Chapter 35 ： Crazy Boss

Davis squinted and said, "I've noticed something—wherever I go, you're always there. Every situation starts to turn weird the moment you get involved."

Edward quickly interjected, "Catherine, stop messing around! This isn't the kind of joke you can just casually throw out there!"

Catherine glanced at Edward with a mischievous smirk. "Admit it. Haven't you bullied me before?"

Pulling Catherine aside, Edward whispered urgently, "Lady, you can't mess around with stuff like this. It could get someone killed!"

"Oh? So you do fear something after all?"

"Please, just clear this up with him right now, or I'm seriously screwed!"

Catherine teased, "Alright, but you have to promise to take me to dinner and a movie."

"Are you insane?" Edward hissed under his breath, his tone low but laced with irritation. "We're already broken up! It was your idea to split up, remember? You wanted it; now it's done!"

"Well, what if I say I've had a change of heart and want to win you back with true love?"

Edward cast a nervous glance at Davis and Henry White, who were now happily sharing a cigarette and chatting as if they were lifelong buddies. He felt an icy dread. Not only was he terrified that Catherine might unwittingly dig his grave, but he also feared that Henry White, the fool, might aggravate Davis and meet the same fate.

"One dinner. One movie. And then we're done, for real," Edward said firmly.

"You really hate me that much?"

"Hate you? Gorgeous, I could never hate you! I'm just trying to stay alive here!"

"What nonsense are you even talking about?"

"All I'm saying is, be polite to Davis, get along with him, and if you can, talk me up to him once in a while. That guy could very well become your brother's mortal enemy someday."

Catherine narrowed her eyes. "What else aren't you telling me?"

"That's it. I can't say more—any more, and I'm as good as dead."

"Fine," she said, nodding. "But dinner and the movie—those are non-negotiable, right?"

"A gentleman's word is his bond."

"Good."

Catherine walked up to Davis, her demeanor suddenly mature and composed. "Mr. Davis, thank you for stepping in to resolve the situation earlier."

"A small matter," Davis replied modestly, though his tone brimmed with pride. "Not to boast, but a few small fry like those? Even the most skilled warriors from afar would kneel and beg for mercy before me."

Catherine nodded. "It's clear you're very capable."

"Would you like me to teach Edward a lesson for you? Or should we grab that coffee first, and I can take care of him afterward?"

Catherine smiled lightly. "I was only joking. I really dislike men who are all about fighting and violence."

"Oh. In that case, about that coffee—"

"No need," she interrupted with a faint smile. "I'm not much of a coffee person. Besides, I've already made plans with dear Edward for dinner and a movie. Until next time, Mr. Davis."

She turned away and grabbed Edward by the hand, dragging him toward the stairs. Edward tried to pull free, but Catherine shot him a cold, warning glance and muttered under her breath, "Try to resist, and I'll let him kill you!"

Edward's thoughts raced:

[ [ You're ruthless! ] ]

[ [ I've known you for years, and I never realized you had this side to you. ] ]

[ [ Good grief, when a woman sets her mind to it, she can really scare the hell out of you! ] ]

He stopped struggling, knowing full well that Catherine's ignorance of the situation's gravity could lead to disastrous consequences. On the other hand, breaking free now would surely be interpreted as a direct challenge to Davis.

Fine, Edward thought grimly. Buying time is the only play here.

Grabbing Henry White, Edward barked, "You're coming with us too!"

"Why bring him?" Catherine asked, clearly annoyed.

"Stuff to discuss," Edward shot back.

Outside, Catherine couldn't stop laughing. Edward, exasperated, scowled. "You're still laughing? You almost got me killed back there!"

"Why are you so scared of Davis, anyway?"

If I could explain everything to you, I would've done so already, Edward thought bitterly.

"Just listen to me: that guy is bad news for both me and Henry White. He's our nemesis, so you'd better keep an eye on your brother. If he crosses Davis, don't say I didn't warn you."

Henry White crossed his arms. "So that's all, huh?"

Edward turned to him with deadly seriousness. "Henry White, do you trust me?"

"Of course I do! You're my bro!"

"Then remember this: if you want to live, don't provoke him. You saw his combat skills back there. He's on a completely different level. We're just a couple of scrappy street brawlers compared to that. And believe me, he won't go easy on you just because you're the White family's eldest grandson. That guy is ruthless and utterly unpredictable."

Henry White nodded solemnly. "You're right. That guy gave me a real scare today. If you hadn't stopped me earlier, I'd probably be in the hospital right now."

"Exactly! So the only way to deal with him is through strategy, not brute force."

Henry White nodded again but muttered, "Still, that guy's clearly after my sister. He's no better than that Joseph. No way I'm letting him succeed."

This damn quest line is impossible to handle, Edward thought in frustration. "You're better off staying out of their business entirely. If you leave them alone, he'll likely leave you alone too. But if you try to get in his way, he might actually kill you."

Catherine chimed in, "So, what you're saying is, I'm destined to be his, huh?"

Edward shrugged. "Whatever happens between you two is out of my hands. My only goal is for me and Henry White to survive. That guy is capable of murder if it gets him what he wants."

Catherine huffed, "Well, I'm not interested in him. I'm sticking with you instead. How about that?"

Edward stared at her in disbelief. "You—"

Henry White burst out laughing. "Relax, Edward. It's just Davis! I'll handle him."

Edward was on the verge of a meltdown. "Did you two even hear a single word I just said? Was I just talking to myself this whole time?"

"Edward, since when did you become such a coward?" Henry White teased.

"I'm not a coward. I'm just carefully navigating this scenario with strategy and foresight!"

"Come again?"

Edward glared at the burly man standing there in just a bathrobe. "Get in the car already. I'm done talking to you."

...........................

In the car, Davis sat in the back seat, his expression dark as he read the newspaper. Across from him, Sarah spoke cautiously. "my lord, that Edward keeps disrupting your plans. Why not simply get rid of him?"

Davis looked up, his eyes cold. "Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?"

"Of course not, my lord. I'm only frustrated seeing you continually inconvenienced."

Davis let out a low hum. "Things aren't unfolding quite as I anticipated. Something about the way this is developing feels… off."

"Is it because of the incident with the sewage pit?"

Davis shot her a sharp look. "Don't you ever bring up that pit again. Ever!"

"Understood."

Taking a deep breath, Davis muttered, "Edward can't die yet. The situation has changed. My original plan was to deal with the Windsor, Lewis, and White families one by one, then use their combined power to topple the Astor family. But now, progress with all three has stalled."

"And the cause of that is Edward!" Sarah pressed.

Davis nodded. "While killing him outright isn't an option yet, making him suffer a little is fair game."

He smirked and said, "Send a message to Olivia. It's time for her to make her move."

"I can handle this mission myself!" Sarah offered.

Davis chuckled. "No, some tasks require Olivia's… unique expertise."

Sarah's expression soured. "All she knows is how to seduce men."

Laughing heartily, Davis replied, "That's precisely why she's the perfect choice for this job. I was going to use Sophia as my spy, but that wench is disgracefully loyal to Edward. Olivia, on the other hand, is my person, and Edward's well-known weakness for women will be his undoing. Once I've uncovered his vulnerabilities, the Astor family will be mine."

Sarah asked cautiously, "So you plan to start with the Astor family?"

Davis's eyes darkened. "No. The Windsor family remains the optimal target."

............................................................

Upon waking, Edward felt completely refreshed.

He had figured it out.

Why was he always Davis's adversary? It was because he remained in this position!

Aside from a few key female characters, Davis's ultimate goal was to unify Snow City's four major families. As long as the Astor family remained one of these four, it would inevitably be a target for the protagonist's consolidation. This fact would never change.

Unless the Astor family shrank to a level where the protagonist found it unworthy of interest—a second-rate family, or even a third-rate enterprise.

By doing so, the Astor family would be reduced to a mere backdrop, insignificant and completely outside the main storyline of this narrative.

And in this way, his own social connections would shift, and his interactions with the leading female characters would naturally decrease.

Exactly!

By incurring a few business losses, shutting down some of the less critical Astor enterprises, and selling off others, he could reduce the family's footprint. Only the core profitable projects would remain.

This way, the family's standard of living wouldn't decline drastically, and more importantly, his own and his family's absolute safety would be ensured.

What a brilliant idea!

The redevelopment project in the shantytown would be the first step. If he executed this move well, all other problems might be solved in one fell swoop.

At a meeting of the Great Saint Group, Edward sat at the head of the table, his expression relaxed as he addressed his subordinates seated in two rows.

"I've just reviewed the financial reports. Excellent work, everyone. The internal affairs department will distribute rewards accordingly. Employees who have made significant contributions recently should be recognized. All subsidiary companies, departments, and outstanding employees involved in profitable projects will also receive awards. Furthermore, we're implementing a company-wide salary increase. The raise will be no less than 20%."

The room erupted in astonishment.

Edward had a reputation for being notoriously stingy. Employee salaries at the Great Saint Group were consistently among the lowest in the industry, just enough to keep staff from quitting.

Edward had always focused on maximizing external profits while minimizing internal expenses. While he indulged in a lavish, hedonistic lifestyle, spending money as if it grew on trees, employees dreaming of higher paychecks could only curse their luck.

For years, discontent over wages had simmered within the company. But Edward's deft maneuvers bound the upper management tightly to the company.

If you wanted to leave, the pay was decent enough, and the Great Saint Group's booming success offered unparalleled opportunities for professional value and personal accomplishment.

If you stayed, however, you knew you wouldn't be earning top-tier wages, as Edward squeezed every possible penny.

And yet, today, Edward had shocked everyone by voluntarily announcing a significant pay raise.

Ashley Garcia, the Executive Vice President, was visibly stunned.

"Boss Edward, shouldn't we discuss this internally first? A 20% increase is no small matter. If implemented, our future operational costs will skyrocket—"

"There's no need for discussion," Edward interrupted decisively.

While others sought to cut costs and boost revenue, his strategy was to cut revenues and increase spending. By losing money externally and burning through funds internally, the Great Saint Group would eventually suffer operational setbacks. Subsidiaries would collapse, assets would be sold off cheaply...

He needed to speed up. Davis wouldn't give him much time, and Edward had to vanish from his radar as quickly as possible.

"It's settled!" Edward declared firmly. "Execute my orders."

Ashley frowned, struggling to comprehend her boss's sudden shift in behavior.

Her first thought was: Did he discover my plans? Could this man actually be this formidable? Damn it, I've underestimated Edward's capabilities once again!

For the first time, Ashley felt a deep, instinctive fear toward her boss. Today, Edward exuded a sense of cunning and decisiveness that sent shivers down her spine.