Chapter 409: Big Trouble
Meanwhile, Hawk sat nearby, mindlessly scrolling through Twitter when his eyes suddenly widened. The 24-hour trending news rankings had changed completely.
"How is this happening?!" Hawk's face drained of color as disbelief washed over him. "Why are negative stories about the Harris family trending? Didn't Mr. Ward promise to help us control the narrative?"
His entire body trembled as if his world was collapsing.
"Hawk, what's wrong?" Nathaniel asked, noticing his son's dramatic change in expression.
"Dad, something terrible has happened!" Hawk finally snapped back to reality, remembering he should inform his elders.
"Look at Twitter's trending news!" He pushed his phone toward Nathaniel.
Nathaniel frowned. "Hawk, I've taught you that composure is essential, even when mountains crumble."
"Do you lack even this basic self-control? Looking this pale—outsiders would mock the Harris family for raising such useless heirs."
He shook his head disapprovingly before glancing at the phone screen.
In the next moment, his own eyes widened in shock, pupils contracting as his expression transformed.
"How is this possible?!" Nathaniel gasped. "The Harris family on the trending list with negative news?!"
"Wait!" he called out loudly to the black-suited man heading toward the exit.
"Isaac, look at this!" Nathaniel handed the phone over with a deep breath.
After seeing the Twitter trends, Isaac's entire body shuddered with disbelief. His gaze darted frantically as he considered their options.
"It's fine," he finally said in a grave tone. "Even if we're trending, we can buy our way out. We'll pay whatever it costs to replace these stories!"
"Everyone knows Twitter trends can be bought with enough money. If money can put you on the list, money can take you off."
"Isaac makes a good point," Nathaniel nodded. "Though I never expected Noah to pull something like this—buying trending spots.
"Clever move, I must admit. But when it comes to financial resources, Noah compared to the Harris family is like a stream facing the ocean! I'll contact Twitter's management immediately."
"Do it quickly," Isaac urged. "The longer this stays up, the worse the impact."
"Uncle Isaac, there's more!" Rhett suddenly interjected.
He'd been scrolling through TikTok and spotted a recommendation. "Rolls-Royce Guy is live-streaming across all platforms. He's telling his viewers about our factory situation and... he's brought in three witnesses whose family members died at our factory."
Isaac's expression darkened as he snatched Rhett's phone. "Over forty million viewers on just one platform? And the comments are all calling for our downfall... Adding all platforms together, we're talking over a hundred million people!"
The sheer magnitude made Isaac's legs give out as he collapsed into a sitting position.
The Harris family members rushed to support him.
"We're in big trouble," Isaac mumbled, his eyes vacant with despair. "Originally, the negative news was contained to the Eastern region where Mr. Ward could help suppress it."
"But I never imagined Noah would spread this nationwide. Mr. Ward couldn't possibly control public opinion at that scale!"
Isaac gasped for breath, his face ashen.
Though the hall was quiet, he could feel that beyond these walls—throughout Silverlight City and the entire country—this story was causing an uproar. Everyone was condemning the Harris family.
"Brilliant move! Noah played this masterfully! I never expected him to escalate things to this level or recruit an influencer like Rolls-Royce Guy! And all in less than an hour!"
Just minutes ago, he'd been confidently dictating terms to Noah. Now, suddenly, the Harris family faced potential ruin.
"Quick, call Mr. Ward!" Isaac shouted, grasping at his last hope. "I need to consult with him immediately!"
Nathaniel dialed the mayor's office. When connected, he said firmly, "I need to speak with Mr. Ward!"
"Is this the Harris family?" came a cold voice. "I'm Mr. Ward's secretary. He was just summoned by state government officials for questioning."
"Before leaving, he looked extremely troubled and asked me to pass along a message: This incident has escalated to national prominence. He can barely protect himself, so the Harris family is on its own now."
The call disconnected, leaving them frozen in shock.
"On our own? This means even Mr. Ward can't help us anymore," Isaac whispered as cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
The situation had spiraled beyond control. All he could do was watch helplessly as the crisis threatened to cripple or even destroy the Harris family.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
"It's Atticus!" Isaac's eyes lit up with hope.
Atticus, like him, was a family patriarch, though with a mysterious background.
Rumor had it that his family had a powerful figure backing them—the reason the Moore family had risen to prominence in just over twenty years.
'The Harris and Moore families have always been on good terms, and they have some business on our turf,' Isaac thought. 'Perhaps Atticus is calling to offer help?'
His spirits soared. If they could enlist the Moore family's powerful backer, they might weather this storm.
"Atticus!" he answered, forcing enthusiasm into his voice. "You're calling about our predicament, I assume? Are you offering assistance?"
"Rest assured, if you can get your family's powerful supporter to help us, we can discuss any terms you want!"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
