"Mrs. Hill, are you saying that because you're afraid?" Jiang Chao spoke coldly. How dare this old woman be so blatant?
"Hah! Afraid? In Graham City, there's nothing the Hills fear!" Mrs. Hill was utterly arrogant. She hadn't reached her position without employing ruthless tactics.
"If you weren't afraid, why go to such lengths to block us from participating in this bid?" Jiang Chao retorted sharply.
"Gentlemen," Jiang Chao addressed the room, "I am the project analyst for Blue Whale Co., Ltd. this time. I am Jiang Chao." He stated his name directly.
"Jiang Chao? The Jiang Chao I know?"
"The genius analyst? The big shot from Wall Street?"
The Aleens Group board members looked towards Mr. Aleen. He had connections; he should know if this was real. Seeing Mr. Aleen nod, their expressions shifted.
"It really is Mr. Jiang! Mr. Jiang, we've long admired your reputation!"
"If it's Mr. Jiang, we are very much looking forward to this project!"
"So many people dream of collaborating with Mr. Jiang!"
Mrs. Hill was furious. Jiang Chao was just one man! Why were they acting like starstruck fools?
"Then will Mr. Jiang be presenting the project this time? Time is pressing; everyone's schedule is valuable. We can't delay any longer," Mrs. Hill pressed.
"Of course," Jiang Chao replied, though internally he felt uncertain. He'd arrived late and only handled the data portion. But he couldn't show weakness in front of these people.
Linda was worried. She had participated in the entire project and could present in Miss Rovella's place. But her junior status meant they wouldn't give her the chance.
"No need. Apologies for keeping you waiting." At that moment, Janelle appeared.
Seeing Janelle, Jiang Chao finally relaxed. His junior sister cared deeply about this project; nothing could go wrong.
Mrs. Hill stared at Janelle in disbelief. How was this possible? Had she abandoned Sara? Wasn't Sara her best friend?
Janelle walked up to Mrs. Hill. "Mrs. Hill, we'll settle our account later." She then strode onto the stage.
Jiang Chao immediately went to assist her. The PPT was ready. Standing on stage, Janelle radiated confidence and composure.
"Good afternoon everyone. I am Janelle from Blue Whale. Today, I will present our proposal."
Janelle's project team was indeed young, but each member was highly capable. From the start, their approach had been innovative. Combined with their precise data, the project's visualization and feasibility were optimal. Janelle's mastery of the entire project was evident.
Mr. Aleen nodded continuously. As expected, the project had become even more refined in just a few days. The other Aleens Group board members also nodded approvingly. They were forming their own positive impressions.
After the presentation concluded, Janelle stepped down. Bruce Aleen gazed at her with admiration. "Miss Rovella, you are truly incredible."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Mr. Aleen led the board members into deliberations. The bidding result would be announced shortly.
In the venue, representatives from other groups waited nervously.
"What do we do? I feel we have no hope. That last presentation from Blue Whale Co., Ltd. was simply stunning."
"We've all worked so hard on this project. Everyone knows how difficult it was. But seeing what Blue Whale produced... you have to give them a thumbs-up, even as competitors."
"This Miss Rovella is too capable! How long has she been back? Weren't people saying she was ruined in the borderlands?"
"Look who she hired! That's Jiang Chao! Jiang Chao has never appeared in Graham City before. What's their relationship for her to get him here?"
"You know, Miss Rovella is so beautiful. If she wanted to invite someone, wouldn't it be easy?" The implication was clear: attributing her success to her looks.
"Yeah, a woman's body is her best asset, isn't it?" one man leered.
"What did you say? Say that again!" These words reached Erik's ears. Erik's presence was already imposing; fueled by anger, it became terrifying.
"I..." Before the man could finish, Erik punched him squarely in the face.
The slanderer tried to fight back but received another punch. "What are you doing? This is the Aleens Group!" The other men who had been spreading the malicious rumors stood up. However formidable this guy was, he was alone. And they weren't pushovers.
"Your mouths are filthy. I'm just helping you clean them out." How dare they speak about Janelle like that?
"Young Mr. Aleen! Blue Whale's people have no respect for the Aleens Group! They dare to fight during the bidding session! Shouldn't the Aleens Group give us an explanation?" one of the slandered men demanded.
"What kind of explanation do you want?" Bruce Aleen shot back coldly. "Even if he hadn't hit them, I wanted to! Your project isn't good enough, so you resort to spreading malicious rumors about a young woman? Are you not ashamed?" He had heard their vile comments about Janelle.
"For people like you, regardless of your project's quality, we will never collaborate with you." Bruce Aleen, Janelle's staunch admirer, couldn't tolerate a single bad word about her. "Security! Escort these individuals out immediately!"
"You..." The men were forcibly ejected. Standing outside the Aleens Group building, they were at a loss. If their companies found out why they were thrown out, their jobs were likely over. No one dared offend the Aleens Group now.
Mrs. Hill frowned. The young Mr. Aleen was far too protective of Janelle!
After this incident, the remaining attendees in the bidding hall dared not speak carelessly. Regardless of today's outcome, offending the Aleens Group was unthinkable. If they couldn't cooperate this time, they hoped for future chances. As for Janelle, she now appeared truly formidable – someone not to be crossed. The business world was like that: no permanent enemies, no permanent friends.
Just then, Mr. Aleen returned with the board members from their deliberations. He walked onto the stage. Everyone else quickly returned to their seats. Though Blue Whale's project was stunning, they couldn't help but hold onto hope for the final result. After all, everyone had invested significant effort.
"We are truly grateful for everyone's trust in the Aleens Group. All the projects presented today showed merit," Mr. Aleen began, starting his review of the day's submissions.