Chapter 464: A Change of Mind Solves the Problem (Bonus Chapter 1)

William sat on a bench in the garden, thinking for a long time about how to divert Amir Bakawi's group away from him. Finally, he realized that since the whole issue was caused by the bomb detection device, it would be easier to address it directly by making changes to the watch. However, coming up with a solution that wouldn't affect future sales while temporarily halting the product's release was not easy.

After almost an hour of thinking, William still had no clue. He sighed—it's true what they say: one mind is limited, but two minds are better. Too bad he couldn't discuss this with anyone else, as that might lead people to suspect he had foreknowledge of the events.

With no solution in sight, he decided to set the issue aside for now. Returning to the castle, he walked into the living room where Anthony, Ront, and Sylvie were sitting at a long table, drinking wine and playing cards while watching the news on TV.

Seeing William come in, Anthony, who was the closest to him, raised his glass in a toast and said, "Boss, interested in joining us?"

"What are you playing?" William walked over, took the glass Sylvie handed him, and said, "Thanks." Glancing at the cards on the table, he realized they were playing Texas Hold'em. Smiling, he said, "I'll pass. If I join, you guys will regret it."

"Boss, no one doubts your ability to make money, but playing cards is a different story," Anthony said with a wink.

Ront and Sylvie, both longtime friends of Anthony, caught the hint. They understood that Anthony was creating an opportunity for them to interact more with William.

"No worries, Boss. The stakes are just 10/20. Even if you're unlucky, the most you'd lose in a few hours is one or two thousand pounds," Ront said with a smile, having interacted with William several times before.

"Alright, I'll play for a bit."

William noticed Anthony's little signals but didn't mind. After all, these three were his personal lawyer and accountants, and it wouldn't hurt to chat with them more. So, with the intention of having a conversation, he joined the game. In less than an hour, using his memory and keen observation, William had a small pile of 10/20 cash in front of him.

After another win, a news report came on the TV about the upcoming launch of a new Nokia phone on December 1st. This sparked an idea in William's mind: why not hold a press conference for the bomb detection device, just like these tech companies do?

If the release date was set after Prime Minister James' funeral, and the device didn't appear on the market before then, Amir Bakawi would likely shift his focus away from him.

Anthony, Ront, and Sylvie, who had been observing William's actions, noticed him smiling at the Nokia launch news. They exchanged discreet glances, each silently deciding to call their stockbrokers as soon as the game was over to buy Nokia stock.

William, deep in thought, didn't realize that his unintentional smile would lead the three to make a fortune from Nokia stocks over the next few years.

But even if he knew, he wouldn't care. His mind was now focused on the release of the bomb detector. He wondered when exactly James' funeral would take place. Then, it suddenly hit him—hadn't James been dead for more than ten days already? Why hadn't the funeral been held yet?

Not only had the funeral not been held, but the news of his death hadn't even been made public. William didn't need to think too hard to figure out that a group of people were deliberately keeping it under wraps for their own reasons.

This had nothing to do with William and was actually good for him. A faint smile appeared on his face as he covered his cards and pushed all the small change in front of him to the center of the table. "You guys carry on. I have some matters to attend to."

Anthony and the others quickly stood up. Seeing this, William gestured for them to sit back down. "It's fine. I should be free tomorrow. You all carry on."

"Alright, Boss," Anthony nodded, watching as William left the living room. As soon as he was out of sight, the three of them sat back down and immediately began discussing their plan to buy Nokia stock.

Back in his room, William took a shower and lay in bed, thinking about when and how to hold the press conference. But as he mulled over it, he suddenly remembered that everyone knew he was in talks with the French bank about Château Chantilly. Holding a press conference during such a key negotiation might seem too deliberate.

Amir Bakawi, that old fox, might not fall for it.

Since this approach was risky, he needed a new strategy.

"Sunday, make a few new bomb detectors about the size of a car key. Also, schedule Wilson to come hunting at the castle tomorrow. Tell him I want to discuss the sale of bulletproof vests in desert regions. Finally, discreetly leak the news that Wilson will be visiting the castle—I want the paparazzi swarming outside tomorrow."

"Understood, sir. The information has been sent, and the new detectors will be ready in twenty minutes."

With his plan set, William relaxed and soon fell asleep.

By 9 AM the next morning, Wilson arrived, dressed in hunting gear. He greeted William with a big smile, and the two exchanged pleasantries at the castle entrance.

William led Wilson inside to the gun room to choose their hunting rifles. While selecting guns, William glanced at Wilson's left wrist and noticed he was still wearing the detector watch William had given him. This made William smile. He pulled out a new detector, slightly smaller than a car key, and tossed it to Wilson.

"This is my new detector. It's better than the one you're wearing now because it can also detect the direction of the explosive, so you don't end up running straight into danger. Leave the one on your wrist here with me, and I'll send it back to you once I've upgraded it."

Wilson, holding the new detector, laughed. "You know, I hadn't even thought about that. But now that I do, a one-in-four chance is quite significant. If luck isn't on your side, it could be fatal."

He took off the watch and handed it to William. "I've got to say, mate, the craftsmanship on this watch is great. But the only downside is that it's a bit bulky. This hunting outfit is tight, and I hesitated for a few minutes before deciding whether to wear the watch today."

Looking at the new detector, Wilson continued, "This design is much better. I can hang it on my belt or just keep it in my pocket. It'll also stop the tabloids from accusing us royals of being too extravagant or too cautious, mistrusting London's security."

Recalling the previous mocking articles about him in the newspapers, Wilson shook his head. "Got any more of these? I'd like to give one to my grandfather, father, and some other family members."

"No problem," William agreed with a smile. "I'll give you a box of them before you leave this afternoon. But keep the new model under wraps for now. I've still got a lot of the older watch models, and I want to sell them off before revealing the upgrade."

"Whatever you say," Wilson agreed happily, thrilled to be receiving ten free detectors.

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