Chapter 282: Career

When Li Mochen returned to the locker room, he found Louise Lyndon seemed to be waiting there deliberately. He noticed the girl was holding two bottles of champagne.

"Congratulations!"

Louise Lyndon shoved a bottle of champagne into Li Mochen's hand: "For your Rising Sun Company, and for your individual tournament championship."

Li Mochen chuckled, opened the champagne cork, and clinked glasses with Louise: "I'll accept the Rising Sun Company, but as for the individual championship, we'll have to wait until next week."

After all, the girl before him was his next opponent.

"No!" Louise shook her head slightly: "You are already the Atlanta High School individual champion. I have informed the tournament committee that I am officially withdrawing from the next round."

"Withdraw? Why?" Li Mochen looked surprised.

"You know the reason, Amo. In the next match, you would treat me the same way you treated Carol, wouldn't you? I thought since that's the case, it's better to withdraw, so I can at least save some face."

Louise chuckled: "If it's a sparring match, we'll have plenty of opportunities; there's no need to do it in the ring."

Li Mochen understood. For Louise, the eldest daughter of the Lyndon family, a crushing defeat or a sparring match in the next round were both unacceptable. He would have been willing to do her a favor and go easy in the ring, but for Louise, that would have been even more humiliating.

"Wow, I bet the NHSAA tournament committee, the advertisers, and the TV stations are all fuming. The school board won't agree either, right?"

He knew the NHSAA tournament committee had been making a lot of money from his matches lately, and part of that revenue would go to Lyndon Academy.

"But I don't have to care about what they think, do I?"

Louise's expression turned slightly serious: "Let's get down to business. Tomorrow night, the academy will hold a celebration party for you. You'll have time to attend, busy man?"

That was the real reason she was waiting for Li Mochen to return.

"Of course."

Just as Li Mochen said this, he saw Chu Siguo hurrying down the corridor with a mobile phone in hand: "BOSS, there's a call for you. I think you should take it. The caller says he's Candela, the deputy团长 of the Holy Blood Hunter Group."

Louise's eyes narrowed at the words 'Holy Blood,' but her expression quickly returned to normal. She smiled and waved goodbye to Li Mochen. Li Mochen took the phone and walked into the locker room.

"Mr. Alexandra Candela?"

"It's me, kid."

The voice on the other end was hoarse and magnetic: "I suppose you've received our letter, right?"

Li Mochen felt slightly annoyed; the other party was treating him like a junior, speaking casually.

If it were someone like Franks of the Teutonic Cross, who genuinely cared for him as an elder, that would be one thing. But this Alexandra Candela—Li Mochen didn't think he was the same kind of person as Franks.

So Li Mochen's tone was distant and cold: "I received it, Mr. Candela. But I'm sorry, I have no interest in business on the Antolia continent. You must have heard that the five armed merchant ships my father left behind have been sunk, and my Rising Sun Company has completely withdrawn from the maritime trade. So I'm afraid I can't help."

There was silence on the other end for a full half minute. If not for the faint electronic hiss, Li Mochen would have thought the other party had hung up. He figured Alexandra Candela must be surprised and was choosing his words carefully.

Sure enough, when the hoarse voice spoke again, it carried more gravity: "Andre, I don't think you understand the significance of the Holy Blood Hunter Group's friendship. As a friend of your father, I feel I must inform you. The Alliance Wings Fleet your father organized sold us various arms and supplies worth over fifty million gold shields annually. And the magical materials he obtained from us each year were worth over one and a half billion. Even if he just offloaded those materials to the big conglomerates, he could sell them at two to three times the price. And your father's partners included the Kadia Hunter Group and the Triangle Viking Hunter Group. Do you know? With the letter we gave you, you could easily assemble a large fleet in America—"

"Mr. Candela, forgive my rudeness, but I have already looked into the Alliance Wings Fleet and the Antolia continent."

Li Mochen interrupted Alexandra Candela: "It is indeed a profitable business, but high profits mean high risks, right? Mr. Candela, if you know anything about me, you should know that my career in Atlanta is thriving, and I'm not short of money. What reason do I have to get involved in the Antolia continent and take on risks I shouldn't have to bear? I appreciate the Holy Blood Hunter Group's friendship, but I currently have no intention of inheriting this enterprise."

"Andre, don't rush to a decision, okay?"

Alexandra Candela seemed at a loss for words, his voice tinged with a strange emotion: "How about this? I've returned to America, on the West Coast. I'll come to Atlanta in a while to meet you face to face. I think we can have an open talk. Then you can refuse me if you still want to."

After a moment's thought, Li Mochen agreed. Then he stared at the mobile phone, lost in thought. He had refused the Holy Blood Hunter Group partly because he wasn't prepared or determined, and partly because he resented their condescending attitude. But from their conversation, it seemed the deputy团长 was even more eager about this matter than he had imagined.

Had something happened over there again?

Li Mochen couldn't figure it out. He shook his head and prepared to change clothes. Since he had barely sweated, he didn't plan to shower.

But just as he took off his shirt, his mobile phone rang again.

This time it was Edward Jeffries, his voice full of joy and enthusiasm: "Andre, are you free tonight? We need to sign a contract."

Li Mochen's spirits lifted: "A contract? For Edward Jewelry?"

"Exactly. The company I mentioned before, the one with the most诚意."

Jeffries laughed: "Two years, one hundred and twenty million. Plus a special clause: Edward Jewelry will create two exclusive products for you over these two years, and you'll get four percent of the profits."

"That much? That's five times what Cartier Clothing offered."

Li Mochen was taken aback. After all, Cartier Clothing had only offered twelve million gold shields a year.

"It's different, Amo. Cartier Clothing is a top luxury brand in apparel, but they only deal in clothing. Edward Jewelry, besides jewelry and ornaments, also deals in auxiliary magical equipment like earrings, necklaces, brooches, and so on."

Jeffries's voice carried a hint of pride: "So tonight, Amo, you absolutely must find time, you hear? Let's finalize the contract first. EMMM~ Afterwards, we'll have a celebration dinner. The vice president of Norfolk Motors will also be there; he's very interested in you. We might sign another endorsement deal in a day or two."

Li Mochen thought to himself that today really was his lucky day, with good things coming one after another. And his choice had indeed been correct; Edward Jeffries's connections and abilities were beyond doubt.