Chapter 5810

Jacob's heart brimmed with joy upon hearing Chairman Price's announcement that he had arrived at the entrance of the residential area and wished to meet him. The polite tone and mention of good news implied that Chairman Price had resolved his issue with the Calligraphy and Painting Association. Filled with excitement, Jacob quickly composed himself, thinking, "If Price is making amends, it must mean that he feels pressured by Don Albert! I must remain composed and not appear too eager to return." With this in mind, he replied, "There's no need for further explanations between us. I understand your intentions, so let's not waste time chatting." Upon receiving this message, Chairman Price felt a pang of anxiety in his heart. He handed the phone to his wife, Tina, frustratedly exclaiming, "Look, does it seem like Jacob doesn't want to return to the Calligraphy and Painting Association?" Tina looked at the message sent by Jacob, unable to fully comprehend it. She murmured, "It's not impossible for Jacob to have reservations about returning. After all, the incident was quite embarrassing, and you did attempt to remove him from the association. If he goes back now, there may be people who will speak ill of him." Chairman Price anxiously asked, "What should I do if he doesn't want to return? The director position is the best outcome I can offer him. If I demote a vice president to give it to him, not only would no vice president agree, but it would also invite criticism. I can't handle that kind of pressure!" Tina sighed and said, "It's a difficult situation indeed. We kicked Jacob out, and he resents you for it. Now that we're inviting him back, he will still harbor resentment, and others will also hold ill feelings towards you. We brought this upon ourselves. It's all my fault..." Chairman Price waved his hand dismissively and said, "Let's not dwell on that now. Let's focus on how to overcome this hurdle with Jacob. If he doesn't come back, I will have completely offended Don Albert. I used to believe that it didn't matter whether I offended him or not. Although he's influential, I don't rely on him to get things done. Moreover, we live in a society governed by the rule of law now, so he can't do anything to harm me. But I never expected that Don Albert's connections are so strong that he directly sabotaged my promotion. If I can't satisfy him this time, I might not be able to hold onto the presidency of the Calligraphy and Painting Association for long." Tina handed him the phone and suggested, "Why don't you give him a call? Apologize and say some kind words, even scold yourself if necessary, as long as it can calm Jacob and make him willing to meet with you. That's the most important thing. Otherwise, if he remains determined not to come back, we won't have any other options." Chairman Price nodded determinedly. "Alright! I'll give him a call!" With that, he took the phone and dialed Jacob's number. On the other side, Jacob saw Chairman Price's call and a smile nearly reached his ears. However, he feigned composure and let the phone ring for a while before answering. Charlie couldn't help but ask, "Dad, why aren't you answering the phone?" Jacob chuckled and replied, "Ah, it's that guy, Chairman Price! He sent a message saying he's outside our residential area and wants to meet me. I didn't agree, so he called. I suppose he must be afraid of Don Albert's wrath and came to find a solution." Charlie nodded and advised, "Dad, since Chairman Price wants to make amends and you want to go back to the Calligraphy and Painting Association, I suggest you not be too rigid. If you push too hard and make him think that you won't change your mind, he might find alternative ways." Jacob pondered for a moment and nervously asked, "With Don Albert involved, wouldn't he dare to defy him?" Charlie replied, "Compliance depends on the situation at hand. Being too rigid in this matter might lead to misunderstandings. If he perceives that you're unwilling to return to the association under any circumstances, he definitely won't make another attempt to reconcile. It's similar to pursuing a romantic relationship. You can assert control, but it must be handled delicately. If you make the other person completely despair, they won't persist anymore." Jacob contemplated for a moment and nodded. "That makes sense... I'll go meet him. I must return to the Calligraphy and Painting Association. Otherwise, I'll be sitting at home every day, staring at your mom." Coincidentally, Chairman Price called for the second time at that moment. Jacob didn't hesitate any longer and answered the call, asking, "What's the matter, Mr. Price?" Chairman Price quickly responded, "Ah, Jacob, you finally answered the phone. I wanted to apologize to you in person and share some good news. I'm already at the entrance of your residential area. Don't worry, I won't take up too much of your time!" Jacob deliberately asked, "Can't we just talk on the phone?" Chairman Price humbly replied, "Jacob, I know you must resent me, and I acknowledge that I mishandled this matter. I genuinely want to make it up to you and redeem myself. So I hope you can give me a chance. I won't take up too much of your time. Ten minutes should suffice. Based on our years of working together, I hope you can grant me this opportunity..."

Jacob purposely remained silent for a moment before sighing and saying, "Fine, fine. I'll come out and meet you. Wait for me at the entrance." Chairman Price was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Great! I'm already at the entrance. You'll see me when you come out." "Okay." With that, Jacob hung up the phone and couldn't help but feel excited. He turned to Charlie and said, "Good son-in-law, I'm going out to meet that old dog Chairman Price and see how he plans to solve my problem." Charlie nodded and said, "You two talk. I won't join in." "Okay." Jacob replied, "You don't have to come. I'll meet him by myself." With that, he put on his coat and walked out of the house. At that moment, Chairman Price also stepped out of his car. Before closing the door, his wife, Tina, reminded him, "Husband, remember, your attitude must be sincere and appropriately humble. As long as Jacob is satisfied, we can do anything. The most important thing is to stabilize him and make him agree to return to the association. Otherwise, we won't have any other options." Chairman Price nodded and said, "Don't worry, I know what to do." Afterwards, he closed the car door, walked to the entrance of Thompson First, and patiently waited. Jacob hummed a tune all the way until he approached the entrance, then abruptly stopped singing. He touched his face, ensuring his facial muscles appeared relaxed rather than tense, and stepped out of the grand entrance of the residential area. As soon as Jacob emerged, he spotted Chairman Price standing under the steps. Seeing each other again, Jacob's resentment and anger towards Chairman Price reignited, and his eyes filled with daggers. Chairman Price, on the other hand, wore a sycophantic smile as he hurriedly approached Jacob, grabbing his hand on the steps. He shamefully began, "Jacob, I'm sorry." Jacob knew that Chairman Price was merely putting on an act. He sarcastically remarked, "Chairman Price, I've known you for so long, and I never realized you were such a talented actor!" Chairman Price's face reddened, and he awkwardly responded, "Jacob, I know you have grievances against me, and I won't deny it. I mishandled that situation. But I, Lester, swear to the heavens that I never intended to deceive you. Initially, I planned to leave the director position for you..." At this point, Chairman Price made a decision and continued, "Hey, let me tell you the truth. The reason everything went awry in the end was because of my useless wife! She constantly whispered in my ear, saying that helping you like this would surely provide ammunition for others to use against me. If someone with ulterior motives made a fuss about it, it could even jeopardize my own future. I was a fool, thinking that I had waited so many years for a promotion opportunity, and if I couldn't seize it, my future might be completely ruined. So, I made a last-minute decision to go back on my promise to you..." Upon hearing this, Jacob couldn't help but look at him skeptically and asked, "Isn't it inappropriate to blame your wife for this?" Chairman Price panicked and quickly responded, "How can you call it blaming her? Jacob, I swear on my life that my narrow-minded wife truly deceived me. If I'm lying to you, may the heavens strike me down tonight!" Jacob reluctantly sighed and said, "Alright, let's not dwell on this any longer. Just tell me why you came to find me today?" Chairman Price eagerly replied, "Jacob, I came to invite you back to our Calligraphy and Painting Association. I've already fought for the director position I promised you earlier. You can return anytime and start working whenever you're ready!" Upon hearing these words, Jacob's heart finally relaxed. The director position was his desired outcome. He no longer dared to dream of being the executive vice president, but the director position was more than satisfactory. Now that he had Chairman Price's promise, he had achieved his goal. However, he pretended to remain unmoved and changed the subject, asking Chairman Price, "Chairman Price, aren't you worried that protecting me will have negative consequences for you?" Chairman Price did not mention his lack of hope for promotion and instead replied without hesitation, "Jacob, as they say, when the enemy approaches, we stand firm; when challenges arise, we adapt. If I am truly affected by standing up for you, we will find a way to minimize the impact. We'll handle any problems as they arise. We shouldn't fear obstacles before they even materialize. What do you think?" Jacob sighed and said with emotion, "Honestly, after all this trouble, I'm quite embarrassed to return to the Painting and Calligraphy Association. When the time comes, people will be gossiping behind my back. It's a real hassle." Chairman Price held his hand tightly and said sincerely, "Jacob, don't worry. I've spoken with all the senior officials today. They understand the situation and won't dare to criticize you. As for the others, I'll make sure they keep their people in line. When you go back, just act like nothing ever happened and don't let it bother you." Jacob thought for a moment, as if making a difficult decision, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Alright! Since you say so, I'll go back!"