Chapter 102

Even though Brielle had no desire to be entangled with William, she had to admit he was spot on–Max truly held his values in high regard.

Alpha Enterprises‘ leadership had launched a total of five initiatives last year, sparking a frenzy of competition among the teams. This not only tested their mettle but also fostered a cutthroat culture within the company. In the pursuit of high stakes rewards, employees were more inclined to copy successful models from others, directly transplanting star projects from startup teams. Hence, Alpha Enterprises‘

growth was always shadowed by a chorus of criticism.

While it was true that business often lacked clear distinctions between “good” and “evil,” and sometimes even between “right” and “wrong,” it didn’t mean that companies should have been devoid of a sense of social responsibility. Companies shouldn’t have engaged in competition without any ethical boundaries, nor should they have behaved without constraints.

For now, Alpha was unscathed simply because a few of its leaders had connections in high places. But in the ever–shifting landscapes of politics and commerce, should their protective canopy fall, a deluge of lawsuits would inevitably await Alpha Enterprises. Dorsey International getting involved with such a company would only attract trouble.

Brielle hung her head, acutely aware of Ryan’s glare–cold, mocking, and venomous. The shadows cast by what Ryan brought to her that night were vivid in her memory, and she realized she shouldn’t have provoked him. But even if she hadn’t done so today, Ryan would never have let her off the hook.

Ryan narrowed his eyes and switched the content on the big screen. “We invest in a company based solely on its potential profitability. Other considerations are irrelevant. These are the strategies for the future given to me by Alpha’s leaders. Take a look before we make any decisions.”

17:14 Originally, Brielle had thought Alpha might go bankrupt and restructure. within the next two years. But after seeing the strategy, she suspected they might barely last another year.

Ryan was too eager to turn his fortunes around with this investment, and given his longstanding friendship with Alpha’s president, he had overlooked crucial details.

She frowned and slowly put down her pen. To be honest, the strategy was beautifully crafted, a carefully polished piece.

Ryan went on with more talk, each sentence more professional than the last, before finally turning off the big screen.

“Alpha chose Dorsey International because of a personal connection. with me. We absolutely can’t miss this opportunity.”

Brielle’s eyelids lazily twitched as she spoke up in a soft voice, “Investing two billion is a huge sum.

Surely it would require Mr. Dorsey’s approval, right?”

Otherwise, what was Max, the president, but a mere figurehead? How could Ryan be so bold?

Caught off guard by Brielle’s blunt question, Ryan struggled to produce the explanation he had prepared. He had planned to break up the investment into smaller portions, like the previous building deal, to avoid requiring Max’s approval. Knowing Max’s reputation for integrity, Ryan guessed that just seeing his name, Ryan, would prompt Max to reject the project outright.

Sensing Ryan’s hesitation, Brielle couldn’t help but smile. “It is such a major project. Mr. Ryan, are you thinking of bypassing Mr. Dorsey and going straight in? It hasn’t been long since the building scandal, and several here are still on Mr. Dorsey’s list. If you were to proceed like this, it might be difficult to explain to Mr. Dorsey.”

Ryan took a deep breath, wishing he could wring Brielle’s neck. He clenched his teeth and turned to William.

17:14 “This project is truly worth the investment, but Max will dismiss it the moment he sees my name. Maybe we can handle this like last time. The building incident is done, and we can’t undo it, but if we triple the profits this time, we’ll recover all the losses from that project. What do you think?”

Brielle also looked at William, curious how he would respond without offending Ryan.

William smiled, removing the glasses perched on his nose, revealing fine lines at the corners of his eyes. Despite his impressive upkeep, the signs of his fifty years were inevitable.

“Brielle has a point. If we go ahead with this, it’ll be tough to explain to Max. Why not have Brielle gauge Max’s stance on the matter?”

Without hesitation, he pushed Brielle, the one with no connections, into the line of fire.