Chapter 170

Chapter 170

The sky over Silverlight City was thick with dark clouds.

The Getty Group headquarters, this building that once symbolized absolute power and wealth in the business empire, was now shrouded in panic.

News of Thaddeus's critical injuries and coma spread through the entire business world overnight.

Less than ten minutes after the stock market opened, Getty Group's stock hit its limit down without suspense.

This was already the fourth consecutive limit down.

Market value had evaporated by nearly a hundred billion. Countless retail investors lost everything, their wails filling the air.

Getty Group's top-floor boardroom.

Around the oval mahogany conference table sat Getty Group's veteran directors and core executives.

"Gentlemen, the situation is now very clear."

Gray-haired and pot-bellied Cruz Brixia cleared his throat, breaking the silence first.

He was the one Thaddeus had caught taking kickbacks and falsifying accounts on the south city project. Now that Thaddeus had fallen, he was jumping around most enthusiastically.

"Thaddeus is severely injured this time. Whether he'll wake up is still unknown. Even if he does, he probably can't continue leading the Getty Group." Cruz surveyed the room. "Mr. Bourbon's side says as long as we're willing to sell several core businesses under the Getty Group to them, they'll stop attacking the Getty Group and inject capital to save it."

"This is highway robbery!" The CFO, who'd always been loyal to Thaddeus, couldn't help but slam the table and stand up. "Those businesses are the Getty Group's core lifeline! If we sell them cheap, the Getty Group becomes an empty shell. What will we tell the shareholders?"

"If we don't sell, should we watch the Getty Group go bankrupt?" Another director secretly bought by Ulysses countered. "If we keep dragging this out, all our shares will become worthless paper!"

"Exactly. Mr. Brixia has a point. Sacrificing a limb to survive is better than total annihilation."

Several old foxes exchanged glances and echoed one another.

The conference room atmosphere gradually tilted toward compromise.

Cruz watched the scene with satisfaction.

He'd long been bought with enormous kickbacks and an overseas green card promised by Ulysses. As long as this resolution passed today, he could take the money and flee, caring nothing for the Getty Group's fate.

"Since no one objects, let's vote." Cruz eagerly produced an "Asset Restructuring and Equity Transfer Agreement" and pushed it to the center of the conference table.

He picked up a pen, preparing to sign his name as acting chairman.

A loud crash—the conference room door was forcefully pushed open.

"Whoever dares sign, I'll chop off their hand!"

Everyone looked toward the sound, gasping.

At the door stood a woman.

She wore an impeccably tailored business suit, her long hair swept up high, revealing an elegant jawline.

Her once gentle, soft face now bore sharp, aggressive makeup. Especially those beautiful eyes, which now looked like swords, coldly sweeping over everyone present with commanding presence.

"Scarlett?"

"What are you doing here? This is the Getty Group's shareholders' meeting. All unauthorized persons get out!" Cruz roared, trying to mask his inner panic. "Security! Where's security! Get this crazy woman out of here!"

Only deathly silence answered him.

Scarlett walked in on high heels, step by step, unhurried.

Behind her.

Finnian in a black suit, leading the Getty Group's top legal team and a dozen stone-faced bodyguards in black.

"You... what do you want?" Cruz looked at this formation, pointing at Scarlett with feigned severity. "I'm warning you, this is illegal trespassing! We can call the police to arrest you!"

"Call the police?" Scarlett stopped at the head of the conference table, looking down at Cruz.

"Mr. Brixia, I have a document here. Please take a look."

Scarlett's gaze signaled Finnian.

Finnian placed stacks of documents on the conference table one by one.

Scarlett leaned forward, hands on the table. "This is an 'Asset Transfer Agreement' and 'Absolute Controlling Rights Authorization' personally signed by Thaddeus!"

"All core subsidiaries under the Getty Group, including the new energy and AI sectors you just wanted to sell to Ulysses—fifty-one percent or more of absolute controlling rights are now all under my name!"

At these words, the conference room instantly erupted in chaos.

Every face showed shock, astonishment, and disbelief!

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Cruz lunged forward like a madman, grabbing the documents and flipping through them page by page.

When he clearly saw Thaddeus's signature and the notary's seal, he collapsed into his chair as if all strength had been drained. "He's insane... Thaddeus really went insane... He actually gave the entire Getty Group to an outsider..."

"Outsider?" Scarlett laughed coldly.

"Legally, we're not yet divorced. With Thaddeus absent, I, Scarlett, am the Getty Group's largest shareholder and the only absolute controlling stockholder!"

She straightened up, her gaze sweeping over everyone present. "Today, as long as I, Scarlett, stand here, no one can sell out the Getty Group!"

Cruz gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand, making a last struggle. "Scarlett! Stop pretending to wield borrowed authority! So what if you have shares? The Getty Group is currently a riddled mess! Without Ulysses's capital injection, the Getty Group will go bankrupt immediately! Then your shares will be worthless paper!"

"Fellow directors!" He tried to incite the others. "We can't die together with this crazy woman! Let's vote now to revoke her controlling rights! We have the right to protect our own interests!"

"Revoke me?" Scarlett looked at him, the mockery in her eyes deepening.

She turned her head, glancing at Finnian beside her.

Finnian understood immediately. From his briefcase, he pulled out several documents and threw them in Cruz's face and those of the other most vocal directors. "Mr. Brixia, see what these are."

Documents scattered across the table.

They were bank records of their acceptance of massive bribes from Ulysses's overseas consortium, evidence of falsified project accounts, and detailed records of their secret transfer of company assets!

"You... you..." Cruz's legs gave out. He collapsed in his chair, shaking like a leaf, unable to form a complete sentence.

"Security!" Scarlett gave him no chance to explain, shouting sternly.

Security personnel waiting outside immediately rushed in.

"Hand these traitors who betrayed company interests over to the police!"

"Yes!"

Security unceremoniously grabbed Cruz and the others, dragging them out of the conference room like dead dogs.

Cruz's wails gradually faded in the corridor until they disappeared.

The remaining directors were silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to breathe loudly.

"Gentlemen." Scarlett's gaze coldly swept over everyone. "I know the Getty Group currently faces an unprecedented crisis."

"But as long as I, Scarlett, am here for one day, the Getty Group won't fall."

"From now on, the group enters the highest level wartime state! All core businesses operate normally, all funds are consolidated!"

"Ulysses wants to short the Getty Group? Fine, let him try!"

She turned her head, looking at the oppressive dark clouds outside the window, the corner of her mouth curving into an icy arc.

"I'll make him understand that the sky over Silverlight City isn't his to cover—he's just an outsider!"