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The whole report moved quickly, wrapping in about ten minutes.
But up on the stage, Reyes looked toward Yvette with a troubled expression, uncertain whether the next portion of the material was appropriate for this setting.
Reading her senior brother's hesitation, Yvette gave a slight nod. The next section wasn't ideal for a public airing, but this first board meeting had only two parties in the room, and all of them were trustworthy.
Signal received, Reyes drew a breath and raised his left hand slightly, indicating J.A.R.V.I.S. could advance to the next segment.
The display shifted again.
"Half a month ago, once the first pilot stabilized, the company's senior management finalized the list for the second rollout."
Ethan nodded slightly. He'd been the one to set the fourteen cities half a month back.
"Over that same two weeks, to prepare the public, we contacted major media outlets nationwide and leveraged official channels to promote the rollout. Public support is strong. But there remain pockets of local opposition. Per our investigation, every one of those opposing voices traces back to a single enterprise. Sterling Energy."
Ethan's brow furrowed.
"Rouse really won't quit until he's flat on his back. After this second rollout goes through, I'll see exactly how that man meets his end."
On the stage, Reyes nearly tripped over his own feet.
In front of this many government officials, was it truly all right for his junior brother to say something like that out loud? What had Reyes been being so careful for a moment ago? It was precisely because he'd worried that New Future's momentum was too aggressive, that it might leave a poor impression at the national level. Cutthroat competition and monopoly were serious taboos in the Republic. However glorious New Future looked now, if it genuinely displeased the state, a single sentence from on high could bring it down. And here was the Chairman, openly voicing hostility toward Sterling in front of everyone. Surely the officials would take offense.
As Reyes cautiously turned his gaze toward the people from Public Security and the Energy Ministry, what happened next nearly made his eyes fall out of his head.
The instant Ethan's careless remark landed, the officials looked away as if they hadn't heard a thing.
Was this a joke? With the Hidden Dragon program in hand, forget a few loose comments from Ethan. Even if he genuinely crushed Sterling Energy into powder, the state would not lift a finger against him.
Seeing the officials' posture, Reyes's spine straightened on the spot, and his voice for the rest of the report came out a good thirty percent louder.
The half-hour board meeting soon drew to a close. Reyes spent most of it on the plan for dealing with Sterling. The second rollout would inevitably bring a fierce clash with the company, and for that, New Future's Project and Strategy divisions had worked overtime for a solid week, mapping out every contingency they could foresee.
---
Thirtieth floor. The CEO's office.
Faced with a table full of takeout, Ethan was inhaling food with no regard whatsoever for appearances.
"Are you a starving ghost reincarnated? Slow down. No one's going to steal it from you."
Ethan didn't break stride at Yvette's uncharacteristic concern.
"Senior Sister, you have no idea what kind of life I've been living these past two weeks. Buried in the lab the whole time, living on instant noodles and crackers, take it or leave it. Look at your junior brother. Haven't I lost weight?"
Yvette naturally didn't believe a word of the instant-noodles story. But the kid hadn't shown his face in half a month, which meant he probably hadn't rested either. Achieving what he had, at his age, wasn't something talent alone could produce. More than talent, it took effort beyond what ordinary people could imagine. The thought stirred a rare thread of sympathy in her.
Ten minutes passed. Five main dishes and three servings of rice had vanished into Ethan.
At Yvette's instruction, the secretary outside thoughtfully brought in a cup of coffee. Walking in, the secretary was privately speechless. Her president was such a graceful, elegant woman, beautiful and possessed of an unmatched presence, an idol to every young woman in the company. And yet she'd been saddled with such an unreliable Chairman. A perfectly good executive office now looked like a cafeteria and smelled of takeout.
Draining the coffee, Ethan let out a long, satisfied breath.
"How are property prices around here lately?"
The odd question caught Yvette off guard, but she answered.
"Fine. Because of New Future's presence, nearby property has risen slightly. But only slightly. Our business isn't a shopping center or a school, so it doesn't draw that kind of demand yet." She paused. "That said, it shouldn't be underestimated. With New Future's influence what it is, the municipal government will likely put the development zone's planning back on the agenda. Hard to say what happens then."
Ethan nodded.
"Starting tomorrow, use the money in my account however you see fit. Centered on the headquarters, acquire land. As much of it as you can get."
Yvette was curious.
"What do you want that much land for?"
Ethan chuckled.
"Call it the company's next phase of development."
Seeing her skeptical look, he stiffened his neck.
"Don't look at me like that. When have I ever joked about the company's future?"
The childish set of his jaw made Yvette smile faintly.
"I can acquire the land for you. But don't expect that little bit of money to buy much ground."
The remark left Ethan blank.
The state had handed him twenty billion in one lump sum. He'd spent a fair amount of it since, true, but there should still be over ten billion left. And with a sum that large, his senior sister was telling him he couldn't buy much land?
"J.A.R.V.I.S. Check my account balance."
The watch activated at once. "Sir, your current account balance is 3,251,000,000 marks."
Ethan nearly toppled off his chair.
A full twenty billion, and only this much left? Where had the other ten-plus billion gone? Had he been hacked?
Full of questions but unwilling to air them in front of Yvette, Ethan suppressed it for the moment. He slipped a plain-looking ring off his finger.
"If you need it, you can take this to the Valorian National Bank and apply for a loan against it."