Chapter 390

Chapter 390:

A Successful Conclusion

Unfortunately, Howard overlooked a crucial factor. His phone boasted impressive features, but ultimately, the decisive factor would be whether people were willing to purchase it at its price. After dedicating years to chip research and investing heavily in both time and money, it was inevitable that the phone wouldn’t come cheap.

“It’s $9,933!” Howard said onstage. “That’s the selling price. Plus, the first 100,000 buyers will receive a random gift.”

The audience was immediately taken aback.

“That’s incredibly affordable! Aren’t they concerned about making a loss?”

“Well, if they sell enough units, perhaps they won’t.”

“I just bought a phone from Corbett, but Howard’s product seems superior! I think I need to cancel my order with Corbett’s company.”

In fact, many in the audience had previously bought Corbett’s phone, but now they were hastily taking out their phones to initiate refund requests.

Howard’s phone was not only high-performing but also priced competitively. Anyone who valued quality would choose his product!

After the launch event concluded, Corbett’s assistant hurried to his office and knocked urgently. “Mr. Klein, we have a situation.” The assistant looked visibly distressed.

Corbett turned calmly and inquired, “What’s the issue?”

“Our orders are plummeting! There’s a surge in refund requests!”

Corbett’s expression immediately turned somber. He hadn’t anticipated that Howard’s product would hit them so hard.

Corbett clenched his teeth in frustration. “Damn Howard!”

However, he wasn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet!

Meanwhile, Tatiana gazed blankly at the computer screen, the assistant’s words echoing in her mind. The surge in refund requests meant everyone was switching to Howard’s phone. Tatiana felt uneasy. Truthfully, after witnessing Howard’s presentation, she found herself drawn to his product as well. Howard’s phone clearly outshone Corbett’s in every aspect.

Although Howard had been out of the spotlight for years, his return was as impactful as ever.

If Corbett couldn’t compete with Howard, then he wouldn’t be able to take over the Klein Group. Then… what was her reason for staying with Corbett? If she had stayed with Howard during his recovery, she would be in the spotlight now!

At the event venue, Howard and Andrew bid farewell to everyone before heading back to the Klein Group. In the lounge, Andrew personally made coffee for Elaine and Glenn, displaying respectful and gracious demeanor.

Elaine, increasingly impressed by Andrew, couldn’t help but ask, “Shouldn’t you be with your team right now, keeping track of the sales figures?” This was, after all, a critical time.

Andrew smiled and responded, “I can monitor from here.”

As he said this, he opened his laptop, and the live sales dashboard displayed skyrocketing figures. In just thirty minutes, sales had already topped 100,900! This performance significantly outdid Corbett’s!

Glenn showed a subtle smile of approval. “You’ve really outdone yourselves this time. Corbett can’t hold a candle to you. However, knowing his character, he won’t give up easily.”

“Thanks for the heads-up, Glenn. I’ll keep that in mind. But no matter what Corbett tries, he’ll only make a fool of himself.” Andrew’s tone was indifferent, clearly dismissing any serious concern about Corbett.

“Fair enough,” Glenn nodded.

Meanwhile, Madisyn gave Andrew a look, and he responded with a wink, his expression playfully charming. Madisyn’s lips twitched involuntarily.

Shortly after, Howard joined them.

“The sales figures are impressive,” Howard said with a smile.

“Hey, Howard, there’s a lot of buzz about you online,” Madisyn said as she scrolled through her phone.

“Everyone’s saying you’re so charming, they want to marry you! Imagine the frenzy if you released signed merchandise!”

“I’m not a celebrity. I just want to focus on my research,” Howard replied. “Dinner’s on me tonight.”

Andrew quickly added, “It should be on me. Feel free to invite your team as well.”

Elaine quickly added, “You all deserve a celebration. We’ll take our leave now.”

“Please, everyone would love to meet the person who raised such an impressive son like Howard,” Andrew said warmly.

Elaine hesitated, glancing at Glenn, who nodded in approval, so she agreed to stay.

Howard’s research team consisted mainly of younger individuals, with the oldest being around forty. Andrew had reserved the entire restaurant.

“It’s been a rough period for everyone. Let’s raise a glass to your efforts!” Andrew was the first to lift his glass, taking a sip.

Everyone else followed, raising their glasses and drinking.

Andrew added, “Please make yourselves at home. If you need anything, just ask the staff.”

Madisyn was struck by how approachable Andrew was with the employees. It was unusual to see a CEO who mingled so naturally with their staff—most leaders maintained a noticeable distance, making them hard to approach.

Then someone stood up and said, “I’d like to make a toast to Mr. Johns! Your skills have genuinely enhanced our department’s performance!”

It was a female colleague who looked at Howard with clear admiration.

Howard stood up and responded modestly, “Let’s not stand on ceremony. Our success is due to collective effort, not just mine. Thank you for your dedication. Let’s enjoy the meal and skip the formalities!”

With another round of toasts, they began their meal. During dinner, that female colleague made several attempts to engage Howard in conversation. Howard kept his responses polite yet reserved, then shifted her attention to Elaine instead.

“Mrs. Johns, you look so young and beautiful! If I didn’t know any better, I’d mistake you for Mr. Johns’s sister!”

Everyone appreciated a compliment, and Elaine was no exception, responding with a smile, “You’re quite the charmer. How long have you been with the team?”

“I started right after finishing college, so it’s been about four years,” the woman replied with a friendly smile. Securing a position at Klein Group straight from college was an impressive achievement.

“That’s quite remarkable!”

“Thank you! I really love it here, particularly working with Mr. Johns—he’s incredible at what he does.” The woman’s cheeks were tinted with a slight blush as she spoke.

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