“Alright,” he agreed, a sly smile forming.  “Sylvester.”  It was a good name, after all.  It reminded him of silver… or silk.  Good and nice things.  The way the human spoke was also nice, and it was hard to hold onto any doubt that the man was being genuine.  So many had contempt hidden deep down.  Max didn’t know if all neko had similar instincts, but it wasn’t hard for him to tell when someone disliked him.  It might’ve been an unfortunate young life full of experience.  At least Stephan had been there to show him the difference in quality of humans.<br/><br/>Sylvester’s assessment of his secretary had the neko’s brows lifting.  He then looked over to Jason, who suddenly didn’t look as confident as he had before.  While he enjoyed Jason’s company and valued his work, Max didn’t understand why taking him along to see investors was such a great idea.  What did looks have to do with business?  Other than presenting oneself as knowledgeable and tidy?  Max paused, then laughed at himself.  There were certain things that he understood about how humans worked, how they conducted their business, but those little intricacies somehow escaped him.  He had learned a great deal from Stephan.  There hadn’t been time to focus on those little details, the finishing touches.<br/><br/>“Of course I’m not incompetent,” he shot back quickly, his left ear flicking in annoyance.  Was that something Sylvester had looked for the moment he’d realized a neko was running the show?  No.  It was just a general observation that was too easy to take to heart.  “It’s what most expect,” he thought to follow up in a tone that was so obviously strained into temperance that he might as well have shouted it.  There was even a hint of a growl underlying the words which he could not control.<br/><br/>“There’s that.  And there’s jealousy.  How could I, a neko, possibly have as much wealth and knowledge in a refined and cultured field?  They hate me for it.  And how can I really blame them?  I was filthy alley cat on the brink of death when Stephan found me.  It was through sheer luck that I survived, let alone that I’m in the position to live this comfortably and<i>do</i>something with my life.”  He smiled then as he sipped his tea, a small hum escaping him that was close to the resonance of a purr.  “I’d say you’ve had to work far harder to get to where we are right now than I ever have.  But that’s life, isn’t it?  Some are presented with opportunities, others are not.  It has to be the right opportunity for the right individual.  In our current situation, I’d have to agree that from the inside it looks a lot like fate.  A neko in need of a skilled human, a human who believes in true equality with a refined eye for fine art.  From the more logical and statistically backed outside?  Pure, unbridled, chaotic…<i>luck</i>.”  He sipped his tea, again.  “And a rigorous prescreening process by a fierce, calculating assistant.”