Chapter 423
Chapter 423:
Feeling more confident, Ashton briefly spoke with his grandfather before setting out to tackle the Department of Commerce head-on.
Meanwhile, in a plush hotel suite in Staville, the Marquez brothers and Craig were celebrating, their glasses filled with champagne.
“Beal, we’ve just received a message from Roy. He’s denied Skyline Group’s application again, demanding they resubmit their documents under strict review. This will delay them for weeks!” Jacoby exclaimed, handing out drinks.
Craig, visibly worried, inquired, “Are we certain about this? Ashton has bested you before. Something doesn’t feel right.”
Beal, casually enjoying his drink, chuckled and replied, “Why worry? Roy Singh is the current deputy director of the Department of Commerce. He’s one of us. If we can’t depend on him, then who can we trust?”
Jacoby added, “Exactly, we only lost previously because it was in Inewood. Now, in our territory, what can Skyline Group possibly do to us? We have enough connections here to make their efforts futile.”
Satisfied, Jacoby thought of Roy, the deputy director. He promptly sent an invitation for him to join them in celebration. After all, they would rely on his assistance to keep troubling Ashton and his team in the days ahead.
Everyone had been busy preparing for the company’s launch. Ashton didn’t want to disrupt it, so he didn’t waste any more time. After hanging up the phone, he headed straight to the Staville Department of Commerce. But since he wanted to keep a low profile and avoid alerting Fraser, he didn’t go straight to Vincent Lee, the director. Instead, he decided to go through the normal procedures for setting up an appointment with Vincent. So, when he arrived at the lobby, he went right to the front desk.
Ashton had been standing at the front desk for a while now, observing the receptionist, who didn’t seem to feel his presence. She was a middle-aged woman with heavy makeup. Her head was down, and her eyes were glued to her phone. Her brightly colored nails tapped rhythmically against the screen, and she giggled softly at the videos she watched.
He patiently stood there for a few minutes, but she still ignored him. At this moment, he couldn’t help but cough lightly, hoping to catch her attention.
𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒕 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒕 ⲅ𝗮𝖑𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀﹒ⅽ𝗼𝗺
Effie Holland, the receptionist, was so engrossed in the video she was watching that when she suddenly heard the noise, she tore her gaze from her phone. She reluctantly raised her head and looked at the person who had disturbed her. Her brows furrowed tightly. Obviously, she wasn’t thrilled about the interruption.
“Mister, do you know what time it is now? Why did you only decide to come for business when it’s almost time to get off work? Don’t you think it’s a bit rude?” she said in a voice dripping with sarcasm.
Ashton didn’t want to escalate the situation, so he didn’t make a fuss. Instead, he politely smiled at the receptionist and said,
“I’m really sorry about that. But I have an urgent matter. I hope you can help me.”
Effie scoffed disparagingly. Then she glanced at Ashton sideways and said perfunctorily,
“Okay, let’s not waste time talking nonsense. What kind of service are you looking for?”
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