Chapter 261: Toyota Akihito's Journey to Georgia

"Hey, what are you guys up to? Where are you from, here to see Chen?"

Toyota Akihito's Asian faces were quite conspicuous in Douglas. As they appeared outside the bank, they immediately caught Carlos's attention.

Especially when Carlos noticed the somewhat intense gaze of Toyota Akihito, he quietly tapped his clever colleague, Levin, signaling him to go inside the bank and alert the security manager, Mr. Hayes. With Carlos's hand resting on his gun handle, surrounded by several vigilant policemen, he approached Toyota Akihito and his group.

"We're businessmen! We're here to see Mr. Blake for business! We're unarmed and mean no harm!"

Both Toyota Akihito and Matsumoto Takaki had been in the United States for several years. They could tell from Carlos's reaction that their faces and skin color had raised suspicion. They also knew that Carlos must be on edge at the moment. The best way to diffuse the tension was to honestly explain the situation.

"Is that so? Do you mind if I check you guys?"

Upon hearing that they were there to see Carter, Carlos's vigilance eased slightly. With the arrival of the boss and his family in Douglas, they had become more familiar with the town.

After conducting a standard inspection and confirming that the men were indeed unarmed, Carlos relaxed and smiled at Matsumoto Takaki, saying:

"Unfortunately, Mr. Blake isn't here at the moment. Why don't you come with me? I'll take you to see Mr. Goodman, and you can discuss matters with him instead."

As Carlos spoke, he turned around. Spotting Hayes, who had appeared at the bank's entrance, he greeted him with a smile:

"Mr. Hayes, the alert is over! These Chinese guys don't have any weapons. They say they're here to see Mr. Blake for business. I think Mr. Goodman would be willing to meet them."

"They're not Chinese! Or Vietnamese! Japanese? Korean?"

With his eyes squinted, Hayes, seemingly half-awake, stood at the bank's entrance and said casually.

Just as Asians generally have difficulty distinguishing between Europeans and Americans, Carlos couldn't quite discern the origin of these men. However, with the precedent set by the boss's visit, he subconsciously associated them with Chinese. But when Hayes, a Vietnam War veteran, pointed it out directly, Carlos became nervous again.

"If they're Chinese, there's a precedent for doing business. But the others..."

"Forget it. As long as they're unarmed, they can't cause any trouble. Come with me, gentlemen!"

"Thank you! You have a sharp eye, sir!"

Amidst their surprise at Hayes's ability to discern Asians, Toyota Akihito and his companions were even more astonished by his demeanor. A mere bank security manager, or, to put it harshly, a security captain, was giving orders to someone like Carlos, who was clearly a high-ranking sheriff. And he gave orders so calmly, as if it were only natural. Even the surrounding policemen had no objections.

This bank had a rather formidable presence in the area.

With a mentality of seeing the big boss, even Toyota Akihito, who considered himself a "strong dragon," became more serious subconsciously.

"Are you here to build a factory? Why did you come to Douglas instead of Agar? And didn't Mr. Cablack go to New York to find you? Why did you come here by yourselves without any prior notice?"

"Sorry, Mr. Goodman. We're not a company invited by Mr. Blake. He probably didn't come to see us either."

Regretting not being able to meet Carter, Toyota Akihito quickly explained his purpose:

"The matter about the factory should be taken care of in Agar. But before that, I've heard of Mr. Blake's name for a long time. We have been friends for a long time, and I came here hoping to visit HT Company and see if there's any opportunity for cooperation with Mr. Blake. Oh, although I'm Japanese, I work for an investment bank in the United States, and I personally see great potential in HT Company!"

"If you're interested, I can give you the address, and then I'll give Mr. Gaines a call to discuss the reception. If there's nothing else, let's leave it at that for today. I have some other matters to attend to."

"Nicole, please take care of these Japanese guests."

With that, Goodman bid them farewell and left. With the manpower already tight, there was no time to chat nonsense with these people.

"Mr. Toyota! These Americans are too much! We're clearly here to help them, and look at the attitude of Blake Bank!"

Feeling regretful about not being able to meet Carter, Toyota Akihito subconsciously defended Blake Bank's negligence.

"Well, let's not talk about that. It's almost noon. Let's find a restaurant for lunch, and then we'll go to Pearson City in the afternoon and go to Agar tomorrow!"

"Hey! But, Mr. Toyota, aren't you overestimating them? Such a rural little bank. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that!"

...

...

The next morning, Toyota Akihito and his entourage, who had just arrived in Agar City, encountered a strange group at the entrance to the city.

They were holding surveying instruments, looking around, and occasionally lowering their heads to write or draw on a notebook. Having witnessed the peculiarities of Douglas and Pearson City yesterday, and knowing that these cities had some special characteristics, Matsumoto Takaki was not surprised. However, Toyota Akihito's curiosity was piqued once again.

"Excuse me, may I ask what you're doing?"