Chapter 292: Free Publicity—Why Let It Go to Waste?

Chapter 292: Free Publicity—Why Let It Go to Waste?

At ten o'clock sharp, Vertex Innovations Group's senior directors filed into the conference room one by one. Sophia sat at the head of the table, expression cold and focused, fingertips tapping rhythmically against the polished surface as she waited for the meeting to begin.

Michael sat beside her, his demeanor calm and professional—not a trace of the playful intimacy they shared in private.

"Everyone, I'm sure you're all aware of Wilton's recent moves." Sophia cut straight to the point, pulling up a projection screen displaying Wilton's latest market strategies. "Not only are they attempting to collaborate with antitrust organizations to acquire our fifth-generation chip's core technology at bargain prices, they're also using media outlets to spread rumors that Vertex Innovations' chip technology poses security risks."

The directors exchanged murmurs, their expressions grave.

"Ms. Johnson, Wilton's coming at us hard. Should we consider slowing down the rollout of the 5S chip?" one director suggested cautiously.

Sophia's eyes turned cold. Before she could respond, Billy let out a derisive laugh. "Slow down? That's exactly what Wilton wants! They're trying to sabotage Vertex Innovations' market momentum! If you ask me, with our capabilities, we could go head-to-head with them and still come out on top!"

Sophia raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering across her face. "Mr. Ward may be blunt, but he's not wrong."

With that single endorsement, the oppressive atmosphere in the room lifted considerably. The board members regained their usual energy.

"Exactly! We're one of the nation's top chip companies with the most professional R&D team in the business. Our technology and quality are unquestionable. Rumors are just rumors—if they dare spread lies, we'll make them eat their words!"

"Absolutely! We represent the domestic chip industry's reputation. How can we bow down to a foreign corporation?"

Sophia nodded, a hint of lightness threading through her voice. "The 5S chip development has entered its final phase. We can't possibly back down because of Wilton's pressure tactics. On the contrary—"

She glanced at Michael beside her. He understood immediately, his fingers swiping across his tablet to pull up a data report. "Wilton's cash flow has been tight lately. The reason they're so desperate to suppress Vertex Innovations is because their next-generation chip development has hit a technical bottleneck."

"So," Sophia picked up the thread, smiling as she looked at Billy, "following Mr. Ward's suggestion just now, we abandon defensive strategies and go on the offensive. Wilton wants to drag us down with a PR war—we'll crush them with superior technology."

Billy's eyes widened in surprise. "Ms. Johnson, are you planning to... release the 5S chip ahead of schedule?"

Sophia nodded. Michael continued, "Right now, Wilton's bought up a ton of media coverage to smear Vertex Innovations. Someone's paying to advertise for us—it'd be a shame not to capitalize on such a golden opportunity."

The directors exchanged uncertain glances. Someone voiced their concern: "But our testing data isn't comprehensive enough yet. Won't a premature launch be risky..."

"The testing data is sufficient." Sophia cut them off, her tone brooking no argument. "The launch event is set for next Tuesday. We need to seize this window while Wilton's stuck in their technical stagnation and claim market dominance."

"Next Tuesday?" Billy looked puzzled, thinking for a moment before adding, "Ms. Johnson, if I'm not mistaken, next Tuesday is also this quarter's industry summit, isn't it?"

He'd only received the notice that morning—Sophia might not have heard yet.

"Oh?" Sophia's eyebrow arched slightly. She indeed hadn't received confirmation of the summit timing yet, but— "If it's the same day, that's even better. Free publicity—why let it go to waste?"

At those words, the room erupted in applause and cheers. The directors clamored about finally overturning Wilton's years-long technological monopoly over the domestic tech industry.

When the meeting adjourned, Sophia returned to her office and immediately settled at her desk to tackle the mountain of accumulated documents.

Michael strolled in leisurely, saying nothing as he took half the stack of unprocessed files from her right side, plucked a black pen from the holder, and made himself comfortable on the sofa.

Sophia glanced up at him, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "The chairman of Cloud Group moonlighting as my assistant?"

"Knowing how to share your girlfriend's burden is a required course for any man," Michael replied with a grin.

After that, the office fell into comfortable silence, broken only by the soft hum of the heating system.

Tony entered carrying two cups of coffee. Seeing the scene, he instinctively lightened his footsteps. He set down the drinks without a sound and tiptoed back out.

The moment the heavy wooden door clicked shut behind him, he clutched the tray and pressed his lips together to suppress an excited smile.

Who gets this?! Even my boss's love life is perfect!

Quiet companionship, proactive support—Mr. Green is absolutely the real deal!

Two people sharing one space, working without disturbing each other—this kind of companionship is even more swoon-worthy than flirting!

It wasn't until six o'clock that afternoon, when Tony came in to remind them, that they realized it was already quitting time.

Michael organized the files he'd handled. Aside from two or three documents that genuinely required Sophia's personal review, everything else was complete.

Sophia's progress was similar. With three or four binders left unfinished, she simply stuffed them into her bag to review on the way home.

"Take these away." She patted the towering stack of folders on her left—so tall they nearly obscured her from view—and instructed Tony, "Go ahead and clock out for today. Deliver these to the respective departments tomorrow."

"Yes, ma'am." Tony responded respectfully, moving to collect the pile. Seeing Sophia sling her bag over her shoulder and prepare to leave, he quickly added, "Ms. Johnson, will you be coming in as usual tomorrow?"

Sophia paused mid-step, considering for a moment before answering. "Barring any unexpected circumstances, yes. But if something comes up last minute, drop the files off at Riverbank No. 9 tomorrow evening."

"Understood." Tony's response was prompt. "Safe travels, Ms. Johnson. Safe travels, Mr. Green. Have a wonderful evening."

Sophia had just linked her arm through Michael's when those words registered. She froze for a beat, and the two exchanged a wry smile.

Tonight wasn't about a date. They'd skipped lunch entirely to power through work. Their current plan was simple: grab a quick dinner, then prepare the medical facilities for Marcus's arrival later that night.

When she calculated the timeline carefully, there really wasn't much breathing room. The two grabbed a simple pasta dinner before heading straight to City General Hospital.

Michael knew the hospital director personally. He'd coordinated everything in advance—paperwork processed, arrangements made—securing Marcus the quietest, most secure VIP suite on the top floor.

Meanwhile, Sophia notified Marcus's wife and daughter, dispatching a car to bring them to the hospital to await his return.

The hospital's grand clock showed both hands converging on "12" as the group waited in the top-floor lobby.

As the minute hand crept past twelve, the distant thrum of helicopter rotors grew steadily louder, jolting the drowsy group back to alertness.