Chapter 620

Chapter 620

Helena sat down stiffly, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over her.

At forty-seven, she was being spoken to condescendingly by Gregory, who was only thirty-five.

But at this moment, she had no other choice.

"Yeah, that's true," Helena admitted reluctantly. "Without new funding, Honghe Film and Television Company won't last two weeks."

Gregory suddenly laughed, a sound that sent chills down Helena's spine. "So, this is how you repay me? With all the resources and connections the organization provided, this is what you've done?"

He straightened up, picked up a tablet from the desk, tapped it a few times, and then turned it towards Helena. "Take a look at this. Your brilliant performance in Marigoldia last month."

The screen showed a video, clearly capturing her attempt to seduce Franklin and how Zoey publicly humiliated her.

Helena's face turned bright red, then quickly went pale.

"I was just..."

"You were just foolish enough to think that having a face somewhat similar to Ophelia's would make Franklin look at you differently?"

Gregory's voice turned icy, "Did you think that looking a bit like Ophelia would make Franklin like you? How could you be so stupid?"

Helena's lips trembled, but she couldn't find the words to argue.

"Zoey was right to put you in your place." Gregory set the tablet down, his tone returning to a calm that was even more terrifying. "But now, Zoey and her fiancé, Henry, are indeed a problem."

Helena's head shot up, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Henry has recently shifted his focus to the gaming industry, but actually..."

"Actually, he's recruiting IT talent to develop proprietary core technology," Gregory finished her sentence coldly. "Six out of the top ten hackers in the country have already joined the Windsor Game Company, along with engineers we've been trying to poach."

He walked over to a data wall, lightly touching it to bring up a set of charts. "The new game engine from the Windsor Game Company appears to be an entertainment product, but it contains several cutting-edge technology patents. If they succeed, our technological advantage in the domestic market will be gone."

Helena gasped.

She didn't understand the technology, but she knew what it meant. For years, foreign companies had controlled the domestic market through technological monopolies.

If Henry really broke through that barrier...

"Mr. Lopez, we can't let them succeed!" Helena said urgently. "Zoey owns several companies. If she marries Henry, their combined resources..."

"I know," Gregory interrupted, a cold glint in his eyes behind his glasses. "That's why Honghe Film and Television Company can't go under."

He returned to his desk and pressed the intercom button. "Prepare five hundred million dollars in funding, to be injected into Honghe Film and Television Company through an offshore entity."

Helena was almost moved to tears. "Thank you, Mr. Lopez! I promise this time..."

"Don't thank me just yet," Gregory's voice cut through her gratitude like a knife. "This money isn't a gift."

A cold smile played on Gregory's lips. "You need to keep Honghe Film and Television Company afloat and find a way to outmaneuver Zoey's Radiant Vision Entertainment."

His expression turned vicious. "If there's another mishap, don't expect any mercy from me."

Helena nodded quickly, then stood and bowed, almost fleeing the office.

As the elevator doors closed, Gregory returned to the window, overlooking the city lights.

He took out his phone and dialed an international number.

"Target locked," Gregory said in a foreign language. "Prepare to initiate the 'Troy' plan."

After hanging up, he gently touched the black gemstone on his cufflink, a cold smile spreading across his face.

Outside, clouds slowly covered the moon, signaling an impending storm.

In the Windsor Group's CEO office, Zoey fed the last document into the shredder, watching the paper turn into fine confetti. The setting sun bathed the financial district in gold, casting dappled light on her face through the glass walls.

"Five hundred million dollars," Zoey murmured, her fingers tapping the desk unconsciously.

The number swirled in her mind. Helena's nearly bankrupt Honghe Film and Television Company had received such a massive injection of funds, funneled through multiple offshore accounts.

The office door opened quietly, and Henry walked in with a steaming cup of hot cocoa, still carrying the chill of the conference room.

"Did you find out?" He placed the cocoa in front of Zoey, glancing at the funding flow chart on her computer screen.

Zoey nodded, taking a sip of the cocoa, which was just the right temperature.

This small detail helped ease her tense nerves.

"It's a company from the Celestria Islands, ultimately pointing to a digital account in Sylvanor."

Zoey's fingers tapped the keyboard, bringing up an encrypted page. "The people behind Helena are very cautious, but a few IP traces lead to..."

"Sunrise Valley," Henry interjected, leaning closer to the screen, his subtle scent mixed with a hint of coffee bitterness. "I've seen this routing pattern before. It's the hallmark of the 'Quantum' fund."

Zoey looked up in surprise, meeting Henry's eyes just inches away.

Those usually gentle eyes were now sharp as an eagle's, gleaming with a hunter's intensity.

"Looks like we're on the same page," Zoey smiled slightly. "Since they don't want Helena to go under, we should..."

"Merge," Henry straightened up, loosening his tie. "We agreed in Marigoldia, now it's time."

Zoey turned the computer towards Henry. "I've already had Claire draft an initial plan. After Radiant Vision Entertainment merges with Windsor Media Company, our market share will reach..."

Zoey's words trailed off as Henry suddenly placed his hand over hers, his gaze fixed on a folder in the corner of the screen labeled "Mirage Core Data."

"What's this?" Henry asked curiously, opening the folder and widening his eyes.

The screen displayed a dazzling array of 3D models and code streams, labeled "VR Emotional Feedback System v4.3."

Photos showed a team of about a dozen people testing equipment in a lab, walls covered with patent certificates.

Zoey cleared her throat, a bit embarrassed as she closed the folder. "It's a side project of mine."

"Side project?" Henry's voice rose. "You call that a side project?" He pointed at the now-closed folder, his fingers trembling slightly. "That's the most advanced VR emotional feedback system in the world! What's the latency? 0.02 seconds?"

"0.017 seconds," Zoey corrected softly, then added under Henry's astonished gaze, "In multiplayer mode."