Chapter 534 Patricia's Sweeping Victory
Max shielded his face from Martha. "You crazy woman, let go of me, or I won't go easy on you."
"Oh, come on then, I'm not afraid of you. I honestly offered you shares, and all you did was use me from the start, aiming to snatch them away."
Max retorted disdainfully, "Honesty? Don't think I don't see right through you. At best, we're just using each other, so don't try to act all high and mighty."
Stunned into silence by the retort, Martha's rage found its release in her fists.
Max's face bore two gashes, his fury boiling over as he pushed Martha away. She stumbled on her right foot and tumbled to the ground. She was expected to calm down for a while, but to everyone's surprise, she seemed impervious to pain, quickly scrambling to her feet and charging in once again.
In the midst of their bitter struggle, Charles couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction swelling inside him.
Fannie and Randy covered their mouths, snickering. "Serves her right."
Mr. Langley felt that Martha had completely tarnished the Langley family's reputation.
Not only did she conspire with outsiders to target Patricia, but she also shamelessly grappled with a man in public, making her look far from a lady of high society – she was acting nothing short of a shrew.
"Enough, stop it! Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?" he bellowed.
Martha quivered and released her grip on Max's hair.
Once freed, Max ignored his disheveled state and dashed to the computer, frantically shutting off the video feed.
Charles folded his arms and sneered. "Do I need more evidence? I can switch to other cameras – like the one in the study, or perhaps the bedroom..."
Max quickly interjected, "No need!"
"Any questions now?" Charles challenged.
Max gazed at him in disbelief, still unconvinced, as he asked, "Did you truly develop that chip?"
Charles smirked. "Of course. I developed not only an advanced chip that's currently irreplaceable on the market but also a unique system that's only compatible with our chip."
With that, Charles tapped the enter key. Another video appeared on both the computer and projector, flawlessly showcasing the system's advantages and convenience.
Max's eyes bulged wider than ever.
"You did this?"
No matter how many times he asked, he couldn't shake his disbelief. It was simply astonishing. How could a five-year-old wunderkind accomplish such a feat?
Even Luke couldn't do it – how did he manage?
Charles watched him, too weary to answer his constant questions.
It took a while for Max to snap out of his shock. He straightened his clothes, which Martha had messed up, and settled back into his seat, feigning profundity, "So what if you've developed a new chip and system? Does it have any necessary connection to the bet between me, you, and your mother?"
Patricia's breath caught as the realization struck—less than two hours remained until the wager's deadline.
Even with the breakthrough of the core chip and system, it was not possible to immediately discuss collaborations with Robinson Group and Cosmos Electronics Corp.
The game-changing moment Max had spoken about was still a far cry away.
Yet Charles was undisturbed, calmly stating, "Before coming here, I represented my mother, Patricia, the current CEO of the Langley Group, and met with Mr. Robinson of the Robinson Group and Mr. Roberts of Cosmos Electronics Corp. I've already signed a five-year collaboration contract with them. By now, the news should have been made public."
As soon as Charles finished speaking, Ian burst into the conference room.
He was unaware of what had just happened. He said anxiously, "Two hours ago, the Robinson Group and Cosmos Electronics Corp. posted online retractions of their termination announcements, calling it a misunderstanding, and they have just signed a five-year collaboration agreement with our company.
"Following their statements, many companies that wanted to break ties with us are changing their minds and requesting to renew partnerships. An hour ago, our company's stocks started to rebound, and if this trend continues, we'll soon return to normal levels."
In other words, the crisis at the Langley Group had been averted. And his dreams of becoming CEO shattered.
At this news, Martha's legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor. Max's face turned ashen as he incredulously grabbed his phone to check the news.
Everything Ian had said was true.
After the statements from Robinson Group and Cosmos Electronics Corp., many other companies followed suit. The Langley Group's stocks, which had plummeted to record lows, were now rocketing back up. If this trajectory continued, the shares would not only recover but might even rise further.
How could this happen?
"To cement the Langley Group's position as everlasting, we need to develop a core chip that no other company can replace. With that ace up our sleeve, even without Robinson Group and Cosmos Electronics Corp., many will be eager to collaborate with us."
"Moreover, Cosmos Electronics Corp and the Robinson Group had promised my mother that they would continue their partnership with us as long as there were breakthroughs in chip technology. While you were scheming to steal my father's company, my mother had already secretly fulfilled your bet agreement.
"Please learn your lesson from this and direct your energy towards something legitimate. Don't you dare target our company again, or I won't let you off the hook."
Charles spoke with clarity and composure far beyond his years. His commanding presence and calm demeanor amplified the impression that he was the spitting image of Martin.
Max slunk away, defeated. The other shareholders who had sided with Martha couldn't show their faces either, so they departed with their heads down. Martha and Ian had slipped away unnoticed, too.
By the time Mr. Langley wanted to settle scores with them, they were already long gone.
The conference room was left with only Patricia, Alan, Charles, Fannie, Randy, Mr. Langley, and Mrs. Langley.
Mr. Langley tenderly took Patricia's hand. "Patricia, you've had it rough these past days. I'm sorry you've had to suffer."
Tears welled up in Patricia's eyes as thoughts of Martin filled her heart with unspeakable sorrow.
Mr. Langley then affectionately tousled Charles' hair, nodding in approval. "Thankfully, your daddy's legacy is in good hands now. Knowing you're looking after your momma puts me and your great-grandmother at ease."
Charles puffed out his chest and vowed confidently. "Don't worry, I'll protect Mommy just like Daddy would've wanted."
Mr. Langley's eyes brimmed with tears in an instant.
The mood in the conference room turned somber.
No sooner had Mr. and Mrs. Langley left than the door to the conference room burst open. Luke raced in, gasping for breath, and grabbed Charles' hand. "Boss, please take me as your apprentice."
Charles looked at him with disdain and peeled Luke's hand away, leaving with Randy and Fannie.
Luke turned to Alan. "Alan, can you talk to C for me? Ask him to take me on. He's my idol!"
It was almost unfathomable that the infamous "C" turned out to be a little five-year-old troublemaker.
Alan didn't bother with him, walking away with Patricia instead.
Once she officially took over the company, Patricia realized how challenging and demanding Martin's role had been. She tried her best to learn, but without any prior experience, everything was an uphill battle.
Patricia was overwhelmed, and Alan took on the brunt of the company's issues. He couldn't be there to guide her around the clock.
After a period of exhausting work, Alan, seeing her struggle, offered kindly, "Mrs. Watson, I have a friend who's a business whiz. He might be able to help you."
Patricia trusted Alan's judgment implicitly and nodded eagerly. "Sounds great. When can he start?"
Alan hesitated before saying, "Well, he's a bit of an introvert, only willing to consult over the phone or video calls."
Surprised, Patricia asked, "Without meeting in person? How will that work?"
Alan replied confidently, "He's brilliant. A few pointers from him are worth more than any lesson I could give."
Patricia had never heard Alan praise someone so highly, which piqued her interest.
"Alright then. Give me his cell number and WhatsApp, and I'll reach out to him."
Alan lowered his gaze, concealing his true emotions, and passed a business card to Patricia.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
