From Wage Slave to Tycoon

Besides, they were all long-term contracts, which basically guaranteed their safety.

On top of that, IPS’s sphere of influence spanned the entire globe, with its strongest presence in Africa and Europe.

John finally understood the source of Su Chen’s confidence. While the Morgan family was very wealthy and powerful, they wouldn’t dare resort to dirty tricks. After all, no one could guarantee that Su Chen wouldn’t do the same.

At that point, regardless of who won or lost, it was certain that neither side would come out ahead.

"No wonder Arthur treated you so well earlier." A storm of emotions churned within John. His well-intentioned advice now seemed like a foolish performance.

But John’s mind quickly started racing. ’It seems... Su Chen is another powerful figure to latch onto. And with my natural connection to him through Ye Feng, I’ll have more of a say in the family in the future.’

’Who will come out on top is still far from decided. What if... what if I use these connections to go from being a sacrificial lamb to the family’s heir...’

The very thought made John’s heart tremble.

Su Chen watched the shifting expressions on John’s face—a bitter smile one moment, ecstatic joy the next, then sheer excitement. Anyone who didn’t know better would think he’d just won a lottery worth several hundred million.

He didn’t say anything to disturb John, quietly gazing at the scenery outside the window. His own mind was occupied with plans for the island he had gotten from the blind box.

"Su Chen, John, don’t just stand over there! Hurry up and come eat!" Arthur’s voice suddenly cut in, snapping both men from their thoughts.

Su Chen turned to the dining table and saw that the waiters had already begun serving the food.

Western dining habits are all more or less the same. Even at a three-Michelin-star restaurant, the menu is filled with things like steak and lamb, prepared in only a handful of ways. Most importantly, the portions are incredibly small.

This meal was a bit better, however. Perhaps because they saw Su Chen was from Huaxia, the dishes ordered leaned toward larger portions. The main course, of course, was a top-tier, A5-grade marbled steak.

They ate and chatted for about an hour. Arthur had originally planned to move to another spot for coffee, but after taking a phone call, he apologized to the group and had to leave early.

This left Su Chen and the other two looking at each other.

"Gentlemen, it’s been a long day. Shall we all call it a night and go our separate ways?" Su Chen had no desire to stay any longer.

He just wanted to get back to Central Park and plan his next moves, but outwardly, he had to show them some respect and couldn’t just walk out.

John seemed to notice that Su Chen had something on his mind and chimed in, "It has been tiring. I’m ready to go back and get some rest, too. Abdullah, what about you?"

"I’m fine with whatever. If you’re both heading back, then I’ll head back to rest too. This morning was definitely tiring," said Abdullah, rubbing his lower back as he spoke.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the three of them parted ways. As they were leaving, however, John shamelessly pestered Su Chen for his contact information.

After seeing the other two off in their cars, a bulletproof Cadillac pulled up in front of Su Chen. Chen Fei hopped out of the front passenger seat and quickly opened the back door for him.

"Sir, are we heading back or somewhere else?"

Su Chen leaned back in his seat and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let’s go back to Central Park. I have some things to take care of."

Raymond, who was driving, didn’t hesitate for a second. He stepped on the gas, and the Cadillac shot forward without a hint of a jolt inside the cabin.

After returning to Central Park, Su Chen called Raymond into his study for a private conversation.

After taking a sip of tea, Su Chen finally asked, "Raymond, how much do you know about Venezuela? Does the company have a branch there?"

Raymond, who was already a bit puzzled, became even more so after hearing these questions.

Venezuela, after all, was famous for more than one reason. Besides having the world’s largest oil reserves, it was known for being dirt poor—and not just ordinarily poor. Many of its cities were also in a state of utter chaos.

Even the people of Huaxia, known for opening shops all over the world, struggled to get by in Venezuela. And with the political shifts of recent years, the market had only grown more chaotic.

Although Raymond couldn’t understand why his boss was suddenly asking about this, he still dutifully reported everything he knew.

Su Chen fell into thought after listening, his right fingers tapping a steady rhythm on the desk.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

He learned from Raymond that IPS had no branch in Venezuela. The reason... was simply that there was no money to be made. Everyone was too poor to even afford food, so who would need special security services?

’Looks like this will require some long-term planning.’ Su Chen had originally hoped that if IPS had a presence there, he could have them start building some basic infrastructure on the island in preparation for his future plans.

But now, he was in a situation of crossing the river by feeling for stones; rushing in rashly could have unforeseen consequences. He could only wait until he came up with a better plan.

After all, the place was sitting on fifty million tons of crude oil. Even though most of it was offshore, it was still money.

Who wouldn’t be drooling with envy knowing that?

"Boss, is there something you need done there? I can arrange for a team to head over and handle it right away!" Raymond said with a serious expression.

"There’s nothing I need you to handle for now, but..."

Raymond’s words, however, gave Su Chen an idea. Even though IPS didn’t have a branch in Venezuela, he could still send a team in advance to do some prep work. That way, once Su Chen figured out a solution, he would save a considerable amount of time.