After the restructuring, Greg Jensen held 25% of the shares, and the management owned 15%.
Chestor Ware, Adrian Wright, Spencer Burley, Brandon Brent, and Wallace Carter together held a total of 13%.
The remaining 47% of the shares were held by retail investors.
In other words, Greg Jensen had become the biggest shareholder of Locke Corp, with absolute say in the company.
And the original Locke family had been completely kicked out of Locke Corp.
â¦
Late at night, the Locke family villa was brightly lit, all the members of the Locke family gathered together, exchanging toasts and celebrating that the family had finally overcome its difficulties.
Locke Corp owed the banks more than five hundred million, and with the previously retained cash, as well as the funds from selling the shareholding, and the contributions of the Locke family members themselves, they had finally managed to fill that hole.
Although the company no longer had any working capital, as long as the debts owed by the downstream companies were recollected, Locke Corp could start operating again.
However, what they didnât know was that Locke Corp now bore the name of Jensen.
âHarold, quickly transfer your shares to Ethan. After you get to work tomorrow, Ethan will hold a meeting in the company to reassure the management, so they wonât worry,â someone said.
âYes, Grandpa,â Ethan replied, smiling and agreeing with a hint of excitement in his eyes. So much time had passed, and he was finally about to take control.
By Ethanâs side, Joe Lockeâs heart had risen to his throat, and fine cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
He hesitated for a moment and, using the excuse of going to the bathroom, stealthily drove away in his car.
He was heading to Phoenix County in person to see what exactly was going on with Quinton Creed.
On the other side, Ethan, realizing that his father had disappeared, thought his father had gone off to enjoy himself again, and so he didnât take it to heart.
The next morning, he got up early, had breakfast, and then drove to the company.
Looking at the majestic building of Locke Corp, he felt triumphant. From today onwards, it belonged to him.
Imagining himself commanding with authority within this tower and leading the Locke family to glory, Ethan couldnât help but feel his heart surge with excitement.
He drove into the underground parking lot and parked his car in the spot reserved for the chairman. After getting out of the car, he suddenly noticed a Wrangler parked in the space next to his, which looked very familiar, although he couldnât remember where he had seen it.
Assuming it belonged to a new employee who didnât know this was the chairmanâs reserved parking spot, he didnât make much of it and took the private elevator to the top floor.
After entering the company, he suddenly felt the employeesâ gaze on him was somewhat amiss.
Mockery, sarcasm, pity, and schadenfreude â a complex mix of looks were all directed at him.
Whatâs going on?
Did they know that he was about to take over managing the company?
Ethan was puzzled and said, âCall all the senior executives to the meeting room; I want to have a meeting.â
A dead silence fell around him; everyone was looking at him, but no one responded.
After what seemed like an eternity, it was the receptionist who first regained composure and stuttered, âLin⦠Mr. Locke, theyâre already in the meeting room.â
âTheyâre already in the meeting room? Oh, thatâs perfect,â Ethan said.
He thought that the senior executives had received the message, guessed he was going to hold a meeting, and were waiting for him in advance.
Therefore, far from being surprised, he nodded in satisfaction and said, âBring in a cup of coffee.â
âOâ¦Ok.â
Watching Ethan stride confidently into the meeting room, a buzz erupted in the corridor.
âDidnât the company change owners? Why is he here?â
âI donât know, but from the look of it, he seems unaware of whatâs happened, right?â
âNow, thereâs going to be a good show.â
A group of people all gathered at the doorway to the conference room, peering inside through the crack in the door.
The air inside the conference room seemed to have solidified, eerily quiet and almost suffocating.
Ethan Locke stood dumbfounded at the door, his face a picture of bafflement as he stared at Greg Jensen seated in the chairmanâs position, muttering, âGreg, why are you here?â
With a slight uptick at the corner of his mouth, Greg Jensen gave a cold laugh, âWhy canât I be here?â
Ethan Locke finally regained his composure and said sternly, âYouâre just a minor shareholder. What right do you have to sit there? Get off that seat now.â
Greg Jensen smiled, not bothering to reply, but instead leaned back in his chair and leisurely took a sip of the coffee in front of him.
Ethan Lockeâs face darkened further, and just as he was about to speak, an executive next to him suddenly said, âMr. Locke, are you really unaware, or are you just pretending to be clueless?â
âWhat do you mean?â Ethan Locke asked with a frown.
The executive calmly stated, âMr. Jensen holds twenty-five percent of Locke Corporationâs shares and also represents an additional thirteen percent.
As of now, Mr. Jensen has become the largest shareholder of Locke Corporation while your Locke family seems to no longer own any shares of the company, right?â
âImpossible!â
Ethan Locke was shocked and looked at Greg Jensen in disbelief, saying, âYou should only have, at most, fifteen percent. Where did you get all those extra shares from?â
âYeah, where did that extra twenty-three percent come from?â
Greg Jensen chuckled teasingly, gazing at the bewildered Ethan Locke, feeling immensely satisfied in his heart.
From the very beginning when he sent Theo Carter to watch over Cindy Harrison and the Locke family, to exposing the scandalous affairs of Cindy Harrison and Alan Locke at the wedding banquet,
to setting a trap for Joe Locke to acquire Locke Corporationâs shares and the replacement of Fragrant Spirit Grass that forced the Locke family into a desperate situation,
and finally, joining forces with Chestor Ware and others to buy up fifteen percent of Locke Corporationâs shares.
Today, Greg Jensen finally seized the entire Locke Corporation, pushing the once unstoppable Locke family into the abyss.
The various sufferings he had endured in the past were now repaid manifold, making Greg Jensen feel an extreme sense of exhilaration, wishing he could let out a victorious howl to the sky.
He took a deep breath, laughed heartily, and then jeered, âWhat if those additional shares were given to me by Joe Locke?â
âThis⦠this canât be!â
Although Ethan Locke denied the possibility with his words, his complexion had already changed, with cold sweat streaming down his pale cheeks, his body shaking uncontrollably.
After hearing what Greg Jensen said, Ethan Locke suddenly remembered that his father had exactly twenty-three percent of the shares.
Could it be that his father really gifted his shares to Greg Jensen?
How could this be possible?
At that moment, the executive who spoke earlier stood up, placed a photocopy on the table.
Ethan Locke turned his stiff neck and slowly looked down at the photocopy on the table, his eyes widening in shock.
It was a document from the business department detailing the change in share ownership!
On it was clearly written that Greg Jensen personally owned twenty-five percent of the shares and represented an additional thirteen percent held by Chestor Ware and others, making him the major shareholder of Locke Corporation.
Boom!
Upon seeing the photocopy, Ethan Locke felt as if his head had exploded, his body swaying involuntarily and nearly collapsing to the ground.
Itâs over!
The Locke family was finished!
The grand enterprise they had built suffered massive losses due to offending the Simmons family, and Joe Lockeâs shares had mysteriously ended up in Greg Jensenâs hands.
The entire Locke Corporation was now completely unrelated to the Locke family!
Decades of effort by three generations, all gone back to square one before liberation?