BXBX NOVEL Chapter 428 - 422: Too Stingy
“Kay Lee, this is a great opportunity for you. If you’re not satisfied with the endorsement fee, we can negotiate. To honor the friendship between my grandfather and your grandfather, I can increase the endorsement fee to 150 million. I’m doing this in good faith.” Norton James paused a bit then spoke up, a bit annoyed, but he managed to suppress his emotions.
Kay Lee frowned slightly. She had already deemed this man as no good. However, him offering such a high price, not that she cares about the money, but also bringing up the relationship between her and his grandfather, somewhat put her in a tough spot.
After all, her feelings about Norton James were purely personal, without evidence. No one would believe her if she told them. But if she declined the offer, it seemed like she was disrespecting Norton and disregarding the relationship between the grandfathers.
Kay was struggling, when a sudden voice rang out: “Mr. James is so generous. Kay, you should go for it.” Everyone was taken aback, then a few individuals started showing disdain. The speaker was none other than Finn Lewis!
Kay was surprised because this statement… definitely didn’t reflect Finn’s character. She didn’t want Finn to get into an argument with the man. She didn’t want him to get into unnecessary trouble because of her. However, to the Davis clan, Finn seemed selfish for letting his girlfriend engage in order to get the money, even though Norton’s proposal was indeed formal.
Everyone guessed what Norton James was up to, but Finn still said that! Is this not greed? Norton James’ face showed a hint of pleasure. Surprisingly, someone was speaking on his behalf. He immediately looked towards the source of the voice. Seeing Finn, a stranger, Norton still acknowledged him with a friendly smile and said, “Thank you, brother, for speaking on my behalf. My apologies, as this is my first time visiting Kay’s home and meeting you. May I know your name?”
Thunder Davis did not introduce everyone present, and only highlighted a couple of people before introducing the one that truly interested him, Kay Lee.
“Oh, I am Finn Lewis, just your average guy. It’s only natural. I think this is a good opportunity and that’s why I advised Kay to accept your endorsement contract. However, I do have an intriguing question,” Finn said, looking curiously.
“Mr. Lewis, feel free to ask any question. I will answer as best as I can,” Norton James responded with a smile, finding the man very agreeable.
“Why is it that you are so insistent on having Kay? You are offering an annual contract of 150 million Federation Currency which, in turn, is a top-tiered offer worldwide. You could easily get several international superstars like Messi, Robert Downey, and others for this amount,” Finn inquired innocently. However, the smile drained from Norton James’ face.
Without repressing his laughter, Elegant Sky let it out, recognizing that Finn was clearly not there to help, but to cause trouble. He had merely mentioned a fee of 150 million, without specifying the currency, and Finn immediately assumed it to be Federation Currency. It was evident that he had created a trap for Norton.
This statement did not just catch Norton off guard, it also stunned everyone else present. Finn looked genuinely curious, leaving people confused whether he truly understood the situation or was just pretending. Regardless of whether he knew or didn’t, his question put Norton in a quandary.
Norton had initiated the negotiation with the intention of spending big, that’s why his annual fee of 150 million had greatly surprised everyone. Finn’s two additional words after his amount had backed Norton into a corner.
Norton found himself in an immensely uncomfortable position where he had to decide between confirming or denying the assumption. If he confirmed, then he wouldn’t be able to provide such a large sum. Joking or not, his company only had a registered capital of 1 billion Flame Nation coins. Despite the actual capital exceeding 1 billion Flame Nation coins, 150 million Federation Currency would equate to 900 million Flame Nation coins.
This essentially implied giving the entire company to Kay Lee. Over this mere endorsement contract… 150 million Federation Currency a year? Had he gone mad? It would be impossible to provide such a high figure even for any celebrity worldwide!
Norton muttered curses under his breath as he realized that Finn wasn’t here to help, but cause chaos.
However, since he already had asked him for his question, not answering would definitely lose face. So, he just glared at Finn Lewis fiercely, before trying to answer the question, “Mr. Lewis, you’re making a joke out of this. We are conducting business domestically, so we will use the Flame Nation currency naturally. Plus, an endorsement fee of 150 million Federation Currency is way too exaggerated. No celebrity worldwide has such a high endorsement fee. Even at 150 million Flame Nation coins, this would still be a top-tier endorsement contract.”
Having lost his dignity already, Norton James tried his best to explain himself to salvage what remained of his image. Upon hearing Norton’s explanation, Finn replied in a ‘disappointed’ manner, “So it’s Flame Nation Currency? Mr. James, you were quite impressive upfront! I was expecting you to respond to me saying it’s not Federation Currency, but Alliance Countries Currency or South Federation Currency. This is rather disappointing.”
“Ah!” With that statement, Elegant Sky could no longer hold his laughter. His spit almost choked him. God, this guy was truly a piece of work. That was a straight-up insult without any dirty words. This literally meant calling out Norton James for showing off unnecessarily. Norton had no retort. Well, how could he claim it wasn’t Federation Currency but rather Alliance Countries Currency?