Chapter 31 Exclusive Release Chapter 31 "Don't be fooled by this suit..."
Elias drove a convertible vintage car slowly, closely following the girl in front of him.
Wynne was angry, he could tell, but he swore their meeting today was purely accidental.
Marco had no idea that Edward had brought her here.
Their careers went their separate ways, which, in his view, did not conflict.
It all depends on who Casanova chooses and which direction he chooses.
Elias was not so arrogant as to simply stop Wynne from coming here.
However, given that Wynne is going it alone and is quite young, Elias objectively believes that her chances of success are very small, so small as to be negligible.
Even so, he couldn't stop her from coming here.
She came here full of anticipation, as if she were carrying a mission.
Elias couldn't judge her from a capitalist's perspective; he could only watch her come here step by step.
But she seems... angry with him.
Elias didn't actually know what he had done wrong.
Capitalists pursue profits, and the acquisition of Casanova was a business decision based on a detailed analysis conducted by the team over three months.
Besides Casanova, he also visited more than ten other small workshops on this trip; Casanova alone was not enough to mobilize his entire team.
This is a long-planned and systematic business activity.
His team is also evaluating more than a dozen other small workshops (ceramics, glass, textiles) in Tuscany that are facing similar difficulties, looking for potential consolidation or investment opportunities. This is not a spur-of-the-moment plunder, but a strategic move based on the future positioning of scarce handcrafted assets in the luxury market.
He will not hinder Wynne's career either.
In his eyes, these were two parallel lines.
Capital is an unstoppable torrent, while her ideals and academic explorations are a stream.
A torrent will not make way for a stream.
Even if Wynne is that ambitious.
His father, Arthur van der Berg, seemed to be unhappy with his occasional irrationality, but Elias had long ago said that he knew which way to lean between reason and impulse, order and derailment.
He watched her turn into Sempione Park, where the burgundy vintage car slowly came to a stop at the entrance.
Under the gray sky, which seemed vast and desolate, he watched her straight and slender figure walk towards the gushing fountain.
Her figure appeared even smaller in the crowd, yet it carried a sense of stubbornness.
Countless water droplets traced silver trails in the air before crashing back into the pool, creating fine white foam and a continuous, noisy sound.
This vibrant energy draws people to stop and admire it.
He eventually walked over and stopped about a meter and a half behind her.
The sound of the fountain was so loud that it almost drowned out everything else.
“Wynne”.
He called her name, his voice not loud, yet strangely penetrating the sound of the rushing water, reaching her ear clearly. It was still that steady, deep, and uniquely magnetic tone, revealing little emotion.
Yuan Ning's ears twitched, but her gaze remained fixed on the water column that kept rising and falling in front of her, as if it held some cosmic mystery.
Elias didn't expect an immediate response from her. He followed her gaze to the fountain. His icy blue eyes, reflecting the water's light, appeared even deeper than usual.
“It was Mr. Marco who suggested we go to the store to pick up a historical equity document today, and I agreed. I didn’t know Edward and you were meeting there,” he stated, indicating that his relationship with her was one of fair competition, and that they were originally unrelated.
He paused, seemingly considering his words, or perhaps searching for a way to express his calm logic in a way she could accept.
"From a business perspective, Casanova was something we assessed from the very beginning..."
"So, you really enjoy looking down on me from a superior position?" Yuan Ning interrupted him.
She turned around, enveloped in the pale, gray light of a Milanese winter afternoon.
Elias frowned slightly, looked into her eyes, and calmly stated, "Wynne, if I were looking down on you, I would have told you from the beginning that you didn't need to come."
"What's the difference?" Yuan Ning sneered. "You mobilized your entire team and planned a three-month-long capital hunt, but compared to a student's project based on passion and professional knowledge, don't you find it laughable as you watch me running around like this?"
"I'm just angry. You knew perfectly well that what I was doing was a waste of time, so why didn't you tell me beforehand? Are you proud of watching me struggle and struggle like that?"
Yuan Ning's voice began to waver as a surge of intense emotion overwhelmed her, shattering the calm shell she was trying to maintain.
“Wynne, it’s unfair of you to accuse me of arrogance. Your success rate isn’t zero; Casanova has a chance of choosing your proposal over mine,” Elias stated calmly.
Yuan Ning looked at him in disbelief: "Elijas, you're not just high and mighty. You're putting all of me, my efforts, my anxieties, the plans I stayed up all night working on, my heartache and respect for artisans and art, on your scales, measuring them with the yardstick of your capital, calculating them with the rate of return, and then concluding that my chances of success are slim, but not impossible."
Elias kept frowning as he looked at her, trying to process the words of the girl with reddened eyes in front of him.
Even with his values ingrained since childhood, he still found it difficult to understand her.
"Wynne, can you calm down first?"
“Elijas, you’re not wrong. From the perspective of your rules and your world, every step you’ve taken is logical and impeccable.” Yuan Ning took a step back. “But I just don’t want to forgive you, I will never forgive you.”
Elias was somewhat disappointed in her; clearly, Wynne's anger stemmed largely from his attitude towards her.
She felt his attitude was too rational, and that she would have been more accepting if he had reminded her beforehand or gently stopped her.
But that's not Elias's way of doing things.
“Wynne, you’re acting too impulsively. I don’t need your forgiveness, but if you’re going to end this by crying, I have nothing to say.”
He took a handkerchief from his suit pocket with his gloved hands and handed it to her. “My grandfather created wealth with land, my father consolidated wealth with fame, and I, I use electrical signals and probability theory.”
“Don’t be fooled by this suit, Wynne, this is still a war.”
Elias, with the gentlemanly air of offering a handkerchief, uttered such an emotionless and utterly cold statement.
Yuan Ning's tears dried instantly.
His eyes held a power so intense it could make one lose their senses.
Yes, don't be fooled by his gentle and gentlemanly appearance. He still retains the surname Van der Berg.
He told her, “I will clear up the misunderstanding with Marco and Edward and try my best to make up for the mistake that happened today. Wynne, you still have a chance to gain their trust and get them to choose you before I actually sign a contract with them.”
Yuan Ning was stunned. The moment Elias appeared today, she almost immediately thought that she had no chance of winning.
After all, her research topic was like child's play to him.
That's why she was so angry, feeling that he had completely manipulated her, while he looked down at her with an icy expression.
However, Elias never placed her in a subordinate position. Even though he estimated her success rate to be 1%, he still regarded her as an equal competitor.
Although this approach is cruel and cold, focusing only on algorithms and disregarding human feelings.
Realizing this, Yuan Ning's anger miraculously subsided. She took the handkerchief Elias offered and wiped away her tears.
Before this, she tried to question his arrogance with tears, but eventually realized that tears could not earn his respect.
This was the first time Yuan Ning had experienced Elias's cruel rules. It was far more brutal than simply strangling her.
That evening, Yuan Ning successfully arranged to meet Edward at a restaurant.
Edward still felt somewhat distant from her when he saw her.
"I never expected you to be traveling with Mr. van der Berg. But are you really not going to work for him?"
Yuan Ning shook her head: "I work for him, but I'm just his dress consultant. Besides, I'm also Professor Miller's student. Edward, I assure you, my presence here has absolutely nothing to do with him."
Edward nodded dejectedly: "Yes, that's what Mr. van der Berg said too."
“I hope he has explained things clearly to you, Edward. Now, can you trust me again?”
The waiter served a meat sauce that had been simmering for hours, fresh basil, a crispy toast crust, and aged Parmesan cheese.
They sat by the window, with a narrow tributary of the canal right outside.
On a winter night, the water is as black as ink, reflecting the scattered lights on the opposite bank and the warm yellow glow of the restaurant. Occasionally, a breeze blows, ripples breaking the reflections before gently settling back down.
“I…” Edward hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “I can, but what’s the use?”
Yuan Ning smiled and said, "As long as you still trust me, then everything is negotiable."
“Miss Wynne,” he paused, “but the decision rests with my father. Since he met with Mr. van der Berg yesterday, he has felt as if a weight has finally been lifted from his chest.”
“He said, ‘Finally, a buyer has come who doesn’t talk to us about sentimentality and heritage. He only talks about numbers, efficiency, and market valuation. To be honest, that amount is really large, and several of the workshop’s elders have relented.’”
The waiter brought out the appetizers.
Two simple platters of roasted vegetables, with eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers roasted until the edges are slightly charred, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Edward mechanically poked at a piece of eggplant with his fork, but didn't put it in his mouth.
“We’ve met with seven potential partners in the last three months.”
"Four are investment funds that want to buy the brand and then license it to a large group for OEM production. Two are so-called cultural preservation organizations that want us to turn the workshop into a museum, and they will operate the ticket and souvenir shops. The other is a local Italian leather goods group that wants to acquire us and then cut all the custom lines that cost more than 2,000 euros, keeping only the entry-level models sold in the airport duty-free shops."
He looked up and stared directly at Yuan Ning: "And then you came. Professor Miller's student, twenty years old, wearing a MaxMara coat and carrying a new Celine bag, saying you wanted to help us get back into the market."
"Edward, I..."
“Let me finish,” Edward interrupted her, a rare occurrence. “I thought to myself, ‘Oh my god, here we go again. Another young girl who thinks traditional crafts are romantic, wants to write a nice paper, take some nice photos, and then go to Vogue or Vanity Fair for a job.’”
Yuan Ning felt a tightness in her throat. She wanted to retort, but found herself unable to speak.
“But my father asked me to host you. He said it was Professor Miller’s good intention, anyway.” Edward took a sip of his drink, this time a large gulp. “Then I’ll show you around. The questions you asked… weren’t about empty talk like heritage or craftsmanship. You asked about order volume, cash flow, store rent percentage, and customer churn rate.”
His tone underwent a subtle change.
“You even noticed the technique behind our stitching angles.” Edward put down his glass. “At that moment, I thought, maybe…maybe you’re different. Maybe you’re really thinking, not just feeling.”
Yuan Ning took a deep breath, took out her laptop from her bag, opened it, and brought up the files.
“This is all the research I’ve done over the past week.” The screen light reflected on her face. “Casanova’s customer data analysis over the past decade, the competitive landscape of the Italian luxury leather goods market, the price bandwidth and wait time distribution of top global bespoke services, and even your customer flow observation records at the Milan store.”
She turned the computer towards Edward.
"Edward, I'm writing a business proposal."
Edward's gaze fell on the screen. The charts, the data, the dense annotations.
He stared at it for a long time.
After a while, a waiter came over to ask if we wanted the main course, but he waved his hand to indicate that we should wait a moment.
Finally, he gave a sincere laugh: "Wynne, I can see that you really put a lot of effort into this, but what you've done is not even a tenth of what Mr. Van der Berg's team analyzed. I now truly believe that you are not in cahoots with him."
A hint of mockery appeared on Edward's face, and Yuan Ning glared at him.
But she quickly switched back to work mode: "Okay, now I'll introduce the solution I'm providing for you."
Edward gestured for her to speak, saying he wanted to hear it.
“In this day and age, the people who truly need Casanova and are willing to pay for it are those who have just achieved great success and need something to prove they have ‘arrived.’”
"For example, those tech upstarts, those overnight celebrities, and the newly rich from emerging markets who need a 'family heirloom' to establish their family status."
Edward frowned.
“They may not understand the concept of a century-old tradition,” Yuan Ning continued. “They may not even be able to distinguish between vegetable-tanned leather and chrome-tanned leather. But they do understand that ‘only three people in the world can make something like this.’”
“You mean, let’s become a new kind of…social currency?” Edward asked.
“Now I will tell you my specific implementation plan. First, I will create a membership system for Casanova, inviting the world’s top clients to participate in workshop tours and experience the exclusive feeling of being served by masters.”
"The invitation list consists of only twelve people. They are all people in their thirties and forties who have reached the pinnacle of their respective fields. You will make a unique suitcase or briefcase for each of them that blends traditional craftsmanship with a minimalist modern aesthetic."
Edward was stunned, but Yuan Ning continued:
“After each piece is completed, I will invite reporters from The New York Times, the Financial Times, and Monocle to write feature articles. At this time, a large number of customers will definitely flood in, and that’s where your membership system comes in handy. It will allow you to continue to maintain a completely handmade system, long production time, and high prices.”
As for how to acquire these subsequent resources, Yuan Ning hadn't thought about that yet, but she knew that when things really came to that point, she would definitely have a way.
Edward's mouth dropped open.
"This...this is absolutely insane."
He continued, "My father calculated how much economic benefit would be generated by turning the workshop into a fully mechanized assembly line and then handing it over to capital marketing. To be honest, it was an irresistible figure."
Yuan Ning put away her laptop: "So the path you choose is up to you. That's all I have to say."
She gave Edward a sweet smile, and Edward blushed slightly.
“Um… Wynne, I’ll go back and try to persuade my father, but the chances are slim.”
He stood up, took a few euros out of his pocket, and placed them on the table.
"By the way, we must reply to Mr. Van der Berg's final offer by 5 p.m. tomorrow, so if you still haven't received a message by then, then I'm sorry."
He lowered his head, and Yuan Ning nodded and smiled: "I know, but I have done what I was supposed to do."
*
As he said, the two went their separate ways without interfering with each other until night fell.
"Do you know what I admire most about you, Miss Wynne?"
Yuan Ning stood on the stone bridge by the canal, the damp wind brushing across the water and seeping into the gaps in her coat.
She didn't wrap her clothes tighter, just let the wind tousle her hair, staring at the dark, flowing river below.
Elias van der Berg walked onto the bridge and stopped half a step behind her.
“Which point? Mr. van der Berg.” She didn’t turn around.
“You never wait to be saved, and you get up very quickly.”
He stepped forward and stood beside her on the bridge railing. Their arms did not touch, but they were close enough to feel each other's body heat.
Yuan Ning's fingertips rested lightly on the cold stone railing, without replying.
Beneath the bridge, a sightseeing gondola glides silently by, the gondolier's shadow stretching and distorting on the water. Faint laughter and languid accordion notes drift from the boat, only to be carried away by the current and the wind.
“The nights in Milan are very different from those in New York,” Elias said again.
“Really?” Yuan Ning finally turned her head and glanced at him. “I thought you would be more used to the pace of Geneva or London.”
"I appreciate the clarity of winter here. Everything slows down, revealing its true form. Including people's hearts."
He spoke the last few words very softly, almost as if they were being carried away by the wind that swept across the bridge.
A stronger gust of wind, carrying moisture, swept over her, and she instinctively flinched. Almost at the same moment, a warm weight landed on her shoulders. It was his cashmere coat.
"Human hearts?" Yuan Ning murmured, reaching out to pull her coat tighter; it was indeed much warmer.
“Wynne, my father’s teaching of me was very harsh. I got used to that way of thinking, just like I got used to breathing air.”
Yuan Ning didn't speak, but simply tightened the coat on her shoulders, her fingertips sinking into the soft, expensive cashmere.
"He taught me to simplify the world into a precise, cold, and constantly optimizing system. Emotions are variables, and the connections between people, including marriage, are essentially an exchange of resources and needs."
Yuan Ning's heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly by an invisible hand.
She suddenly understood why he always became distant the next second after showing tenderness, why his help always came with a clear price tag, and why even when he got close, it was as if there was an impenetrable glass between them.
“So,” Elias continued, his voice revealing for the first time a weary honesty, “I’m confused about something. Even uneasy about it.”
He turned his head, his blue eyes reflecting the dim light of the bridgehead in the night.
Even in the darkness, his silhouette remained as perfect as a classical sculpture.
"Of course, my father also taught me that caring for ladies is a matter of upbringing and responsibility."
He paused for a moment, then said, “But you, Wynne, you don’t follow any framework.”
Yuan Ning looked at the man in front of her and heard herself ask, "So, what are you calculating in your brain right now?"
Elias remained silent for a moment.
“I’m calculating,” he said slowly, “Wynne, I’m actually calculating the risks of kissing you.”
"So, how much of this risk have you calculated? Is it still within your acceptable range?"
Elias's eyes were like a lake with a thin layer of ice, beneath which undercurrents still surged.
“That’s what confuses me, Wynne. I can’t calculate it, yet I’m already willing to take all the risks.”
He stopped there.
Only the faint sounds of cars in the distance and the slow flow of the river below remained on the bridge.
Yuan Ning looked at him. His face, half clear and half blurry, lay between shadow and light. In those eyes that always seemed to control everything, her reflection was now clearly visible.
“Elijas, can you tell me what you will do with Casanova after you acquire it?”
Yuan Ning took a step closer to him, tilting her head back, her voice exceptionally gentle in the ambiguous night.
Elias was silent for a few seconds, then spoke again, his voice slightly hoarse: "Wynne, if this is the price of kissing you..."
He turned around, his gaze shifting from her face to the river, his voice regaining its composure: "If the acquisition is successful, Percival Capital will first inject capital to resolve the workshop's debt and cash flow issues. Simultaneously, we will rapidly develop production lines, utilizing some core technologies but introducing semi-mechanized production, targeting a broader range of high-net-worth individuals, and selling through carefully selected channels to quickly generate cash flow and brand exposure..."
"After that, the brand will conduct three to four rounds of mergers and acquisitions of varying sizes within three years, integrating similar handcrafted leather workshops in Tuscany and Veneto... The ultimate goal is that within five years, Percival's return on investment is expected to be no less than 35% annualized."
Every step he took was logically clear and had a well-defined goal.
This is his way of seeing the world: pursuing the maximization of efficiency and returns.
“That’s how the world works, Wynne. Emotions, morals, ideals… these are all important, but they’re not currency.”
Yuan Ning took another step forward, this time almost pressing herself against him.
She gently tugged at the hem of his shirt, leaning closer to him in a snuggling manner.
The girl's sweet fragrance enveloped him completely.
Elias replied helplessly, "Wynne, I've said it before, I can take any risk."
He gazed at her tenderly, and Wynne's eyes sparkled.
Just as his father said, he was on the verge of losing control. He violated the order, he gave up his interests, and he would go deeper into conflict.
He prepared to kiss Wynne and then grant her wish.
Wynne suddenly stepped back, smiling as she looked at him: "Elijas, I haven't lost yet."
Elias slowly opened his eyes, a sharp smile reflecting in them, and heard her say, "Don't be fooled by a girl's kiss, Elias, this is still a war."
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Author's Note: Cat and Mouse Game (×)
A worthy opponent (√)
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