Chapter 20: Attorney Supremacy

Nexus District, Victoria Street, 10:00 am

Fuuu

Watching the smoke fill the air, Vivian snarled and took out her cigarette, stomping it out with a loud thump.

This action caused passers-by to give her an ugly look and move away, not wanting to get close to such a rude woman.

"There must be a fine for that," Adryan said, amused at what she was doing. He could not help but compare her to his weirder cousins.

"Yes, there is, but what does it matter?" Vivian snorted as she fixed a hair out of place.

This time, she was wearing a white silk tunic, the fabric of which acted as a belt was a soft magenta. She wore fine ruby earrings and the same square cut-out glasses.

"Huhu, you are quite amusing." Adryan laughed softly. He was wearing a red waistcoat with a purple silk sash and white trousers, his right arm completely covered by a black arm warmer and gloves of the same color. In his left hand, he was carrying a large black briefcase.

"You should see me drunk, Pretty Boy." Vivian hissed as she lowered her hand to her side. Bending slightly, she grabbed her own briefcase and lifted it up. 

The APEX FINANCIAL SOLUTION was a four-story building, the tallest on the street by one floor, making it stand out.

The facade of dark reddish brick was decorated with rococo details in ivory and pale green shades. The moldings, once vibrant, are now faded in places.

The ceiling domes, painted sky-blue, have areas where the paint has begun to peel, revealing the rusted metal beneath. The largest central dome is the most striking feature of the building, painted in a beautiful sky blue resembling a sea stone.

The ivory-colored columns flanking the door show small cracks, and the wooden door with green-painted reliefs has lost some of its color, revealing the aged texture of the wood.

"I'll have to do some alterations when I buy it," Adryan said with a small smile, quickly noting the neglected parts of the building.

If he was going to live up to the Wayne name, he could demand nothing less than absolute perfection. And if his building wasn't up to par, he had already failed and ruined the family name.

His barbarian lawyer stood by his side, also looking at the building, though she wore a grimace of undisguised annoyance that showed her clear dissatisfaction with what he was doing.

"You can still take my advice, you know," Vivian said as she glanced sideways at him, "there's a casino not far from here; I can take you there if you like. The first round of drinks on me, what do you say?"

"Nah, no need." Smiling, Adryan walked through the old doors. But he stopped, turned, and looked at her with a growing smile, "Though, why don't we go after I buy this company?"

The barbarian looked at his back for a second before rolling her eyes and following him, a small grimace of irritation on her face.

"Men, why don't you ever listen?" Vivian muttered to herself as she entered the infamous firm.

"I'll take you for that, though; you're buying the second round."

The lobby of Apex Financial Solution has high, vaulted ceilings painted in soft shades of blue and ivory. The walls are lined with dark wood paneling that has lost some of its original lustrs. The floor is covered with earth-colored ceramic tiles in cubic patterns. At the top of the floor was a large black wooden staircase with black wooden balusters.

The blue velvet curtains that framed the windows still added a touch of luxury, but Adryan could see the edges frayed.

The duo walked a short distance until they reached the reception desk.

The desk was solid mahogany, polished and inlaid with ivory and ebony, forming geometric patterns on the surface. Its surface was covered with a dark green leather mat.

Behind the desk stood a man in his thirties, with light shadows under his eyes and a stylish mustache. His black hair was combed to one side, with several grey strands running through it.

As he saw them approach, his black eyes brightened slightly, and he settled back in his seat. He smiled at them and greeted them: "Good morning, gentleman and fair lady. Welcome to Apex Financial Solutions. How can I help you?"

Stepping forward, Adryan bowed slightly in greeting. "I'm here to discuss the advertisement for the sale of the company. Is Mr Dieter Schmidt in?"

The light illuminating the man's face faded a little at his words, but he managed to hide it decently.

"Of course, I'll take you to Mr Schmidt. This way." He said as he rose from his seat. Bowing slightly, he walked across the ceramic tiles and up the stairs.

The other floors looked the same, with not much difference, with cube pattern tiles and a bit of mahogany furniture. The strange design of the building meant that they could see the reception no matter which floor they were on.

This gave Adryan several ideas, and he quickly noticed the lack of staff. Counting the receptionist before him, he had only seen six other people working.

'With a building this size, there should be a lot more people here. Maybe there used to be, but the company's demise must have forced redundancies...' Noting this to solve later, they finally arrived at the last office on the top floor of the building.

A large dark wooden door with a silver handle and a large bronze plaque with a single word written in large letters. <Schmidt >

"Wait here a moment, I will tell Mr Schmidt that you wish to speak with him." The receptionist bowed slightly and turned, knocking a few times on the door and disappearing behind it after a deep voice gave permission.

Vivian turned and gave him a bored look. "We can still run, you know."

Glancing sideways at her, Adryan smiled in amusement. "And miss this opportunity? No thanks."

Vivian could only grunt at her contractor's nonchalant attitude. Losing all interest in talking to such a fool, she leaned against the balustrade and stared at the floors below.

The conspirator looked at her and laughed softly, ignoring his lawyer's obvious annoyance and continuing to listen to the conversation behind the door.

"Mr Schmidt, there are two people here about buying the company."

"Finally!!! It's been almost a week since we posted the ad, and the last day is approaching..." a male voice said, clearly relieved, but his voice lowered in realization."Is it them? Did they come early? I still haven't collected the money I owe them..."

"No, sir. I don't think it's them... They didn't use the key or seem to be one of them."

"I hope not because my neck is on the line... What are you waiting for, William? Send them in."

Though they spoke in whispers, barely raising their voices, to the ear of a Hunter who had reached Sequence 6, they might as well be shouting through loudspeakers.

'Ah~ So the Heir has a problem with a mob? Who would have thought...' Adryan rolled his eyes at the revelation.

Based on what he had heard about the man's attitude, this was one of the things he had expected the most. So he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

His feelings aside, the receptionist he now knew to be William opened the door and gave them a small nod.

"Thank you for waiting. You may come in."

"About time," Vivian grunted as she stepped away from the balustrade. "Lead the way, and let's get this over with, Pretty Boy. I want my drink."

"As you command, Ma'am." Rolling his eyes again in amusement, Adryan walked into the office, followed by Vivian. They both got a strange look from William.

Ignoring the receptionist's look, the black-haired man quickly looked around the office, absorbing all the details in seconds.

In the middle of the office stood a large mahogany desk, rectangular in shape with rounded edges. Like every office in Lenburg, the walls were lined with bookshelves, but they were unusually empty of books for their size.

On the wall behind the desk was a large space on which were four pictures, covered by a sheet, but Adryan had an idea of what they were.

A man was sitting in front of the pictures with a broad smile on his face. He was a young man in his mid-20s or early 30s. He had platinum blond hair, grey eyes, a neat beard, and an air of arrogance.

"Welcome! Mr. William has told me everything. Please have a seat. I am Dieter Schmidt, the current owner of Apex Financial Solution. Let's talk business!" he said in an elegant and excited voice, his eyes glittering. William, standing next to him, looked at them with flat eyes.

"Then, if you'll excuse us." With his lips slightly lifted, Adryan sat in one of the chairs, Vivian doing the same next to him.

Dieter clapped his hands, rubbed them together briefly, and licked his lips a little. "So, to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"

"I am Harvey Wayne and the beautiful woman next to me is my attorney, Vivian Langley." Adryan introduced calmly.

At the mention of the A-word, Dieter's expression quivered for a moment. "You can never be too careful, can you? Very clever, Mr Wayne."

"Thank you." Ignoring the empty praise, he went on. "The price is still 15,000 sassem?"

"Ah, of course!" Like all gamblers, mentioning money immediately cheered the man who had lost his bitterness."Originally, when the time came to sell the company, I had to ask for at least 60,000 sassem."

Laughing a little, Dieter added."As you can see, we no longer have that luxury. The company has suffered misfortunes that have forced me to sell this generations-old family business to survive. The same tragedies that have reduced the value of this building."

'For misfortunes, wouldn't it be your gambling and mafia business?' Adryan added in his heart, not speaking his thoughts but closing his eyes in mock respect.

"It's a pity. But don't worry, I'll see the company restored to its former glory once I own it."

"Hoho! Then I wish you good luck with it, Mr Wayne!" Dieter chuckled in a deep voice with a broad smile.

"While it's good for the salesman and the customer to get along, this is no time for socializing." Shaking her head, Vivian joined the conversation with a frown. 

The smile on Dieter's face became a little strained, and his eyebrow twitched slightly. His gaze turned cold on her. "You're right, Miss Vivian..."

"The starting price for the signature will be 15,000 sassem. You will pay by cheque or cash..."

"My client will not buy or pay for anything until we see the legal documents for the building. Title deeds, property deeds, debt history. Everything my employer needs to make the right decision about buying the building." Vivian cut in seriously, her demeanor giving off an air of authority.

"Of-of course. I'll have it here in a moment." Dieter stammered slightly as he glanced at William, who, understanding the message, quickly left the room.

"I've also seen the state of the company. It will need a complete overhaul if my employer is to meet the level of quality that will be required of him, and with the damage and wear and tear that the firm has, it is to be expected that repairs will be costly.

"The condition you have left it in will reduce the price considerably, and if there are any debts, it will reduce the price even more."

Dieter's stunned expression broke into one of angry disbelief.

"Wai-wait! Lower the price!? The money we're asking for is already ridiculously low! If I lower it any further-!"

"I'm sure if I call an inspector, they'll find more problems than what I've mentioned." Vivian's sudden words stopped the man, and he blanched.

"Inspector?" Dieter muttered in horror.

The barbarian nodded. "And judging by your reaction, there must be something pretty ugly you don't want them to see. So why don't we save ourselves some trouble and wait for your receptionist to bring the documents and discuss the true sale price?"

"... Of course." The man grunted and clenched his fists until they were white. A vein in his neck throbbed.

"I had my doubts, but I have to say, Princess. You certainly know how to pick your cards." Flora applauded the barbarian's exchange, or rather the beating of the poor bastard.

Adryan didn't respond; he just watched the whole exchange with a big smile, his cheek resting on the palm of his hand.

No doubt he would buy the woman a few drinks after all this.