Chapter 93

"…Why haven't they arrived yet?"

At the exit of Berlin's train station, John was anxiously waiting.

Snowflakes continued to fall from the sky, and the three days of heavy snow had transformed Berlin into a white world, beautifully adorned in silver. However, for John, who was coming to the station to pick up his grandfather, such weather was terrible. The carriage couldn't move fast and it was freezing, turning a journey that should have taken less than an hour into a two-hour ordeal!

Beside John, Brister was also getting anxious.

"Whoo…"

A sharp whistle sounded, and both men instinctively looked westward, their faces lighting up with joy.

Finally, they had arrived!

The train from Hamburg clattered into Berlin's train station. In John's anxious wait, an elderly man with silver hair slowly emerged, supported by a young man. John immediately ran over, "Grandpa, you've finally arrived!"

"Don't rush! Be careful!"

Seeing John almost trip as he ran over, Old Hunter's brows furrowed, and he scolded softly.

However, although the old man was scolding and frowning, everyone could see the joy in his eyes when he saw John. It seemed that all the fatigue from the journey vanished, and he immediately looked spirited.

"Grandpa, the ground is slippery, be very careful."

After steadying himself, John quickly took over from Henry, carefully supporting Old Hunter and chuckled. He hadn't expected to feel such excitement and joy upon seeing Old Hunter, and he couldn't help but run over.

"Hey, John, it's been a long time."

Just as John's eyes were only on his grandfather, an excited voice came from the side. He quickly turned his head to see Joshua and his little group standing behind him, smiling.

Carefully letting go of his grandfather, John turned and happily hugged Joshua, then couldn't help but tease, "Joshua, I thought you would have lost some weight after the long journey, but you've actually gained? You must have put on at least ten pounds since last year!"

"Uh…"

Hearing John's words, Joshua immediately smiled bitterly.

In fact, he had lost some weight on the journey, at least four or five pounds, but the key was that he had gained nearly twenty pounds in the past year, making him much bulkier! The once rather handsome young man now looked more mature and steady, somewhat resembling his father, Old Stone.

"Cough! Cough!"

Just as the two were chatting, the steady and elderly Hunter had already noticed Brister standing to the side, smiling. He lightly coughed and said in a deep voice, "John, this gentleman is…"

"Oh, Grandpa, this is Mr. Brister, whom I mentioned in my letter! Mr. Brister, this is my grandfather and my good friend, Mr. Joshua Stone."

Seeing his grandfather ask, John quickly introduced everyone.

"Nice to meet you, sir!"

"Welcome to Berlin, Mr. Hunter and Mr. Stone."

Everyone greeted each other politely, especially Joshua and Brister, who shook hands with extra vigor, like old friends reuniting, their faces beaming with enthusiasm.

After a brief exchange, Brister suggested with a smile, "Gentlemen, you must be tired from the journey. I know of a very nice French restaurant nearby. Why don't we go for lunch? This icy weather isn't a good place for conversation!"

Joshua had no objections, and his gaze turned to Old Hunter and John.

After a moment's hesitation, Old Hunter nodded apologetically, "Thank you for your invitation, Mr. Brister, but I am quite tired from the journey. I might be a bit rude if I go, so…"

"Let's do this."

Seeing Mr. Brister slightly disappointed, Joshua quickly interjected, "Mr. Hunter is indeed tired, and it would be better to rest early. However, since Mr. Brister has kindly invited us, why don't we all go? We can also discuss the factory matters!"

"Good, of course!"

Brister was delighted and quickly agreed.

Earlier, when talking with John, Brister had already known about Joshua and understood that the real decision-maker for the factory construction was not Old Hunter but Mr. Joshua Stone. Therefore, hearing that he was willing to go met his goal.

Seeing the two chatting warmly, Old Hunter's brows subtly furrowed, but he didn't say anything.

John, of course, didn't mind. He smiled, pulled Joshua aside, and whispered a few words, lightly patting his shoulder before returning to Old Hunter's side. He had just shared his plans with Joshua, who agreed. They would gather again once the snow stopped.

The weather was extremely cold, and after a brief exchange, everyone left the train station. Before getting into their carriages, Brister walked over to John and Old Hunter, smiling, "Gentlemen, it's a pity we couldn't chat more today, but next week, Baron Cole and I will host a ball to welcome you all. Please be sure to attend, and I will send the invitations to your residence!"

"Sure, we will definitely come."

Before John could react, Old Hunter had already nodded and agreed with a smile.

A moment later, the group split into two. Joshua left with Brister, while John helped his grandfather into a carriage, heading home…

"Grandpa, why are you looking at me like that?"

After getting into the carriage, Old Hunter had been examining John, making him feel a bit puzzled. He couldn't help but smile and ask.

Old Hunter smiled slightly and said with satisfaction, "We haven't seen each other for over a year. Seeing you today was a bit of a surprise. It seems you've grown stronger, John?"

"Ah? Yeah, I've gained quite a bit of weight."

John shrugged, smiling with a hint of pride.

He had inherited excellent genes, reaching about 1.85 meters tall at just fifteen or sixteen years old. However, it was clear that he had almost stopped growing. Even if he had more potential, he could only grow a few more centimeters at most. As he grew older, John's weight continued to increase, and with his focus on nutrition and regular exercise, his once slender frame had gained some muscle…

"John."

After chatting for a while, Old Hunter's expression suddenly became serious, and he said in a deep voice, "Do you really plan to leave all the matters of cooperation with Mr. Brister to Joshua?"

"Yes, Joshua is the manager of the Pigeon Company. Isn't it appropriate for him to handle it?"

John answered instinctively to Old Hunter's question.

Since the two factories were established, John rarely inquired about them. He had visited the bicycle factory a few times, but the toy factory wasn't even built when he left New York, so he had never been there. As for the management, he barely asked, only reviewing Joshua's reports periodically.

Hearing John's answer, Old Hunter's brows immediately furrowed, and he asked, "As the major shareholder, you rarely understand your own business, and you don't participate in major decisions like setting up a branch factory. Aren't you worried?"

"Worried about what?"

John was slightly taken aback, his eyes wide with confusion. Then, he was startled and quickly asked, "Grandpa, is there something wrong with the two factories?"

"There's no problem."

Old Hunter looked at John, shook his head, and said meaningfully, "After all, I have specifically sent people to oversee the financial and management aspects, so there shouldn't be any major issues for now. However… John, I hope you remember one thing: in this world, relationships between people can change. When there is enough profit to be made, anything can happen. Therefore, the only person you can truly trust is yourself!"

"Ah?!"

Hearing this, John was stunned, his eyes suddenly widening. (To be continued)