American Life

Chapter 214 Betting, there are people outside

At night, bars of all sizes on the streets of London begin to become lively.

As an empire where the sun never sets, bar culture has a history of more than 1000 years in the UK. In the past, there was a lack of entertainment methods, and bars became a place for relaxation and entertainment in their spare time. People came here to chat, watch sports events, and enjoy music. There are even a lot of traditions and etiquette associated with it. For example, even the most distinguished people have to go to the bar to order drinks in person. They are not allowed to shout at the bartender, they are not allowed to smoke indoors, they are not allowed to cheer in bars that support different teams, etc. .

"In London, there are countless strange things in any bar, such as the 'Spaniard's Inn' we are in now. It is said that this is the place where the British thief Dick Turpin was born and hid. Dickens , Shelley, Keats and Byron all like to come here. Maybe the round table we are sitting at now is the place where Dickens wrote." Elmo said with all his treasures.

She picked up the glass, took a sip of Camden Light Beer, and then licked the white foam at the corner of her mouth with her tongue.

"I thought you were a non-drinker." Charlie looked at her and said, tilting his head.

"In fact, if it is not necessary, I am not interested in this carcinogen." She said bluntly.

Carcinogen?Charlie looked at the gin in his glass and suddenly found it difficult to swallow.

"Then why did you choose to commit suicide slowly today?"

"You know there's a saying in London: If a man invites you to a pub and doesn't drink with you, he's either your enemy, or he's trying to get a secret out of you."

While they were chatting, Charlie saw a man walking in the door, wearing a gray and black sports coat and a peaked cap. He seemed to be looking for someone. As soon as he entered the door, he started to look around.

Charlie raised his hand slightly, and the man immediately leaned over.

"what do you want to drink?"

"Thank you, a cup of black tea with ice will do." He took off his hat.

Charlie and Elmo looked at each other, and smiles appeared on their faces.

"Is this your secretary?" As soon as he sat down, he looked at Elmo next to Charlie.

"That's pretty much understandable." Charlie nodded.

Maybe it was because Charlie’s Playboy name was too loud, or maybe Elmo’s beauty was a cover-up. After all, there were many female lawyers, but such beautiful female lawyers were very rare. The man did not express any doubt about this, and said straight to the point. .

"To make a long story short, you are willing to come here, and you obviously understand that you have encountered problems in the acquisition case, and I can help you solve these problems." He placed his hands on the black wooden round table with many years of history, under the bright yellow light , with a special luster on the tabletop.

"You should know that the CMA has just rejected the acquisition proposal." Charlie tried to say.

"Of course I know, but I think you are capable enough to get the CMA to revoke the judgment. I heard that you hired a luxurious team of lawyers."

"In other words, are you confident enough in me?"

"This is like a bet on the card table. I choose to put my chips on you. I admit, there is an element of gambling."

"What can you bring me?" Charlie asked again.

"Who are the leaders and their next plans, such as inciting unions to take to the streets to protest, contact the news media, and put pressure on you. The ultimate goal is to allow you to retain the current management. Finally and most importantly, these people Weaknesses, including evidence of private dealings with suppliers. With these, you can easily gain control of the company."

It sounds very tempting, but Charlie also knows that there is no free lunch in the world.

"what do you want?"

He crossed his hands, put them against his chin, and spoke slowly: "I want to be the CEO of Land Rover and Jaguar after the merger."

"It's natural to pay back for help, but a CEO needs a human level."

"I have worked for BMW for 20 years, and Land Rover is currently the best-selling model on the market. All of them are made by me. Even without this meeting, I am the most suitable candidate for you." He said very confidently.

"But you still took the risk and came in person." Charlie asked.

"I don't want those bugs to stay in the new company. I want to sweep them out without leaving any one behind. From this point on, my interests are aligned with yours."

Charlie thought for a while: "If what you say is true, I will consider your proposal."

Seeing that he had achieved his goal, he smiled slightly, drank the remaining half cup of black tea, and took the initiative to pay the bill.

"Welcome to London, I hope you two will have a wonderful night." He bowed slightly and chose to leave.

Elmo tilted his head to one side and said in a panic: "Why are you men thinking about these things?"

"That's because you are beautiful enough." Charlie said truthfully.

"You finally said something that made people happy." Aimo laughed, but quickly ignored the related topic.

"I will find out whether what he said is true, and if there is indeed collusion between management and suppliers, I can launch abuse of power charges."

"By the way, check out his work experience as well." Charlie continued.

The two drank the wine in their glasses, put on their heavy coats, and walked out of the bar. It was already raining lightly outside.

Charlie did not cross the street and get into the waiting car on the other side of the street. Instead, he tried to say to Elmo beside him: "Come for a casual walk with me?"

It's rare to have a barrister as a companion. Wouldn't it be too boring to just go back like this?

Although Elmo complained: "I still have to go back and prepare the complaint materials to be submitted to the CMA." He still chose to follow Charlie.

So the two of them walked on the streets of London at night, and a car followed slowly not far away. Gal Gadot was still in charge of driving, and Keira was in the co-pilot position.

"Why do I feel that this scene is familiar?" Keira said suddenly, thinking of the previous scene.

"Yes, but it was another girl who was following Charlie at the time." Gal Gadot explained.

Outside the car, the two of them remained silent. After a while, Aimo took the initiative to break the silence, seeming to sigh: "Actually, my first impression of you was very bad. Now I feel that my initial opinion was not the same." Accurate, at least your subordinates admire you very much."

"Of course, the average salary of pb company is the highest in the entire industry."

"It's not just about money. You started with the acquisition of PB, and the series of actions after that can be called a miracle." Aimo laughed and shook his head.

After confirming that Charlie accepted Charlie's invitation, she reviewed her boss's public information and news.

Generally speaking, she felt that Charlie Rossi's business talents were obviously different from ordinary people, and as for his desperate operations on Wall Street, she was even more shocked.

Now involved in the traditional automobile manufacturing industry, Elmo becomes more and more curious about what Charlie Rossi's purpose is.

"I might as well tell you." Standing at the crossroads, Charlie pointed to several private cars that stopped because of the red light.

"The automobile industry has developed for a century and has already formed professional barriers. It will be difficult for subsequent players to catch up. But soon, a new energy revolution is about to begin. Electrified cars have excellent performance, which is enough to erase the previous technological accumulation. This Just like the sudden explosion of Internet companies in the past few years, a group of old players will quickly decline, and a group of new players will quickly rise."

Only then did Elmo realize Charlie's true purpose, but he was still a little confused: "As early as 15 years ago, Ford launched the world's first pure EV car. If this technology is really enough to change the existing pattern, why? Delay until now?"

"Because energy and climate issues are becoming increasingly urgent, and because of technological advancements. Remember what people said when Ford launched its first car?"

“People just want a faster horse.”

Elmo suddenly realized it and couldn't help but exclaimed: "Then you join the Apple board of directors..."

"Yes, the changes in the mobile Internet are also going on at the same time. I don't mind putting my two feet in different boats." Charlie told her the truth.

Even Aimo, who has received a good elite education, can't help but use foul language.

"You are a genius, but you are also a madman." She said through gritted teeth.

"Maybe there's no difference between the two." Charlie shook his head.

She could sense the ambition of the man in front of her, and maybe not long before, his name would be remembered by many people in the world.

You know, he is even younger than me.

Ever since she was a child, Elmo has been the most outstanding one among her peers. She can easily give answers to questions that are extremely difficult for her classmates. She only needs to read those difficult and obscure histories to remember them a few times. , was even more favored by professors when he was in college. When he entered the United Nations to work, he received the envious looks of countless peers.

I am the strongest, the smartest, and the most beautiful.She never had any doubts about these comments.

She didn't have much admiration for the prominent names in her life. She even felt that when she was at that age, her achievements were no worse than anyone else's.

But now, for the first time in his life, this idea has been broken.

She suddenly understood what it meant to be "someone outside the world", and this inner shock was no less than "rebirth" to him.

From an outsider's perspective, this may not seem like much, but for Elmo it has a completely different meaning.

After experiencing the shock, she felt confused and at a loss for the first time in her life.The deepest confidence in her heart was easily shattered.

"What about you? Apart from your prominent resume in the future, I know very little about you." Charlie did not notice the quiet change in Elmo's mentality. This woman hid everything.

Elmo couldn't help but stop: "It's not as exciting as yours. My parents are retired professors and writers, and my mother is a well-known journalist. When I was two years old, my family came to the UK to escape the war. I grew up I received a business-style education in the UK, and I have one younger brother and two younger sisters at home...and that's how we got to this point." She seemed a little incoherent at the end.

The rain stopped quickly and the two returned to the car.

This is the case in London. Due to the climate, rain clouds come and go quickly, often lasting only ten minutes.

Back at the hotel, as Elmo mentioned before, the two began to prepare for tomorrow's CMA trip.

Elmo warned Charlie how to communicate with each other and what needs to be paid attention to.

During the entire conversation, she was no longer as sharp as before, and looked a little deep. Charlie obviously didn't know that the root cause was himself, and thought it was the conversation just now that aroused her sadness.

Late at night, after Charlie left, Elmo was still packing up the information.

But when she appeared in front of Charlie again early the next morning, she returned to a confident look.

"Communicate rationally, communicate sincerely, and show the utmost sincerity, and we will succeed."

Standing in front of the British CMA headquarters in Victoria, Charlie encouraged Elmo.

On the way here, Elmo introduced this place to Charlie. CMA stands for Competition and Markets Authority. It is an independent, non-ministerial department responsible for promoting competitive markets and combating unfair practices.

Peter Freeman, the head of the management committee, personally received Charlie and Elmo.

"The CMA will only assess the impact of the transaction on the local market and during our preliminary investigation we found a number of issues."

Charlie explained the reasons why he chose to acquire.

"Electric cars, right? It does sound very promising and far-sighted. We will reconsider it. You can go back and wait for the news." Peter Freeman nodded.

It seemed that he accepted Charlie's idea very easily, but a week passed in the blink of an eye. During this period, Elmo went to the CMA every day to inquire about the progress of the investigation and whether he needed relevant supporting documents.

But the CMA’s answer is the same every day.

"I think the other party has terminated the investigation internally." Aimo said helplessly.

"The problem is not with us, but with the CMA itself." Charlie spoke to Victoria yesterday. The other party has confirmed that the American oil interest groups have not interfered. Similarly, Larov Space, who met Charlie before, is also following up. Charlie reported on the progress of Bianca and others. Although there were indeed some small moves, he did not have any contact with the CMA.

Charlie felt that he was getting closer to the truth of the matter step by step, and he decided to change his approach.

·
That evening, Pete Freeman got off work and came to the parking lot. As soon as he opened the car door and was about to get in the car, he heard a voice behind him.

"Hey, Mr. Freeman, how are you doing today?" A cheerful voice appeared from behind.

Freeman looked back and saw a man in a suit and leather shoes get off the car behind him and approached him.

He had a slicked back hair, no tie, and the top two buttons of his shirt were open, revealing a thick strand of hair on his chest.

"The seventh-generation Accord, produced by Honda in Japan, was priced at 25000 pounds at the time. It may have to be discounted in half now, or even less. This car must be ten years old, right?" Sol looked at the rear of the car.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Peter Freeman said with caution.

The other party did not respond immediately, but continued to talk to himself.

"The CMA was formerly the Office of Fair Trading. Although its powers have been expanded, the budget is not, otherwise the person in charge would not be able to drive this classic car."

Saul walked up to the other party and stretched out his hand: "You can call me Saul. I am Mr. Charlie Rossi's lawyer."

"I said that an investigation is underway and the entire process will take more than 24 weeks at most. Are you too anxious?" Freeman looked at the other party.

"Yes, but my boss is willing to pay some price for expediting the review." Sol pressed his arms on the roof of the car, leaned forward, and poked his head in.

"I wonder if you would like to talk in detail?"

Freeman took out a cigarette and lit it, then blew out a stream of white smoke, then looked back to see if there was anyone else in the parking lot.

Then he turned to Sol and whispered: "Get in the car."

(End of this chapter)