Top Notch War God

Chapter 64

Norah looked at her daughter's ambitious demeanor and saw that Talon was in complete control. Satisfied, she nodded and said to Alvin, "Shouldn't we head back? Our daughter and son-in-law are doing well, and we shouldn't meddle unnecessarily. The deputy mayor is stepping down, so you'll surely have a lot to handle tomorrow. You should get some rest!"

Alvin nodded and replied, "No rush; I still have a few things to say to Ariya. Ariya, having ideals and aspirations is good, but don't forget that our Willis family has always been in the clothing business. It's somewhat unreasonable for you to push them into construction."

Ariya suddenly felt a bad premonition rise in her heart and quickly said, "It's not me who made them go into construction; it was their own choice. Dad, just say what you want to say directly."

Alvin looked at Ariya and said, "I hope you can bring the entire family into the Arilon Group. You can stay as chairwoman, your grandfather can be the deputy chairman, and as for the others, just arrange some positions for them."

Anger surged in Ariya's eyes as she stood her ground. "Absolutely not! Do you think I'm not aware of how hard I've worked over the years in the Willis family? I've already let them handle my renovations and construction, giving up thirty percent of the labor profit to them. That's my bottom line, and I can't let it go any further!"

Alvin suddenly intensified his tone. "Ariya, the Willis family started in clothing. Now you're asking them to do construction, which won't earn them much. Is that your bottom line? Don't you know your grandfather is already ill from exhaustion?"

He added, "Construction isn't easy, and I never said you had to give up your position as chairwoman. I just want you to assign a few roles to the Willis family; is that too much to ask? Don't forget, you also carry the Willis surname; the blood of the Willis family flows through your veins!"

"You!" Ariya was instantly speechless. No matter what she said, it wouldn't change the fact of her lineage.

With a wave of his hand, seemingly not giving Ariya a chance to speak, Alvin continued, "This matter is settled. I'll have your grandfather discuss it with you later."

He added, "Also, I promised the mayor earlier that we would hold a renaming ceremony for Yuvi Group in three days. It has to be lively. You and your grandfather should discuss who to invite. The mayor will send someone over, so make sure we don't embarrass ourselves!"

"When did I say we were holding a renaming ceremony?" Ariya was infuriated. What was Alvin doing here, messing up her well-laid plans?

Alvin had a sudden inspiration. Since Ariya cared so much about Talon, he decided to use Talon as leverage against her. "If you don't hold the renaming ceremony or don't allow your grandfather to participate in the Arilon Group, then be prepared to sever ties with Talon. If it weren't for him, the Willis family wouldn't have fallen five years ago."

He added, "Everything you're doing is to atone for the mistakes he made five years ago. Once the debts to the Willis family are repaid, I won't meddle in your relationship with him. You should consider what truly matters!"

After Alvin left, Ariya's face turned pale with anger. "Talon, can you believe this? My dad is actually using you to threaten me! The renaming ceremony has to invite entrepreneurs from the whole city, but the Willis family has long since declined. Who would care about us?"

She added, "I've just taken over the Arilon Group, and no one even knows me yet. If we hold the renaming ceremony now, it would be a joke for everyone to see!"

Talon, however, waved his hand dismissively. "I think holding a renaming ceremony might actually be a good idea. Everyone in the city will know about Arilon Group, and those who understand the situation will surely see through it. It shows that our lives are intertwined; we can't separate, and we can't change it. Isn't that good?"

"Oh, come on! I'm trying to talk about serious matters here!" Ariya blushed at Talon's words and playfully scolded him.

Talon took out the car keys and handed them to Ariya. "There's a Bentley outside; it's a gift from me to you. Your Rolls Royce will now belong to me."

He added, "This car was a gift from Kieran as a reward for the work I did for him. For the renaming ceremony, feel free to make a list of guests you want to invite and give it to Azureblade. You don't need to worry about anything else; he will handle it for you."

"Talon, please be careful!" Watching Talon get into the Rolls Royce, Ariya said with concern.

***

After leaving Ariya, Alvin called Lord Willis on the way and instructed him to discuss with Ariya about which enterprises to invite to the renaming ceremony.

Near the end of the conversation, Alvin added, "Dad, I'll be promoted to deputy mayor soon, so I might be busy afterward. You'll need to coordinate with Ariya regarding Arilon Group; I've set everything up."

Inside the old, rundown building of the Willis family, Lord Willis hung up the phone with a gloomy expression. The members of the Willis family watched him anxiously, wanting to say something but holding back. Although Ariya had given them construction work, Nightwing's inspections were too strict, leaving them with little autonomy.

"Ariya has become the chairwoman of Yuvi Group, and Alvin has already been promoted… It seems we, the Willis family, really have to rely on those two now, heh," Mateo said with a bitter smile. He disliked Alvin the most in the family, which was why he had him go into politics.

"That little slut Ariya, why does she deserve to be chairwoman? She must have used her looks to get there!" Jensen gritted his teeth, unable to accept that Ariya was doing better and maliciously slandered her.

Mateo frowned. "Jensen, do you know what you lack compared to Ariya? She knows how to restrain her brilliance. Have you ever heard her speak ill of others during her five years in the Willis family? That's her strength, something you don't possess. The Willis family has come this far, and you're the only direct descendant left. Jensen, don’t let me down again!"

Jensen's face flushed as he asked, "Grandpa, I understand. But what can we do now? With Nightwing watching, we can't even cut corners on wages. At this rate, the Willis family will be finished. Do we really have to go to Yuvi Group and live under Ariya's thumb? Grandpa, I can't accept this!"

The others listened to Jensen's words, their faces dark with discontent. For the Willis family to rely on Ariya, who had been expelled from the family, was hard for them to accept.

Mateo fell silent for a moment before finally speaking. "Jensen, for the sake of the Willis family, you must learn to be patient. I'm assigning you a task: starting tomorrow, go to Yuvi Group and find Ariya. You can discuss clothing processing with her; otherwise, we will turn the old house into a processing plant. Perhaps the Willis family can find a glimmer of hope!"

"Grandpa, even if I can swallow my pride, Ariya might not want to talk to me. You know our relationship in the Willis family, and you appointed me acting chair when we were in our most difficult times. Why not let someone else try?" Jensen said bitterly.

"Ariya is now the chairwoman of Yuvi Group. She won't stoop to your level. I've said this is an action you must take for the Willis family's sake. Think of the whole Willis family. If it weren't for you, would I have chased Ariya out? Right now, only you can resolve this crisis. No matter what Ariya asks you to do, you must comply!" Mateo's expression darkened.

"Grandpa, this…" Jensen felt as if he had fallen into an ice pit; his grandpa was clearly using him as cannon fodder!

"Jensen, your grandfather is right. You are indeed the only one who can resolve this crisis," a woman suddenly said.

"Mom, why are you saying this too?" Jensen was taken aback.

Jensen's mother advised, "Jensen, didn't you hear your grandfather say to be patient? If you go to Ariya now, it might cost you some pride, but if she accepts you and allows the Willis family to participate in the management of Yuvi Group, who do you think the Willis family members will be grateful to? Ariya? No, it will be to you, my son."

She added, "Ariya is ultimately an outsider. To put it bluntly, we are leveraging her power to gain another chance to rise. Once that goal is achieved, who will still remember Ariya?"

Jensen's eyes suddenly lit up, and he stood up, saying, "Grandpa, Mom, you don't need to say any more. I'll go to Yuvi Group to see Ariya tomorrow. I promise, no matter how she hits or scolds me, I won't mind. I can do anything for the Willis family!"