shocked but still saw him as a rapidly rising super-rich upstart.
It wasn't until this moment, hearing the nation's wealthiest man, Deandre, probe her cousin Berloff, that Rebecca realized Berloff had become a significant figure.
Even her idol, Deandre, a business tycoon, had to treat him with utmost seriousness.
Berloff paused for a few seconds after hearing Deandre's question, then chuckled.
"Haha... President Deandre, you've misunderstood."
"I bought a large number of Acat Group shares purely as a financial investment. I believe in the high growth potential of this tech giant in the coming years."
"With someone as visionary and capable as you at the helm, I have no interest in meddling in the company's internal affairs. I'll just wait for the annual dividends."
Hearing this, Deandre's eyes lit up. "Mr. Berloff, is that true?"
Berloff nodded earnestly. "President Deandre, I'm being completely honest here, no lies!"
"Think about it, I don't understand the internet or management. If I spent billions of real money to buy a large number of Acat Group shares and then meddled in the company's management, wouldn't that be suicidal?"
"If I messed up Acat Group's business and the stock price plummeted, I'd lose a fortune."
"Isn't it better to just sit back and collect dividends rather than getting involved in the day-to-day operations?" Deandre, being the richest man in the country, wasn't about to let his guard down just because of a few casual remarks from Berloff Reed.
Deandre's eyes gleamed with sharpness as he spoke confidently, "Haha, Mr. Berloff, you have a point."
"But, Mr. Berloff, to be honest, the shares you hold in the company have seriously threatened my and the management's control over the company."
"Even if you don't want to stir things up, there are always people who can't sit still. The tree wants to be still, but the wind won't stop blowing."
Tap, tap!
Berloff furrowed his brows slightly, gently tapping his finger on the mahogany table.
"Well..."
After thinking for a moment, Berloff said, "President Deandre, how about this: at the board meetings, I will delegate all my voting rights to you.""This way, everyone will know that I'm just a financial investor with no interest in controlling the company."
"Handled this way, you and the management should have no concerns about me, right?"
Whoosh!
Deandre's eyes widened in surprise and delight as he looked at Berloff.
"Mr. Berloff!"
"You're not joking, right? If you give me all your voting rights at the board meetings, you won't be able to influence the entire group at all?"Berloff Reed laughed heartily, "That's no problem at all. As long as it doesn't affect my annual stock dividends from Acat Group, I'm good."
"Besides, I'm more worried about offending the richest man in the country if I don't go along with this. I don't want to be constantly on edge and lose sleep over it."
Deandre's face turned awkward, "Haha, Mr. Berloff, you're overestimating me. I'm not that kind of ruthless person."
Berloff waved his hand dismissively, "This is about controlling an internet giant worth billions of dollars. I can't afford to play dangerous games with President Deandre.""To avoid any prolonged issues, why don't you have your legal department fax over the share transfer agreement now, and we can sign it right here?"
Smack!
Deandre's face lit up with joy as he slapped the mahogany conference table.
"Great! Mr. Berloff, you are indeed straightforward! I'll have my assistant arrange it right away."
Just as he was about to call his assistant, he suddenly paused and gave Berloff a sheepish smile, "By the way, Mr. Berloff, since you're so understanding, I can't let you go without offering something in return."
"If you need any help, just let me know."
Berloff scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "President Deandre, I can't think of anything I need help with right now."
"But if I ever need something in the future, I hope President Deandre will lend me a hand."
Deandre waved his hand grandly, "Don't worry, Brother Berloff. Since you're supporting me, I'll definitely repay the favor."
"If you ever need anything, just call me directly. No need to be formal with your brother Deandre!"
Rebecca, standing nearby, was left stunned by the conversation.
Oh my gosh!
In the blink of an eye, my cousin Berloff Reed has become best buddies with Deandre, the richest man in the country?
They just met for the first time, right? How did their relationship get so close so quickly?
Looking at it now, in the future, during family gatherings and holidays, Berloff can proudly puff out his chest and declare in front of relatives and friends: Deandre, the richest man in the country and the president of the internet giant Acat Group, is his buddy! And their relationship is incredibly tight!
It sounds like bragging, but Rebecca couldn't argue against it because she knew it was true.
While Rebecca was still in shock, Berloff had already signed the legal agreement that was faxed over.
After completing the formalities, Deandre laughed heartily, ignoring the age difference between them. He wrapped his arm around Berloff's shoulder, and they walked out of the meeting room like old friends, their camaraderie evident.
This scene left the principal of the University of Finance and others utterly stunned, their faces full of disbelief.
Berloff Reed, this young alumnus, turned out to be so formidable?!