Chapter 694

Chapter 694:

Another member of the group waved him off dismissively. “What’s the hurry? That treasure can only be used once every decade. We still have a year to go. If we’re impatient and use it early, we risk triggering the curse the old man warned us about. That could set us back significantly.”

Before they could delve deeper into this forbidden subject, Stephen’s phone rang, abruptly halting the conversation. He answered without hesitation, listening intently before cutting the call short.

“Another lucrative deal, Stephen?” Leonardo asked with a raised brow, his curiosity piqued as he sipped his drink.

“Not quite. I just got word from one of our informants. Skyline Group’s headquarters has decided to shift its development focus entirely to Staville. They’re planning a significant capital injection into their branch here. And it seems Ashton isn’t backing down after all. Their main operations will be directly competing with ours.”

Hamlin and Leonardo burst into laughter, shaking their heads in disbelief.

Leonardo smirked. “So much for overestimating him. I thought he was looking for a way to bow out gracefully, but it turns out he’s just another fool, dragging his own company down to fight a losing battle!”

Hamlin sneered, scoffing at the thought. “What a joke. We actually considered him a serious threat. We gave him far too much credit.”

And just like that, the trio shifted the conversation back to mocking Ashton, all but forgetting the secret treasure they’d only just begun to discuss. The allure of fine wine and the thrill of ridiculing their adversary made them dismiss the topic, leaving it to fade into the background, lost in the haze of laughter and indulgence.

Since the Crawford family had provoked Ashton first, they naturally became his initial target. He knew that dealing with them would send a powerful message to anyone who might think they could cross him without consequence.

Through Abrial’s introduction and the information he gathered from Milena, Ashton gained a solid understanding of the Crawford family’s Pavilion Foods Group, a long-standing pillar in the catering industry.

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Abrial had been right. This catering company was indeed large and influential, boasting an impressive portfolio that included two five-star hotels, four four-star hotels, and several three-star hotels scattered across the city.

Pavilion Foods Group’s reach extended far beyond its hotels and restaurants. They owned two food processing plants, multiple poultry farms, and expansive agricultural fields, making them the dominant supplier in Staville’s catering industry. The company’s vast scale firmly established it as a deeply rooted and powerful entity in the city.

However, Ashton soon noticed something intriguing. Despite its size, Pavilion Foods Group had not expanded its business nationally or internationally like the companies owned by the Miller and Nash families.

Its operations were confined to Staville and a few nearby small towns. This peculiarity caught Ashton’s attention because, given the company’s scale, the labor costs, equipment maintenance, and ingredient procurement expenses must have been enormous.

With such a limited market, how could the company have accumulated billions in assets for the family?

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