Chapter 460 Coy
Chapter 460 Coy
Only the beeping sound from the heart monitor in the ward could be heard. Norman looked at the dying man's deathly face in disbelief.
This man, who had been at odds with him overtly and covertly for over ten years, turned out to be his full-blooded brother.
Was James already aware of that fact? He must have known already. No wonder he had spared Norman many times. Perhaps that was why Shen Group didn't suffer the same fate as HM Group and Tang Group.
Norman had always believed that Maria was the reason. One example was the time James saved him because of Maria.
"Was he already aware of it?" Norman asked.
Gabriela shook her head. "Not once did I mention it to him."
She wasn't really sure if James already knew it, though.
But with James' ability, he would find it out sooner or later.
The news that James was on the verge of death and comatose in a hospital broke out
The entire HL Group was in disarray, and its shareholders were uneasy. As the most powerful enterprise in H City, they had far too many enemies. This was their most vulnerable moment, so they feared that their enemies would join hands to destroy them.
However, as the founder of HL Group, Augustine took Cooper to attend a senior executive meeting, and announced that Cooper would take charge of James' responsibilities while he was in recovery.
Against all odds and doubts about his capabilities, Cooper managed to answer them calmly.
"Cooper, are you trying to replace your brother?" asked one senior executive. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.
"My brother is in recovery-he's not dead! Do you think anyone is capable of taking his power from him?"
James was far too cunning and capable for anyone to be a match against him. So, Cooper's statement was reasonable.
"Your grandfather still has a very important position in the company. Is he training you to become the next CEO?" asked another senior executive. If Augustine were to ask Cooper to be HL Group's new CEO instead of James, some people would support him.
"Cooper, please forgive our insolence. Your brother was the one who promoted us. We may sound a bit harsh, but we're just trying to be realistic."
"Cooper, are you trying to take this opportunity to win people over?"
Cooper paid attention to every question aimed at him. Most of them were suspicious because they thought that he was planning to replace James as the CEO of HL Group.
But instead of being angry, he actually felt delighted to know that these people were loyal to his brother. They were his trusted confidants, and his brother's efforts to train them were not in vain.
Once everyone finished talking, he answered all of their questions in one statement. "Your worries are misguided. My brother has a son, and that child is the rightful heir of this company. Even if he dies, I won't become the next CEO. So, I implore all of you to rest assured."
"What? Mr. Xi has a son?" They were shocked by that revelation.
"Yes, we have kept it a secret from everyone to prevent enemies from finding out. For my brother's sake, please let it remain a secret."
As the heir, Bob's name was more than enough to silence any doubts in the senior executives' hearts.
It took Augustine and Cooper some time before they could finally stabilize the internal stakeholders of HL Group.
At this moment, James' condition had not improved yet.
Time fleeted by quickly.
Two years later, in JT Nunnery, a little boy wearing a monk's robe quietly picked up a broom, turned around, and ran away.
He had messed up the leaves that Lucille, a nun, had swept together.
When Lucille found out about it, the boy ran away carrying the broom. She chased after him. "Coy, you little brat!"
Seemingly enjoying the chase, Coy picked up the pace with a wide grin on his face. The fallen leaves had now spread across the yard.
This kind of scene wasn't new to the nuns anymore ever since Coy was born. His mischiefs and pranks were an everyday occurrence.
Coy was always the hero in the story, but the heroine was always changing because of his naughty pranks.
"I'm sorry, Lucille!" Coy was still young and his legs were quite short. No matter how fast he could run, he would always be caught.
Upon realizing that he was about to get caught, he put down the broom and apologized.
Initially, Lucille was furious at him, but her heart softened when she saw his cute face and innocent eyes. She sighed and said, "Just don't do this again, okay? Otherwise, I'm going to ask your mom to punish you!"
At the mention of his mother, Coy trembled with fear and said, "Lucille, I'll treat you to a chicken drumstick!"
'A chicken drumstick?' "Where will you get one?" Everyone at the nunnery was a vegetarian. Why would he have a chicken drumstick?
Coy pointed at a direction. "Chickens!"
Following his gaze, Lucille realized that he was pointing at the chickens they were raising at the nunnery.
Since he had the audacity to covet the chickens, Lucille raised her broom, intending to teach him a lesson. Now that Coy wasn't holding a broom, he was able to run like the wind and disappear in an instant.
Lucille was at a loss for words. She honestly didn't want to hit him. Once he was gone, she just shook her head and went back to cleaning.
Coy was part of JT Nunnery, and all the regular pilgrims knew him.
He was very young, probably around two years old. He was wearing a monk's robe, his head was bare, and there was a string of Buddhist beads hung around his neck. How adorable he was!
Adding to that, he was a smart and physically-fit boy. He knew how to roll forward and box, making him all the more adorable. Every man and woman who came to pray at this place would marvel at him.
After running around the entire morning, Coy finally went back to his mother.
Maria had just finished praying. "Where did you go today?" she asked flatly.
Coy picked up a glass of water and took a sip. "Nowhere, Mom! I'm a good boy." He did appear to be a good boy.
Maria grabbed the ferule at the side. Upon seeing this, the little boy immediately dropped the glass, slipped off the chair and made a break for the door.
Maria chased after him and pointed the ferule at him. "Don't take another step!"
Lucille, who had just finished cleaning up, happened to come into the yard. When Maria saw her, she said, "Lucille, close the door!"
Seeing that Coy was running, Lucille immediately understood the situation and closed the door with a snicker.
With a frown, Coy turned around and ran away. Maria was startled by his agile shift in motion. When she came to her senses, the little boy had already climbed up the tree.
Maria didn't know how to react at this point.
She raised her head to look at the boy who was still going up the tree. She felt a pain coming from her temples. "Coy, if you continue climbing up that tree, there will be no lunch for you today!"
"But, Mom, if I starve, you won't have such a cute son anymore."
"I still have your elder brother!" said Maria.
'Don't be mad at him. He's your biological son after all, ' she said to herself to calm down.
"But my brother isn't as cute as I am!" Coy answered confidently.
At this point, Maria didn't know what to say.
As time went by, Bob had grown up, and he was already in kindergarten. Every day, he was becoming a more capable child. And just like James, he had a high IQ.
With Cooper's help, Bob would come here to visit Maria and Coy every two weeks.
Standing next to her, Lucille looked at the little boy on the three and sighed. "His non-standard pronunciation of words doesn't stop him from having a smart mouth."
Maria sighed and thought that the nun was right. She couldn't help but admire the child's intellect.
He was only over a year old. He didn't know many characters yet, and his pronunciation was out of the ordinary, but he could always come up with surprisingly good rebuttals. She had no idea where he had learned them.