"Oh, so you're still pursuing her?" Ines asked, throwing an arm around Hugo's shoulders with the air of an experienced advisor. "Need some pointers? I've got plenty of experience!" "No," Hugo said, his tone cool. Zane was surprised. He had thought it was just casual teasing, but Hugo's denial suggested there really was someone. They had grown up together, and he'd never seen Hugo in a relationship or even heard him mention having a crush. A faint, wan smile touched Zane's pale lips. "Congratulations. She must be quite remarkable to have caught your eye." Hugo glanced at him but said nothing more. Upstairs in the banquet hall, Zane, Ines, and Zora first greeted the Sterling elders, then approached Gwen. "Gwen, happy birthday!" Zora handed her a gift.Gwen smiled sweetly, "Thank you, Zora!" Hugo scanned the room. Bram was nowhere to be seen. He must have already left. Since Zane and the others were several years older than Gwen and had little to discuss with the birthday girl, Hugo led them to the second-floor lounge. As soon as they were seated, Zora asked with a smile, "Hugo, about asking Gwen to help arrange a meeting with Prof. Reed... how did that go? "The new R&D product is crucial for SummitCore's IPO next year. So, we must secure that patent from Prof. Reed. And quickly, to prevent someone else from getting there first." The Sterling Group had significant investments in SummitCore Tech. Therefore, SummitCore's R&D plans were tied to Sterling's future interests. That was why Hugo had asked Darcy for help. But she had refused.Hugo shook his head. "Prof. Reed is difficult to meet. And I've heard he's a man of his word. If he's said he won't sell, there's likely no changing his mind." He looked at Zora. "Should we consider changing the R&D direction?" "That's..." Zora hesitated. "I believe this product offers the greatest potential benefit for the company. As far as I know, there's nothing like it on the market yet." At this point, Zane interjected, "We shouldn't change strategy just because of a temporary obstacle. We should keep pushing on the patent. Between the connections of our three families, I can't believe we can't get one meeting with Prof. Reed." "Yes, alright." Hugo nodded. "Zora, you said we need to move fast to prevent someone else from getting there first. Who did you mean?" A sly smile touched Zora's lips. "Stratagem Tech also has new R&D plans. They also intend to purchase that patent." Hugo was taken aback. So that's why Darcy refused to help.It made sense. He couldn't blame her. "However," Zora continued with a dismissive laugh, "with the people Stratagem has... they're no match for SummitCore. "Our R&D personnel alone outnumber theirs ten to one." Product development wasn't just about headcount, of course. But without enough talented engineers, a great product was unlikely. Stratagem Tech had just over 30 employees total, with fewer than ten in R&D. With a team like that, it was tough to polish a good product. But... Hugo frowned. "Stratagem is backed by the Blackwood Group. If Jethro increases investment..." "Would he, though?" Zora raised an eyebrow. "If the Blackwood Group were serious about developing Stratagem, why not scale it up from the start? It's clear they don't prioritize Stratagem or care about its future."Only someone as foolish as Darcy would throw herself into it. Her win with the Easemark Ventures project last time was pure luck. The upcoming R&D work was where real capability would be tested. Did Darcy have that kind of capability? Sure, her individual skills were decent. But compared to SummitCore's entire R&D team? It was no contest. Besides, Lucian was returning in three days. With him, SummitCore was guaranteed to win. Once SummitCore went public next year, its market value would skyrocket. Thinking of the stock options she held, Zora couldn't help but smile. Ines didn't understand technology or R&D, but hearing Zora's analysis, he felt sure SummitCore would win. He immediately wanted to increase his investment."Hey, I don't get any of this tech stuff, but with Zora here, I'm confident!" Ines said, patting his chest. Hugo, however, remained troubled, a shadow lingering between his brows. He knew deep down that whether SummitCore won or lost, he wouldn't be happy. After a more casual conversation, Zora's phone buzzed. She excused herself to take the call outside. "Hello, Bex?" "Zora, it's done. The person at Stratagem is in place. He's confident he can get access to their product development plans for next year." Zora bit her red lip. "Oh, thank you. But, Bex... stealing isn't right." "Right or wrong depends on who it is! That bitch Darcy snatched your deal and got me fired! Why should we show her any mercy? You're just too kind, too principled! Anyway, leave this to me. I'll handle the contact. This time, I'm going to destroy Darcy!"