Chapter 105 Causing Trouble at Construction Site

David fired up the engine, his eyes darting to Rachel and John as he drove off, his mind a mess. Michael's actions were just baffling. He ditched Rachel for Mandy, but now he seemed all interested in Rachel again, getting all bent out of shape when she was cozy with John. Given that, David couldn't figure out why Michael got divorced in the first place.

Rachel and John didn't even notice the business car leaving. Rachel glanced at John's hand and asked, "Didn't you say there was something on my head? Where is it?"

John waved it off. "Just a little feather, probably from your clothes. I already tossed it."

Rachel shrugged. "Got it. I'll head in then. You should get home early too."

"Sure thing," John replied.

Rachel turned and walked away. John stayed put, watching until she disappeared into the elevator. He didn't leave right away, instead, he looked up at the windows above. When a light flicked on a certain floor, he smiled, stretched his legs, and slowly walked off.

The next day, Rachel walked into Skyline Corporation and headed to her office. Before she could even sit down, Lily burst in, looking flustered.

"Ms. Williams, something's up." Lily panted, almost out of breath.

Rachel looked up, pausing as she took off her bag. "What's going on?" she asked, her voice calm but alert.

Lily hurried over to Rachel's desk and handed her a tablet. "Ms. Williams, you need to see this," she said, her voice shaky.

Rachel took the tablet, confused, and looked down. The screen showed a video of a commotion. The footage was shaky, clearly shot on a phone, but it was clear enough. In the video, an elderly woman and a middle-aged woman were on the ground, crying and cursing, their words harsh. A crowd of workers had gathered around them, pointing and talking.

The video ended, and Rachel's face turned serious. "This is our construction site, right?"

"Yeah," Lily confirmed with a nod.

"Why are these two women causing trouble at our site?" Rachel pointed at the screen, her brows furrowed.

Lily sighed. "The site manager sent the video. He said these two women claim our excavator threw dirt and killed their husband and son."

Rachel's eyes widened. "What? Killed their husband and son?"

"Yeah," Lily replied, her voice tense. "One's his wife, the other's his mom. They said he was hit while passing by at night and died on the spot."

Rachel was so mad she actually laughed. "At night? The site doesn't even operate at night. Who'd be using the excavator? Plus, the whole place is fenced off, and the excavator works in the core area. How could their family even get in? Do they think dirt can fly hundreds of feet? This is obviously a bogus claim!"

Besides, the construction team was set up by the authorities. If there were really any fatalities, they wouldn't just sit back and let these women cause a scene at the site.

Lily found it just as ridiculous. "Now they're making a huge fuss, demanding compensation from us."

Rachel knew it was all nonsense and wasn't worried. She took a sip of her coffee and asked calmly, "How much?"

"Five million dollars," Lily said, holding up five fingers. "They threatened that if we don't pay, they'll take it online and stop us from building the factory."

"Five million dollars, how greedy," Rachel sneered, her voice icy. "I think they don't really want the money. Their real goal is to stop us from building the factory.'' 

She thought, 'Only a fool will pay that.'

"That can't be," Lily said, shaking her head, half-convinced. "Why would those two want to stop us from building the factory?"

Rachel squinted, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. "It's not them who want to stop the construction, but the person behind them."

Lily's eyes widened in surprise. "Ms. Williams, you mean someone is behind them, telling them to cause trouble?"

Rachel nodded slowly, her gaze sharp. "Otherwise, how would these two women dare to extort us? There must be a mastermind behind this, and the demand for five million dollars shows they know we won't pay or can't afford it. Their real purpose is obvious," she said coldly, her voice steady.

Lily suddenly got it, her face lighting up. "I see. This is too much. Who's behind this?" she asked.

Rachel pursed her lips, her expression serious. "Have you forgotten who has been eyeing my piece of land?"

"Ethan!" Lily blurted out, her eyes widening even more.

Rachel nodded. "That's right, it should be him. When he couldn't buy the land from me, he threatened me and even tried to stop all the construction teams in Summit Ridge District from building our factory. Now that he knows we're still building, he's definitely going to cause trouble."

"That's so despicable," Lily said angrily.

Rachel smiled coldly. "Yes, very despicable, but his plan is quite clever. According to the law, if a fatal accident occurs at a construction site, work must be stopped for three months, during which employee wages and related expenses must still be paid."

"And the huge late fees for overdue construction," Lily added.

Rachel nodded. "Exactly. If the factory can't be completed on time, these accumulated costs could bankrupt our company. This is Ethan's scheme."

Not only could it stop her from building the factory, but it could also crush her company and damage her reputation. After all, with a fatal accident at the construction site, it would be incredibly difficult for her to make a comeback. What a vicious move!

"So, Ms. Williams, what should we do?" Lily asked worriedly.

Rachel stayed calm and even smiled. "It's fine. If they want to make a fuss, let them."

Lily was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Rachel asked back, "How is the progress on the museum construction by the relevant departments?"

Lily replied, "The foundation has been laid."

Rachel's eyes gleamed. She said meaningfully, "Then find a way to let Ethan know that it's also our factory."

Lily suddenly understood, her eyes lighting up as she praised Rachel, "Ms. Williams, you're so clever!"

Rachel chuckled. "Remember, don't let him realize that we leaked the information."

Lily nodded. "I understand."

"You can go now. Don't worry about the follow-up; someone else will deal with Ethan." Rachel waved her hand.

"Yes," Lily answered and exited the room.

Soon, Ethan received the news, his face darkening as he slammed the table. "What? She built two factories?"

"Yes, the land is too large to build just one, so she built two," his assistant Brandon King replied respectfully.

Ethan's face twitched. The land was in a prime location with excellent terrain. Building factories there was a waste, no matter how many were built. Thinking about the land that should have been his but was wasted by Rachel, Ethan felt a sharp pain in his heart.

"Mr. Brown, should we still send people to cause trouble?" Brandon asked cautiously.

Ethan's mood was upset. He said through gritted teeth, "Of course! This time, send some thugs over and smash her factory for me!"

"Understood." Brandon took the order and was about to act when Michael and David walked into the office.

"Mr. Brown, I heard you want to smash Rachel's factory?" Michael frowned slightly, his tone unclear.

Ethan waved his hand to dismiss Brandon before turning to him. "You heard?"

"More or less." Michael nodded lightly.

Ethan's eyes narrowed, his tone suspicious. "You're not planning to stop me and help Rachel, are you?"

"No," Michael replied as he walked leisurely to the sofa and sat down. The construction team for Rachel's new factory was assigned by the government, so it would naturally be handled officially. He didn't need to get involved at all.

Ethan's expression softened a bit as he followed. "Then why are you asking about this?"

"Have you forgotten about the man with the fox mask?" Michael asked, his gaze intense.

A flash of resentment crossed Ethan's eyes as he gritted his teeth. "Of course, I remember, but this time I was careful and left no traces online. He can't find me."

Michael casually flipped a teacup and poured himself a cup. "If he really wants to investigate, nothing can escape."

"Alright, alright, did you come here just to lecture me?" Ethan said impatiently, feeling quite displeased. He considered himself an elder and Michael's future father-in-law, so he was very unhappy with Michael's casual attitude. In his view, Michael should be respectful to him.

Although Ethan was unhappy, he had to hide his feelings because Michael's status and power were far superior to his own.

Seeing Ethan's impatience, Michael didn't say more. He took a sip of tea and then put down the cup. "This time, I'm here to discuss the last collaboration project. I've reviewed the proposal, and there are a few points that need adjustment."

David timely handed over the documents. Michael opened them, placed them on the coffee table, and gently pushed them toward Ethan. "Please review these areas. I've made notes," he said.

"Alright, let me take a look." Ethan nodded and took the documents.

After browsing for a moment, Ethan said, "Indeed, it's more refined than before. I'll arrange for the modifications immediately and send it to your company once it's done."

"Okay," Michael responded and stood up. "Then, I'll be going." With that, he left with David.

In the car, David glanced at the rearview mirror. "Mr. Smith, isn't Mr. Brown too confident? Does he really think that leaving no traces means he can act recklessly?"

Michael lightly pressed his nose bridge and replied calmly, "He has recently suffered multiple defeats at Rachel's hands. His mindset is already very agitated, and in his eagerness to teach Rachel a lesson, his methods are bound to have flaws."

"That makes sense," David agreed, then suddenly asked, "Mr. Smith, why didn't you remind Mr. Brown that Ms. Williams' construction team is actually government-assigned? If he makes a move, he'll definitely be investigated."

Michael lowered his eyes, hiding the dark light in them. He uttered indifferently, "There's no need. Mr. Brown has always targeted Rachel and uses extreme methods. Giving him a lesson to calm him down isn't a bad idea."

"Is that really the case?" David asked, half-believing. Michael's face darkened slightly as he nodded.