It wasn't that Sylvester had been insulted, but he was conscious of his shortcomings in a less-than-positive way. From what he could tell of Max, he wasn't the judgmental type to begin with, but that didn't stop Sylvester from feeling slightly ashamed of any of his lacking professionalism. Regardless, it seemed like it was only a small matter, and Max's words settled Sylvester in many ways. Not only was he reassuring that he had some faith in Sylvester, but he was showing his true business sense and knowledge. It was good to see that the company likely wasn't struggling because of incompetency; it truly was just prejudice. And as long as it was just prejudice, Sylvester had a good chance to help turn things around for them. Investors and dealers alike would be much more apt to listen to a man who appeared more in line with their preconceptions of what a professional businessman should be.<br/><br/>"Please, even in formal settings, I'd prefer it if you called me Sylvester," he reminded as politely as he could, glancing up at Theo and Jason when they entered with tea and delights. Excitement sparked in his beautiful blue eyes, but he held himself back, smiling in gratitude as Theo poured the tea. Curiously, he eyed the bowl placed for max, wondering what it was but not asking. It seemed it was a favorite snack or something the like. It didn't seem important to any of their conversation, at least. "I suppose what you say is right. In ways we're both investing in each other. Optimistically speaking, it does feel as though our meeting could be aligned by fate." He chuckled, "Or just really amazing employees." He nodded to Jason, a little amused that he'd gotten so pale when it was mentioned he might have been the one in Sylvester's place. "You know, even if Jason here doesn't know a great deal about antiques, he's got the looks to draw attention. I would say it could be beneficial to bring him along to some events or meetings, especially those involving investors. It's just my observation though."<br/><br/>Again, he had to consider his lack of business savvy. It just seemed that way to him. He knew that pretty faces did usually have an effect on people and their decision making, and even if Jason didn't have the knowledge to back it up, he could definitely act the part of a professional art and antique dealer. He could also play the part of a persuasive business man with bottomless charisma. Actually, Sylvester was a little jealous of the young secretary deep down, because he didn't think he'd ever reach that level of convincing. But then, when had he been given the chance?<br/><br/>Waving his hand as though to dismiss himself, Sylvester took a sip of tea and sighed in contentment. "So, you mentioned the company has had some struggles. Is it really that bad? Do people really have<i>that</i>much trouble believing a neko is a reliable business partner?" He gave Max a once-over, analyzing what he might see negatively in the neko. "You don't seem incompetent in the slightest. A little intimidating, even, because you hold yourself with a certain regality that can make others feel inferior. Which, in the right settings, can be perfectly good for business. You're perfectly personable to talk to, though, so I don't see why anyone should have a problem with you." The human male sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "It's things like this that make me want to utterly lose my faith in humanity."