Chapter 21

It wasn't long after Grace Li got to work that she received a message from Benjamin Harris on the internal chat system, asking her to head to his office immediately.

Grace Li quickly grabbed her papers and made her way to Benjamin Harris's spacious office, which had a killer view of the Manhattan skyline through the floor-to-ceiling windows. When she walked in, she saw Scarlet Harris lounging on the couch, absorbed in her tablet, probably going through some docs.

Grace smiled warmly, greeting them in a friendly and respectful tone. "Morning, Mr. Harris. Good to see you, Scarlet."

Benjamin Harris put down his coffee cup, gestured to the chair across from him, and got straight to the point. "Grace, there's a big project on the table from GloryPath Capital. They're itching to partner with us. But since Scarlet's new around here and doesn't have much experience with GloryPath Capital, I want you two to team up. Your first task is to set up a face-to-face with President Tang from GloryPath Capital. We need to dig deep and figure out if this project is worth our time and money."

From Benjamin Harris's tone, Grace knew exactly what was going on. If the project had potential, Scarlet would take the lead going forward, and Grace's role would be more of a mentor, providing guidance. But she was already juggling a lot of high-stakes projects, each with tight deadlines and a million things to keep track of.

Grace frowned slightly, replying earnestly, "Mr. Harris, I really appreciate the opportunity, but I'm swamped with projects right now. I'm up to my eyeballs in work. Each one has serious deadlines and demands. I'm worried about stretching myself too thin and compromising the quality of my existing projects."

Benjamin Harris gave her a nod, his expression understanding but unwavering. "I hear you, Grace. But this GloryPath Capital project is a game-changer for the company. You're sharp, and I know you can handle it. We won't be doing most of the heavy lifting—GloryPath Capital's gonna take care of a lot of it. Your job is to guide Scarlet, give her solid advice, and make sure everything stays on track. If you're feeling overloaded, we can bring in some extra hands. We've got room in the budget for that."

Grace knew she didn't have much wiggle room, given how Benjamin was laying it out. She took a deep breath, flashed her most professional smile, and said, "Got it, Mr. Harris. I'll make it happen."

As she was leaving, Scarlet quickly caught up with her, her tone warm and sincere. "Grace, I hope I'm not putting too much on your plate. If there's anything I can do to make things easier for you, just let me know."

Grace gave her an appreciative look and responded gently, "Thanks, Scarlet. I've already divvied up the tasks with the team. For this GloryPath Capital project, your focus should be on building solid relationships with them. Dig into their business model, their plan, their financials. And don't be afraid to ask questions, no matter how dumb they might seem."

Scarlet's eyes lit up, her voice full of excitement. "By the way, I've been looking into that low-alcohol project you mentioned last time. I've done some digging, and I think I can offer a fresh perspective. Is there any chance I can be involved in that?"

Grace nodded approvingly, "For sure! We're heading out to the winery tomorrow, and it's gonna be a great chance to see the production process up close. You should come with us."

Scarlet made a disappointed face, shrugging. "I'd love to, but I've got a meeting with some potential clients tomorrow. It's a big deal—could be the one that seals the deal for us. But I'll be all ears when you get back. Do you think you could record some short clips of the key steps? That'd really help me out."

Grace patted her on the shoulder reassuringly. "No worries. We'll make sure to capture all the important parts. Can't wait to hear your thoughts when we're back."

Since the Grill & Glory project had raised some red flags during due diligence, Grace had decided to pull the plug on that one and shift her focus to other projects.

Grace Li, Ryan, and Aiden Thompson head to the winery for a site visit. The place is top-notch, with state-of-the-art equipment, a clean production and packaging area, and packaging designs that appeal to a younger market. Everything's on point for what the market demands.

While they're touring the place with the founder, Scarlet Harris calls.

"Grace, what's good? Mr. Tang from GloryPath Capital wants to grab dinner. You coming or what?"

Grace Li asks, "When's that?"

"Seven sharp, babe."

Grace Li glances at her watch. It's already 4:30. "I'm still at the winery. Not sure if I'll make it in time, but I'll try."

"C'mon, don't leave me hangin'. I already told him you'd be there."

"Alright, alright. Shoot me the address. I'll head there straight after this."

After hanging up, Aiden Thompson asks, "What's up?"

"Scarlet's got dinner with Mr. Tang from GloryPath Capital. She wants me to come, but I'm not sure if I'll make it."

"Sounds like a fun night," Aiden says, smiling.

The site visit wraps up at 6:00, and Grace Li drops Aiden Thompson and Ryan off near the office so they can grab a cab back. She heads off to the dinner spot on her own.

Once back at the office, Ryan doesn't go upstairs. He heads straight to the garage to grab his car and go home, while Aiden Thompson goes back to his desk, planning to organize the visit details as an important reference for future project evaluations.

Walking past the break room, he overhears some chatter.

"Yo, Scarlet, you lookin' fly tonight. Where you headed?"

"Not much, just dinner with Mr. Tang from GloryPath Capital."

"Mr. Tang? I thought he was just some rich dude."

"He is, but you don't wanna mess with him. I heard he's a bit of a sleaze. My friend from college said he once tried to get too close to a female client at a dinner. Had to settle it with cash."

"Seriously? That's sketchy."

"Yeah, but who knows, it's just rumors. I wouldn't mess with him, though."

"Stay safe, girl."

Aiden Thompson returns to his desk, but can't focus. He keeps thinking about what he overheard in the break room. He closes his laptop and heads out of the office.

He runs into Scarlet Harris at the front door.

Scarlet Harris smiles and greets him, "Aiden, you headin' out?"

Aiden Thompson casually asks, "Where you off to?"

Scarlet Harris flicks her hair behind her ear and says, "I'm feelin' a bit off, so I'm bouncin' home to rest."

Aiden Thompson doesn't press the issue but finds it a bit odd. She had just called Grace Li earlier about meeting Mr. Tang, and now she's suddenly bailing.

He doesn't ask more questions but feels a bit uneasy about Grace Li.

He joins the after-work crowd heading to the elevator, then pulls out his phone to message Grace Li.

Aiden Thompson: Yo, where you at? Send me the deets.

A few minutes go by, and when the elevator reaches the first floor, Aiden Thompson walks out, still no reply.

It's still not even 7:00, and based on Grace Li's usual habits, she'd probably be there early, waiting. So her lack of response is a little weird.

Aiden Thompson calls her, but the phone goes straight to voicemail.

A sense of unease washes over him. If her phone is off right now, it could either mean it's dead, or something else is going on.

He tries calling again, but still, the voicemail.

He opens Scarlet Harris's chat. They haven't talked much before, and she's usually the one reaching out. But now, he decides to take the initiative.

Aiden Thompson: Yo, where's the dinner with Grace & Mr. Tang? What's the address?

Scarlet Harris: Why you askin' all of a sudden?

Aiden Thompson: I got something important for her.

Scarlet Harris: It's at Flyer Steakhouse.

After getting the address, Aiden Thompson immediately orders a car to head to the restaurant.

Flyer Steakhouse is a high-end joint. It's past 7:00, and the place is packed with people. The atmosphere is buzzing.

Aiden Thompson checks his phone again to see if Grace Li has replied. The first message he sees is from Scarlet Harris.

Scarlet Harris: Was supposed to meet the client with Grace, but I'm not feelin' it. Could you meet her instead?

He doesn't reply to this message, just puts his phone away and starts looking around the restaurant for Grace Li.

A waiter comes over and politely asks, "Good evening, sir. Do you have a reservation?"

Aiden Thompson replies, "I'm lookin' for someone."

The waiter asks, "May I have the name of the reservation?"

"My friend's phone died, and she didn't tell me the name. It's with Mr. Tang."

The waiter quickly checks the reservation list on his tablet, finds the info, and says, "Right this way, please. Mr. Tang's reservation is at table 8 on the second floor."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

Aiden Thompson heads upstairs, and sure enough, he spots Grace Li. Sitting across from her is a slightly pudgy man, probably Mr. Tang.

Aiden Thompson takes a deep breath, puts on a calm face, and walks over. He extends his hand to shake Mr. Tang's and says, "Mr. Tang, good to meet you. I'm Aiden, Scarlet's colleague. She wasn't feelin' too well, so she sent me to cover for her."

Grace Li hears the familiar voice and instinctively turns her head. She's a little surprised to see Aiden Thompson.

What's he doing here?

Mr. Tang looks up at the young man, nods, and says, "Mr. Thompson, good to see you. Have a seat."

Aiden Thompson pulls out the chair next to Grace Li. Mr. Tang gives her a quick look and says, "Your company's got some real talent."

Grace Li responds humbly, "You're too kind, Mr. Tang."

Mr. Tang continues, "Let's talk shop. We were just discussing our pharmaceutical project. The goal here is to develop inhalable meds. With the inhalable drug market booming, there's huge potential. Most inhalable drugs are still imported, so there's plenty of room for local growth. Big opportunity."

Grace Li mainly focuses on consumer goods, so she's not super familiar with the medical field. But because of this project, she's done her homework. "Mr. Tang, I've looked into inhalable meds. The U.S. market is dominated by European companies. But there's still room for local brands. The challenges are twofold: one, innovation in drugs is tough, and R&D is risky. Two, entering the generic market is no easy feat. A lot of companies have invested big, but ended up with nothing. So, it's a risky move. Can you share your market data? How do you plan to position your product in such a competitive space? And what's your strategy for protecting intellectual property?"

Mr. Tang laughs and says, "We've done our homework. Our product's positioned as a cost-effective alternative without sacrificing quality. We've got patents in the works, and we're bringing in top talent for R&D. We're ready to move once we have the funding. As for risk, that's just part of the game. No risk, no reward."

Grace Li doesn't fully agree with his perspective, but she doesn't want to turn him down either, especially since he's a client introduced by Benjamin Harris.

"Mr. Tang, I'd like to discuss this with Mr. Harris. If you could send me a full due-diligence report, including market research, financials, and IP details, we'll take a closer look."

"No problem. I'll have my team send it over by tomorrow."

"Thanks, Mr. Tang. I appreciate it."