Chapter 218: Gradual Completion of the Relocation
Regarding the question Benjamin posed, Irving had already given it considerable thought. He knew that even if Vicky hadn't asked, Benjamin would have brought it up.
So, Irving smiled and replied, "The shelters belonging to the members of Ocean Group must also be relocated to the new address we've chosen. However, you will not be among the first to move there. You will relocate your shelters only after we have fully settled in at the new location. After all, we can only protect everyone more conveniently if all our allies' shelters are gathered together."
Vicky and Benjamin were very satisfied with Irving's answer. Before Benjamin could speak, Vicky directly addressed Irving, saying, "As the president of Ocean Group, I can make decisions right now. Benjamin will definitely assist you moving forward, so feel free to tell him what you need done."
Irving was pleased with Vicky's response. He smiled and nodded, "Thank you! You truly are someone I can trust."
Vicky's cheeks flushed slightly at Irving's words, and she appeared a bit embarrassed.
"If there's nothing else, you and Benjamin should go discuss the specific arrangements with the security department of Ocean Group. I have many other matters to attend to," Vicky said, picking up a document from her desk to cover her face, urging Benjamin and Irving to leave quickly.
Upon hearing this, Benjamin left Vicky's office immediately. Meanwhile, Irving approached Vicky's desk, smiling as he leaned in slightly and whispered, "I feel like our communication has been quite limited lately. I hope that once we have some free time, we can have a good chat. I wonder if you have time for that?"
Vicky lowered the document she had been using to shield her face. She glanced toward the office door, which Benjamin had already closed. Ensuring that they were alone, Vicky responded directly, "I also hope we can have a good chat. However, I'll be very busy for the next week. Once I finish with the group's affairs, I will have some free time.
But I would prefer not to chat at your home, since Wendy also lives there."
When Vicky mentioned Wendy, her expression became slightly awkward. Although she was aware of the circumstances surrounding Wendy living in Irving's house, she still felt that Wendy's presence there was somewhat inappropriate.
Irving naturally understood Vicky's concerns, so he smiled and replied, "You decide the address and the timing! It's settled then!" After saying this, Irving walked out of Vicky's office under her gaze.
Upon leaving Vicky's office, Irving headed to the third underground floor of the Ocean Group headquarters with Benjamin. Originally, the security department manager's office was located on one of the upper floors of the building, but after Benjamin took over as the manager, he moved the office to the basement level.
The third underground floor was the closest to the storage area that held all the weapons from the shelter game owned by Ocean Group, as the warehouse was located on the fourth underground level, which was also the lowest level of the building.
"I never expected you would place your office in the basement. Don't you think the environment here is a bit too oppressive?" Irving expressed his disapproval of Benjamin's choice. To Irving, someone willing to have their office in a basement must be rather gloomy.
Benjamin replied with a straight face, "This is my personal style. If you find it too oppressive, you're free to leave at any time. Besides, as long as you can clearly explain your plan quickly, you won't have to stay here for long."
As he spoke, Benjamin kept his eyes focused on something behind Irving.
Irving turned to look behind him, but he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "Why are you looking over my shoulder? Is there something back there?"
Benjamin shook his head. "I'm not looking at your back; I'm actually watching the entrance to the fourth underground level."
Irving turned back again and indeed saw that the entrance to the fourth underground level was right behind him. Once he confirmed there were no unexpected situations, Irving began to outline his action plan.
"My plan isn't very complicated. I just hope that once we start relocating the shelters, you can lead your team to provide us with support."
Upon hearing this, Benjamin calmly asked, "How exactly do you want us to help? Should we guard the new shelter location you've selected, or do we need to move together with you to provide assistance?"
"You just need to guard the new shelter location I've chosen. It's a castle, and you and your subordinates will have a certain level of safety inside. Even if you encounter an attack from the Night Blades, you can use the castle's defenses to hold off those formidable enemies for a while," Irving explained, then fell silent, waiting for Benjamin's response.
Benjamin patiently contemplated for a moment before retrieving a document from his desk. "This document details the specific strengths of all members of Ocean Group. Since the president has asked me to cooperate with you seriously, I will naturally provide you with the information you need to know.
After reviewing the specifics of our members, you'll understand how much assistance we can offer. I don't want you to make erroneous judgments due to a lack of information."
Irving was quite surprised by Benjamin's action. He hadn't expected Benjamin to be willing to share detailed information about the members of Ocean Group. However, it didn't take long for Irving to understand why Benjamin was doing this.
Although Ocean Group had the backing of a larger organization, it had not been established for long, which resulted in a relatively weak overall strength. Even if Benjamin was willing to provide full support, his subordinates wouldn't be able to contribute significantly.
After looking over the document for a while, Irving handed it back. "Your subordinates' strengths may not be impressive, but they can still provide us with some assistance. Moreover, I came here primarily to discuss our upcoming actions with you. You are the strongest person in your Ocean Group.
If you're willing to showcase your true abilities, you can provide me with substantial support in the upcoming operations."
In response to Irving's words, Benjamin merely nodded slightly. "Of course, I will do my best to assist you. What do you want me to do?"
"I hope you can accompany me when the relocation of the shelters begins."
As soon as Irving finished speaking, Benjamin agreed without hesitation. "No problem at all; I will stick with you throughout."
Benjamin's quick agreement left Irving momentarily at a loss for words. He hoped Benjamin understood that accompanying him would entail significant danger.
"Don't you want to think it over? Moving with me will definitely involve more risks. The Night Blades will undoubtedly target me as their primary objective."
Benjamin's expression remained unchanged. He calmly replied, "I am well aware of that. However, I don't regret my decision."
After saying this, Benjamin handed another document to Irving. "After you read this, you'll understand why I won't have any regrets."
Irving took the document Benjamin offered and reviewed it carefully.
Halfway through the document, Irving's expression shifted to one of shock. "Vicky actually gave you 5% of Ocean Group's shares?! Why would she do that?!"
The content of the document was straightforward: Benjamin had secured a portion of shares in Ocean Group. Although this stake wasn't substantial, the company itself was an enormous asset, meaning that even a small percentage represented a significant amount of money.
Benjamin replied indifferently, "The president simply hopes to win me over in this way. She doesn't believe my loyalty to Ocean Group is unconditional."
This statement from Benjamin finally snapped Irving back to reality. Reflecting on past events, he realized that Vicky's actions made a lot of sense. Although Benjamin had performed exceptionally well since their encounter, it was unreasonable to expect him to remain loyal to the Smith family and Ocean Group without any benefits.
Vicky's decision to grant Benjamin a share of the company was indeed an effective way to secure his loyalty. Now, Irving understood why Benjamin was willing to offer his full support.
"You have about a week to prepare. I hope you can maintain peak performance during this time," Irving advised Benjamin before leaving.
Having fully trusted Benjamin, Irving felt there was no need to waste any more time there.
"Absolutely no problem; I will be ready as quickly as possible. In addition to maintaining my own peak state, I'll ensure my subordinates quickly familiarize themselves with the new weapons. I've already handed over some valuable new equipment to them," Benjamin assured him.
Benjamin's approach was undoubtedly commendable. Not only was he preparing himself, but he was also ensuring that his team was ready.
"You're doing an excellent job! I believe you'll be a great asset in the upcoming operations!" Irving said before quickly departing.
As Benjamin watched Irving leave, he slowly shook his head once Irving was completely out of sight. "I really don't understand what the president sees in Irving. He doesn't seem like a particularly smart person."
Despite their close collaboration, Benjamin's perspective on Irving differed significantly from Vicky's view.