Chapter 43: A Small World

The next day, at Griffith Group. Jackson had only been with the company for less than a week. Although he had achieved some success, it had only spread within a small circle. His recent turnaround had made him somewhat memorable to the employees, but his lack of seniority meant that despite his accomplishments and abilities, he was still largely overlooked. Normally, Jackson's interactions at the company were limited to the security guards at the entrance and a few employees from the business department. But today, everything changed. After greeting the security guards, Jackson was heading toward the elevator when a female employee he had never met before greeted him warmly. "Hello, Mr. Jackson." "Uh, hello," Jackson replied politely, despite not recognizing her. He glanced at her employee badge—she was from the planning department. "I don't think I've had any dealings with the planning department," Jackson thought, puzzled. Despite his confusion, Jackson felt pleased to be acknowledged by someone. It meant he was gaining some recognition in the company. But before he could revel in this feeling, things escalated quickly. "Good morning, Mr. Jackson." "Mr. Jackson, would you like some breakfast?" "Mr. Jackson, are you free for lunch today? How about a meal together?" One after another, employees Jackson had never met before began approaching him, eager to make his acquaintance. Jackson grew suspicious, wondering if someone was plotting against him. After cautiously checking for any hidden dangers and finding none, he relaxed. He decided to skip the elevator and sprinted up the stairs to the business department on the 11th floor, arriving without breaking a sweat. Meanwhile, the elevator he initially planned to take was still slowly making its way up from the 8th floor. "Seems like I've slowed down by a few seconds," Jackson shook his head, slightly dissatisfied with his own performance. In the business department. "Jackson, you look a little off. What's going on?" Wade approached him with a friendly smile and offered him a cigarette. Jackson was relieved that someone asked and proceeded to explain the strange events of the morning. "Oh, it's nothing serious. The word's out that you're Ms. Griffith's cousin. That news has spread like wildfire across the company. Naturally, everyone wants to get on your good side now, hoping to curry favor," Wade explained with a smile. Hearing this, Jackson finally understood. He laughed, realizing that just being Violet's "cousin" had already earned him so much attention. He couldn't help but wonder how shocked people would be when he and Violet announced their engagement next month. Jackson suddenly felt a surge of anticipation. During lunch, Jackson decided to be cautious and arrived at the restaurant half an hour early to avoid being mobbed by people trying to cozy up to him. At the entrance, the security guard on duty seemed vaguely familiar. After a few moments, Jackson recognized him. "You're Major, right?" "Mr. Jackson..." Major looked embarrassed and avoided eye contact, recalling how Jett had used him to frame Jackson. "Perfect timing. I haven't had a chance to thank you for your help last time. Come have lunch with me," Jackson said warmly. "T-Thank me?" Major was incredulous. "Is that surprising? Come on, I insist. You can leave your post a little early today," Jackson said, patting Major's shoulder and leading him away. Major was still in disbelief, feeling both ashamed and touched by Jackson's kindness despite their past misunderstandings. "Major, you know this area well. Is there a good restaurant nearby?" Jackson asked. "There's a local restaurant nearby that's pretty good. I eat there often," Major replied. "Great, let's go there," Jackson agreed. At that moment, a middle-aged man in a suit approached them with a grin—it was Jett. "Jackson, wait up. I need to talk to you," Jett called out. "I have nothing to say to you," Jackson replied coldly. Major's expression also darkened, recalling how Jett's deceit had nearly led to Jackson being harmed. "Jackson, I'm here to apologize. I was misguided last time and wronged you. I spent the whole day reflecting on it and felt deeply ashamed. I can't live with myself if I don't apologize in person," Jett said sincerely. Jackson smirked. "No need for the apology. Just make sure you don't pull any more stunts in the future." "Jackson, you're making me uncomfortable. I'm sincerely apologizing. I guarantee nothing like that will happen again," Jett said, sounding almost desperate to prove his remorse. Jackson considered it for a moment but decided it was better to focus on lunch than waste time with Jett. "Alright, I accept your apology." "Great!" Jett's eyes lit up in relief, then he quickly added, "Since that's settled, let me treat you to lunch. Please allow me to make amends." "Since you're so insistent, I won't say no. I could use a free meal, haha," Jackson laughed. Seeing this, Major said, "In that case, Manager Jett, Mr. Jackson, I won't intrude on your meal." "Major, the issue from the other day was my fault. Come along too. It'll give me a chance to make things right," Jett insisted, though his hidden malice was evident. Jett had been humiliated because Major had changed his stance at the last minute. He now had the perfect opportunity to deal with both Jackson and Major. "Mr. Jackson, is this appropriate?" Major asked hesitantly. "Since Manager Jett has invited us, let's spare him the courtesy. Let's go," Jackson shrugged and smiled. In Jett's car. "Manager Jett, how much longer? Why are we driving so far just for lunch?" Major asked after nearly twenty minutes of driving. "It's just up ahead. We're almost there," Jett replied cheerfully. Major, having been a security guard for years, grew wary and glanced at Jackson with concern. Jackson, however, seemed completely relaxed, casually playing a game on his phone as if unaware of any potential danger. "Maybe I'm overthinking it," Major thought to himself. They eventually arrived at a private restaurant in a remote area on the outskirts of the city. The restaurant stood alone, quiet, and there was no one in sight. "This is the place. Jackson, Major, come on in," Jett gestured toward the entrance. Jackson looked around and joked, "This place is quite remote. If someone had bad intentions and set up an ambush nearby, it'd be a real problem." "Jackson, you're joking. How could something like that happen?" Jett wiped the sweat from his brow, growing more suspicious that Jackson might be onto something. "Let's hope not. I always like to leave room for maneuver—opportunities shouldn't be wasted," Jackson said with a grin, hinting at something deeper. Jett's face changed as he realized Jackson had picked up on the situation. Suddenly, two or three dozen people rushed out of the restaurant, and another dozen appeared from both sides of the building, surrounding Jackson and Major. These men, all dressed in jeans and jackets, were covered in tattoos, wielding clubs, and looked fierce. "It's an ambush!" Seeing the gang, Major turned pale. He had suspected Jett might be up to something during the car ride, but he never imagined it would be this bad. There were far too many people for him to handle. "Mr. Jackson, what should we do?" Major asked nervously. "This is nothing," Jackson shook his head calmly. In stark contrast to Major's panic, Jackson remained completely composed, treating the gang as no real threat. "Kid, you've got guts. Let's see if you can still laugh later," Jett sneered, his true intentions finally revealed now that Jackson and Major were trapped. Jackson glanced at the number of thugs surrounding them and shook his head, "Only sixty people? That's not enough to deal with me." Hahaha! Jett and the thugs burst into laughter. They had seen arrogance before, but never someone so bold as to talk big in the face of danger. Even Major was stunned. Sixty thugs were far too many, even for the best fighters. The odds were impossible. "Manager Jett, there's no need for this. Can't we settle this peacefully?" Major tried to reason. "Settle? Settle what? You betrayed me! Do you think I'd let that go?" Jett cursed angrily. "Are the targets ready?" At that moment, a man sauntered out of the restaurant, cigarette in hand, looking slightly disheveled. "Jared!" Jett hurried over to him, pointing at Jackson and Major. "Those are the two guys!" Jared had been in a foul mood recently. The day before, he had tried flirting with a woman at the mall, only to end up beaten badly. To make matters worse, mall security had dragged him to the police station. Luckily, his connections bailed him out later that day. Still nursing his bruises, Jared had spent the entire night recovering. Today, his boss had assigned him to teach a so-called "tough guy" a lesson. With sixty men, he figured the job would be easy. "A good fighter, huh?" Jared scoffed internally. Unless the guy was a reincarnation of Bruce Lee, he stood no chance against sixty men. But when Jared finally saw Jackson, his jaw dropped, and the cigarette fell from his lips. "It's you?" Jackson was also surprised but soon broke into a grin. "My, my, what a small world!"