Chapter 94 A Dramatic Turn
"Dad! Mom! I don't want to leave!" Emily sobbed desperately.
No one paid attention to her wailing. Security guards stepped forward, dragging her away and shoving her into the car without even treating the cuts on her face.
John had been leaning against the doorframe the entire time. Seeing Emily hauled away, he leisurely lit a cigarette and glanced back into the house, catching Andrew's eye with a meaningful look.
Andrew turned away, ignoring his signal, and handed George a document. "Dad, we need to give Green Group a satisfactory resolution to this mess, or future partnerships will be constantly obstructed. What should we do about Emily's shares?"
The message was clear. Emily needed to be completely removed from the Smith Group before they could even hope to continue negotiations with the Green Group.
With Green Group's meteoric rise, if Smith Group didn't actively pursue this partnership opportunity, they'd eventually be replaced and knocked off their pedestal. However, if they could partner with the Green Group, it would be a formidable alliance—the Smith Group would maintain the largest slice of Emerald City's market share, and the Smith family's century-old legacy could continue to thrive.
George sighed heavily, contemplating for a moment before saying, "Since you're gradually taking over the company anyway, transfer them to your name."
"Understood."
The day Silver Fir Academy's field study trip concluded happened to coincide with the launch event for NovaTech's new flagship phone under Green Group.
Since this was the first product line to utilize the newly developed chip technology, many industry professionals were closely watching the launch.
The venue was packed to capacity, with tens of thousands more watching the livestream online.
Even Brandon and Benjamin, who typically scoffed at business affairs, had turned on their television to see what kind of spectacle Michael had created.
"It's Michael!" Lucas pointed excitedly at the figure on screen. No wonder Benjamin hadn't let him watch cartoons after dinner—Michael was on TV!
Benjamin handed him a glass of orange juice and brought over several boxes of pastries. The mentor and student duo settled onto the couch to watch the livestream.
"Michael is so amazing—he's the CEO of a huge company!" Lucas blinked curiously. "If Michael is that impressive and still wants to be friends with Sophia, does that mean Sophia is really amazing too?"
Benjamin chuckled. Of course Sophia was amazing—only she knew the true extent of her wealth!
At the venue, despite the importance of the occasion, Michael hadn't appeared in formal business attire. Instead, he wore the shirt and sneakers Sophia had given him, casually paired with jeans and a knee-length trench coat.
His left wrist bore his usual bracelet, while his right displayed the watch Sophia had given him.
He seemed to be using this platform to silently declare his devotion to that special woman.
After presenting the latest flagship phone and fielding numerous questions from reporters, Michael announced another bombshell as the event neared its conclusion.
"As you all know, my father Matthew remains bedridden, and my mother Sarah has yet to regain consciousness. Following yesterday's internal shareholders' meeting at Green Group, the board unanimously approved my appointment as the new Chairman of Green Group."
The announcement sent shockwaves through the audience.
Green Group, such a massive corporation, entrusting its leadership to someone barely twenty years old?
This defied all conventional wisdom. Matthew had clearly recovered—could this really be his decision to formally hand over control to Michael?
Then again, it made sense. Over the past year, under Michael's management, Green Group hadn't just avoided decline—it had reached new heights, proving Michael's capabilities beyond doubt.
Michael continued, "Additionally, effective today, Green Group will be officially renamed Cloud Group."
At Solstice Haven, Brandon watched the confident young man on screen and couldn't help but smile.
'Well done, kid! Quietly dethroning your old man without making a sound.'
Matthew, who had just woken up in his hospital bed and was watching the replay on his tablet, wasn't smiling at all. Losing the chairman position wasn't necessarily devastating—the company would eventually pass to his son anyway.
But renaming the entire corporation was entirely different. This was clearly a changing of the guard, a complete overthrow!
Matthew quickly exited the livestream and opened social media to check the news.
[Green Group Renamed Cloud Group]
[NovaTech's Revolutionary New Flagship]
[The Youngest Chairman—Michael]
Plenty of coverage, but notably absent was the arranged marriage announcement he had instructed Arthur to release.
Perfect. He'd taken one nap and the world had turned upside down!
Hearing a knock at the door, Matthew closed his tablet. "Come in."
Arthur entered, maintaining his usual respectful demeanor. "Mr. Green."
Seeing him only soured Matthew's mood further. "You dare show your face here? What about the task I assigned you? You should have used this opportunity to announce the engagement—now Michael will just deny everything!"
Arthur stood his ground unflinchingly, eyes downcast. "Mr. Matthew Green, I am Mr. Michael Green's executive assistant. Naturally, I prioritize his interests."
While Matthew had indeed groomed Arthur, it was always with the intention of making him Michael's sharpest weapon when he took control of the corporation.
Corporate control would inevitably change hands—of course Arthur needed to choose the right side.
Perhaps Matthew had never imagined that the sword he'd forged would ultimately be turned against him.
"Don't take your anger out on Arthur. I gave that order."
A crisp voice approached from down the hallway, and moments later, Michael appeared in the doorway.
His expression was relaxed and natural as he smiled calmly at Matthew. "Dad, it's time for you to retire."
Matthew erupted in fury, grabbing his pillow and hurling it at Michael. "You fool! How can you be so stupid! Defying me and the family's wishes over some woman! I'm telling you, you're a traitor! I'm the largest shareholder in this corporation—I have veto power! If I say you're not chairman, then you're not!"
Michael felt as though a knife had been plunged into his heart. Even now, when the entire world recognized his abilities, only his father refused to relinquish control over his life.
All for the sake of controlling his marriage, father and son had become bitter enemies.
He lowered his eyes dejectedly, picked up the pillow and dusted it off, then slowly walked over to return it to Matthew.
"I secured the shares from both sets of grandparents, plus Mother's portion which temporarily transferred to me according to her previous agreement. I currently hold 3.75% more than you do. I am the corporation's largest shareholder."
"What?" Matthew was stunned, then turned to mockery. "To be with Sophia, you'd actually reclaim your grandparents' shares? You bastard! What has Sophia done to make you so obsessed?"
"This has nothing to do with Sophia!"
Michael couldn't bear hearing his father slander Sophia yet again. His eyes blazed with anger and disappointment. "You've had high expectations for me since childhood, and I worked hard to excel in school, to master business principles, to earn your approval and become a worthy heir who could share your burdens. Now that I'm capable of running the corporation, I'm only asking to choose my own marriage partner. Why can't you grant me this one request?"