After hanging up the phone, William sat in the driver's seat, silently contemplating the benefits and potential troubles that this partnership might bring him.
The benefits were numerous. As long as Duke Devon and his associates made the expected profits, more English nobles would join the group in the future, giving William access to as many Chinese antiques as he desired.
To William, this cooperative model was more than just repurposing waste; the anticipated gains were likely to multiply many times over compared to simply earning money.
Just as he had mentioned to Garris about the financial opportunities in Eastern Europe, in the past, William would have dealt with Pushkin and then left the rest alone because he had no interest in, nor did he want to be involved in, shady dealings.
Now, by handing the matter over to Duke Devon, who was eager to secure financial prospects for his descendants, not only could he completely wipe out Pushkin's remaining forces, but he could also distract the English nobles who were always watching him. At the same time, William could make a substantial profit.
Such opportunities were bound to arise in the future, indirectly expanding his financial avenues and influence among the noble circles.
No matter the era, those who could lead others to wealth were always the top dogs. Once more people in the aristocratic circle knew that he could provide them with financial opportunities, William might not have absolute authority, but at the very least, no one would dare to mess with him. After all, a god of wealth was more revered than God himself.
Of course, William wouldn't let his guard down around the nobles. Betrayal from within was all too common these days. Just because they needed him as a god of wealth now didn't mean that some wouldn't try to replace him later on.
William would never give up his own interests. As he had just mentioned to Garris, at most, he would allow those in the same camp to have some scraps and leftovers.
If they wanted to feast, they'd have to offer something of equal value or something that piqued William's interest. Otherwise, anyone who reached out to grab would find their hand cut off.
If he couldn't do it openly, he certainly could in the shadows. After all, he had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.
Having thought things through, William instructed Sunday, "Check on Abigail's situation at the U.S. National Archives. See if she's still under surveillance."
"Understood, sir."
About ten minutes later, Sunday reported back, "Sir, based on the information I've gathered, Ms. Abigail's investigation has concluded. While she's personally fine, she lost her job at the National Archives and has been unemployed at home for the past two months. I reviewed all the surveillance footage from places Ms. Abigail has visited over the past two months, and it appears that the people following her stopped about a month ago. However, her phone is still being monitored, though the records show she hasn't been barred from leaving the country."
"Heh, as long as she's not restricted from leaving the country. Sunday, find an art company and have them send Abigail an invitation letter in their name. Also, order a new phone and have it delivered to her."
"Yes, sir. The orders have been placed. The phone will be personally delivered to Ms. Abigail's home in fifteen minutes by the store."
"Hmm, personal delivery by the store? Since when has American customer service been so considerate?"
"Sir, with an extra $500 tip, I don't think any phone store would refuse home delivery."
"Damn it, since when did you start spending my money like that?"
"Apologies, sir. You granted me the authority to access your account for tasks. I must say, sir, apart from your mother, you're quite the miser. Considering you've amassed $20 billion in less than nine months, that's 250 days, you've already earned 18.11 times the $500 you just spent in the last ten seconds we've been talking. The $500,000 monthly allowance you give Ms. Ambrosio is less than what you earn in ten minutes. I feel sorry for Ms. Ambrosio."
"F***, shut your trap," William snapped, quickly scanning the cabin with his mental powers and relieved to find Ambrosio in the master bedroom. If that girl overheard this, she'd definitely throw a fit.
Sunday's comments made William blush a little, and he stubbornly retorted, "You don't understand. I'm protecting Ambrosio. If people knew she had a large sum of cash on hand, she'd be a target. This way is much better—everyone thinks I'm just having some fun with her."
"Apologies, sir, but since you named this yacht 'Ambrosio,' I don't think anyone believes it's just a fling."
"Heh, you're just an AI. What do you know? As long as I don't transfer ownership of the yacht to Ambrosio, people will continue to believe it's just a fling."
Whether it was a fling or not, William himself wasn't sure anymore. Initially, it was definitely just for fun, but now he felt pretty good about Ambrosio. If things felt right, it was natural to stay together. What would happen in the future could be dealt with later. However, no matter how good it felt, William was certain he wouldn't get married.
Speaking of women, aside from Ambrosio, it seemed that Abigail was the only one who lingered in his thoughts, and that was primarily because she was an expert on Chinese antiques.
Just as he was thinking this, his phone suddenly rang. "Sir, it's Ms. Abigail calling."
William snapped his fingers. "Put her through."
As soon as the call connected, he heard, "Hello, this is Abigail. Mr. Devonshire?"
"It's me, Abby. Long time no see. How have you been lately?"
Upon confirming it was William, Abigail's voice was filled with indignation as she complained, "Ha, you actually remember to ask how I've been? You sneaked back to England without a word and left me to face an investigation in D.C. alone. William Devonshire, you weren't this heartless when we were in bed together."
"Sorry, Abby. I didn't contact you to protect you. Now that you're in the clear, I reached out immediately, didn't I? I still remember our agreement. I'm calling this time to invite you to England to oversee the acquisition of Chinese antiques and the construction of a museum."
"My God, are you serious?" The mention of building a museum made Abigail immediately forget about continuing to chastise William. "When? When can I go to England?"
"If you're free, a private jet will be waiting at Washington Airport in half an hour. They'll fly you to Switzerland and then take you to London."
"I'll pack my bags right now. My God, I can finally leave this suffocating place. I don't want to spend another moment in D.C."
"Just pack a few changes of clothes. You can buy everything else in London, and all expenses will be reimbursed by me. Consider it a welcome gift for your new position. If you're interested, you can check out the houses on Kensington Gardens Street. I've been wanting to buy a villa there for a while, but I've never had the time. As a reward, I'll let you stay in the new house."
"Haha, just stay there?" Abigail laughed coquettishly. "No problem, boss. I'll make sure your wish comes true. Maybe the next time you see me, it'll be in the new house."
"Great. Safe travels, beautiful Ms. Abigail."
"Goodbye, boss."
After hanging up, William instructed Sunday, "Notify Felix at the Swiss National Bank about Abigail's flight. He should assign someone to accompany her throughout her trip, except for matters related to the antiques. Also, have him find a few experts in China to work with Abigail in appraising the antiques. We can be flexible on the commission, but the confidentiality agreement must be the strictest."
"Understood, sir."
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