StarElite has always been Lyson's biggest competitor in mainland China,with an overlap in business of up to80%.Before LK's yacht agency took Ethan from them,the two companies were constantly in conflict over various projects.However,compared to Lyson,a multinational company with several decades of history,StarElite is a latecomer with a much weaker foundation.
Moreover,the recent mountain fire resulted in heavy losses not only for Lyson but also for the forest park next to Starry's land investment building.Unlike Lyson,which has strong financial support from its head office,the fire nearly destroyed half of Starry's foundations,causing its stock price to plummet overnight.At that time,Liam took advantage of the situation and secretly executed plans that no one was aware of.If Ethan had not received the checks that William and Liu Chen made out to Liam,he wouldn't have been drawn into this series of events.
Ethan threw the collected evidence in front of Liam,indicating that he should take a look.As Liam glanced through the documents,a smirk appeared on his face."Even if I invested in Starry,so what?It's still debatable whether William is the one who leaked the company's secrets.I have nothing to do with him at all.Do you think you can claim I colluded with him to sell out the company's interests just because you have some photos of us meeting privately?"
"With this evidence,even if we can't convict you and William of selling trade secrets,at the very least,Grandpa and the board of directors won't trust you anymore,"Ethan replied slowly."I've already scanned all the information and sent it to Grandpa.You and I both know how he will react."
Liam's expression finally darkened.What would the older man's reaction be?Was it truly predictable?A moment later,the corner of his mouth curled into a wry smile."I suspected something like this from the moment I learned about William.I knew you wouldn't fall for his manipulations.I had wanted to use that project in Germany to defeat you instantly,and as expected,you saw through it.But now,even Grandpa knows I've just been ousted from the company.Still,I won't manage to get my hands on the president's position.Staying here to watch you is meaningless."
"So,you took the risk of betraying the company by instigating Angus and William to help you steal company information and send it to StarElite?Do you really think you can rely on StarElite to defeat Lyson?"Ethan's voice was icy.
Liam shrugged indifferently."If you have any evidence that proves I leaked trade secrets,feel free to sue me.If not,talking is pointless.Let's see whose skills prevail in the future."
He stood up,leaving one last remark:"There's no need to wait for Great Grandpa to kick me out of the company.I'll resign now.Take care of yourself in the future."
Once he said that,he turned to leave.However,before stepping out of the office,Ethan suddenly spoke again,casually stating,"Do you think I'll only defend myself against William and not Angus,who seems to have even more dubious motives?"
Liam paused in his tracks and turned sharply to look at Ethan,who smiled back.He picked up the phone and dialed his secretary outside,instructing her,"Please come and see me off."
******
It was noon when they got off the plane.Ethan headed to the office while Marcus went home,took a shower,and fell asleep.He woke up at five o'clock,changed his clothes,and drove to the front of Ethan's office.
Instead of going into the parking lot,he waited outside the company building.He picked up his cell phone to call Ethan but noticed William coming out of the building,juggling a lot of items.Marcus checked the time on his phone—it wasn't time to get off work yet.He lightly tapped his fingers on the steering wheel,thinking that William was probably overwhelmed,but he felt no sympathy.
Initially,Marcus had no plans to approach him,but when William saw Marcus's car,he walked over and tossed the pile of items into a nearby trash can.Then he bent down,knocked on Marcus's window,and got inside before Marcus could frown.
"Just a few words with you,and then I'll be on my way,"William said quickly.
Marcus lifted his chin slowly,signaling him to continue.
"I thought you'd be nicer than Ethan,but I didn't realize you were more desperate.Ethan was in a hurry to kick me out of the company to show you his loyalty,right?"
Marcus was almost amused and asked rhetorically,"What makes you think we owe you any mercy?"
"I'm curious to see how far you can go with him.A relationship like yours probably won't last."
"Don't bother."
William sneered,opened the door,exited the car,called a cab,and left.
When Ethan came out of the company and saw William getting out of Marcus's car,he curiously asked,"What did William say to you?"
Marcus wasn't in a good mood."He said something bad about us."
Ethan burst out laughing."Come on,you can't care about what he said."
Ignoring him,Marcus started the car and prepared to drive away.Ethan quickly reminded him,"You forgot to buckle your seatbelt."
Ethan leaned over to help pull the seatbelt across Marcus.
"I'm not going to do what he wants,"Marcus said.
"What did he want?"Ethan asked.
"He said we wouldn't last,and I won't do what he wants."
Ethan nodded and leaned in to give Marcus a light kiss on the lips.Stepping back slightly,he said,"Just ignore him."
In a sudden move,Marcus turned off the engine,pulled Ethan close,and kissed him passionately as Ethan tried to pull away.Undoing the seatbelt Ethan had just helped him with,he rolled over onto the passenger seat,pressing Ethan against him and kissing him eagerly.
Even though Ethan was flattered by Marcus's initiative,he couldn't help but smile and remind him,"This is the entrance to the company."
Since it was after hours and people were coming and going,he felt a little daring.
Marcus pressed closer and murmured,"Anyway,this is also your company."
******
After resolving the situation with Liam and William,Marcus took the initiative to offer Ethan a rare kiss.Ethan seemed very happy and chose a restaurant he had always wanted to visit but had never made it to because he thought it was too far.As soon as they sat down,he ordered a large array of food and had wine served.
"You're happy?Did things work out with the company?"Marcus asked.
Ethan nodded."I fired William,and Liam resigned on his own."
"What about the information leak?"
"That was a fake,"Ethan replied with a smile."Lucas figured out that Angus was up to no good a while back.I asked him to set a trap.He worked overtime in the company during that period,keeping an eye on the system upgrades while faking another database system.He inserted some false data and then misled Angus into believing that all the data he stole was fake.Liam will find out soon enough that he's rejoicing over nothing."
"He resigned so painfully?"
"I sent all the collected evidence to Grandpa Tai.Although it wasn't enough to prosecute him,it would make it clear that Grandpa won't trust him anymore.If he doesn't resign,he'll just be waiting to be kicked out by Grandpa Tai.It's better for him to save face and leave voluntarily."
Marcus was speechless."He's still a member of your Ethan family,isn't he?What good does it do him to betray his family's company?"
"I don't like the way he operates;he's unbalanced.Only Lucas and I were raised by Grandpa.He only gave Lucas and me shares in the company.Even though Liam holds a key position,he's just a part-time employee.It's understandable that he'd harbor a grudge and seek alternatives.It makes sense that he would buy shares of Starry Rising and then steal important information from our company,probably because he wants to go against Lysol."
"Since he's working for Lysol,where did he get the money to buy shares of Starry Rising?"
"His wife is wealthy.She's the daughter of an oil mogul;she's incredibly rich."A smile spread across Ethan's face."You've reminded me,though.It's about time he let his wife know about his affair."
"...,"Marcus poured Ethan a drink and cautioned him,"Be careful;a cornered dog will bite."
Ethan shrugged indifferently."He's just a lost dog;he can't create much trouble."
"The head office won't come after you?"
"Grandpa will help me resolve the issues.Right now,Liam can't rely on anyone;he can only regret losing me.Besides,Lucas is quietly hurt.He had been hoping Angus would back off.I didn't think he'd let his feelings get involved."
"At least he's still on your side,knowing that Angus wasn't trustworthy and advising you to stay cautious."
"It's a matter of principle;he wouldn't want to risk making a mistake."
Marcus nodded,choosing to let the conversation end there.
Someone was playing the piano in the dining room.After listening for a while,Ethan snapped his fingers to call the waiter and asked,"Can I request a tune?"
"Sure."
Ethan turned to Marcus with a smile."What would you like to hear?"
Marcus glanced at the pianist and replied,"Forget it.I don't like piano music."
"...Alright then."Ethan dropped the idea and casually asked him about something else."Did you...?"
Ethan paused to consider the situation but still smiled and shook his head."Forget it.Let's talk about it next time.There are too many people here,and if you don't play well,you'll get complaints."
Marcus didn't believe him at all;he thought Ethan was just bragging.He tossed a piece of food into Ethan's bowl and said,"You'd better eat." StarElite has always been Lyson's biggest competitor in mainland China,with an overlap in business of up to80%.Before LK's yacht agency took Ethan from them,the two companies were constantly in conflict over various projects.However,compared to Lyson,a multinational company with several decades of history,StarElite is a latecomer with a much weaker foundation.
Moreover,the recent mountain fire resulted in heavy losses not only for Lyson but also for the forest park next to Starry's land investment building.Unlike Lyson,which has strong financial support from its head office,the fire nearly destroyed half of Starry's foundations,causing its stock price to plummet overnight.At that time,Liam took advantage of the situation and secretly executed plans that no one was aware of.If Ethan had not received the checks that William and Liu Chen made out to Liam,he wouldn't have been drawn into this series of events.
Ethan threw the collected evidence in front of Liam,indicating that he should take a look.As Liam glanced through the documents,a smirk appeared on his face."Even if I invested in Starry,so what?It's still debatable whether William is the one who leaked the company's secrets.I have nothing to do with him at all.Do you think you can claim I colluded with him to sell out the company's interests just because you have some photos of us meeting privately?"
"With this evidence,even if we can't convict you and William of selling trade secrets,at the very least,Grandpa and the board of directors won't trust you anymore,"Ethan replied slowly."I've already scanned all the information and sent it to Grandpa.You and I both know how he will react."
Liam's expression finally darkened.What would the older man's reaction be?Was it truly predictable?A moment later,the corner of his mouth curled into a wry smile."I suspected something like this from the moment I learned about William.I knew you wouldn't fall for his manipulations.I had wanted to use that project in Germany to defeat you instantly,and as expected,you saw through it.But now,even Grandpa knows I've just been ousted from the company.Still,I won't manage to get my hands on the president's position.Staying here to watch you is meaningless."
"So,you took the risk of betraying the company by instigating Angus and William to help you steal company information and send it to StarElite?Do you really think you can rely on StarElite to defeat Lyson?"Ethan's voice was icy.
Liam shrugged indifferently."If you have any evidence that proves I leaked trade secrets,feel free to sue me.If not,talking is pointless.Let's see whose skills prevail in the future."
He stood up,leaving one last remark:"There's no need to wait for Great Grandpa to kick me out of the company.I'll resign now.Take care of yourself in the future."
Once he said that,he turned to leave.However,before stepping out of the office,Ethan suddenly spoke again,casually stating,"Do you think I'll only defend myself against William and not Angus,who seems to have even more dubious motives?"
Liam paused in his tracks and turned sharply to look at Ethan,who smiled back.He picked up the phone and dialed his secretary outside,instructing her,"Please come and see me off."
******
It was noon when they got off the plane.Ethan headed to the office while Marcus went home,took a shower,and fell asleep.He woke up at five o'clock,changed his clothes,and drove to the front of Ethan's office.
Instead of going into the parking lot,he waited outside the company building.He picked up his cell phone to call Ethan but noticed William coming out of the building,juggling a lot of items.Marcus checked the time on his phone—it wasn't time to get off work yet.He lightly tapped his fingers on the steering wheel,thinking that William was probably overwhelmed,but he felt no sympathy.
Initially,Marcus had no plans to approach him,but when William saw Marcus's car,he walked over and tossed the pile of items into a nearby trash can.Then he bent down,knocked on Marcus's window,and got inside before Marcus could frown.
"Just a few words with you,and then I'll be on my way,"William said quickly.
Marcus lifted his chin slowly,signaling him to continue.
"I thought you'd be nicer than Ethan,but I didn't realize you were more desperate.Ethan was in a hurry to kick me out of the company to show you his loyalty,right?"
Marcus was almost amused and asked rhetorically,"What makes you think we owe you any mercy?"
"I'm curious to see how far you can go with him.A relationship like yours probably won't last."
"Don't bother."
William sneered,opened the door,exited the car,called a cab,and left.
When Ethan came out of the company and saw William getting out of Marcus's car,he curiously asked,"What did William say to you?"
Marcus wasn't in a good mood."He said something bad about us."
Ethan burst out laughing."Come on,you can't care about what he said."
Ignoring him,Marcus started the car and prepared to drive away.Ethan quickly reminded him,"You forgot to buckle your seatbelt."
Ethan leaned over to help pull the seatbelt across Marcus.
"I'm not going to do what he wants,"Marcus said.
"What did he want?"Ethan asked.
"He said we wouldn't last,and I won't do what he wants."
Ethan nodded and leaned in to give Marcus a light kiss on the lips.Stepping back slightly,he said,"Just ignore him."
In a sudden move,Marcus turned off the engine,pulled Ethan close,and kissed him passionately as Ethan tried to pull away.Undoing the seatbelt Ethan had just helped him with,he rolled over onto the passenger seat,pressing Ethan against him and kissing him eagerly.
Even though Ethan was flattered by Marcus's initiative,he couldn't help but smile and remind him,"This is the entrance to the company."
Since it was after hours and people were coming and going,he felt a little daring.
Marcus pressed closer and murmured,"Anyway,this is also your company."
******
After resolving the situation with Liam and William,Marcus took the initiative to offer Ethan a rare kiss.Ethan seemed very happy and chose a restaurant he had always wanted to visit but had never made it to because he thought it was too far.As soon as they sat down,he ordered a large array of food and had wine served.
"You're happy?Did things work out with the company?"Marcus asked.
Ethan nodded."I fired William,and Liam resigned on his own."
"What about the information leak?"
"That was a fake,"Ethan replied with a smile."Lucas figured out that Angus was up to no good a while back.I asked him to set a trap.He worked overtime in the company during that period,keeping an eye on the system upgrades while faking another database system.He inserted some false data and then misled Angus into believing that all the data he stole was fake.Liam will find out soon enough that he's rejoicing over nothing."
"He resigned so painfully?"
"I sent all the collected evidence to Grandpa Tai.Although it wasn't enough to prosecute him,it would make it clear that Grandpa won't trust him anymore.If he doesn't resign,he'll just be waiting to be kicked out by Grandpa Tai.It's better for him to save face and leave voluntarily."
Marcus was speechless."He's still a member of your Ethan family,isn't he?What good does it do him to betray his family's company?"
"I don't like the way he operates;he's unbalanced.Only Lucas and I were raised by Grandpa.He only gave Lucas and me shares in the company.Even though Liam holds a key position,he's just a part-time employee.It's understandable that he'd harbor a grudge and seek alternatives.It makes sense that he would buy shares of Starry Rising and then steal important information from our company,probably because he wants to go against Lysol."
"Since he's working for Lysol,where did he get the money to buy shares of Starry Rising?"
"His wife is wealthy.She's the daughter of an oil mogul;she's incredibly rich."A smile spread across Ethan's face."You've reminded me,though.It's about time he let his wife know about his affair."
"...,"Marcus poured Ethan a drink and cautioned him,"Be careful;a cornered dog will bite."
Ethan shrugged indifferently."He's just a lost dog;he can't create much trouble."
"The head office won't come after you?"
"Grandpa will help me resolve the issues.Right now,Liam can't rely on anyone;he can only regret losing me.Besides,Lucas is quietly hurt.He had been hoping Angus would back off.I didn't think he'd let his feelings get involved."
"At least he's still on your side,knowing that Angus wasn't trustworthy and advising you to stay cautious."
"It's a matter of principle;he wouldn't want to risk making a mistake."
Marcus nodded,choosing to let the conversation end there.
Someone was playing the piano in the dining room.After listening for a while,Ethan snapped his fingers to call the waiter and asked,"Can I request a tune?"
"Sure."
Ethan turned to Marcus with a smile."What would you like to hear?"
Marcus glanced at the pianist and replied,"Forget it.I don't like piano music."
"...Alright then."Ethan dropped the idea and casually asked him about something else."Did you...?"
Ethan paused to consider the situation but still smiled and shook his head."Forget it.Let's talk about it next time.There are too many people here,and if you don't play well,you'll get complaints."
Marcus didn't believe him at all;he thought Ethan was just bragging.He tossed a piece of food into Ethan's bowl and said,"You'd better eat."