We Can Return

12) Funeral

Off POV

Earth's father has his funeral today. I occasionally worked with him, but I know his son better from personal life. Unfortunately, I got held up at work and arrived a bit late. I tried to push through the crowd, but damn, it seemed like all the residents of Bangkok were here. In the distance, I spotted Earth talking to a shorter man in a perfectly fitting suit. Although I couldn't see his face, he looked good. For a moment, one of the attendees stopped me for some polite small talk. I hate these types of conversations, but unfortunately, they're necessary in my business.

When we finished chatting, I noticed Earth was alone again. "How are you holding up?" I asked.

"Fine, thanks for asking. Dad had been unwell for a while, so we managed to prepare ourselves," he replied. We chatted aimlessly for a bit before I remembered something. "Hey Earth, you were talking to someone earlier, but I don't think I've seen him before. Who was that?"

Earth just laughed. "That was one of Dad's business partners. I think you two are about the same age. He's going to buy the hotel from me. I've decided to keep only the resorts."

That piqued my interest because the hotel is in a prime location, almost in the city center, and popular with tourists. The interior is a bit dated, but the hotel itself is very well-liked. It also has a large conference hall, which I have rented for an upcoming conference I'm hosting.

"Don't worry, the conference isn't in jeopardy. He plans to renovate, but not that quickly. I'll introduce you later. He couldn't stay at the funeral; he had to return home. His whole family is moving from the USA to Thailand for a year to oversee the renovation and everything else."

"What's his name?" I asked.

"James Smith."

"Wait, James Smith from S.G.W. Company?"

"Yeah, that's him. But let me tell you, Off, I'm really curious about his family. He looks cute, but when it comes to business, he doesn't mess around. He's the CEO and one of the owners of S.G.W. Company. From what I remember from my dad, there are three owners, but I don't know more details. You know I don't really care about these things."

"That sounds interesting. In ten years, that company has really made a name for itself. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to work with them yet." Not that I didn't have the opportunity; I wanted to expand into the USA and tried to reach an agreement with this company several times over the years, but I was always turned down without explanation. This time, it might work out.

The funeral was very emotional and dignified. Earth's father was evidently a very respected man, which was reflected in the large number of attendees. The atmosphere was filled with sadness but also memories of his life and the impact he had on those around him.

After the ceremony, the guests slowly began to disperse. Off decided to stay a bit longer to try to find out more about the mysterious business partner, James Smith. He walked among the guests, trying to catch snippets of conversations that might provide more information, but from what he heard, few people had met James Smith.

As Off was about to give up, he overheard a conversation between two older gentlemen.

"Did you see James Smith earlier?" one asked.

"Yes, I did. Quite a young man to be handling such a big company," the other replied.

"Indeed. I heard he's moving his entire family here for the renovation. Quite a commitment."

Off decided to approach them. "Excuse me, gentlemen. I couldn't help but overhear. You were talking about James Smith?"

"Yes, we were," one of them said. "Do you know him?"

"Not personally, but I'm hoping to. I'm Off, a friend of Earth's," he introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you, Off. I'm Mr. Chai, and this is Mr. Somchai. We were just discussing how impressive it is that someone so young is taking on such a big project."

"Yes, it is," Off agreed. "Do you know much about his plans for the hotel?"

"Only that he intends to modernize it while preserving its charm. It's a big task, but if anyone can do it, it's him," Mr. Somchai said.

"Thank you for the information," Off said, feeling a bit more at ease. He decided to leave the funeral with a renewed sense of curiosity about James Smith and what the future might hold.

3 person POV

Later that evening, Off met up with Earth for a drink. "So, Earth, tell me more about this James Smith. Is everything okay between you two?"

Earth sighed, taking a sip of his drink. "Honestly, Off, it's complicated. James is very professional, almost too much so. He's very focused on the business, and sometimes it feels like he's not considering the personal connections my dad had with the hotel and its staff."

Off raised an eyebrow. "That sounds tough. Do you think it will affect the transition?"

"I hope not," Earth replied. "But there's definitely some tension. I want to honor my dad's legacy, and I'm not sure James sees it the same way. He's all about efficiency and profit."

Off nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe you just need to find some common ground. It sounds like you both want the hotel to succeed, even if your approaches are different."

"Yeah, maybe you're right," Earth said, though he didn't sound entirely convinced. "I guess we'll see how things go once he's here full-time."