Chapter 294: You Damn Bastard!

Vincent’s public apology did little to change the situation.

Maison Premier had hired people to defend him online, hoping to steer the discussion in a more favorable direction. Unfortunately, their efforts were quickly drowned out by sarcastic replies and increasingly hostile comments.

@aliciarosemary: "Haha! I actually preferred the previous heir. At least he didn’t pretend to be so humble."

@ishowmeat: "Is that pitiful expression supposed to make us feel sorry for him?"

@concernednetizen435: "If an apology were enough to solve everything, what would be the point of having the police?"

...

The more Maison Premier tried to control the narrative, the worse things seemed to get.

Eventually, the press conference had to be suspended. There was little point in continuing while the entire internet was busy discussing the controversy.

"President Denim, there’s no need to worry. General Manager Rodgers is already making arrangements to contact Mr. Hale. I’m sure there’s still room to turn this situation around."

Diane glanced at Vincent, who sat with a gloomy expression, and struggled to hide her disdain.

As Rodgers’ personal secretary, Diane was one of the few people he trusted completely. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have allowed her to travel to Capital City alone and entrusted her with overseeing the establishment of Astral Technology Park.

She had originally expected the assignment to be an opportunity to gain some experience while enjoying a change of scenery.

She certainly hadn’t expected Vincent to squander such a promising opportunity.

His performance today had been nothing short of embarrassing.

Vincent naturally noticed the contempt hidden behind her polite words. It irritated him, but he held his tongue.

Rodgers had already promised to deal with Luca. If he really had a way to keep the man in check, then arguing with Diane would accomplish nothing.

"Does Mr. Rodgers really have a solution?" he asked, a hint of hope returning to his voice.

Diane lifted her chin, revealing the slender line of her neck. Her confidence was almost theatrical.

"Don’t worry..."

...

Rose City, Sapphire-Vanguard Group.

"You’re talking nonsense!"

Rodgers slammed a folder onto the floor, his face flushed with anger. One trembling finger pointed at the middle-aged man standing opposite him.

Behind the man stood seven or eight other shareholders, all of whom had traditionally been on his side.

The two had never seen eye to eye. Their disagreements often turned into heated arguments during board meetings, but Rodgers had never considered the man a serious threat. After all, his shareholding had always been considerably smaller.

That was no longer the case.

The contract the middle-aged man had brought with him clearly showed that Luca had transferred his ten percent stake in Sapphire-Vanguard Group to him.

Combined with the shares he already owned and those held by the shareholders standing behind him, his faction now controlled a considerably larger portion of the company than Rodgers did.

Even after counting all the shareholders who traditionally supported Rodgers, the two sides were now roughly equal. And that wasn’t even taking into account Lady Francine Luiz’s fifteen percent stake.

The agreement to transfer those shares had never been formally signed before her death. Since Dexter was her son, the shares had ultimately passed to him while he was in prison.

Rodgers had originally intended to offer Luca a larger share of the company’s dividends in exchange for keeping his ten percent stake under control. He never expected Luca to sell it off quietly just days later.

And to make matters worse, the buyer was none other than Sapphire-Vanguard’s second-largest shareholder.

The middle-aged man watched Rodgers’ expression shift from pale to crimson. A faint smile played at the corners of his mouth.

"President Rodgers, I’ll be arranging another shareholders’ meeting in a week. I hope you’ll be able to attend."

He paused, then let out a hearty laugh.

"Hahaha!"

With that, he turned around and led the other shareholders out of the office.

The moment the door closed, Rodgers grabbed the nearest glass and hurled it across the room.

Crash! It shattered against the floor.

"Ahhh!"

He let out a furious roar, his voice echoing through the office.

"Luca! You damn bastard!"

...

After receiving the latest update from Rose City, Luca glanced at his phone and smiled before turning off the screen.

"Sapphire-Vanguard is no longer something we need to worry about. Tell the publicity department they can resume their work."

Daniel nodded and immediately went to make the necessary arrangements.

Not long afterward, Nexora Technologies released an official announcement declaring its cooperation with the Windsor and Halloway families.

The announcement quickly gained traction.

More than forty companies associated with the Adams family, led by the Windsor and Halloway families, reposted the news. Several prominent businesses in New Orleans followed suit.

None of this was a coincidence. Every company involved had received authorization from its leadership, and each was willing to cooperate with Luca.

At first, most people assumed this was simply Luca’s response to Vincent’s attempt to use Nexora’s reputation.

But then Nexora released another announcement.

"The EUV photolithography machine has been completed. Stay tuned!"

The news sent shockwaves through the internet.

It was the second time that day people had heard about a photolithography machine.

Only an hour earlier, Vincent had stood before the cameras and declared that Astral Technology Park would work toward developing the country’s own machine.

Now Nexora was announcing that it had already completed one.

The contrast was impossible to ignore.

@dictatormbappe221: "Looks like Luca intends to make Vincent regret opening his mouth today."

@concernednetizen: "I almost feel sorry for Young Master Denim. He’s being completely outplayed."

@macmorris: "Hold on. We’re talking about an EUV photolithography machine here. Do people really think it’s that easy to build one?"

@ishowmeat: "Exactly. This sounds more like a publicity stunt than anything else."

The announcement sparked another wave of arguments.

Some people were excited, others skeptical, and plenty simply refused to believe the news without proof.

Then the country’s official media stepped in. Their response was brief, but it carried considerably more weight than any online argument.

"Nexora Technologies, a pillar of the nation!"

The statement immediately silenced much of the skepticism.

"Luca, you’re incredible!"

Michael’s eyes widened as he stared at the announcement.

"How did you know the official media would come out in support of Nexora?"

He had already heard from Mr. Halloway that Nexora had successfully manufactured a photolithography machine. Even so, he hadn’t expected the official media to get involved so quickly.

Before Luca could answer, Arabella glanced at her cousin with an almost pitying expression.

"Do you think they would make such a statement without verifying anything first?"

Michael blinked.

"Ah..."

Arabella shook her head.

"Government experts have already inspected the machine. Otherwise, why would the official media be so confident in their announcement?"

She wasn’t wrong.

The moment the machine had been successfully manufactured, Luca had informed Harvey Adams. He had never intended to keep the achievement entirely hidden.

That didn’t mean he was willing to hand the technology over to every private company that came asking. However, when it came to contributing to the country’s technological development, Luca had no intention of holding back.

With Luca’s approval, Harvey had quietly brought several experts to Nexora Technologies. They had been selected by his uncle and included some of the country’s most respected researchers.

Luca still remembered their reactions when they first saw the machine.

At first, they had approached it with cautious curiosity. Then came disbelief, followed by astonishment.

And finally, overwhelming excitement.

The group included men and women ranging from their thirties to their seventies. Yet the moment they stood before the completed machine, years of professional composure seemed to disappear. Some dropped to their knees, while others reached out instinctively, only to hesitate just before touching it.

It was a sight Luca wouldn’t forget anytime soon.

These were people who had dedicated their lives to advancing the country’s technology. Many had spent decades working behind the scenes, pouring their time, energy, and knowledge into research that few ordinary people would ever hear about.

Looking at their simple clothes, no one would have guessed that they were among the country’s most important researchers. Yet here they were, standing before a machine they had spent their lives hoping their country could one day produce.

Their reaction became even more intense when Luca arranged for the technical principles and blueprints to be handed over. They received the documents with extraordinary care, as though they were holding something far more precious than a collection of papers.

For them, it was more than a technological achievement. It represented the possibility of an entirely new future.