Chapter 1134:
No one lingered on the subject, and soon everyone was gossiping about Yaroslav Technology again.
By now, Charles seemed tipsy, the alcohol dulling his edge and making him an easy mark for friendly interrogation.
The group bombarded Charles with questions, most of them centered on his original reasons for backing the project.
Charles let out a goofy laugh.
“Honestly? Millie mentioned Reuben would be involved, so I just wanted to annoy the guy. You all know I stick to entertainment—spotting good-looking talent, helping them break in. When it comes to finance or tech, I’m way out of my depth.”
A hiccup escaped him as he continued, “Looking back, though, this investment might have been one of my smarter decisions.” The people fishing for details shot each other meaningful glances.
To them, despite the fact that everyone knew the rivalry between the Evans brothers, Charles talking about his beef with his brother in public was a sure sign he’d had too much to drink and was losing his filter.
That was exactly the kind of slip-up they’d been hoping for.
“Care to elaborate, Mr. Evans? What makes you think it was a smart choice?” one of them asked, pushing for more.
Charles shifted in his seat with a sly grin, though his attempt to act clever was so obvious that no one was buying it.
“Yaroslav Technology’s on a roll, don’t you think?” he replied.
“Once they get through all the pointless rumors, things finally begin to fall into place. Who knows, maybe luck’s finally on my side. I might even get my fortune read just to be sure.”
No one in the room expected Charles’s answer. They’d been hoping for a juicy secret, but Charles gave them superstition instead. Honestly, coming from him, that kind of response seemed perfectly in character.
Superstition ran deep in business circles, particularly in the entertainment world, where stories of luck and fate were as common as box-office hits.
Anyone who’d worked with Charles knew he stuck to what he knew best—everything related to showbiz, nothing more. He’d never been shy about his quirky reliance on fortune-telling and lucky charms.
As the night wore on and drinks kept flowing, an odd sense of intrigue spread among the guests.
“Maybe Charles isn’t wrong about this. It almost feels like Yaroslav Technology has some mysterious force working for them.”
“Right? Even with all those bogus scandals hurting their business opportunities, every update since then has been nothing but positive—real progress, big contracts.”
“Yeah, two pieces of good news in a single week. That’s not common!”
“At first glance, it really looks like this company is advancing without a hitch!”
“Could it be true? Is there some kind of sorcery involved? Is that even possible?”
By now, the alcohol had completely gotten the better of Charles. His friends helped him into the back seat of a car and told the driver to make sure he got home safely.
That very night, a strange new rumor began to ripple through the industry. It was the kind of tale that mixed mystery with just enough reason to keep even the most practical tycoons awake at night, turning it over in their minds.
It didn’t help that so many in the business world already clung to certain rituals—picking lucky days for grand openings, moving offices on auspicious dates, and refusing to sign contracts under unlucky stars. That rumor found fertile ground among people who wanted just a bit more magic in their bottom line.
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