In the spring of 1945, Grace Sullivan secretly sent out the last batch of anti-Japanese currency and closed Fuhua Bank, but encountered a shipwreck during a secure transfer.

Before completely losing consciousness, he thought he was doomed.

……

Later, he heard someone speaking nearby, seemingly reciting a pair of elegiac couplets.

Grace Sullivan opened his eyes to find himself lying in a high-end hospital room in the 21st century, with a handsome but cold stranger standing by the bed.

Grace Sullivan: "Who are you?"

Samuel Bennett: "Don’t you remember me?"

Grace Sullivan: "I don’t know you."

Samuel Bennett: "Brian Carter, after causing such a big accident, pretending to have amnesia won’t help."

Chapter 1

It seemed as if all the magnolia trees in the city had blossomed overnight, a stretch of pure white. A black business car weaved through the streets, entered the campus of "Xiangyue Communications," and slowly stopped in front of the office building.

The driver said, "Mr. Xiang, we’ve arrived at the company."

Samuel Bennett opened his eyes, pressing his knuckles to his brow to ease his fatigue—today, the city’s information department held a roundtable meeting that lasted most of the day, and he only managed to catch a short nap on the way back.

And for this kind of meeting, simplicity was key; even bringing an assistant was considered showing off. Samuel Bennett went alone and returned alone, personally carrying the hefty folder of documents and his laptop as he got out of the car.

Back in his office, less than two minutes later, his secretary quietly brought in a cup of coffee. He looked down at the meeting materials and asked, "Are the sales and pre-sales managers in the office?"

The secretary replied, "They’re both here."

Samuel Bennett glanced at his watch and said, "Notify them, we’ll have a meeting in fifteen minutes. Go to the R&D center and call the engineering supervisor over as well."

The secretary reminded him, "Mr. Xiang, there’s not enough time. You have to leave for Yaxi Bay soon; you’re signing the contract with Yisi tonight."

Samuel Bennett finally looked up. An equity acquisition was no small matter, and he had actually forgotten about it—probably because the signing party was just too annoying.

"Yisi Technology" had once been a star in the industry, but ever since its founder Eric Carter passed away four years ago, internal factional strife had been constant, leading to several senior executives leaving, client loss, and a cliff-like drop in performance and reputation.

Eric Carter's shares were left to his two children. The daughter was still in school and not up to the task. The son, Brian Carter, was a brainless rich second generation—drinking, gambling, womanizing, drugs, you name it, he did it, always causing trouble since he was a child.

As the eldest son of the Chu family, Brian Carter acted like a total loser. With company profits declining year after year, he didn’t think of mending his ways; instead, he threw tantrums and threatened to sell the shares with his mother, wanting to invest in a startup with his friends.

Samuel Bennett had evaluated Yisi’s value and believed that this "starving camel" could still be saved, so he took the opportunity to extend an olive branch. The Xiang and Chu families had been old friends for years; although their relationship had faded since Mr. Chu’s death, there was still some sentiment. Samuel Bennett offered a generous price, and both sides reached a deal.

From initial contact to final negotiations, the Chu family entrusted everything to their lawyer. But at the last step, when it was time to sign, Brian Carter suddenly showed up and went crazy—insisting on holding the signing party on a yacht.

Samuel Bennett had neither the time nor the interest to float on the sea all night, nor did he care for the entertainment Brian Carter provided, so he ignored the invitation.

After thinking for a moment, he instructed his secretary to call Eleanor Parker over.

Eleanor Parker was the sales director, a trusted and capable subordinate of Samuel Bennett, experienced and skilled at socializing. Entering the office, Eleanor Parker asked, "Mr. Xiang, you wanted to see me?"

Samuel Bennett said, "You’ll go sign the contract with Yisi tonight in my place."

Eleanor Parker had just finished a project, lost seven kilos, and was in desperate need of a vacation. He had already booked a flight to Santorini for tonight, but he licked his lips and agreed without protest, "No problem, I’m fine with it. Do I need to contact Yisi in advance?"

"No need," Samuel Bennett replied lightly. "The responsible teams have settled everything. You’re just there to hold the fort."

Eleanor Parker nodded. He’d heard that Brian Carter was a party animal, so the party probably wouldn’t be all that wholesome. Vacation postponed—tonight would just be an appetizer.

Samuel Bennett saw through him and said, "If you mess up, you can forget about your vacation."

"Don’t worry, if I mess up, I’ll jump into the sea," Eleanor Parker joked. "Xiangyue is about to become Yisi’s biggest shareholder. That’s definitely worth celebrating."

In the evening, the company sent a car to take Eleanor Parker and four others to Yaxi Bay.

As soon as spring arrived, the whole city warmed up quickly. The riverside and coastline grew livelier by the day, and the luxury yachts that had been docked all winter at the private marina were itching to set sail.