After hanging up the phone, Lance did not rest.
Due to the time difference, it was still night in Cloudmere, while it was early morning in New York, nearing dawn.
He quickly freshened up and sat at his desk, reviewing the documents Xavier had given him. His expression grew increasingly serious.
This time, Aislan Group had detained Mercer Group's goods, but behind the scenes, it was actually Explority Group causing trouble.
Explority Group had always been Mercer Group's arch-enemy.
Especially in recent years, as Lance took over Mercer Group, the rivalry between the two companies deepened.
The reason was simple: Lance's exceptional management skills and investment acumen had made Mercer Group a lot of money in recent years and expanded its business territory.
As the saying goes, where there are winners, there are losers.
Explority Group was on the losing side of this competition.
And they didn't just lose a little; they lost a lot.
Statistics showed that due to Mercer Group's expansion, Explority Group's assets had shrunk significantly.
As a result, the management of Explority Group harbored deep resentment towards Lance.
Detaining Mercer Group's goods through Aislan Group was just the first step in their plan against Lance. The more significant move came later when a gold mine owned by Mercer Group collapsed, resulting in fatalities.
This incident was exposed by Explority Group's management and had now attracted nationwide attention. If not handled properly, it would severely damage Mercer Group's reputation.
Now, with one shipment detained and a fatal incident at a gold mine, it was clear that Explority Group's management intended to make things very difficult for Lance.
Lance understood this well, his gaze turning cold and severe.
He sat in his chair, fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk as he pondered.
After an unknown amount of time, there was a knock on the door, followed by Xavier's voice asking, "Mr. Mercer, are you up?"
"Come in," Lance commanded in a deep voice.
The next second, Xavier pushed the door open and walked in.
Seeing Lance at his desk with his computer already on, Xavier asked, "Did you review the documents in your email?"
"I did. Go tell Aislan Group that if they don't release Mercer Group's goods by tonight, Mercer Group will terminate their cooperation and hold them accountable," Lance instructed coldly.
Xavier nodded and asked again, "Regarding the gold mine incident, it's causing quite a stir online. Should we issue a company statement?"
Hearing this, Lance didn't respond immediately.
He narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
After a while, he slowly spoke, "Since Explority Group has set the stage, it would be a waste not to respond. Report it to the authorities and send this information to Aislan Group as well. Also, investigate Explority Group's operations over the past few years. It's only fair to reciprocate."
Understanding Mr. Mercer's intentions, Xavier immediately turned to carry out the tasks.
However, this matter had already caused significant uproar abroad and even reached domestic shores, implicating Mercer Group's headquarters.
In less than a day, numerous negative news articles about Mercer Group surfaced online.
As a result, Mercer Group's stock experienced significant volatility.
People in Cloudmere's business circle sensed something unusual but dared not act rashly.
Deanna didn't understand much about business but felt deeply worried upon seeing the negative news about Mercer Group online.
No wonder Lance had been so anxious to go on a business trip; such a major issue had arisen.
Thinking of this, Deanna picked up her phone to call but hesitated to dial the number.
Just then, her phone suddenly vibrated.
Looking down, she saw it was a call from Kade. Disappointed but still answering, she said, "Kade, what's up?"
"Nothing much. I just wanted to ask if you're free tonight. My business partner gave me two tickets to the opera. I'd like to invite you to join me," Kade explained directly.
Deanna initially wanted to refuse but reconsidered and agreed, thinking it might be good to clarify some things early on.
However, her two little ones were strongly opposed when they heard she was going to the opera with Kade.
"Mommy, you said you don't like Uncle Kade. Why are you agreeing to go out with him?" Gregory asked with a frown.
Chloe clung to Deanna, whining, "Mommy, please don't go."
Deanna couldn't help but laugh at her two little ones' reactions but patiently explained.
"Mommy agreed to go not for the reason you think but to use this opportunity to clear some things up."
Just as she finished speaking, her phone rang again. It was Kade calling.
"Deanna, I'm downstairs at your place. You can come down now."
"I'll be right down," Deanna replied and hung up.
Looking at her unhappy children, she ruffled their hair and smiled. "Be good and finish your homework while I'm out."