Chapter 9 Star

Lyla rented a car and patiently waited outside the towering edifice of Alicko Corp.

Around ten at night, Mr. Bowen emerged from the building and hastily jumped into a car. The vehicle sped off without pausing.

Grinning slyly, Lyla tailed the speeding car and darted ahead of it on a lonesome stretch of road. Suddenly, she stepped on the gas and zoomed ahead, only to swerve sharply and bring her car to a screeching halt in front of Mr. Bowen's car.

The driver was taken aback and slammed on the brakes, causing the tires to screech!

Seated in the backseat, Mr. Bowen nearly collided with the front seat and barked, "What the hell happened?"

Still shaken, the driver stammered, "Mr. Bowen, a car suddenly cut us off and blocked our way!"

Frowning, Mr. Bowen growled, "Who was it?"

The driver noticed a person exit the car with bare hands and non-threatening demeanor. "It's a woman."

"A woman?"

Mr. Bowen lowered the window and recognized the acquaintance.

Lyla flashed him a smile and spoke up. "Mr. Bowen, could we talk for a bit outside the car?"

Mr. Bowen knew that Lyla had been trying to meet him at his workplace, so he had deliberately evaded her. He hadn't expected her to stalk him and confront him on the road. Displeased, he made to roll up the window.

Lyla intervened just as the window was about to close and greeted Mr. Bowen with a warm smile, "I am aware that Alicko Corp is currently grappling with a major problem. Give me just three minutes and I promise to help you find a solution. We can discuss other matters once we've resolved this."

Upon hearing her offer, Mr. Bowen couldn't help but sneer inwardly. He thought to himself that Lyla must be either confused about the situation or full of herself to think that she could solve a problem that had plagued him for over six months in just three minutes!

Nevertheless, Lyla appeared unfazed and confident in her abilities. After a brief pause, Mr. Bowen relented and opened the door. After all, she was blocking his way and he had nothing to lose by giving her a chance.

The pair walked to the side of the road, and Lyla wasted no time in getting straight to the point. "A, B and C bought a highly valuable piece of land from the government. A held 40% of the land's shares, while B and C each held 30%. Initially, A had the final say on the land's exploitation."

Pausing for a few seconds, she continued, "However, one day, B and C suddenly sold their shares to D, making D the biggest shareholder. With only 40% of the shares, A was unable to make decisions about the land. After a failed negotiation, A sued B, C and D. A won the first trial, and the contract between B, C and D was declared invalid. But D appealed."

Mr. Bowen's expression grew more serious as he realized that A in this story was actually the Alicko Corp.

Lyla proceeded with her story, "Although A has a high probability of winning both the second and third trials, the situation is not entirely positive.

The case remains ongoing and the land project cannot commence, nor can it attract any investment. If A fails to obtain the necessary funds, the company's cash flow will be disrupted and its business partnerships will suffer. This could spell doom for the company."

Although Lyla's words were factual, Mr. Bowen responded coldly, "Your time's up."

"B and C sold their shares to D out of financial necessity. D's offer was too enticing to resist. However, if a powerful E were to emerge and offer to purchase 10% of shares from each of them at an attractive price, D's plan would crumble," Lyla continued, undeterred.

"With E's involvement, D would refrain from making any hasty moves. This would lead to a swift resolution, benefitting all parties involved. Isn't that a great solution?"

Suddenly, Mr. Bowen looked at Lyla with interest, and she spoke eloquently. "Highbridge is willing to play the role of E. We propose that you can repay the debt with shares."

The following day, Lyla arrived at Alicko Corp with Melba to discuss the specifics of their proposed collaboration.

As they drove, Melba couldn't help but express her amazement at Lyla's bold actions the day before, "Ms. Moreno, you took a risky decision on behalf of the company. What if the company don't want to be involved in that land? You'll be held accountable for this decision."

And offering to let Mr. Bowen pay off his debt with shares? That was an audacious move.

With one hand on the steering wheel and the other on her phone, Lyla tapped her way to WhatsApp and handed the device to Melba.

There were only two lines of text on the screen.

"Do you have any interest in the land on 8th Alfonso Street? I can secure at least 20% of the shares for us. If you agree to take shares instead of cash, I can secure more."

"Sure."

The secretary was in disbelief. She looked at the name of the contact and saw only a star emoji.

She had been with Lyla for many years and had heard bits and pieces about this person. Although she didn't know who they were, she knew that they were immensely powerful. They held a high position in the Highbridge Group and had helped Lyla a great deal. But Melba never expected that such an important decision could be made so easily.

"Ms. Moreno, who is this person?"

Lyla parked the car and brushed off any questions about the mysterious decision-maker. She simply gave Melba a sly wink and said, "Do you really think I'd make such a huge decision without authorization? Let's go get our payment."

The duo strode confidently into Alicko Corp and were welcomed with a friendly smile from the receptionist, who had been informed of their arrival.

As they rode the elevator, Lyla was so engrossed in studying the ads on one side of the lift that she didn't notice when the adjacent doors opened and Mr. Bowen emerged with a group of businessmen.

One of the men in the group recognized Lyla's profile and was surprised.

His secretary attempted to draw Lyla's attention, but Joshua silenced her with a gesture and said to Mr. Bowen, "Thanks for seeing us out."

"It's my pleasure, Mr. Harvey," Mr. Bowen replied with a respectful smile.

As they settled into the backseat of the car, Joshua leaned back, closed his eyes and ordered his secretary, "Find out what Lyla's doing here."

"Understood, sir," the secretary replied dutifully.