50s: Starting with a storage ring

Chapter 619 The Second Generation of Pinkerton Detectives

Sun Zhiwei then realized that these minority shareholders, having stayed in such a dangerous city as Chicago for so long, probably wouldn't have very good tempers.

As local bullies in Chicago, it's foreseeable that they would have connections with local gangsters. But would they really succumb to capital so easily?

Thinking about this, he felt he needed to make two preparations, so that if things didn't go smoothly, things wouldn't get too ugly.

So he went to the bedside, picked up the phone, and dialed the internal line to the room next door, where Attorney Smith was staying.

"Attorney Smith, could you please come to my room for a moment? I have something important to discuss with you."

After hanging up the phone, he got up and opened the door, leaving it slightly ajar, before returning to the French windows.

A moment later, footsteps could be heard outside, and Attorney Smith pushed open the door and walked in.

"Boss, you wanted to see me?" Smith now calls Sun Zhiwei "Boss" whenever he works for him.

"Have a seat," Sun Zhiwei said, gesturing for him to sit down and then pouring him a glass of whiskey.

"See downstairs?" Sun Zhiwei gestured with his chin towards the ground below.

“The night is beautiful.” Smith didn’t know what he was going to say, so he could only give a casual reply.

"From the moment it got completely dark, there was fighting everywhere in the city. It was very chaotic here."

Are you worried about our safety when we go out tomorrow? Or should we hire some bodyguards?

"Not only that, what kind of personality do you think people who live in such chaotic cities for a long time will develop?"

"Personality? Well, I guess she'd have a fiery temper, and she'd pull out a gun if things didn't go her way."

"Yes, I think so too. Do you think the remaining minority shareholders will be well-behaved?"

Smith fell silent upon hearing this. This was a question he hadn't considered, but looking at the situation in the city, he had no choice but to start thinking about it immediately.

"Boss, I suggest that we go to a big hotel in the city tomorrow and hold the shareholders' meeting there."

"People in society generally avoid high-end places like five-star hotels. Even if they want to get angry, they probably won't act recklessly in such high-end places."

"Moreover, the security here should be alright during the day, otherwise Chicago wouldn't be as prosperous as it is now."

Attorney Smith's words made Sun Zhiwei thoughtful.

That's true. The so-called high crime rate in such a large city is relative. For example, the crime rate is definitely high in slums, but the opposite is true in bustling streets and upscale communities.

Similarly, crime rates decrease during the day due to law enforcement suppression, but these crimes all come out at night.

Therefore, he only needs to be vigilant; there's no need for him to be overly anxious about it.

After talking with Smith, Sun Zhiwei felt relieved and at ease.

The next morning, after breakfast, the team rented two minivans and headed straight to the city.

Yesterday, Smith booked the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago's "Glamorous Mile".

"The Magnificent Mile" is another name for Michigan Avenue in Chicago, much like the Champs-Élysées in Paris or Ginza in Tokyo, and is the heart of Chicago.

The five-star hotels here are naturally expensive, but for safety reasons, it's an unavoidable expense.

After checking into the Four Seasons Hotel, the group of 12 contacted Rex Acosta, the current chairman of Pinkerton Detective Agency, by phone. Pinkerton Detective Agency's current address is on Washington Street, not far from the Four Seasons Hotel, just a few hundred meters away.

Rex Acosta, who had just finished a phone call, suppressed his anger and hung up.

He is currently in his office, which is a bit old, but the interior furnishings are very antique, and many of the items are full of historical atmosphere at a glance.

This is the headquarters building of Pinkerton Detective Agency. The furnishings in this office are inherited from the former chairman. It is said that the first president, Mr. Pinkerton, also worked here.

The office is now filled with smoke, with a dozen or so burly men standing or sitting, many of them puffing away on cigarettes.

They were the other minor shareholders of Pinkerton Securities besides Sun Zhiwei, and many of them still have family members who work as detectives for Pinkerton.

When Robert Pinkerton II passed away due to illness, no one in the Pinkerton family stepped forward to take charge, leaving the Pinkerton Company leaderless for a time.

These minority shareholders are the direct descendants of Pinkerton, having grown up listening to the legendary stories of Pinkerton.

They didn't want to see Pinkerton collapse, so they jointly nominated Rex Acosta to serve as chairman.

Several days earlier, after receiving news of the hostile takeover of the company, the minority shareholders had already arrived at the headquarters to meet with Rex.

They planned to give this unknown new shareholder a hard time, to let him know that in Pinkerton, money doesn't buy everything.

Today was the scheduled date for the shareholders' meeting, and they were already waiting at the company, ready to give Sun Zhiwei a hard time.

They weren't afraid to take action, but they also considered that the other party was definitely a very wealthy person, and they didn't want to provoke them.

Their goal is simply to fight for their own rights.

After hanging up the phone, Rex Acosta looked around at everyone before saying:

"Everyone, it's a call from that major shareholder named James. He said he's too lazy to come over and wants us to go to the Four Seasons Hotel for a board meeting."

"F"

"B"

"S"

Before Rex could finish speaking, a torrent of insults erupted from many mouths, enraging everyone present.

This is a complete disrespect to them. Together they have at least 49% of the shares, while James only has 51%. Why should he?
After everyone had vented their anger, Rex finally spoke up, "Shall we go or not?"

"No." "No." "No." Most people didn't want to go.

At that moment, a young man's voice suddenly spoke:
“They are the major shareholder, holding more than 50% of the shares. If we don’t go, it will be considered as abstention, and then they can’t just make any resolution they want.”

"Because there wasn't a single dissenting voice at the shareholders' meeting, he could pass it directly on his own."

The speaker was Aaron Powell, the company's youngest detective. The Powell family also inherited a share of the Pinkerton Detective Agency. He was passionate about detective work and currently worked for the company.

His words instantly extinguished everyone's anger. The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, then collectively looked at Rex.

After a moment's thought, Rex decided to go and take a look: "We have to go, but we can't let Pinkerton down."

Allen, have someone drive out all the Lincoln Continentals from the garage, and we'll each drive one to form a convoy and head over.

(End of this chapter)