Chapter 660:
The meeting opened with the vice president of the chip division, his voice heavy. “Mr. Owen, the situation is worse than expected. Because of the Strait of Emerald conflict, the United Federal Nations has cut off high-end military chip supplies, citing so-called ‘potential military risks.’ They’ve even blacklisted several commercial chips we depend on, claiming we might ‘repurpose’ or ‘modify’ them.”
A board member slammed the table, his anger spilling out. “What nonsense! They’re exploiting the crisis! They know we’re desperate for chip reserves and are using it to push smuggled goods at three times the price!”
Another executive, looking drained, added, “We just received word that the billions we invested into the ‘Chip Future’ tech park are in jeopardy. Three major production lines are nearly shut down from the shortage. If we can’t find an alternative in two weeks, the investment will be lost… Stock prices are already falling.”
The meeting went quiet, unease carved into every face. This was no ordinary setback. It was a chokehold on the company’s very survival.
One of the directors from research and development spoke up. “Have the experts you sent to explore the mines returned with anything useful? The chips we make ourselves still fall far short of the required precision. We especially lack the special gases and silicon wafers needed for etching and lithography. The purity standards are so high we’ve always relied on imports. Now that even the raw materials are blocked, we’re at a dead end.”
Felix’s face hardened. His hands clenched in his lap, the veins on the backs of them standing out.
He drew in a steadying breath before answering. “The mines are too hostile to work by hand. They’re filled with toxins and unstable traps. I couldn’t bring back any samples.”
His words drew heavy sighs across the meeting.
“Without that, we can’t proceed with the research and development. The market is still monopolized by the United Federal Nations.”
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“Then we’ll have to abandon the tech sector. But the loss of our initial billions will crush us.”
Just then, a cool female voice cut through Felix’s microphone, reaching every corner of the call. “So the heart of the issue is that the high-purity silicon minerals, the special gases, and the etching materials required for advanced chips are monopolized and no longer supplied to us. Is that correct?”
On the screens, every director and executive froze, their eyes landing on the young woman seated at Felix’s side. Her features were delicate, though her skin looked pale. She leaned against a crutch, her calm gaze unsettling in its clarity.
Someone immediately frowned, his tone sharp with disapproval. “Mr. Owen, who is she? We’re in the middle of the company’s most urgent crisis. Shouldn’t outsiders be asked to leave?”
“She isn’t an outsider,” Felix said, his voice low and edged with a clear note of protectiveness. “She’s my sister.”
“Your sister? So… she’s Miss Owen?”
Everyone in the room belonged to the Owen Group’s core circle, so they had naturally heard of her. She had once stood in for her family at the bidding session for Nexus Future.
Though most of them had never met her in person, her name floated around the social scene. Stories about Rylie were common, and not all of them flattering.
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Message from Noa: Have a great friday dear readers, in a few hours we will have two new novels, hope you like them. God loves you and Noa wishes you all the best. (─‿‿O)
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