Chapter 36 - Chapter 36. How to Beat the competition

How to Beat the CompetitionWhile Kevin stepped outside of the Witsler Hotel, a black limousine pulled up and the driver asked him to get in. They drove him to Dominic's mansion, where he and Kevin discussed advanced herbal supplements. Dominic offered him a special blend that he said would increase his strength. "I've been interested in natural ways to increase my strength and focus," Dominic explained. "It's made a huge difference in my ability to succeed in business."When Kevin heard this, a faint smile appeared on his face. "If I offered you something that could help you reach your goal, how would you repay me?"Are you joking?" Dominic retorted. "Trust me, there are no shortcuts in this process. It takes time and effort."What if I could help give you an advantage?" Kevin said as he smiled and took a pill out of his pocket. It was one of the pills that he had made from the recipe in Officer Emmett's old book. "This combination that I discovered can be very effective."Dominic glanced at the pill in Kevin's hand. If it had the effect that Kevin claimed, it could help him reach his goals of having more energy and mental focus. In his business, you could never have enough of that.But he really didn't believe that Kevin would have access to something like this, especially based on the rumors that he'd heard about him."What do you think?" Kevin asked with a smile."Keep it," Dominic replied rudely."Then I'll be on my way," Kevin said as he took the box and stood up to leave.Before Kevin got to the door, Dominic stopped him."Is that pill of yours really that effective?" Dominic asked Kevin. It was clear that the man had his doubts. But he was intrigued enough to consider trying it."Since you don't believe me, there's no point in trying to convince you," Kevin answered.Dominic hesitated for a moment before he continued, "How much do you want for it?"What do you mean?" Kevin asked in shock."I mean, what's your price?" Dominic asked again.Actually, Dominic still didn't believe that Kevin's pill would work. And, knowing that Kevin was in the Jones family didn't help.But he just couldn't pass up this chance. He already took the special supplements that had been developed for him. And he watched his lifestyle. Everything he did was driven by his will to be better than his competition, some of whom could be vicious, considering the circles he moved in. Dominic had also spent years training in the martial arts, but he was also fighting against the aging process. It was worth a try."Mr. Archer, I know you're rich and powerful, but you can't solve everything with money," Kevin said coolly."Just name your price!" Dominic said stubbornly.Kevin didn't answer right away. He thought about it for a second and said, "Five hundred."Okay, five hundred thousand dollars. Deal!" Dominic said right away.Kevin couldn't help looking surprised. Five hundred thousand dollars for a simple herbal pill? He was afraid to tell Dominic that he actually meant just five hundred dollars!"Maybe Williams Media should drop the entertainment industry and switch to this!" Kevin thought to himself.Dominic slowly walked up to Kevin and told him, "Money isn't a problem, but if your pill doesn't work, you know what will happen to you."The man's posture and tone were coldly threatening, but not only did Kevin not show any sign of fear, he even smiled more broadly."Don't worry, I always make sure that my customers are happy," Kevin said as he took out the pill again.But just when Dominic reached for it, Kevin suddenly took a step back."What's going on? Do you think I won't pay you?" Dominic snarled."Mr. Archer, I didn't say that I would give it to you for a measly five hundred thousand," Kevin said mischievously."What other conditions do you have?" Dominic asked. He saw that Kevin wanted to bargain.With his other hand, Kevin pointed at the small wooden box on the coffee table.He had noticed the ring inside the box as he walked in the room earlier. For some reason, he wanted it."You want it?" Dominic glanced at the ring and gave Kevin a strange look. He walked over to the coffee table, picked up the box and tossed it to Kevin."So all you really wanted was a ring?" Dominic said with a sneer.Then he called his aid over to have the money transferred to Kevin.After they'd concluded their deal, Dominic had his driver take Kevin back to the Witsler Hotel. As he rode along, Kevin looked out the window and thought about what had just happened. He'd just sold one of his herbal pills for five hundred thousand dollars and a ring. Maybe it would be worth looking into this further. *After stopping to pick up his car, Kevin headed back to his penthouse. When he got home, Lily was sitting on the sofa. As soon as she saw him step out of the elevator, she immediately stood up and exclaimed, "Kevin, you're finally back!"What's wrong? Did you really miss me that much?" Kevin replied gently.Lily rolled her eyes and said, "You came back just in time. I need you to go someplace with me."Kevin nodded and they headed down to the lobby to send for his car. Since things had been going so well, he'd added to his car collection. Lily's eyes lit up when she saw the sleek blue Pagani roadster. As they pulled onto Lake Shore Drive, Kevin asked Lily, "Where are we going, exactly?"My mom is having a reunion with some of her school pals. When she saw that everyone else was bringing their children, she called me too," Lily replied softly. "It's at a café on the north side. I've got it set in my GPS. Just head north along the lake for a little while and I'll tell you where to turn left. It's near Evanston.""If Mom's classmates will be there, do you think it's okay for me to come along?" Kevin asked uneasily."I'll understand if you don't want to see her. Just drop me off and you can head home," Lily said sadly.Kevin smiled but didn't say anything else about it.After about a half hour they arrived at the café. The event was being held in a private room in the back .When Lily entered, Dorothy was chatting with a few of her old classmates. Upon seeing her daughter, she smiled broadly.Then, when she saw Kevin, her smile immediately left her face.However, in front of so many of her old classmates, Dorothy couldn't kick Kevin out of the place."Dorothy, is this your daughter? She's so beautiful!" her friend exclaimed.A couple of her friends had heard that Lily was in charge of Britney Davis's account at Williams Media and they were very impressed.All the praise brought Dorothy's smile back.Then her friends introduced their own children. It seemed they were all successful business executives and doctors.Then one of Dorothy's friends looked at Kevin and asked loudly, "So, who is this young man?"The woman who was asking about Kevin was Iris Reed. Ever since she and Dorothy were children, the two of them liked to show off to each other.The moment Iris saw Kevin, she'd figured out who he was. It seemed that everyone in their circles knew about Dorothy's good-for-nothing son-in-law.Everyone looked at Kevin.Dorothy stopped smiling and gave Kevin a disgusted look.Lily suddenly stood up and introduced him to everyone with a smile, "This is my husband, Kevin."So you're Dorothy's son-in-law?" Iris deliberately emphasized the word "son-in-law.""He's very handsome," Iris said to Lily. Turning to Kevin, she asked, "Where do you work? What's your position?" "I work for a small company downtown," Kevin said casually. "I help my boss with his accounts," he added.He could tell what Iris was trying to do, but he didn't want to play her game."A small company should have a name, shouldn't it? If you help your boss with his accounts, you must have some kind of title…?" Iris wouldn't drop the subject until she was satisfied."I guess you could call me a clerk," Kevin replied modestly.Nobody was impressed and it showed on their faces."I guess it doesn't matter that you're just a clerk. In any case, Lily has a powerful position at Williams Media. Even if you don't earn a lot, she can still support you," Iris said proudly. She knew that she'd beaten Dorothy this time.Dorothy wanted to go over and tell Kevin off, but she couldn't do that in front of all her friends.Lily looked uncomfortable and began to regret bringing Kevin along.Then Iris stood up and waved at a young man on the other side of the room."I'd like to announce a joyous occasion. On the 26th of this month, my daughter Rose will be getting married." Iris said proudly, "Vito Booker, please stand up and introduce yourself to my friends."Iris took her seat and a man quickly stood up. He politely waved at everyone. "Hi. My name is Vito. I'm currently the general manager at the KWTD Corporation's Chicago branch."When he said this, everyone was clearly impressed.One of Dorothy's friends gushed, "The KWTD Corporation? That's one of the top three companies in the country!"Another one added, "Iris, I'm so excited for you. He's already a manager at KWTD, and at such a young age! Rose will be set for life!"The more Iris smiled, the more Dorothy frowned. Even though Lily had a promising career, Iris's son-in-law was way better than Dorothy's. It looked like Iris had won today's private little competition.Suddenly, one of them asked, "Vito, how is it being a general manager at the KWTD Corporation?"The work can be exhausting. But as I move up the corporate ladder, I'll have greater and greater responsibility. I don't have much free time right now, but that's because I manage a few hundred people," Vito said very modestly. He smiled at Iris and said, "Mom, for the wedding between Rose and me, I've arranged for a limo that's worth half a million dollars. What do you think?"They seemed to find this almost as impressive as his position at KWTD."That's fine with me, Vito. I'll leave all those decisions up to you and Rose!" Iris replied. She was trying to act humble, but you could see the pride in her eyes."I know what you mean, Iris," Lily commented. "No matter how good a car is, it's just a means of transportation, from point A to point B." Then she turned around and asked Kevin, "Don't you think so?"Before coming to the reunion, Iris had asked Vito to help her embarrass Dorothy's son-in-law.So, Vito naturally couldn't let an opportunity like this pass him by."Everyone's aesthetic sense is different. If you think that a car is just a means of transportation, then it's just a tool," Kevin said with a smile."Then what kind of car do you drive?" Vito asked Kevin. He was sure he'd win this round.They all turned to Kevin.Everyone seemed to think that Vito was in another league and Kevin couldn't possibly compete with him.And Dorothy was ready for her friend Iris to beat her again."My ride?" Kevin slightly raised his eyebrows and said, "It's just a Pagani roadster. Nothing special, basic blue color."Vito looked at Kevin in disbelief. "A Pagani? That's worth at least three million dollars!" Everyone in the room gasped when they heard this.Lily coughed on the pastry she was eating and reached for a sip of coffee.Iris recovered from her shock and said, "Dorothy, I really didn't know that Lily treated her husband so well. What a lovely gift she bought for him!"She didn't say it out loud, but Iris thought that Kevin was just a gigolo who was mooching off her friend's daughter. Lily probably got her husband the car just to make Dorothy look good!However, when Kevin heard that, he said, "Actually, the car is my boss's. It wasn't Lily who bought it for me!"When he said this, everyone laughed. Dorothy couldn't take it any longer. She wanted to chase Kevin out into the street.But Kevin interrupted the laughter to clarify what he'd just said, "So, I didn't buy the car, but my boss gave it to me because I'm doing so well in the company!"That seemed to shut everyone up. They all looked at Kevin in amazement.They couldn't imagine what kind of boss would give a three million-dollar sports car to an ordinary employee."Kevin, may I ask where you work? What's your boss's name?" Vito asked in disbelief.Kevin looked at Vito with a smile and said, "My boss's last name is Dawn!"Vito dropped the subject. This conversation definitely wasn't helping his mother-in-law. Besides, he didn't believe that Kevin really had such a generous boss. He was obviously just bragging to look good.So Vito changed the subject and turned to Iris, "Mom, this is a gift I got for you a while ago. Because of all that was going on at work, I never had a chance to give it to you." He reached under the table and took out a gift box, then he said to her, "This is a small token of my appreciation. And I'd like to tell you that you can rest assured that after Rose and I get married, I'll always treat her well."This was just too much for Dorothy to bear. What would happen next?!