Corporate Raider

Daniel wasn't impressed by George's praise for Samuel Harrison. He shot back, "So what if he's a successful businessman? That doesn't mean he's a good person. He's always caught up in scandals, and I've heard he changes girlfriends like he changes shirts, always going for women way younger than him. The guy's over 50 but dates girls half his age. And let's not even start on his son, Dominic Harrison. He's an infamous corporate raider. Last year, he shut down the factory where my uncle worked, leaving him without a job." 

Upon hearing that Daniel's uncle lost his job because of Dominic Harrison, Georgie realized that the primary reason why his friend harbored animosity towards Samuel Harrison was because of his son. In fact, like Daniel, Georgie didn't hold much affection for Dominic Harrison, despite being a fervent admirer of his father, Samuel. Even Georgie's father harbored a deep fear of Dominic Harrison. Despite Georgie's family wealth and business standing, it paled in comparison to the might of the Harrison Corporation. Georgie was aware that Dominic Harrison held immense power, capable of dismantling companies like his father's with ease. 

Due to the unwavering support of the Harrison Corporation, Dominic Harrison operates with unchecked power and virtually unlimited financial resources. With the backing of this corporate behemoth, he acts with impunity, resembling a figure above the law. His modus operandi is simple yet devastating: he targets companies that catch his eye and forcefully acquires them. Upon seizing control, he swiftly dismantles the most lucrative aspects of the company, selling them off for personal gain. Subsequently, he implements sweeping layoffs, drastically reducing the workforce to cut costs. This systematic downsizing is followed by a brief period of management before the company inevitably declines in value under his leadership. Finally, he offloads the devalued company to interested parties. The primary targets of his predatory actions are typically rival businesses or those with adversarial relationships with him. Georgie also knows that because of this predatory behavior of Dominic Harrison, his father spends a huge amount of money every year maintaining personal contacts with influential people close to Harrison Corporation, ensuring that his company never falls out of favor with Dominic Harrison. 

Dominic Harrison is no less controversial than his father. No matter what month of the year it is, if someone opens the news, they will find controversies surrounding both father and son in the business world. People say that Dominic behaves this way because he wants to follow in the footsteps of his father. Georgie has heard that when Samuel Harrison was young, he also did similar things to many rising profitable companies before completely destroying them. However, after Samuel Harrison became a big shot, he stopped engaging in such petty activities. But who would have known that after Samuel stopped, his son would start taking over his old business, engaging in the same corporate raiding that his father did 20 years ago. 

Although George doesn't like Dominic Harrison, he still considers himself a fan of Samuel Harrison. As a fanboy, he feels the responsibility to justify his idol's actions. He said to Daniel, "Daniel, like you, I don't like Dominic Harrison, but that's not a reason for you to hate his father. Besides, rich people changing girlfriends often is common; it's not something new. Plus, you've never seen Samuel Harrison in person, so you don't know what kind of man he is. Actually, he's like a celebrity even in his 50s. He maintains his body very well and is very good looking. He's ten times more handsome than what you see on TV. And it's reasonable for such a handsome man to be with younger women. Older women just don't suit him beside..." 

Georgie would occasionally beat his chest as if making a solemn declaration about Samuel Harrison's handsomeness. Both Daniel and Henry exchanged glances, and they could practically see question marks and exclamation points floating over each other's heads. They both expressed disgust at Georgie's incessant rambling about Samuel Harrison. He seemed more like a loyal dog than a fanboy. Both Daniel and Henry understood it was futile to engage in a conversation about Georgie's idol, Samuel Harrison. So, Daniel admitted defeat and said nothing, quietly focusing on eating his breakfast. 

After about 5 minutes of Georgie's continuous rambling, he noticed that neither of his friends were paying attention to him. Discouraged, he finally started eating his meal, realizing he may have gone too far with his praising. Throughout their meal, the three friends engaged in occasional conversation, but Henry and Daniel made sure to avoid any topics related to Samuel Harrison, knowing Georgie would launch into his fan mode once again. 

While the three friends were engrossed in their conversation, Henry's phone suddenly rang, startling him. He fished it out of his pocket to see Lucy's name flashing on the screen. He answered the call with a warm "hello." 

Lucy's voice came through the line, asking, "Hello, Henry. I hope I'm not interrupting. Are you busy?" 

Henry reassured her, "No, Aunt Lucy, I'm just at a restaurant with my friends." 

Lucy continued, "Oh, I see. I wanted to ask when you'll be returning home?" 

Henry was slightly taken aback by the question, considering it had only been a couple of hours since he left. Nevertheless, he responded politely, "Well, my business here is done, and there's nothing else keeping me. I'll probably head back within an hour or so." 

Lucy continued, "Great. Could you do me a favor on your way back? My brother and his family are visiting, and we're planning to have lunch together. Can you pick up some groceries?" 

Understanding the request, Henry agreed, "Of course, Aunt Lucy. Just send me the list, and I'll grab everything you need." 

"Thank you, Henry. I appreciate it," Lucy replied apologetically. 

"No need to apologize, Aunt Lucy. We're like family," Henry reassured her. 

Lucy responded with a warm "Yes" before ending the call. 

After ending the call, Henry placed his phone beside him on the table. A few moments later, it buzzed, and the screen lit up with a notification. Henry glanced at the screen to find a message had arrived. He picked up his phone, unlocked it, and opened the messaging app. There, he found a picture message from Lucy, listing all the groceries he needed to bring. 

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Apologies for the delay in the latest chapter; I couldn't finish it on time. Thank you to everyone reading! Please note, there may not be a chapter tomorrow. If you're enjoying the story so far, please support the book by voting and recommending it. You can also add it to your library for easy access.