Chapter 41 You're My Absolute Savior
Emily stood frozen in place, unable to manage any expression at all. Panic, confusion, and anxiety flickered across her face in rapid succession before her face turned pale. She suddenly rolled her eyes back and fainted.
"Emily!" Lucy's acting skills were far superior—she managed to demonstrate her loyalty right up to the last second, quickly catching Emily as she collapsed.
Once she confirmed Emily had actually passed out, Lucy dropped the worried expression from her eyes and glanced disdainfully at the pen on Sophia's desk with a soft scoff.
Lucy thought to herself, 'I thought it was something rare, but it turns out to be worthless junk that nobody wants.'Sophia thoughtfully toyed with her usual pen, taking a long moment before speaking up. "Well, she's reminded me that I still have this loss-making project sitting around. Let's all draft up some proposals this month—if we spent the money, we might as well make it profitable."
"With Sophia leading the charge, we're bound to turn a profit."
"The pens write beautifully, but the price point was too high. It'll be tough to make them sell."
"Just lower the price then. Better to make a little than nothing at all."
"How low can we go? We bought out an entire factory from the start, plus the technology patents cost us a fortune. The production costs are sky-high—any further price cuts would mean operating at a loss. We'd be better off letting them collect dust."
Sophia listened quietly to everyone's discussion, and then shared her idea. "Operating at a loss is out of the question. Scarcity drives value—everyone, should start displaying these pens during business meetings. Compliment them when you're signing contracts, then give away our remaining inventory as gifts. Not only am I not lowering the price, I'm going to raise it."
Everyone exchanged glances before nodding in agreement. They had complete faith in Sophia's money-making abilities. She'd spearheaded their previous entrepreneurship project, which was now thriving and had provided the seed money for most of their personal ventures.
If Sophia was determined to revive the fountain pen project, there was no way it would fail.
A massive thunderclap interrupted their conversation, causing everyone to turn toward the gloomy sky outside. The rain looked like it was intensifying.
"This is ridiculous! It's been pouring since Monday without a break. What awful weather!" Amelia grumbled.
Wayne narrowed his eyes. "I've got this... ominous feeling."
"Really?" Sophia chuckled lightly, her expression relaxed and carefree. "I actually think something good is about to happen."
By the weekend, the rain was still coming down intermittently. Sometimes it poured heavily, other times it fell like fine needles, but it persistently dampened everyone's mood.
The heated argument in Green Group's executive conference room was loud enough to drown out the rain outside. This was Michael's third negotiation with Pacific Group over chip usage rights, and they were still stubbornly insisting on the unreasonable demand of trading marriage for business cooperation.
"Mr. Phillips, business partnerships are about mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. How can you drag marriage into this?" Michael was willing to make concessions on profit margins, but when it came to his choice of bride, he absolutely would not budge.
Henry Phillips chuckled softly. "Having just a profit connection is far from enough; it is becoming one family that provides the greatest assurance. This is both my father's position and mine. Your continued refusal to compromise, do you have some prejudice against Harper?"
Michael's expression was as gloomy as the weather outside. He had already made concessions, but the Phillips family wouldn't relent and kept pressuring him to get engaged to Harper.
They'd been negotiating this deal for three sessions over two months, and he hadn't even met Harper once. She was probably just like Sophia had been—a rope used to bind two families' interests together.
"Mr. Green, you still can't let go of Sophia, can you?" Henry's smile carried a hint of amusement. As fellow members of Emerald City's elite, he naturally knew about Sophia's existence. "She's no longer part of the Smith family—she's not in your social class anymore and can't offer you any advantages. Even if you're completely devoted to her, would your parents allow it? Would Green Group's shareholders allow it? And would she be willing to endure the pressure of class differences to be with you?"
Every word was a dagger to the heart, yet every sentence rang true.
Michael was acutely aware of Sophia's feelings for him, but she was still in school now. Mutual support and encouragement seemed manageable enough, but when they reached marriageable age, would she be willing to endure public criticism and choose him with unwavering determination?
Michael never gambled on future uncertainties, but he knew it was too early to make such decisions now. Even if they truly reached the point of parting ways, the choice should be Sophia's to make, not his unilateral decision to end things.
Therefore, the Phillips family's unreasonable condition was unacceptable.
"Mr. Phillips, we're here to discuss business. If you have any dissatisfaction with other aspects of our cooperation, both parties can continue negotiating. But if you insist on dragging marriage into this, then we have nothing more to discuss."
Henry raised an eyebrow with interest and chuckled. "Michael, you're still too young and inexperienced to understand the stakes involved here. Don't rush to give me an answer—take your time to think it over. Sign the contract whenever you come to your senses."
The atmosphere remained at an impasse when someone knocked and entered. The secretary hurried to Michael's side and whispered in his ear, "Ms. Johnson is here."
Michael's eyes immediately brightened, his gloomy expression transforming into radiant warmth. He smiled politely at Henry. "Mr. Phillips, there's no point in continuing these negotiations. And just so you know—I choose Sophia. I don't care about her social status; I only care about her."
With those words, Michael strode out of the conference room like he'd just won a decisive victory, instructing his secretary to escort the guest out.
The abrupt change in attitude left Henry momentarily stunned and thoroughly confused.
He asked the secretary, "Why did he suddenly refuse to cooperate?"
Arthur Baker smiled and bowed respectfully. "Compared to Pacific Group's chip technology, Ms. Johnson holds far greater value for Mr. Green."
In the CEO's office, Sophia wore a brown dress with chunky-heeled ankle boots that made her skin look porcelain-white and delicate. She sat on the sofa with her long legs crossed, sipping coffee, her hair braided and secured behind her head to showcase her exquisite features.
Noticing someone enter from the corner of her eye, she set down her coffee cup and stood, extending her hand with a warm smile. "Mr. Green, I'm here today representing Vertex Innovations Ltd. to discuss a potential partnership."
Michael gazed at the radiant, captivating young woman before him, his eyes clearly reflecting his adoration, his voice unconsciously taking on a honeyed tone.
"You actually pulled it off?"
Sophia nodded. "Yes, did I make it in time?"
"More than in time—you're my absolute savior." Michael grasped Sophia's hand and pulled her down to sit beside him on the sofa, pretending to pout as he complained, "They were trying to force me to marry Harper. If you'd arrived any later, you would have lost this handsome, wealthy childhood friend who's completely devoted to you!"
"Oh?" Sophia abruptly withdrew her hand and gave him a meaningful look. "So... if I hadn't come, you were planning to give in?"