The assistant quickly clarified that Ethan had figured out what had happened and was the source of the news.A rival company had leaked all its customer information and quotations,resulting in chaos within their organization.This news had not yet reached the head office,but it was expected that it would not stay under wraps for long.
Ethan furrowed his brow and asked,"When did this happen?"
"This morning,"replied the assistant."I just received a call from our office.They tried to contact the general manager,but his phone is turned off,and they can't reach him."
"You all go back first,"Ethan instructed."I'm in Venice right now and won't be able to return to Rome until this afternoon.I'll take an evening flight back.Help me manage public perception;we need to keep this from becoming a huge issue,and discuss any problems with Lucas first."
After hanging up,Ethan immediately called Lucas.The voice on the other end sounded a little exhausted.As soon as Lucas picked up,he said,"Brother,don't worry;everything is fine."
Ethan replied,"Alright.Just keep an eye on things for me and check if my trip to Italy has already leaked."
"Got it."
Once he hung up the phone,Ethan met Marcus's puzzled gaze.He smiled and wrapped a thick scarf around Marcus's neck."I didn't expect this to happen so soon;I thought he would manage to hold off for a little while longer."
"Is everything really okay?"Marcus asked.
"Don't worry—who do you think I am,to fall into their hands?But we need to hurry back."
Marcus nodded.Their original plan was to return the next day,but now they would go back a day earlier.
******
Hanging up the phone,Lucas stood up and walked out of the office.As he glanced at the empty desk outside,he pulled someone aside and asked,"Did Angus not show up for work today?"
"I haven't seen him since early morning.I thought he was taking a vacation from you,the manager,"the person replied.
Lucas didn't respond.Instead,he took out his cell phone to dial Angus's number,which was going straight to voicemail.Earlier that morning,before he woke up,Angus had left the house and hadn't been seen since.
After a moment of contemplation,Lucas greeted the person and said he had something to do before leaving the company.
Outside Angus's apartment,Lucas found him dragging suitcases and preparing to get into a cab.Lucas forcefully pulled him away from the car.The driver,seeing the commotion,quickly stepped on the gas and drove off,leaving Angus pressed against the car with Lucas gripping his wrists tightly.Angus,caught off guard,finally asked,"What are you doing?"
Lucas looked at him coldly."You planned to take off with the company's information while I was gone without even looking back at me,didn't you?"
Angus rolled his eyes sheepishly."I don't know what you're talking about."
"You don't know?"Lucas sneered."Those customer records and quotes were stolen directly from the company's database.We both know how few people in the company had the ability and opportunity to do this.You were planning to run away as soon as it happened,weren't you?What,are you that vain?"
After a brief silence,Angus shrugged and put on a cynical face."So what if I did it?You have enough evidence to call the police right now."
"You really think I don't have evidence?"Lucas challenged.
Angus was momentarily stunned and replied,"You wouldn't betray me."
"But you betrayed me!You even teamed up with Liam and the others against my brother!Is that what you did to me?"Lucas's voice rose in anger,his eyes filled with frustration.
Angus gritted his teeth."He robbed Cousin Arthur;this is just cheap payback."
"Are you still hung up on Brother Arthur?Does he really deserve this?"Lucas asked incredulously.
"You already knew that.What's the point of bringing it up?"Angus retorted,his expression hardening."It's Cousin Arthur I care about,no matter what."
With that,Angus turned his gaze away from Lucas's disappointed eyes and added,"I'm going back to the airport now.You can either call the police or let me go.After that,we can meet back at the bridge,and I'll thank you."He flagged down another car,got in,and drove off in a cloud of dust.
******
Ethan returned to China but didn't go home.Instead,he rushed straight to the company,dismissing his anxious and frantic subordinates,calling only Lucas into his office.
Lucas looked disheveled,with dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn't slept for days.He placed a folder on the desk in front of Ethan and said,"All the information is inside;I scanned the electronic version and sent it to your email."He turned to leave,but Ethan called him back.
Ethan quickly flipped through the contents and asked,"Did you let Angus off the hook?"
Angus had hacked into the company's database,and Ethan was certain there should be some evidence left behind,but the information Lucas had given him didn't include anything about Angus.
"He went back...and he won't show up again...just forget it,"Lucas replied.
Ethan fell silent,sighed softly after a moment,and said,"I'll give you a two-week vacation.You need a break."
Lucas nodded and thanked Ethan before leaving.
Just then,Marcus called,and Ethan answered.Marcus hesitated before asking,"Is this about Angus?"
Ethan leaned back in his chair,closed his eyes tiredly,and replied,"How did you know?"
"He just called me and said he left and won't be around anymore.He also mentioned stealing information from your company's database."
"Lucas suspected something was wrong a long time ago,"Ethan said."Before the company upgraded its database,Angus's behavior was unusual.As an ordinary staff member,he didn't have permission to access that information.Even Liam,at his level,wouldn't have the authority to see everything.But with the system upgrade,Angus managed to create a backdoor in the program to steal the information.It's not impossible."
"So,what are you going to do?"Marcus asked.
Ethan smiled,"Don't worry,we've prepared for this."
Marcus let out a sigh of relief and changed the subject,asking,"Can you leave work on time this afternoon?"
"What time?"Ethan responded.
"At5:30,I'll pick you up from your office,and we can go to dinner together."
Ethan was happy to agree.Marcus's words lifted the haze from his mind,instantly putting him in a better mood.
After hanging up the phone,Ethan opened his mailbox.He ignored the inquiry emails from the board of directors and organized the content of the emails sent by Lucas.After composing a lengthy response,he forwarded it.Then,he dialed the intercom to contact his secretary,instructing her,"Please bring Liam and William from the War Enterprises Department.I have something to discuss with them."
Liam and William soon arrived,and as they settled into their seats in front of Ethan's desk,Liam spoke first."What are you going to do about the leak of the company's confidential information?It seems the head office is already aware of it."
Ethan clasped his hands together on the desk and pressed down on the papers without a trace of concern."The news spread quickly.What happened yesterday?The board was informed today and has already sent an email to inquire about the situation."
Feigning a helpful demeanor,Liam replied,"It's not surprising they got the news so fast after such a significant event.It seems futile to try to suppress it;you need to find a solution."
Ethan,however,remained skeptical."I'm just curious.As the branch's general manager,I'm not always the first to report incidents to the head office,yet there's someone else who seems eager to overstep their bounds whenever something happens.Who could that be?"
His words indicated a desire to uncover the truth.Liam felt the atmosphere grow colder as Ethan's gaze sharpened.Before Liam could respond,Ethan turned to the silent William and asked,"Do you know the general manager of Starry?"
At this,a flicker of panic crossed William's eyes,but he quickly composed himself."I've only interacted with him on social occasions,so I don't really know him.What are you implying?"
Ethan pulled a photo from the file in front of him and handed it to William.It showed a private meeting between Ethan and the general manager of Starry Rising.In the picture,William was handing over a stack of documents to the general manager.As William gripped the photo,his hand tightened,but he feigned calmness and asked Ethan,"Did you have someone follow me?"
"The confidential information was stolen from the database by Angus,a staff member in the information department.He has already admitted that you received the information from him and passed it on to the manager of Starry."
"I didn't do it,"William retorted."Even if I had private contact with him,it doesn't mean I leaked company information to him.This photo doesn't prove anything,and no one knows what's actually in that briefcase."
Ethan sneered;he knew he lacked solid evidence.The only proof he had was that Angus accessed the company database.However,a crucial part of the evidence had not been provided by Lucas,and with Angus gone,it would be impossible to confirm from him that the stolen information was handed over to William."Regarding that German project,you are mentioned in the data transfer..."
"You are misusing the project funds and bypassing the War Enterprise Department to make your own decisions!You aren't even following the company's rules and regulations!"
"It's better than someone betraying the company's interests,"Ethan replied,struggling to get the words out.He gestured toward William and added,"Effective immediately,you're dismissed."