Chapter 619: Disposing the Shares
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After hanging up with Rose, Li Du tried calling Sophie again but the call could not be connected.
Evidently, Sophie had boarded the airplane and turned her phone off.
He called Big Quinn and Godzilla to head over with him to McCarran International Airport to await Sophie.
Having just suffered a kidnapping, he felt ill at ease when he could not contact Sophie. Although he knew that the chances of Sophie being kidnapped were low, he still couldn’t dispel that fear.
He inquired about the flight from Flagstaff to Las Vegas. The distance was short. The plane landed soon after they arrived at the airport.
Ten minutes after the plane landed, he estimated that Sophie would have entered the airport by then, so he called her from the entrance of the airport.
As soon as he had dialed the number, Godzilla used his elbow to nudge him gently. In response, he asked, “What is it?”
Godzilla pointed at the crowd in front of them and said, “Lady Boss and Lady Robocop.”
“What’s with Lady Robocop?” Li Du asked in puzzlement.
Godzilla shrugged without answering. He was an enigma who wouldn’t speak unnecessarily.
Big Quinn answered for him. “It’s the nickname Big Fox gave Officer Rose. The last time at the CS competition, Officer Rose was such a toughie, just like Robocop Murphy.”
Godzilla nodded, his face indicating that he felt the same way.
Li Du couldn’t care less about how the nickname had come about. He looked into the crowd and spotted both Sophie and Rose.
Sophie was always dressed so elegantly. She was in a pale blue parka with a short, snow-white lace dress.
The dress’s off-shoulder style accentuated the graceful arcs of her collarbones and shoulders, while the high-waisted, bottom-hugging design drew attention to Sophie’s slender curves.
Rose was looking suave in her police uniform, with her hand holding on to her police cap. Her jet-black hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the back of her head, while her slender legs were concealed under her blue pants.
The two ladies, while presenting two different styles and appeal, had attracted the admiring glances from many tourists.
On seeing him, Sophie’s furrowed brows relaxed. The look of surprise on her face was soon followed by a smile – then she sprinted over.
Li Du enveloped her in an embrace. “I told you I’m fine. Why did you have to come over?”
Sophie looked up at him and gave him a cheeky smile. “Are you sure that’s the first thing you should be saying to me? Which is to reproach me?”
Li Du was momentarily stunned. “I love you. When I was kidnapped, you were the biggest motivation behind my escape.”
Rose pursed her lips and said, “You’re so unfilial. Sophie was the only one you thought of then?”
Li Du sighed. “Of course, my parents, too.”
“And? Your good brothers, followers, Ah Meow, Ah Ow and Crispy Noodles, and your landlord who gives you a place to stay. . .”
Li Du got frustrated. “I remember all of you. All of you were my motivation to stay alive, every single one of you.”
Sophie giggled and patted his arm. “Be nice, Officer Rose decided to come with me to Las Vegas as soon as she heard you were kidnapped.”
Li Du was indeed touched, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything affectionate to Rose, so he changed the topic. “Did you apply for leave?”
Rose said icily, “Where would I find the time to?”
Li Du looked at her with all sincerity. “Thank you for your concern, Rose. Thanks for being absent from work to come see me.”
“Who said I’m absent from work?” said Rose.
Li Du said, “Then you are here without applying for leave. . .”
Rose waved her hand and said, “I’m here to accompany your girlfriend and at the same time, check if any of your limbs are missing. Now that my mission is accomplished, I am going to head back and continue my patrol. I’m not absent from work.”
The lady officer who had always conducted matters in a forthcoming and decisive manner went to immediately buy the ticket for her return trip.
Li Du stopped her. “Grab a meal first.”
The lady officer shrugged. “Ate on the way here. Your girlfriend hardly ate, though. You guys catch up. I’m not gonna be a third wheel.”
Godzilla who had been standing there said, “There’s already two here, what’s one more?”
The lady officer looked at him and Big Quinn, and the two of them imitated her shrug. She laughed and said, “Thank you, but I really have to go back. I’ve got to maintain my record at the police station. Can’t break it. “
“What record?”
“Since my first day of work, I’ve never been late, absent from work, left early or applied for leave,” the lady officer said matter-of-factly, before walking to the ticket counter in the airport.
Big Quinn whispered, “Now you know why she is called Robocop?”
Li Du did not respond. He looked at the view of her rigid back and felt a tinge of loneliness coming over him. She resembled a long rifle being stuck into the ground.
Unmovable like a mountain, she would rather break than bend!
Now that Sophie was here, Li Du was a happy man!
He got his room changed to a double room, so that he could spend time with Sophie.
When Sophie arrived at the hotel, the phone rang. It was Mrs. Martin asking why she hadn’t come over with Li Du.
Only then did the lady doctor recall that in her haste, she had not informed her parents about this.
It was Sophie’s first visit to Las Vegas and Li Du wanted to show her a good time. However, in the evening, Roger of Harry Winston, Inc. called and asked, “Mr. Li, are you alright now?”
As soon as Li Du heard his question, he knew that Roger had learned about the kidnapping. But as he was not well-acquainted with Li Du, he did not ask many questions.
Li Du spoke briefly about the kidnapping and told him he was fine.
Roger had called not only to ask after his well-being, he had more important news. “Last we spoke, you had said you wanted to buy shares in our company, right? I want to tell you that Mr. Tedrick is willing to reduce the selling price of the shares. I wonder if you are interested.”
Tedrick was one of the three old gentlemen who had given Roger grief that night. He held a 0.008 percent stake in Harry Winston, which was worth about 12 million dollars.
Li Du asked, “What is the price he is willing to accept now?”
Roger said, “He reduced it by 800,000 dollars, so 11.2 million dollars.”
Li Du had about 11.5 million dollars in total. He had originally wanted to buy Norman’s stake first, as he owned a 0.005 percent stake.
Now, it was obvious that it would be more worthwhile to buy Tedrick’s shares.
After quick consideration, he said, “No problem, Mr. Roger. Help me get in touch with him. I can take on those shares.”
In addition to buying the shares, there was one more thing he needed Roger’s help with, which was to sell the two Van Gogh originals.
He had looked it up on the internet and the value of Van Gogh’s paintings was more than 10 million dollars. If he were to sell both paintings, he could buy Norman’s shares as well.
Together with Sophie, Godzilla and Big Quinn, he took a taxi to the Harry Winston jewelry store. He was all set to acquire stakes in this upscale jewelry company.
