Donald did not work late that evening. Recently, his biggest headache was money. He had tried every conceivable method, but none had worked. Without money, nothing could be done; he was constrained at every turn.-In a luxurious private room, an enticing array of fine food and drinks covered the table, but there were only three people sitting around it. One was Donald, and the other two were Themos and his secretary.Themos poured Donald a drink, "How is the matter with Marco coming along? Have they released him yet?"This had been his primary concern all day, so he had invited Donald, offering some benefits in return. Marco was too crucial. Themos feared that if Marco got arrested, he might expose him. Frontier Digital was a subsidiary of the Innova Group. Stealing the Innova Group’s technological secrets was a serious crime. In fact, Themos was in a pitiful situation. While he seemed to be riding high, the danger was constant, and he could easily end up behind bars.The thr
Donald nodded repeatedly. "Don't worry, Mr. Ford. I'll take this matter seriously."Even if it was just for Themos' money, he had to pay attention. As for what exactly Marco had done, Donald didn't ask. He knew the key to the situation was Frontier Digital!If Frontier Digital relented, there might still be room for negotiation.'But if Frontier Digital refuses to budge…' He thought, 'Shouldn't Frontier Digital at least show me some respect?'-In the morning.As soon as work began, Donald arrived at Frontier Digital.Seeing Izzie receiving him, Donald was curious. "Miss Hampton, where is Mr. Hampton?"He was referring to Sam.Instead of answering, Izzie asked, "Mr. Ford, are you here to guide our work?"Hearing this, Donald quickly waved his hand. "I wouldn't call it guiding work..."Then he went on with the usual rhetoric about peaceful development and avoiding internal conflicts, all the talk about Salt City's chip companies being like two hands of the same body.Izzie
Everyone who had ever farmed knew that one could only harvest the crops when they were ripe. Eric and Izzie had a brief discussion and quickly came to a decision.Eric understood that the future of the company would be under Izzie’s control. Despite her having a younger brother, he was not a force to be reckoned with. As time passed, Sam's injuries also gradually healed.-Soon, Themos realized it was becoming harder to poach talent. Previously, he had been successful because Sam and Izzie had been very lenient with their research staff. They hadn’t enforced any stringent non-compete agreements and their management had been somewhat lax, allowing Themos to poach people easily and even steal some related technology. But after Izzie’s three decisive moves, Themos had no more chances. Investment in chips was still necessary, considering the substantial funds involved. He was also strategizing—since he couldn’t poach from the company for now, he decided to pause his efforts.A pe
Naturally, they had to let him through.Jacob wasn't naive—he knew whose money was easy to take and whose was difficult. Clearly, Donald's money wasn't the easy kind. Besides, Eric had already instructed that if Donald showed up, he should be allowed through without delay. After all, the man was the mayor—his position alone warranted it.Upon hearing that Donald was coming, Sylvia also came to the office.Just a few days earlier, Donald had discovered that Eric and Sylvia were married and that Andy was Eric's brother-in-law. This was a family-run enterprise!Eric laughed, pouring a cup of coffee for Donald. "What wind has blown you to our doorstep, Mr. Ford?"Donald's face darkened slightly, thinking to himself that Eric knew very well what brought him here. The wind of financial desperation, that's what!Donald decided to dispense with pleasantries and get straight to the point. "Mr. Johnson! Ms. Williams! I’m at my wit’s end, completely out of options!"Eric nodded, sensing th
The projects were taken over directly by Willaims Corp. and Sonnex Corp.—they had long been prepared.As for the financial matters, Sylvia handled them, ensuring that neither company would suffer a loss. With this, the matter could be considered settled, although when Fronter Tech would begin operations still depended on its future developments. The three major international firms would certainly continue investing in Fronter Tech—as long as they could bring down Fronter Digital, they were willing to spend any amount of money.-In the evening, Eric and Sylvia went to his sister Elly’s place for dinner.After a few bites, Elly seemed unable to suppress her indignation. "What’s wrong with people these days? That person is no longer even a Naturian citizen, yet there are people online saying we should bring him back from Phoenix City to provide for him. Faustaria is so advanced. Is it really that hard to support one person?"Sylvia understood what she was referring to. "Sis, you’r
A few days later, Michael returned. Throughout the year, he rarely came back. His wounds had fully healed, though he was still not ready for combat. Despite this, his mobility was no longer affected.This visit was primarily to see Shadow. No matter what had transpired, they were still brothers. Unfortunately, Shadow made a fatal error, betraying Eric in the end, which led to his dire fate. Considering all the gathered information, Shadow was certainly doomed.Michael first arrived in Salt City, and the matter of seeing Shadow had to be broached with Eric. -As soon as Michael boarded the plane, he mentioned the situation abroad. "I thought the three major manufacturers would ease off, but I didn’t expect new actions against our chip industry. Are they serious?"Frontier Tech had many advantages, foremost among them being ample funding and a well-established system. Bringing down Frontier Tech was no easy task.Eric chuckled. "Cornered dogs will leap over walls. By now, they'l
Shadow even taunted Michael, "You backstabbing traitor! Haven't the three giants treated you well? Yet you aid the Innova Group against them! You're a disgrace, and to think I considered you my brother!"Michael remained unperturbed by these accusations. He responded calmly. "We have different beliefs and cannot work together. This is the place I was born and raised. No matter how successful I become, I cannot stand idly by while someone tries to strangle it."You speak of loyalty and righteousness, but all you did was engage in criminal activities, which ultimately led you down a path of no return."You thought you're invincible, that no one could stop you. But remember, no matter how powerful you believe you are, there is always someone stronger. Wasn't your leader supposed to be formidable? What happened to him?"Didn't he die at Eric's hands?"Though it was Stealthbane who killed the leader of the Crimson Order, the siblings knew he died because of Eric.At the mention of Eri
Extravagant or not, the grandeur of the arrangement had to be displayed. The Rogers family needed to make sure Eric understood their deep respect for him.Several members of the Rogers family joined the table, including those responsible for reporting the cleanup results to Eric.Brent smiled as he spoke. "Mr. Johnson, you probably know that our Rogers family had connections with the Crimson Order for a long time, but we severed those ties quite some time ago."Combining our understanding of the Crimson Order with the recent cleanup efforts over the past few months, we've discovered some things. After you've had your meal and rested for a couple of days, we can review everything in detail."Eric waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Mr. Rogers, there's no need to wait. Let's start after the meal. I have many matters waiting for me back in Phoenix City, and I can't stay here for long."Brent nodded repeatedly, understanding that a person like Eric was undoubtedly very busy. Even du