Chapter 103

Chapter 103

Ophelia took it and looked it over. She could definitely see the obvious difference - there were even some rough edges, completely different from the quality of the samples they'd received before.

"The supplier is on Raymond Carter's side, right?" Ophelia asked.

"Yeah, it's him. We've worked together a few times before, never had any problems." Gregory said. "No idea what happened this time - can't believe he dared to send us this junk."

William's expression darkened: "Looks like someone deliberately messed with this."

He turned to Chase with instructions: "Check the entire supply chain immediately - customs records, shipping surveillance, warehouse receipt forms, don't miss a single detail."

"Also, contact an international quality inspection agency and get them to issue a formal report as soon as possible, the more detailed the better."

"And contact reliable suppliers right away, get an emergency batch of qualified components shipped over. We can't let this delay the project. Money's not an issue - just make sure the quality and speed are there."

Chase quickly responded: "Got it, Mr. Brown. I'll handle it right now."

William then looked at Ophelia: "Ophelia, help me go through the project contract terms, especially the parts about supplier breach of contract. We need to prepare to hold Raymond accountable, and we'll need this evidence for any future claims."

"Okay." Ophelia nodded, pulled out her laptop, found a quiet corner, and started organizing the contract.

Ophelia and William divided up the work clearly. William was busy coordinating with various parties and handling on-site matters, while Ophelia focused on organizing the contract and evidence.

They worked straight through until the evening before getting a break.

Ophelia and William returned to the hotel they'd booked in advance. Ophelia collapsed on the sofa: "Didn't expect to be this busy right after arriving. Haven't even caught my breath."

William walked over and sat beside her, rubbing her shoulders: "You've worked hard. Rest for a bit, I'll order dinner."

"Okay." Ophelia closed her eyes, enjoying his massage as her fatigue eased considerably.

After dinner was delivered to the room, Ophelia and William ate while discussing the project.

"When are you planning to meet with Raymond?" Ophelia asked.

"Tomorrow. Once we have the quality inspection report, we'll have solid evidence and more confidence in the negotiation." William said. "He probably doesn't know yet that we've gathered this much information. Most likely, he'll try to deny everything."

"Think he'll admit to it?" Ophelia speared a piece of steak.

"Probably not, but it doesn't matter. We have the shipping surveillance and inspection reports - he can't deny it even if he tries." William's tone was confident. "If it comes to it, we'll just go through legal channels. He won't get away."

Ophelia nodded and said nothing more, continuing to eat.

Early the next morning, the quality inspection report came through, clearly stating that the batch of components was substandard, with key parameters seriously deviating from contract specifications and even posing safety hazards.

William took the report and immediately had someone contact Raymond to arrange a meeting.

Raymond initially tried to put it off, saying he was away on business, but after William's firm stance that he'd file a lawsuit if they didn't meet, he finally agreed. They set it for 3 PM at a café near his company.

William and Ophelia arrived ten minutes early and found a window seat.

"When he gets here, don't say anything. Let me handle the conversation," William told Ophelia.

"Okay, I know." Ophelia nodded, feeling a bit nervous since this was her first time dealing with this kind of business dispute.

Before long, Raymond arrived.

He wore a suit with a slightly protruding belly, looking somewhat greasy. His eyes darted around, and even after sitting down, he kept looking around - clearly guilty about something.

"Mr. Brown, what did you want to see me about?" Raymond spoke first, trying to break the silence, though his tone was unnatural.

"Mr. Carter, let's get straight to the point." William pushed the quality inspection report toward him. "The test results for this batch of components - see for yourself."

Raymond picked up the report and quickly scanned it. His face immediately turned pale, and his hands started shaking.

"Mr. Brown, this... this might be a problem with the testing agency. The components I supplied are all qualified and definitely meet the contract specifications." He tried to make excuses, his voice trembling.

"Problem with the testing agency?" William gave a cold laugh, pulled out his phone, and opened a shipping surveillance video. "Then explain why your team replaced the component packaging during transport?"

The video clearly showed Raymond's team at a remote warehouse, opening packages of components that had been marked as qualified and replacing them with another batch of goods with no markings and crude packaging. The whole process was captured clearly.

Raymond's face looked even worse. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and his eyes avoided William's: "This... this is a misunderstanding. Maybe the workers made a mistake. I'll definitely give them a good talking-to."

"Made a mistake?" William's eyes turned cold, his tone threatening. "Mr. Carter, do you really think I'll believe that?"

"This batch of components caused my project to halt. Can you afford the daily losses?" He paused, lowering his voice further. "If you come clean about who made you do this, I might consider reducing your liability and only make you cover part of the losses."

"But if you insist on denying it, don't blame me for being ruthless. Not only will I hold you accountable for breach of contract and make you compensate for all losses, but I'll also sue you for commercial fraud. Then you won't just have to pay - you might face jail time, and your company will go down with you."

Raymond's psychological defenses completely crumbled.

Having been in this business for years, he naturally knew William's methods. The Brown Group's power wasn't something he could fight against. If they really sued him, he couldn't withstand it.

After hesitating for a long time, Raymond finally gave in, his voice as low as a mosquito's hum: "It was... it was Finnian. Finnian made me do it."

William and Ophelia exchanged glances. Just as they'd suspected.

"What did he tell you?" William pressed, showing no surprise in his eyes.

"He said if I supplied you with substandard components and caused problems with your project, he'd help me secure all of the Brown Group's future building materials supply orders, plus he'd give me a generous payment of five million dollars." Raymond kept his head down, not daring to look at William. "I got confused for a moment and agreed. Never thought... never thought it would come to this."

"It's too late for regrets now. Mr. Brown, please let me off this once."

William nodded, his mind already made up: "I understand. Now come back to the project site with me and explain everything in detail. We'll record your statement, and you'll sign it."