Chapter 196
Richard turned to face Margaret. "What Francis and his team took is worthless."
Margaret remained silent. She knew he had seen through her strategy.
"This is the Neville Group's 'Ark' project core team," Richard gestured to the group behind him. "Starting today, they'll take over all R&D work at Margaret New Energy Group."
He paused, as if anticipating her objection, preemptively cutting her off. "Don't refuse—this is an investment."
His gaze was as deep as the ocean. "Margaret New Energy Group's stock price has already shown unusual movement because of this talent poaching. My venture capital fund will purchase ten percent of your shares at seventy percent of market price, injecting five billion dollars."
"In exchange, besides this team, the Neville Group's global energy storage and new materials patent library will be completely open to you."
He placed a pre-drafted document on the table and pushed it toward her. The terms were so generous they bordered on absurd. He was literally cutting out a piece of the Neville Group's heart and transplanting it to her company.
Margaret lowered her eyes to the document but didn't reach for it. "Why should I accept this?"
"Because you have no choice. Without technology or a team, your company won't last a month. And I don't want to see my investment go down the drain."
He had given her an exit that she couldn't refuse.
Margaret remained silent for a long time. Finally, she reached for the document and read it through carefully, word by word. Then she took a pen from the holder and signed her name on the last page.
She handed the signed document back to him, her tone equally businesslike: "Pleasure doing business, Mr. Neville."
Richard took the document, giving her a long look with something flickering in his eyes. He turned to the leader of his team, a sharp woman in her thirties, and said, "This is Ms. Kennedy. From now on, she is your only boss."
The woman nodded respectfully to Margaret: "Ms. Kennedy, my name is Sienna Quinn. I look forward to working with you."
A storm that could have destroyed the company was forcibly suppressed. New team. New funding. New technical support. Margaret New Energy Group had been injected with premium fuel and was running again.
Margaret and Sienna's team integrated almost seamlessly. The true core technology on Margaret's encrypted hard drive, combined with the cutting-edge materials science from the Neville Group's patent library, produced astonishing results.
In just one week, the prototype for the entirely new "Dawn 4.0" was born in the laboratory.
Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction. Until that call from Saint Lorran came through.
Margaret was discussing a new cooling solution with Sienna when her personal phone rang, "Frank Gray" flashing on the screen.
She answered, but before she could speak, Frank's terrified, tearful voice exploded through the receiver. "Ms. Kennedy! Something terrible has happened! There's been an electrocution accident at the substation construction site! Someone... someone died!"
Margaret's mind went blank, everything before her eyes losing focus. Using all her strength to keep her voice steady, she asked: "What happened?"
"It was... a local worker from the line inspection team named Ramon Tavirog. For some reason, he didn't follow safety protocols today. He touched high-voltage lines without cutting the power... he was killed instantly..."
Frank had completely broken down. "The police and media are all here! Everything's in chaos! They're saying... they're saying we have no regard for human life!"
Margaret walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows of her office. On the giant outdoor screen of the building opposite, breaking news was playing. Under CNN's logo was the chaotic scene at the Saint Lorran project site. A body covered with a white sheet was being loaded into an ambulance. The deceased's wife was wailing heartbrokenly, making accusations to the camera.
The massive news headlines burned into Margaret's retina:
#Corporate Giant's Safety Nightmare: Fatal Accident at Saint Lorran Project Claims One Life#
#The Price of 'Light'? Margaret New Energy Group Accused of Ignoring Safety Protocols, Disregarding Human Life#
Then the Saint Lorran government spokesperson appeared on screen, solemnly announcing the immediate suspension of all Margaret New Energy Group projects in the region and the formation of an independent investigation team for a comprehensive safety review.
Financial strangulation. Pulling out the foundation. And now, the fatal blow. Rodney's third move had finally landed.
More vicious than business competition, more deadly than technology theft. It was a human life. An irreversible brand burned into her and Margaret New Energy Group with blood and death.
The office door opened as Rex and Sienna rushed in after hearing the news.
"Ms. Kennedy..." Rex's face was paper-white, his lips trembling, unable to form words.
Margaret didn't turn around. She simply watched the accusations and abuse from around the world scrolling across the screen. Outside, the sunlight was beautiful, almost painfully bright. Yet she felt only a deep, penetrating cold.
Even Sienna had lost her usual composure. She knew that technology could be rebuilt and capital could be raised again, but a human life could crush any company—especially a multinational corporation bearing such "original sin." She stepped forward, wanting to offer words of comfort but unable to speak.
Margaret walked to her desk and picked up the internal phone, connecting to the administrative department. "Book the earliest flight to Saint Lorran. Immediately." Her voice was unnaturally calm.
"Ms. Kennedy! You can't go! The situation there is terrible—the media, the locals... they'll tear you apart!"
Margaret hung up, her gaze carrying an undeniable weight. "I am the head of Margaret New Energy Group. If I don't go, who will?"
She turned to Sienna, "Ms. Quinn, the company is temporarily in your hands. Keep the technical team stable and maintain employee morale. Don't worry about the stock price."
Sienna was startled by the composure Margaret displayed in the face of catastrophe. She nodded solemnly. "You can count on me."
Margaret grabbed her coat and handbag and headed for the door. At the elevator, her personal phone rang. Richard's name flashed on the screen. She declined the call.
The elevator doors opened, and she stepped inside. Almost simultaneously, her phone rang again—still him. Margaret hung up again and turned off her phone.
The elevator descended in complete silence until the doors opened at the underground parking garage.
Richard stood directly outside. He had clearly rushed over, his breathing still slightly uneven, a thin layer of sweat on his temple. He wasn't wearing a suit, just a black shirt with the top two buttons undone, looking sharp and dangerous.