Darcy's ears felt hot. The bridge of her nose tingled. Why do I feel like crying? He always claimed he couldn't make it, yet he surprised her every time. What kind of amazing boss is this?! She handed the microphone to Zephyr and hurried to the first row, sniffing slightly. "Mr. Blackwood, what are you doing here? Weren't you meeting an important client?" "Yeah, I already did," Jethro said with a soft smile. Huh? Darcy was confused until she noticed the familiar figure sitting on his other side. "Mr. Brooks?!" She was stunned. How does the head of United Capital show up here? Could it be... the important client Mr. Blackwood mentioned was Mr. Brooks?But didn't United Capital already sign with SummitCore? The remaining clients in the hall were also visibly shocked. United Capital was a major industry player. People began approaching Malcolm Brooks to shake hands and exchange greetings. Amidst the chatter, the hall suddenly began to fill with more people. Darcy looked back and realized many were well-known entrepreneurs from Aethelburg, though not necessarily from the tech sector. Then, a whole new group arrived—a crowd of sharply dressed, handsome young men from prominent families. Darcy was completely baffled. What on earth is happening? "Told you I'd get a crowd!" Cindy trotted over, crossing her arms with a triumphant smirk. Darcy finally understood. "You called all these people?" "Me? I don't have that kind of clout! I just begged my brother to get some people to fill the seats. I told him to hit up his rich, bored friends—y'know, the trust fund crowd. But the first group that showed up? Beats me. They all seem to know my brother, so he must've invited them too." A wave of warmth washed over Darcy. Amazing boss. Truly amazing. While the Stratagem Tech venue buzzed with new energy, chaos erupted next door at the Platinum Hotel. Several clients caught Stratagem Tech's new-product presentation via the livestream. When Darcy highlighted the Automated Yield Curve Model, their eyes went wide. SummitCore had repeatedly assured them they would secure this very patent and feature it in their new product. Later, they'd claimed the patent holder, Alistair, had refused to sell, forcing a change in their R&D direction. Now it was clear—Stratagem Tech had acquired the patent. They couldn't sit still after that. Through group chats, word spread like wildfire. Soon, most clients at the SummitCore event knew. As whispers grew, Zora picked up on the disturbance. She checked the rival live stream herself—and was horrified to see it was true. Stratagem Tech had the patent! Impossible! Prof. Reed swore he wouldn't sell! Then it hit her. Jethro is his nephew. The old man must have sold it to his nephew behind our backs and lied to us! But that wasn't even the worst part. People on-site had already slipped out to the hotel next door. The domino effect was immediate. Within minutes, half the clients had left the hall. Zane emerged from the restroom to see clients leaving in a steady stream. He stopped a long-time business partner. "Mr. Spencer, what's going on? Why are you leaving? There's a banquet after the launch." The man looked awkward. "Sorry, Mr. Vance. Looks like this launch is pretty much wrapped up. I've got something to take care of, so I'll head out first." Zane frowned, turning to look at the stage screen. The first segment had just ended. It was far from "wrapped up." Something is off. Rex approached him then, leaning in to whisper, "Mr. Vance, I found out. I asked around. The ones leaving went to the hotel next door." The hotel next door—that was Stratagem Tech launch venue, wasn't it? Anger gathered like a storm cloud between Zane's brows. He gritted his teeth. "Let's go see for ourselves." Seeing this, Zora hurried after him, furious. "The Automated Yield Curve Model was sold to Stratagem! Prof. Reed is a liar! He played us!" Zane's face was dark and thunderous. He didn't say a word. Ten minutes later, they pushed open the doors to the Stratagem Tech launch hall.They were met with a scene of bustling vitality. On stage, someone was breaking down the new product's technical setup. Down below, clients and industry bigwigs were chatting, voices full of praise. Some were already mingling—swapping business cards and talking about possible partnerships. "Excuse me, coming through... Oh! Mr. Vance, Dr. Moss! You're here too!" Several clients who had just come from the SummitCore event spotted them and looked momentarily embarrassed. Then they thought, well, even they came over. That must mean Stratagem's product was the real deal. Their expressions turned calm right away. "Mr. Vance, Dr. Moss, we're heading in first, or we won't get seats." Zane's face clouded over so completely, but the manners carved into his bones kept his anger leashed.