Chapter 252: Chapter 253 - Finding The Perfect Gift
At Delmar's words, his expression clouded, and he muttered, "Uh-oh."
William felt a brief surge of confusion before adopting a deadpan tone. "What do you mean by 'Uh-oh'? What did you do?"
Delmar chuckled a bit sheepishly and replied, "Well, it's not so much what I did, but rather what I didn't do."
William sighed. "So you didn't buy anything for the guy, did you?" Delmar nodded.
"So now what am I supposed to give him? I planned to use that gift as a pretext to speak with him privately, and now this mess happens. I really didn't expect you to be so careless."
Delmar, clearly embarrassed, was silent for a moment before he stood up, looked at William with determination, and said, "I'm really sorry about this, boss. I genuinely am. I sort of forgot, but you don't have to worry about it anymore."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm going to find you the perfect gift— something that will secure your place in his inner circle."
William regarded him skeptically. "And how exactly do you plan on finding anything at this hour?" He gestured to the clock, which showed it was nearly 2 AM.
"Don't worry about the time, boss. In the black market, time is irrelevant," Delmar said with a sly grin.
"24/7, huh?"
Delmar nodded and made his exit as William bid him goodbye. Once Delmar was out the door, William sat down, took control of the drone, and directed it to a specific location.
'So, what was all that about?' Anne inquired.
William, now focused on maneuvering the drone over a large estate and above the swimming pool area, responded, "Oh, that? That was just something I needed him to handle before I could move forward, but he seems to have forgot about it."
'What was it?'
"I need to give something to an old, very wealthy man— something that will grant me the opportunity to talk to him privately about certain matters." William grinned as the drone finally located its target— Jenie.
'Then how about I help you find something?'
William momentarily tore his gaze away from the screen, which was displaying Jenie's nearly naked form in a swimsuit, and asked, "What do you mean?"
'Did you forget that you have a store where you can literally purchase anything?'
"I would've used that, but the shop has a lot of items locked down," William said with a hint of disappointment.
'That was before. Now, you don't have to worry about that. With your advancement, the system shop has unlocked a plethora of new items. I'm sure you'll find something that will do more than just get you a conversation with the guy.'
William's curiosity was piqued, and he immediately opened the shop, browsing the available items. Indeed, a wealth of new and intriguing items had been added, ranging from antique treasures to extraordinary artifacts. Yet, even amidst this vast selection, he couldn't seem to find something he deemed ideal.
Seeing him still searching so frantically, Anne offered, 'How about I take over the search?'
"Are you sure? The guy might be very particular, so it could be a challenge to find something that will satisfy him," William said, with some hesitation.
But Anne dismissed his concerns. 'Don't worry about that. Just tell me what the guy's personality is like.'
William shook his head. "Yeah… That's another issue. I haven't met him yet, so I can't say what he likes."
'Then, Why are you so anxious about someone you don't even know?'
"Well… There were some setbacks a few days ago that landed me in a bit of trouble, and this guy might be one of the few people who can bail me out." William then recounted the entire story to Anne.
After listening, Anne nodded to herself and said, 'Okay, I get it. You angered a final-boss-level family, and now you need a pillar of support at the auction house, right?' William nodded.
'It seems like you keep stumbling from one problem into another, no matter where you go,' Anne remarked, taking a playful jab at him.
William smirked and glanced back at Jenie's swaying form as she walked. "What can I say? My luck is just that bad, I guess."
'But it's not,' Anne noted, then shifted the conversation. 'How about you describe what you imagine the guy to be like, and I'll see if I can find something for him?'
"Are you sure? That might be too much trouble for you," William said, raising an eyebrow.
'Why don't you let me worry about that?' Anne replied. William nodded and began contemplating the man's character, doing some online research before relaying the details to her.
'So, a devout man who is so wealthy that there's scarcely any information about his assets. But according to the internet, not only does he own a vast number of properties, but he also donates generously to the poor and funds charitable organizations,' Anne summarized. 'Rich, religious, altruistic, intelligent, well-connected, and perhaps a tad greedy… This should be a breeze.'
William smiled. "Why don't I believe you until you show me something?"
Anne didn't reply verbally, instead diving straight into the search. William watched as a cascade of screens flashed before his eyes, so quickly that he could no longer see Jenie's nearly naked form.
The screens appeared and vanished for a while before finally settling on one item. Anne said, 'I found it.'
William scrutinized the item on the screen, raising his eyebrows skeptically. "Are you sure this will actually impress the guy?"
'Absolutely.'
Hearing the confidence in her voice, William could only click on the buy option. After completing the transaction, he called Delmar. "Hey, Delmar, you can stop searching for an item."
"Ahh… But boss, I'm really close to finding something that Edward will definitely love."
"I know, but you don't have to anymore. I found something that I'm confident will work, so stop searching for a gift and instead, look for something I can give to his wife."
"A beauty product at this hour?" Delmar asked, puzzled.
"Didn't you say that 'In the black market, time is irrelevant'?"
Hearing those words, Delmar laughed. "Yeah… Alright then, let me see if I can find something that will charm the wife."
"Alright." William ended the call and turned to Anne, "I hope you know what you're doing."
Anne reassured him, 'Don't worry about it. What's the worst that could happen?'
William's confidence wavered slightly as he heard that and sighed before heading off to find a suit.
[ The Next Day ]
William drove his blue Halls-Royz Phantom up to a grand mansion that exuded prominence from the outside. The car came to a halt as the guard approached and requested identification.
"What is the purpose of your visit?" The guard asked, peering suspiciously into the back, but all he saw was William waving at him.
"We have an invitation from your master, who has invited my boss for a 'talk.'" George, the driver, didn't flinch under the guard's scrutiny and matched it with a stare of his own as he handed over a card.
The guard inspected it for a moment before signaling to his colleague to open the gate. "Welcome to Saintsgate Mansion."