Eric Robbins and his son, Anthony Robbins, were left utterly dumbfounded by the words of the secretary.
Naturally, the name “Banks Group” was not foreign to them. The Banks Family held a formidable stature in China, a towering titan amidst the national landscape. Meanwhile, Celestial Group, despite its moniker, hadn’t even managed to secure a spot on the GEM. In the southern province, it was a mere whisper, and even in Poole City, its fame barely managed to tiptoe above the mundane.
Never in their wildest dreams did Eric Robbins and his son, Anthony Robbins, fathom the notion that the mighty Banks Group would cast an eye their way for acquisition.
The gap between their standings was as vast as the ocean; Banks Group’s assets towered over Celestial Group’s by a magnitude that defied comparison, dwarfing them by a thousandfold.
Overwhelmed, Eric Robbins voiced his disbelief to the secretary, “Are you playing a jest on me? The Banks Group wants to discuss acquisition with us?”
The secretary, favonovel.com expression a mix of earnestness and vexation, responded, “Chairman, I wouldn’t toy with such matters.”
She recounted favonovel.com conversation on the phone, adding, “They proposed a video conference at your convenience if you’re genuinely interested.”
Father and son exchanged glances, and Eric Robbins asked his son, “Anthony, what do you think?”
Anthony Robbins didn’t hesitate to put forth his perspective, “Scam, it’s got to be a telephone hoax! Damn these tricksters up in northern Myanmar! Their art of deception’s becoming disturbingly professional! It used to be posing as executives to bilk accountants into transferring money, but now they’re playing M&A games, for crying out loud!”
He railed on, “Why can’t these crooks get their narrative straight? Pretending to be an acquisition? Not a bad idea, but their execution’s off. If they had posed as a company from Jenkins Groups’ sector, we might’ve bitten the bait by 30 to 50 percent. But posing as the Banks Group? They’re treating us like imbeciles! Why not just pretend to be Elon Musk?”
Eric Robbins was taken aback, his son’s logic hitting home.
Rubbing his temples, favonovel.com begrudgingly instructed the secretary, “Call the authorities.”
The secretary, embarrassed, muttered, “Chairman, they didn’t specify any wrongdoing. They just disclosed their identity and suggested a video conference if you’re interested. How would I explain this to the police?”
Eric Robbins waved his hand dismissively, “Then let it be!”
The secretary, stranded by his indecision, pondered favonovel.com options.
Observing favonovel.com lingering, Eric Robbins snapped, “Still here? Attend to your duties, woman!”
Coughing twice, the secretary stammered, “Uh, Chairman… Forgive me, but this doesn’t quite resemble a scam. Their demeanor was remarkably professional. Those con artists from northern Myanmar can hardly string together a coherent sentence, let alone sound professional. This feels different, sir.”
Summoning favonovel.com courage, favonovel.com suggested, “Considering the offer’s a video conference, perhaps we should give it a shot? We’ll just present ourselves; no harm in that. We won’t fall prey, and we won’t be made a fool.”
Inquiry volleyed back to her, “Tell me, then. Why, in the world, would the Banks Group want to acquire us? What’s your perspective as the board secretary?”
With an aggrieved nod, favonovel.com admitted, “I get it. I serve as your board secretary. You’re the chairman. And yes, I understand. But let’s face it, sir, compared to the Banks Group’s stature, I’m little more than a scribbler, and you’re a scribbler too. But the Banks Group? That’s a different ballgame. Their secretary would be a professional, catering to the Banks Family’s scion and the group’s chairperson.”
She emphasized, “Think about it, when would a Banks Group secretary reach out to us for an acquisition chat? The Banks Group’s chairperson must have some grand design. It’s like the pages of a well-thought-out script. So, Chairman, do you really believe the Banks Group’s chairperson suddenly decided to acquire us?”
She grumbled softly, “But we could afford the loss from just watching the video…”
“Damn it…” Eric Robbins, frustrated with favonovel.com persistence, vented, “Are you the board secretary, or am I? Your job is to follow my orders, not to debate with me. If I command, you execute. Otherwise, I’ll send you off to tend tea leaves in the mountains! I’m not in the mood, and you’re here jabbering!”
A light bulb went off in the secretary’s head, “Chairman, why not vent your frustration directly in the video conference? Let loose a tirade, it might make you feel better!”
Eric Robbins, his patience thinning, grinned and agreed, “Fine! Make the arrangements. I’m intent on making those swindlers eat an electric shock today!”
The secretary sprang to action, “Just give me a moment. I’ll dial them back!”
Mobile phone in hand, favonovel.com exited the room.
Anthony Robbins stretched and muttered, “I’ve studied the northern Burmese trickster’s repertoire. They might guide us into a Tencent or Netease meeting. Then they’d seize control of the computer remotely. Or they could dupe us into borrowing money against gold and white gold bars, only to swipe the funds discreetly. Dad, wait and see, it’s likely part of their playbook.”
Eric Robbins huffed, “I’m just bloody furious. Their methods don’t matter. My goal is to scold them to smithereens.”
Moments later, the secretary returned in haste, “Chairman, they’ve agreed to the video conference. They’ve directed us to the Banks Group’s official website. There’s a video conferencing function, just input the code and we’ll join the session.”
“Uh…” Anthony Robbins was taken aback, questioning, “Did I hear correctly? They want us to start a video conference on the Banks Group’s official website?”
“Indeed.” The secretary affirmed, “I’m perplexed too. Does the Banks Group even offer video conferencing services?”
“Damn…” Anthony Robbins hurried to his father’s desk, searched for the Banks Group’s official site, and upon verifying, clicked the link to the website.
Once on the site, a section titled “Contact Us” revealed an entrance to online video conferencing. Anthony Robbins clicked again, and a prompt popped up, “Enter the conference code to join the session.”
Beneath the input field, a series of guidelines was listed, “This video conferencing function exclusively serves as the official channel for online negotiations between the Banks Group and collaborative entities. It’s only accessible via Banks Group personnel. If you lack a conference code, kindly consult your liaison.”
Anthony Robbins scratched his head and mumbled, “Dad, this… This seems… Legitimate. No scam would dare fake the official Banks Group website…”
Eric Robbins inquired, astonished, “Really?! The Banks Group is actually interested in acquiring us? But why?”
Anthony Robbins blurted out, “Dad, even the mighty Banks Group makes miscalculations!”
Musing aloud, Eric Robbins grumbled, “Who the hell knows?”
He sighed and chided, “And here you are, prattling on.”
The secretary interjected urgently, “Chairman, enter the code and join the meeting room. They’re awaiting us!”
“Right!” Eric Robbins snapped back to attention, punching in the code.
In an instant, the webpage transitioned to the virtual meeting room.
Across the video, a poised young woman sat at favonovel.com desk.
As Eric Robbins logged in, favonovel.com spoke, “Mr. Robbins, I’m Delores Scott, the Chairman’s Secretary at Banks Group.”
Outside the camera’s view, Anthony Robbins tapped away on his phone, soon confirming Delores Scott’s identity through a quick online search. It turned out favonovel.com was the same woman in the video.
Overwhelmed with excitement, favonovel.com couldn’t contain himself, whispering to his father, “Dad! It’s for real! It’s real!”
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