Chapter 5

I got up and walked over to the window. The ocean was the same as yesterday, sunlight glinting off the water so bright it hurt my eyes.

"Joey, what do you think I should do?" I asked.

Joey replied, "You've got two options. First, state to clear things up and fight back in the court of public opinion. Second, ignore him and wait for him to slip up."

"Let's go with the second one."

"Are you sure? The public opinion is really against you right now."

"I've known Richard for seven years. When he gets nervous, he starts making mistakes.

"Right now, his biggest headache isn't me. It's the stock price.

"If it hits the limit down again today, the big players will start dumping their shares tomorrow. He won't survive three days."

"So you mean..."

"Just wait."

"Alright. I'll get all the counterattack materials ready.

"Your project contribution records from the past seven years, the original shareholding agreements, and the data on your team's performance in the company's annual reports.

"Everything will be ready to use whenever you need it."

"Well, there's one more thing."

"Go ahead."

"Yesterday, someone named Edward Harris reached out to me, saying he's a partner at Summit Capital. Can you dig up some info on him for me?"

"Summit Capital?" Joey's tone shifted. "That's a big fish. Alright, I'll look into it today."

After hanging up, I washed my face and went downstairs for breakfast.

*****

Sitting in the restaurant, I pulled out my phone and checked the news.

Just as I expected, my name was everywhere.

[BREAKING: Horizon Enterprises EXPOSED! Mysterious Shareholder Cashes Out 9 Billion Dollars.]

[IPO Day Crash: Former Exec Accused of Stealing Trade Secrets.]

[Insider Reveals: Michael Brooks Committed Multiple Violations While at the Company.]

Insider? Yeah, I could already guess who that was.

The comments were all roasting me.

[Guys like him are parasites eating away at the system.]

[3 billion dollars? Ordinary people couldn't earn that in a hundred lifetimes, and he walked away with it.]

[This needs a serious investigation. Can't let someone like him off the hook.]

I set my phone down and took a sip of coffee. I was in no hurry.

Richard thought he could use public opinion to corner me, but he was barking up the wrong tree.

I got one thing going for me: I could take a lot.

After surviving seven years of this, I felt a few more days was nothing.

*****

After breakfast, I headed back to my room and saw a new message on my phone.

It was from Edward. [Mr. Brooks, I saw the news today. If you need any help, I can offer some resources.

[No strings attached. I admire your guts. Would you be free for a call today?]

I stared at the message for half a minute.

Summit Capital had seventy billion dollars under management. If they were on my side, Richard's whole PR stunt was a joke.

But nothing came for free. What did Edward want from me?

I replied with two words: [This afternoon.]

*****

At two o'clock sharp, Edward's call came through. His voice was calm and steady, not rushed at all. "Mr. Brooks, I've long admired you."

"That's flattering, Mr. Harris. We've never met," I replied.

"True, but your name's been floating around for three years now."

"Oh?"

"Our analysts have reviewed every pitch deck from Horizon Enterprises' fundraising roadshows over the past three years.

"Smart city projects, digital government initiatives, industrial internet platforms, your team was behind all of them."

"So you guys really did your homework?"

"Of course. We even considered investing in Horizon's pre-IPO round. But we decided to pass."

"Why not?"

"Because we found something off."

"What was it?"

"The company's most valuable asset isn't the tech or the clients. It's a single person. And that person doesn't even rank among the top three shareholders."

I stayed silent.

"Mr. Brooks, if the backbone of the company could leave anytime, that's way too risky. That's why we passed."

"Your assessment was spot on."

"That's right. But to be honest, I didn't expect things to unfold so quickly."

"Mr. Harris, you didn't call to sing my praises, did you?"

He chuckled. "Straightforward. I like that. So I'll cut to the chase."

"I'm listening."

"I want to invest in you."

"Invest in me? Right now, I've got nothing, just a pile of cash."

"Mr. Brooks, you've got 3 billion dollars sitting in your account, seven years of running top-tier projects, a whole playbook of business know-how, and the deepest connections in the industry. You really think that's 'nothing'?"

I leaned back in my balcony chair, gazing out at the horizon. "So, what exactly do you want me to do?"

"Start your own company. Summit Capital will back you in your first round. You name the price."

"I quit yesterday, and now I've already got someone pitching me to start something new."

"Opportunities don't wait. And..." He paused. "Richard's not going to let you off easy. He needs a scapegoat to take the heat off himself.

"If you're some ex-employee who cashed out and walked away, he can spin whatever story he wants about you.

"But if you're the founder of a new company with Summit Capital behind you, he'll have to think twice before making a move."

He nailed it. "Mr. Harris, you're sharp."

"Right back at you."

"Let me think it over."

"Alright. No rush. Just get back to me within three days."

"One more thing."

"Go ahead."

"Did you dig into my background?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Then you should know. I don't like being played as someone else's pawn."

There was a brief silence on the other end. "Mr. Brooks, I'm not here to use you as a pawn. I want to do business with you.

"Business is all about win-win. If you win, I win."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind."

"I'll be waiting for your answer."

I hung up.