"Who are you?"
Garland Blackwood looks at the young man in front of him, his eyes filled with confusion.
"Garland Blackwood, the most shining star even among Ivy League finance graduates and investment genius who founded Empire Investments during his time at school and developed it upon returning to his home country. In the past nine years, with successful predictions of three bull markets, Empire Investments' net valuation reached the level of billion-dollar worth assets," Sebastian says with a smile.
"You know me?" Garland Blackwood is taken aback, quickly straightening his crumpled suit, his demeanor proud.
He is a proud man. Facing with someone who knows him, he subconsciously wants to maintain his last bit of dignity.
"However..." Sebastian's tone changes, "It seems that Empire Investments took a significant hit three months ago."
"It looks like you've done your homework." Garland Blackwood ponders and then says, "So, you came to see me on purpose?"
"Yes."
"What for?"
"I want to acquire fifty-one percent of the original shares of Empire Investments."
"Thanks for the water, but goodbye!" Garland Blackwood doesn't hesitate to turn around and leave.
If it weren't for the young man's consistently friendly demeanor, he would have wanted to curse. Empire Investments is like his child! Fifty-one percent of the original shares... Isn't that the same as asking for his life?
"You should know that, aside from me, no one in this entire villa can save your Empire Investments." Sebastian raises his voice, watching as Garland Blackwood stops in his tracks, "Maybe, before you chose to crash the party under the guise of being drunk, you should have been clear that only a Vanderbilt could save your Empire Investments, right?"
Sebastian looks at the somewhat disheveled Garland Blackwood in front of him, his deep and bright eyes filled with a hint of sentiment.
Empire Investments is considered a future invisible financial powerhouse.
With countless corporate shares under its control, it could rank within the top twenty just by cash flow among the financial conglomerates.
The founder, Garland Blackwood, is often spoken of as a classic case study in finance courses by many professors, a legendary figure.
Rumors say this legendary man had only fallen into trouble once in his life, but he managed to overcome the crisis within just five short months.
Since there is no proof, everyone treats it as a joke.
But now... This founder truly has fallen on hard times.
Thinking of this, Sebastian's eyes grow deeper.
If he hadn't seen him at the party, he would have almost forgotten this affair.
"Who exactly are you?" Garland Blackwood turns around, his gaze somewhat incredulous.
If understanding his difficulties and personal information was explainable, then for a young man to call out his own thoughts so bluntly was indeed surprising.
A desperate last resort. What if a miracle happened? It was just a pity that he was casted out as soon as he entered.
"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Sebastian!" Sebastian says with a smile, lifting his hand, "Also a Vanderbilt, in case you wonder."
"Sebastian, the youngest Vanderbilt grandson who chose to enter the pleasure clothing industry?" Garland Blackwood has no intention of shaking his hand, instead, showing a somewhat dismissive expression: "Do you even understand what a 'cross star' is, or what 'turnover rate' means?"
At first, he thought the impressive young man in front of him could be his savior. Turned out to be just a high schooler. What was he doing when he was in high school? Pursuing girls? Playing video games? Certainly not studying stocks.
Thinking of this, he advises, "Kid, don't just hear a few stock market terms and think you can meddle. It can be fatal if you invest before understanding it."
"Oh, is that so?" Sebastian's eyes dance with mirth, "Perhaps I don't understand the stock market, but I know a bit about hostile takeovers."
"Hostile takeovers?"
"Isn't that the biggest crisis Empire Investments is currently facing?" Sebastian continues slowly, "Someone reported that Empire Investments used underhanded means of a hostile takeover when acquiring East Asia Automobile. On one hand, imposing various restrictive reasons for contracts and loans, while on the other, using government connections to report the other party for unfair business practices, forcing East Asia Automobile to surrender before it could operate."
He says with a rich smile, "The funniest part is, the so-called government connection was just the prosecutor who moved next to you three months ago?"
Garland Blackwood falls silent for a long while.
"What can you bring me?" he finally looks up, regarding the young man before him seriously for the first time.
If guessing his thoughts was a surprise, then seeing through the nature of this hostile takeover was enough to warrant his full attention.
"A collaboration with a conglomerate family," Sebastian answers earnestly.
"Just for a partnership, you want fifty-one percent of Empire Investments' shares?" Garland Blackwood's eyes show scorn.
The young wolf in front of him, although younger, what difference did it make from the tiger who struck him with special force?
Fundamentally, both planned to devour his Empire Investments clean without sharing any.
"Leaving some is better than nothing at all. Giving it to me is still preferable to handing it over to that 'enemy,' right?" Sebastian speaks with a smile.
"You seem to be quite confident that I would surrender to you tonight?"
"My confidence has nothing to do with this deal; the decision has always been in Mr. Blackwood's hands."
Silence. Deathly silence. Garland Blackwood stands in place, fists clenching and unclenching.
Finally...
"I need absolute control over Empire Investments!"
"All its resources must be counted in this deal."
"The fifty-one percent shares must be purchased with money; I don't want to leave behind any loose end due to unsigned words."
He slightly lowers his proud head and slowly says, "The operation of Empire Investments cannot be interfered with by anyone."
Looking up at Sebastian, he says earnestly, "Including you!"
Sebastian's smile brightens, "Deal!"
Moonlight spills over the world like water, and Sebastian's eyes shine with satisfaction.
"You seem very pleased with that investment firm?" Victoria asks curiously, watching Garland leaves.
"How do you know that?" Sebastian looks over, dragged back to reality by her words.
"You seem especially happy tonight." After a moment of thought, Victoria earnestly says, "In my memory, it's the first time you looked so genuinely joyful."
"Really?" Sebastian asks.
"Yes," Victoria gives a definitive answer.
"Because the future is coming and I may have a chance to catch a grasp of it," Sebastian says out of the blue, revealing the answer.
"What?" Victoria's clear, beautiful eyes fill with confusion.
But when she is about to ask, she realizes he had already walked into the room.
What kind of future? Especially for an ordinary investment company. Under the night sky, Victoria tilts her head slightly, a big question mark swimming in her eyes.
In the banquet hall, walking among the crowd, Sebastian carries a mischievous smile.
During the unprecedented crisis of 2008, Empire Investments acquired a large number of shares in a lot of endangered companies as white knight.
In these take-offs, one of the deals includes an investment that acquires a considerable number of shares in a television station.
At the time, no one could have imagined that the TV station would bounce back into media colossus after internet starts to boom.
CBS New York Broadcast Company. That name would later accompany with a lot of high-quality original contents into the public's view.