Chapter 72: Reclaiming the Business Center

The Medrigez family, the Hanke family, and the Tom Cruise family all received a message from Joseph. According to the arrangements, they were supposed to meet at Joseph’s place at 8 AM. Joseph had no other intention for calling them over that morning. He just wanted to know what it would take to reclaim the business center that rightfully belonged to him. However, Joseph waited for more than an hour in the conference room, and not a single person showed up. This made his companions restless. Samael, known for his fiery temper, blurted out, “Boss, these people are clearly disrespecting you! If you ask me, we should just kill all three families and take back what’s ours. No need to waste time with them.” Abaddon nodded in agreement. “Exactly. Who do they think they are? Acting all high and mighty just because they’re from Florida.” Joseph, who had excellent hearing, pointed calmly towards the door. “Aren’t they already here?” As he spoke, the heads of the three families—Medrigez, Hanke, and Tom Cruise—walked in. Upon entering, their gazes immediately fixed on Joseph. Medrigez was the first to speak, his tone dripping with contempt. “You’re sitting in the wrong place.” Joseph was seated at the very center of the room, a spot typically reserved for someone of significant status. Everyone understood the underlying message: Joseph was not seen as someone of importance. Azazel immediately retorted, “How dare you speak to him like that! Don’t you know that Joseph was the one who founded this business center?” The three family heads burst into laughter. “Oh really? And I’m supposed to believe that? If you created this business center, then I’m the king of Florida!” Medrigez sneered. Joseph remained unfazed, his expression calm as he addressed them. “Believe it or not, this business center was indeed my creation. I invited you here today not for mockery, but to request that you return what is rightfully mine.” Medrigez chuckled coldly. “Joseph, who do you think you are? Do you really think a few words from you will make us hand over the business center? Remember, you’re not in charge here.” Hanke chimed in, “That’s right. The three of us together are more than you can handle. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave now, or we won’t be so polite.” Tom Cruise remained silent, seemingly lost in thought. Joseph sighed inwardly, realizing a confrontation was inevitable. But he chose not to resort to violence right away, knowing it would not be advantageous for him. “I didn’t call you here for a fight. I simply want to reclaim what is mine. I’m willing to pay a fair price for it,” Joseph said. Medrigez scoffed, “Are you out of your mind? Do you even know who we are? Do you really think you can just waltz in here and demand we give you back the business center? That’s ridiculous!” The others echoed his sentiment, expressing their disdain for Joseph’s proposal. Seeing that they were about to leave, Joseph quickly spoke up, “I’m not saying I won’t pay. Didn’t you buy it for 300 billion? I’m willing to pay 400 billion to get it back.” Offering an additional 100 billion in just one day was no small feat, but the three family heads simply shook their heads. “Even if you offered 400 billion, we wouldn’t sell. Not even for 4 trillion!” Medrigez declared. They knew that the business center, thanks to Joseph’s solid foundation, had continued to thrive under Cardiff’s management. The potential returns were immense, and selling it was out of the question. Medrigez reiterated, “Impossible.” Hanke nodded in agreement. “Absolutely not. We won’t sell.” Tom Cruise, though silent, shared their sentiment. After a moment, Tom Cruise spoke up, surprising everyone. “I’m willing to sell.” Medrigez and Hanke immediately turned to him, shocked. “Are you out of your mind? How can you even consider selling something so valuable to him?” Tom Cruise smiled. “Sure, the business center is great, but what about the future? What if a disaster strikes and it becomes worthless? I might never see 4 trillion from this center, but selling it now would give me that money immediately. Isn’t that the best outcome for me?” Medrigez finally understood Tom Cruise’s disdain for Joseph, seeing his suggestion as a joke. “If you can come up with 4 trillion, I’ll sell.” The others echoed his sentiment mockingly, “Yeah, 4 trillion. If you can bring that, we’ll sell.” Azazel, standing beside Joseph, scoffed, “Four trillion? You must be joking! That’s a ridiculous amount for this place.”