The relaxed atmosphere of the luncheon suddenly froze after Victor casually raised a question.
The clinking of knives and forks against porcelain plates stopped, and the sound of the waiter pouring water seemed out of place.
The smiles on the capitalists' faces stiffened, their chewing slowed, and the looks they exchanged were filled with astonishment and rapid calculations.
They had anticipated many possibilities: bargaining, policy discussions, even subtle threats, but never anything so direct.
This is a bit...
Not gentlemanly at all.
Victor, however, seemed oblivious to the change in atmosphere. He picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, leaned back slightly, and calmly scanned the subtly expressive faces, as if waiting for their response.
The hell with being a gentleman.
Who am I?
Who are you?
Do you think the strong need to give face to the weak?
The first to break the silence was John Larson, the former CEO of the precision instruments company.
