The Right Investment

As the days went by, Stephen and Mr. Wong continued to meet and discuss the investment opportunity. Stephen's Chinese language skills improved with each passing day, and he was able to communicate more effectively with Mr. Wong in Mandarin.

Mr. Wong was impressed by Stephen's dedication and perseverance. He began to see Stephen in a new light, as a serious and capable businessman, rather than just a charming playboy he heard and thought him to be.

" 니하오,黄先生 (nǐ hǎo, huáng xiān shēng) - Hello, Mr. Wong," Stephen said, as they sat down for their meeting.

"阿,斯蒂芬 (ā, sī dì fēn) - Ah, Stephen," Mr. Wong replied with a smile. "今天我们讨论投资的细节 (jīn tiān wǒ men tǎo lù tóu zī de xiǎng xiàng) - Today we will discuss the details of the investment."

Stephen nodded, taking notes in Chinese. "我明白 (wǒ míng bái) - I understand," he said, using the correct tones.

Mr. Wong was impressed by Stephen's dedication and perseverance. "斯蒂芬,你的中文很好 (sī dì fēn, nǐ de zhōng wén hěn hǎo) - Stephen, your Chinese is very good," he said.

Stephen smiled, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment. "谢谢,黄先生 (xiè xiè, huáng xiān shēng) - Thank you, Mr. Wong," he replied.

As they wrapped up the meeting, Mr. Wong turned to Stephen and said, "斯蒂芬,我认为我们可以合作 (sī dì fēn, wǒ gòu rèn wǒ men kě yǐ hé zuò) - Stephen, I think we can work together."

Stephen's heart soared as he shook Mr. Wong's hand. "我很高兴 (wǒ hěn gāo xìng) - I'm very happy," he said, using the correct Chinese phrase.

And so, with Mr. Wong's investment, SM Company began to flourish. Stephen's language skills continued to improve, and he became known as a respected and capable businessman in the industry. He never forgot the lessons he learned from Mr. Wong, and he always made sure to approach business with a humble and grateful attitude whenever needed, a new mask to wear whenever needed, but the godfather never changed truly.

In the end, Stephen's hard work and dedication to learning Chinese had paid off, and he had emerged as a true leader in the business world.

The successful investment filled the face of every staff of SM company with smiles as they received increase in their salaries.

Everyone was happy, except James Mackenzie, who was no longer happy about Stephen's achievement, lately, he's been thinking of his son, Will, as a perfect person to occupy the CEO position of SM company, reminding himself of how much effort he has invested in the company for 20 years before handing it over to Stephen, not because he love him but years back, he had made a promise to his brother to look after his company and see that his son, Stephen took over at the right time, but now, he's having different thoughts and is compromising.

Stephen's uncle, James, walked into his office with a wide smile on his face. "Stephen, my boy, I heard the news! Congratulations on securing the investment from Mr. Wong! You're a real chip off the old block, aren't you?"

Stephen beamed with pride, his arrogance on full display. "Yes, Uncle James, I'm a genius! I knew I could do it. I'm the best, and I always come out on top."

James's smile never wavered, but his eyes gleamed with sarcasm. "Well, in that case, I'm sure you'll have no problem convincing the board of directors to keep you on as CEO. I mean, who wouldn't want a ruthless loan shark and Casanova godfather at the helm of SM Company?"

Stephen's eyes narrowed, his pride and arrogance blinding him to his uncle's sarcasm. "Of course, they'll see things my way. I'm the future of this company, and they'd be fools to doubt me."

James clapped his hands together, his smile still plastered on his face. "Well, in that case, I'll leave you to it. I'm sure you'll impress them with your fake lifestyle and your...ahem...'business skills'."

Stephen didn't notice the sarcasm, too caught up in his own ego to realize his uncle was mocking him. But James knew that the board meeting would be a different story altogether. He had already set his plan in motion, bribing some of the board of directors, and soon Stephen would be out of the picture for good.