Chapter 272 Borrowing Money from Alexander
John lit up a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled slowly before speaking. "No rush, it's not time yet."
"John, you're still hanging in there. I've heard the bank's all over you, cash flow's dried up, the IPO flopped, and $700 billion in market value just vanished overnight. The shareholders are out for blood," Lucas said, his voice full of concern.
Lucas pulled out a card and handed it to John. "It's not much, just $50 million. Use it for emergencies."
John gave a faint smile and shook his head. "Forget it, man. That won't even cover a day's interest. You keep it."
"John, don't sweat it. Aurora's about to have the babies, so think of this as some diaper money," Lucas insisted, pressing the card into John's hand. "I've got my own studio now, working with the Smith Group in the film industry. I've got the fame and cash, and I'm booked solid. Seriously, don't worry about me."
John let out a long sigh. "Thanks, Lucas."
Even facing bankruptcy, John didn't show a hint of anxiety. He was calm, not at all like someone on the brink of financial ruin.
Lucas was the first from the Lewis family to come and offer help. Even though it was far from enough, the caring was of great significance. In the past few months, the Lewis Group had been hit hard, facing multiple setbacks and continuous losses. Even Nightfall was struggling, losing several shipping lines. A batch of goods identical to Nightfall's had appeared on the market, priced at a tenth of the Lewis Group. Who wouldn't go for the cheaper option?
The larger a business empire grew, the less it could withstand severe blows. It was like a domino effect; once one piece fell, the rest collapsed.
Lucas glanced anxiously at the hospital room and asked, "John, when are you planning to tell Aurora about all this?"
"After the babies are born," John said, giving Lucas a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "You should head home and get some rest. And also spend some time with Grandpa."
"Alright," Lucas replied reluctantly. "Guess I'll head out then."
The news of the Lewis Group's impending bankruptcy hadn't leaked yet. John had kept it tightly under wraps, at least until Aurora gave birth.
After Lucas left, John finished his cigarette in the hallway, then turned back into the ward. He found Aurora awake and quickly put on a smile. "Aurora, why are you awake again?"
"Come here," Aurora said with a stern face.
John walked over, holding Aurora's hand with one hand and placing the other on her belly. "Are the two little rascals being naughty again?" he asked softly.
Aurora looked seriously at John. "Tell me the truth, are we going bankrupt?"
John's smile froze. Under Aurora's gaze, he couldn't lie. After a few seconds, John confessed, "Yes, we're almost bankrupt."
Hearing the news, Aurora just sighed and cupped John's face in her hands. "The most valuable thing in our family isn't the material stuff; it's always been you and the kids."
So, even if they went bankrupt, she didn't see it as a loss.
Aurora's words brought tears to John's eyes. "Aurora!"
Those words were more comforting than anything else. No complaints, no pep talks, just simple acceptance. That calm statement filled John with strength.
"I've put aside some money in the kids' names, around tens of millions dollars. It's enough to keep us going." Aurora said.
"Lucas just brought $50 million as a help, you can take it," John said, placing the card in Aurora's hand.
'Rich people are different,' Aurora thought. 'Even when they go bankrupt, they still have more money than most people could earn in a lifetime.'
Seeing the bank card, Aurora remembered something and asked, "What's the current situation with the company?"
"We owe the bank about $800-900 billion," John replied.
Aurora's eyes widened. "Eight or nine... billion dollars?"
John nodded and continued, "That's just what we owe the bank. There are other debts, adding up to a few billion more. Nightfall's funds have been cut off too. And Todd? He bought a batch of goods and got scammed, losing nearly a billion dollars..."
John started explaining the situation in detail.
Aurora felt her scalp tingle and finally sighed. "John, compared to you, I feel like I used to live in a slum."
'Poor people owe thousands; rich people owe billions,' she mused. 'Life's a gamble—you start with nothing, build an empire, and it can all go back to zero.'
John teased, "Now your prince is about to enter the slums."
"Then you'll be a diamond-studded pauper," Aurora quipped.
With John's composure and ability, he shouldn't have reached this point in just a few months. Aurora sensed something was off and asked cautiously, "Are we being retaliated against?"
"Honey, you're so smart, nothing gets past you," John said, patting Aurora's head. "Wolfpack and The Shadow of Darkness organization have teamed up, attacking me relentlessly. I'm just an ordinary person; mistakes are inevitable. But don't worry, I will rise again."
Aurora saw the calmness in John. Being rich or poor it didn't matter much to Aurora. With their brains, they wouldn't starve, and their starting point for a comeback would be higher than others.
Aurora cared about John's mindset. As long as he was okay, she was at ease.
Aurora also patted John's head and gently said, "I believe in you. I can be with you in success and through tough times. And this is life; it's normal to have ups and downs."They were both strong and optimistic. Aurora guessed that Sandra must have a hand in this. Sandra had previously called to threaten and warn them. For the past few months, Sandra and Richard had been silent, secretly plotting.
John, moved, hugged Aurora and joked, "I was afraid you'd run away if you knew the truth. You just became Mrs. Lewis and didn't get to enjoy it for long before losing it."
"With four sons left for you, if I ran away, wouldn't that be too easy for you?" Aurora rolled her eyes and remembered something. She said, "By the way, Alexander intended to give me $50 billion before. I didn't take it. Now that you owe so much, I'll call Alexander to help us out."
As Aurora searched for her phone, she said, "I've never taken a penny from Alexander. But this time, I'm going to ask him for some money."
John handed his phone to her and winked at her. "Aurora, are you sure it's okay to ask your dad for money? Here, use mine to call."
Aurora couldn't help but laugh. She playfully slapped John's hand. "You're really something else, you know that?"
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