Marcus looked at me for a minute. "Yes, of course. But for someone to hack the system, there must be a reason. Are you any closer to figuring that out?"
I smiled to hide my being uncomfortable. I didn't want him to get any idea that I was trying to get information from him. "Strong Incorporated is known for its integrity. We vet and ensure that everyone we work with has the same sort of integrity. That's why we’re working with you," I said, hoping the flattery would get me somewhere. "It's frustrating to think that somebody would betray not just our trust, but the end consumers that are the ones who are going to be paying the price or the small businesses who are also paying the price by not getting the inventory they need. Whoever would do such a thing must be very callous."
"Or greedy." Marcus said.
I nodded. "Yes, of course, greedy." I looked up at him. "Do you know anybody like that?"
He threw his head back as he let out a laugh. "I know many people like that, but as you said, I don't know that any of them are working with Strong Incorporated."
We started walking again and I made an attempt to look at all the beautiful plants.
"You do have to wonder though what sort of person would risk upsetting everyone in the supply chain? I mean, what do they get out of it?" I asked.
I remembered Phil and Noah talking about the possibility of hurting the business as a way to devalue it and engage in a takeover. But I decided to play dumb about knowing that to see what Marcus might say.
He was quiet for a minute and I turned my head to look up at him.
"There are all sorts of reasons a business might want to hurt another business. Maybe it's revenge. "
"Revenge? Why would anybody be taking revenge on Strong Incorporated?"
He slipped his hand into mine again. "You just asked what are the various reasons someone might do this, and I'm throwing ideas out there to help you. Revenge is a motivator. But like we already established, so is greed."
"But if they hurt the business, there's less money. So where does the greed come in?"
"Well, for one, it could be a competitor. So, while they're making
you lose money, the distributors and consumers are going elsewhere, to your competition, for their shoes."
I nodded, noting that we’d thought of that. I did some of the research locally on any competitors, and I knew back in San Diego, that Carter and Ryan were also researching potential competitors outside of China that might be targeting Strong Incorporated. So far none of us had come up with anything.
We walked a little bit longer, and then Marcus said, "It occurs to me that I am in a lovely setting with a beautiful woman, and perhaps we shouldn't be talking about business."
I nodded in agreement because I didn't know what else to ask without looking like I was spying.
We came upon a temple and he pointed it out to me, telling me its history.
California and the United States had a long and unique history. But there was something about being here in Hong Kong that felt like I was back at the beginning of time. The dates that Marcus would often rattle off were almost beyond my comprehension. And while there were some certain similarities in the historical folklore or myth, it was also so vastly different. It made me wonder if maybe Noah wasn't right in that I should use some of the good salary I earn from Margaret to see the world.
After the park, Marcus took me to a tea house that looked ancient, but charming. I felt like I was walking into a storybook.
An elderly man dressed in traditional Chinese clothing greeted Marcus, and ushered us to a table.
"I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of ordering us lunch here. I think you’ll like this place."
Unlike with Noah, where I felt the need to hide my amazement at this wonderful city, I let awe come forth. To his credit, Marcus, while looking amused by me, I believe appreciated that I was recognizing the magnificence of his city.
After lunch, he took me to an open market where anything I saw that I showed the slightest interest in he would buy. And then he would make arrangements to have it packaged and shipped back to the hotel and put in my room for me. It was a testament to his wealth that he was able to do something like that. It was also different from the Strong brothers, because while they certainly had the money to flaunt their wealth, normally they didn't. Sure, they had nice cars and houses, but they weren’t flashy. They didn't use their money to show off their power or influence. They bought what they wanted that made him happy, and then the rest, they either saved or would put to good works, such as Hunters community arts center. The Strong Family as a whole had a foundation as well. Did Marcus have a foundation?
I began to develop an odd feeling in my gut about being out with Marcus. If I didn't know Noah, I would be enthralled by this man. He wasn't just handsome, but also, he was generous and smart. And while I wasn't out looking for a rich husband, the fact that he had money, and was happy to spend it to make me happy, was a nice feeling. I could see where some women would make a goal in life to catch a man like Marcus. But for all his charm and wealth, he was also quite vanilla. Compared to Noah, he just didn't seem to have much spark.
I chastise myself for thinking about men and relationships in general. I was a professional woman. I didn't need a man. I didn't need to wonder if there was a man out there who could excite me physically, as well as mentally like Noah did, but it had the interest in me as Marcus did.
17
Noah
By the time I made it back to the hotel, it was clear I wasn't going to be able to get Andi out of my head. It was fucking annoying. My irritation was made even worse by the knowledge that she was out with Marcus Chen. What did that douchebag have that I didn’t? It was a rhetorical question that I knew the answer to; he showed an interest, and I called her a mistake. I was a dick.