Chapter 183 - 179: Aren’t you afraid of raising Harris Dunn’s suspicion with your sharpness?
Richelie and Hugo arrived at the Dunn Group around 5 PM, just like last time. Disguised Richelle and Hugo were greeted by Jayden Dunn and his son, who took them to their office.
This time, Jayden Dunn was still Jayden Dunn, but Harris Dunn took his mother Megan Linwood’s place, changing the atmosphere of the conversation compared to the last time.
After exchanging some pleasantries, Harris Dunn went straight to the point. “Ms. Munm, do you mind if I ask how committed United Ventures is to partnering with us after our interactions so far?”
This question was actually quite blunt.
Obviously, he could tell that Richelle and Hugo were intentionally keeping them hanging.
Of course, Jayden Dunn might have noticed it too, but he didn’t have the guts to ask directly.
But Harris Dunn skipped the niceties, and came directly with this sentence. Fortunately, Richelle had heard a lot about Harris Dunn from Hugo, and had seen some of his resume details sent by the golden master, so she had a general understanding of his way of doing things.
So when she heard him ask this, she only smiled and counter questioned him. “Mr. Dunn, do you think I’m just idling around, or are you?”
Harris Dunn didn’t answer her, just quietly looked at her.
“United Ventures doesn’t keep idle people around. If we had no intention of investing and spent so much time on you, I wouldn’t even be able to keep my job, let alone my position as director.”
What Richelle said was the situation of every professional.
The bigger the company, the less likely they are to keep idle people around.
Harris Dunn couldn’t say he was satisfied with her answer, but he didn’t refute it either, only asking.
“Since we’ve come this far, Ms. Munni, can you give a precise number, what ratio would be acceptable to you?”
Richelle had always thought that Harris Dunn was a man of few words and had a weak presence.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he opened his mouth, he had this domineering momentum.
“The ratio Mr. Turner discussed with you earlier is what we can accept.” Richelle insisted firmly, adding with a solemn expression and strong words. Mr. Dunn, do you think we’re deliberately suppressing the Dunn Group? But our main goal at United Ventures, an investment firm, is to make money.” “As for the current situation of the Dunn Group, putting it nicely, it is temporarily experiencing difficulties. Put bluntly, without external help, it is highly likely to stumble and fall apart.”
Harris Dunn listened carefully to her words, his eyes sharply focused on her. “Ms. Munni, business cooperation should be mutually beneficial, but your requirement for the ratio would directly put our original shareholders in a very difficult position to survive. Doing so would be like killing the goose that laid the golden eggs, harming us more than helping us.”
Obviously, Harris Dunn was a very skilled negotiator.
First, he overwhelmed the opponent with a domineering attitude, then found out the opponent’s real intentions, and finally, knocked them down one by one, trying to gain as much benefit and concessions as possible for himself.
But Richelle wasn’t one to be messed with, “Mr. Dunn, have you ever considered that your original management structure had many unreasonable or unnecessary parts, and that it’s an opportunity to clean them up this time?” Richelle passed the question back to Harris Dunn. In any case, no matter what the problem was, at the end of the day, it was the Dunn Group’s problem. This kind of workplace PUA, although Richelle wasn’t particularly skilled at it, she knew how to play it.
And her words hit the Dunn Group’s sore spot.
By rights, the Dunn Group should be a decades-old company with traditional industries related to the national economy and people’s livelihood, as well as new emerging technology businesses.
The investigation by the Securities Regulatory Commission and the announcement by the Lewis Group severely impacted their emerging technology businesses.
By rights, with the support of their traditional industrial businesses, the Dunn Group shouldn’t be so devastated that they couldn’t even muster the strength to get back up.
But in reality, the Dunn Group was still struggling to get out of the slump. The reason for this was that their traditional industrial businesses had also encountered crises due to human factors.
However, these crises should only be known to a very small number of high-level executives within the company.
Now, having been hinted at and intimidated by Richelle, Harris Dunn was extremely shocked. However, he was also the kind of person who didn’t show his emotions, remaining calm and composed on the surface.
“Ms. Munni, the Dunn Group has been around for decades and naturally has its own corporate culture. This corporate culture may not be compatible with your progressive management philosophy, but its existence is reasonable, and I don’t see any problem with it.”
Harns Dunn was stubbornly defending the Dunn Group’s bottom line because he understood that the group’s remaining competitiveness actually relied on their traditional industries.
If United Ventures were to confirm that the Dunn Group’s industrial businesses were also in crisis, then there would be no way to negotiate better terms.
Richelie’s visit today hadn’t been expecting any substantial progress; she just wanted to gauge and test Harris Dunn’s capabilities.
In the end, Harris Dunn did not disappoint her.
In just a few minutes after they sat down, he had counterattacked her sharply on a number of points, and during that process, there was hardly any opportunity for Jayden Dunn, the chairman of the Dunn Group, to interject.
“Mr. Dunn, it seems that we still haven’t reached a consensus, and further discussion is unlikely to make any progress.” Richelle gave a hint to Hugo, Since that’s the case, there’s no need for us to waste each other’s time. We’ll take our leave today.”
Throughout the conversation, Jayden Dunn hadn’t been able to get a word in. He was scared by Richelle’s resolute attitude and tried to retain her hurriedly. “Ms. Munni, Harris just took over the company’s business, and he’s not familiar with many things yet. If you and Mr. Turner could stay a little longer, we can slowly explain any misunderstandings or unfamiliarities and discuss them properly.”
Richelle wasn’t someone who could be easily fooled by a simple explanation, “Mr. Dunn, you said that Mr. Harris is not familiar with the business, but I think he’s more familiar with it than you!”
Fortunately, Jayden Dunn and Harris Dunn were father and son, otherwise, Richelle’s words would be blatantly provoking their relationship, trying to put Harris Dunn in a deadly situation.
But even so, Harris Dunn was still shocked by her.
Then, he looked at her with an even more serious and focused gaze.
Dad, Ms. Munni is right, we still need to consider this matter in the long run. Ms. Munni and her team are very busy, let’s not waste each other’s time.”
Harris Dunn was very decisive, standing up to see the guests out.
When Richelle and Hugo returned to the car and drove away from the Dunn Group parking lot, Hugo couldn’t help but ask Richelle.
“Richelle, weren’t you afraid that Harris Dunn would become suspicious when you were so sharp with him just now?”
Richelle glanced at him, “Suspicious? Do you have any misunderstandings about United Ventures?”
Hugo coughed twice, “No misunderstanding, I just think it’s a pretty awesome company.”
Richelle smiled, “So, do you think such an awesome company would invest recklessly in a company they don’t know much about?”
Hugo also felt that he was being a bit silly, “You’re right, Richelle. There’s nothing you can’t find with your methods!”
Richelle shrugged her shoulders, not denying it.
But in her heart, she knew that she couldn’t have obtained so much top-secret information without the help of the golden master this time, no matter how capable she was!