Over 30 people were sitting in a large meeting room, mostly men; they were wearing luxurious clothes and accessories. They were board members of the Chamber of Commerce in the Aden Square.
As two servants were handing out pieces of paper, a middle-aged man with neatly combed hair stood up, and said, “As you know, the monthly food competition is coming soon. For 18 months, the first 10 places have always gone to our member restaurants. We’d like to keep it that way. What you have in your hands is this month’s list. Every vote counts. Let’s give them as much support as we can.”
The others listened quietly.
The middle-aged man leaned close to the old man sitting beside him, and whispered, “Mr. Moreton, do you have anything to add?”
The others looked at the old man with respect. He wore a long gray gown and had a grim face. His hair was gray but neat, his long beard white and evenly trimmed.His name was Jeffree Moreton, and he was one of the founders of the Chamber Of Commerce. The Buffetts, the Dodges, the Marquis Family, and the Moreton Family had founded it together. After 50 years, it had become one of the most famous chambers of commerce. The Moreton Family was an important family; they were doing spices, food, and textiles business all over the continent.
Jeffree didn’t answer him. Instead, he looked to the corner. “Where are you here?” he asked the woman in a red dress, eyes glinting angrily.
She was playing with a strange coin—half gold coin, half dragon coin—her sexy red lips curving in an ironic smile. Her red dress made her extremely conspicuous in this meeting room full of men.
She looked around 18, with a fair face and long curly brown hair. One look at her face, and one would never forget her sexy red lips.
They were all looking at her, waiting for her answer.
She held that strange coin in her hand and raised her eyes, unafraid. She smiled. “Oh, I’m here on behalf of the Buffett Family. My family is one of the permanent members of this chamber. I’m sure you still remember that, Mr. Moreton.”
She might have spoken in a calm voice, but her eyes were defiant.The others watched them nervously; nobody dared to make a sound.
The Buffet Family owned the most banks throughout the continent. The most convenient thing about depositing money in a Buffet Bank was that one could draw money from his or her account at any Buffet Bank. The Buffet Banks had become so famous that they were protected by all the species.
The woman’s name was Scheer Buffet. She was hardly an ordinary lady: she had become a bank accountant at six, while at the age of 10, she had owned her first bank.
At her 18th birthday, the Buffet Family had selected her to take charge of their family business instead of her father.
Many people found that decision ridiculous, but not the ones who knew the Buffet Family well. It was Scheer Buffet who had made the money-withdrawing system so flexible.
This system alone had won them many clients; Buffet Banks had successfully eliminated the risk of transferring large amounts of coins.
“Scheer is a genius,” Ian Buffet had said. He spoke very highly of his granddaughter, even though he rarely praised people.
Scheer might not be as important or influential as Jeffree, the current president of the Chamber of Commerce, but she was young, and her business was booming. Jeffree’s days were numbered, yet he hadn’t found a proper successor.
“Ian must have lost his mind to choose a girl as his successor,” Jeffree said with disdain. He stood up, picked up his black staff, and started for the door.
The board members rose to their feet to show him respect—all but Scheer.
“Next time, the Buffet Family will run for president, just so you know,” Scheer said, smiling. “And you may as well choose a girl as your successor too. A girl is better than an incompetent buffoon.”
