He coaxed Phoenix in a gentle voice, After tonight, you can leave with the 8 million dollars, and no one will be able to trace you.
Phoenix clenched his jaw. Now was not the time to give up.
He gave a slight nod and followed the two men inside.
The waiter escorted them to a private room.
As they entered the room and caught sight of Maloney, the two swindlers quickly put on courteous smiles. This is Dr. Shaw, who has been deeply involved in biomedicine for years. He led this project.
Upon spotting Phoenix, Maloney nodded cordially. Have a seat, please. Theres no rush to dive into business. This place serves excellent food. We can order something and discuss the details over the meal.
Dotson, who had been sitting silently next to Maloney all along, kept a stealthy watch on Phoenix from across the table.
booksbybunny s booksbybunny
Once they had ordered, one of the swindlers inquired, Isnt your advisor joining us?
Shell be a bit late, but thats alright. Id like to hear about your project first.
The swindlers exchanged a glance and then turned back to Phoenix. Lets have Dr. Shaw fill you in.
Sure. Leaning back in his chair, Maloney smiled at Phoenix and said, Dr Shaw, could you elaborate for us?
Phoenix spent quite a while explaining. Maloney, clueless about biomedicine, posed numerous questions, which began to disorient Phoenix.
Feeling increasingly anxious and now somewhat irritable with the barrage of inquiries, Phoenix finally snapped, not really thinking, If you dont understand, maybe wait for someone who does.
Just then, Dotson slammed his hand down on the table, his expression turning fierce. How could you talk to my boss like that? he snapped with intensity.
The three people seated across from him were too frightened to utter a word.
Maloneys face remained stoic. He gently patted Dotson on the shoulder and reassured him, Calm down. Dr. Shaw makes a valid point. I genuinely dont know anything. Since Im clueless about this, Ill end the deal. Lets go.
With that, he rose from his seat, signaling his intention to exit.
Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join Stay Updated for All Books Updates
.
However, the two swindlers quickly got up, eager to retain him. With forced smiles, they apologized, This is Dr. Shaws first attempt at negotiating a deal, and hes not yet familiar with how things work. We hope youll overlook this.
Phoenix, feeling the piercing gaze of one of them, felt unnerved. He promptly stood and said, My apologies. Lets not end our collaboration over this incident. I confess, eloquence isnt my strong suit. Im deeply sorry.
Maloney, aiming to smooth over the tension and avoid a more uncomfortable situation that hed have to justify to Hannah, sat back down and smiled warmly. Im quite reasonable to interact with. It seems Dr. Shaws explanations may have been a bit unclear.
He thumbed through the project documents casually and mused. This leads me to wonder whether Dr. Shaw is actually behind this project. Could there be an issue here?
Phoenix felt a sharp sting at the remark. He sprang to his feet, exclaiming loudly, Of course this is my research! No question about it!
The two swindlers beside him flinched at his intense response and hastily signaled for him to sit down.
Maloney fixed a stern, pointed gaze on Phoenix. It was just a question, Dr. Shaw. Why are you taking it so personally?