Find a Way
“Boss, everything for the new device is ready and the sales team are ready for work, the stores are already stocked and waiting for your go-ahead,” Ted reported through the computer screen, his eyes had heavy eye bag, showing his days of long sleepless nights for the project to be completed in time. Mark hummed in reply as he read the data report that had just been sent.Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.
“Tell them to begin the sales tomorrow morning and the first fifty copies should be sold at a fifty percent discount” he instructed. “Have the media team also post on the official website that fifty copies can be custom-made while the others will be sold at the same prices and model” he added and Ted documented his instruction, not trusting himself enough to remember them afterwards.
“Then the fifty that will be custom made can also be sold at the discounted price? Wouldn’t that be a loss to the company?” He asked with a frown. Mark placed his phone on the table and picked up the glass of red wine. “No, the custom-made products will be sold at a twenty per cent higher rate than the normal ones” he explained and Ted let out a sigh of relief.
“We will release the news separately so as not to confuse the buyers. Have you found a way to deal with the person who stole the baiting copy? Ah! If I must say, this Sinful’s work is well thought out! I was so sceptical about its upgrading plan at first, who would have thought that it would bring so much favour?” He rambled excitedly, his tired face brightening up at the mention of Sinful’s programme and firewalls.
This first cooperation they’ve had with her had already brought them about 50% profit, even without the devices being sold yet. The competitors that had tried copying their data had all been caught and in return, they got valuable information. Who else could boast such a successful business operation on the first trial?
Immediately Alpha announced the new software, several eyes had been on them and even other technological companies had reached out to them for partnership to which Mark had bluntly refused.
Sitting in front of the screen while Ted continued to praise Sinful to the sky which made Mark’s lips turn up into a rarely-seen smile and he downed the cup of red wine at once. “It was a good thing boss had the foresight to buy it off Sinful, if it had been sold to other people, our Alpha would soon be thrown off the market sooner than later!” Ted exclaimed happily and Mark hummed while his eyes flickered to the computer on the side of the table, dedicated to watching Sinful’s movement online.
He has been craving to have another cooperation with her even though the first hadn’t been sold yet. “You have nothing to worry about, Sinful already thought about the potential of it getting stolen, so they made some precautionary arrangements”
Speaking of which, William stared at the screen with a dark face, his hand twitching as they rested on the keyboard. On the screen, the chubby image of a police officer pointing a gun at the screen, aiming at the person operating the computer displayed boldly, followed by the dialogue box that reads.
“An Internet officer caught a thief! device location and model copied, first-time offender gets a warning, second-time offender gets punished and third-time offenders go to jail!”
Reading the message sent William’s rage flying out the roof as he threw the closest thing to him at the wall. His assistant, Jake, flinched at the noise of the vase hitting the wall. Despite his stoic appearance, he couldn’t help cursing his boss in his heart.
‘Tch, what wild temper! Now that you no longer have your sister’s credit to take, do you want to go against Alpha? Dream on!’
William’s eyes flashed with aggression as he took note of Jake standing by the door, “What are you waiting for? Clean up the mess goddamn it! Do I have to tell you everything?!” He exclaimed angrily, taking his anger out on the innocent assistant.
Jake hurriedly left the room as William’s phone rang, thanking his stars he had escaped his boss’ anger. Back in the room, William’s heart sank as he took in the caller ID, he adjusted his appearance and schooled his expression before picking up the call from the other side.
“You surely took your time to respond” Henry sneered as his face appeared on the screen. He looked like the older version of William with dark eyes and sword-like eyebrows paired with a pointed nose and thin lips.
“Father” William called out and the older man frowned in dissatisfaction. “I have told you not to always call me too dearly out of the confinement of our home, don’t be reckless!” Henry reprimanded and William’s fist clenched as he swallowed the lump in his throat.
“I’m sorry, Chairman Hamilton, is there a reason you called?” He asked with a professional stoic appearance and calm voice. Henry gave an approving nod, “The board of directors had a meeting today and the Alpha’s new device release has put us in a tight spot. If we allow them to continue this momentum, our Hamilton family will be suppressed sooner or later” he explained and William felt a stab in his heart.
He could tell what was coming next and his heart sank deeper. ‘Even in death, why can’t I measure up to you!’ he gritted in his heart but maintained a cool and calm outward appearance. “The software she left before dying needs to be used at this moment, it’s an upgraded version of the software we’ve been using, so that would at least help us keep our head high for the meantime, have you been able to decode it?” Henry asked and William’s throat went dry.
“At the moment, no, my team is still working on it” he replied solemnly, unable to meet the older man’s piercing eyes. “Did you not get in touch with any of her former teammates?” Henry demanded coldly, his patience with his first son running out thin by the day.
“We did get in touch with them but none of them cooperated with us”
“And you don’t have any other means to make them cooperate? Do I have to teach you everything?!” Henry snapped angrily. “You couldn’t even handle such a trivial matter by yourself, if they don’t accept soft means then use other means! Haven’t you seen that the company hasn’t been doing well since she died? It will only be a matter of time before people start getting suspicious, so put yourself together and find a solution to the software before one month!” Henry instructed.
“Even if we did, there is no guarantee that it will help us compete with Alpha Tech with the software!” William argued and Henry tutted at his son’s stupidity. It was a shame Victoria wasn’t a submissive person, if she had submitted, they would have been able to use her.
‘She was way more intelligent than the hard block of a son!’ he thought to himself and adjusted his tie.
“We can’t compete with Alpha Tech at the moment, we just have to make sure our place isn’t overtaken by others. Did you not hear the news about the other tech companies clamouring for partnership with Alpha? Even if they get the copy, they’ll continue to be second rate, going after software that has already given Alpha Tech enough profit, but if we come up with ours, no one will look down on us!” Henry explained.
“Forget it, find ways to decode the software and make it available for use in a month or else the board of directors will be stopping their investment in our project” he instructed and hung up the call.
William stared at the dark screen with an unreadable expression as he brought out the transparent USB drive from his drawer. He clenched it in his hands and a calculating emotion flashed through his mind.
“You are dead, you can’t continue to mess things up for me! I have to make sure you are completely forgotten!”