Darkstone Code-Chapter 954 - 952: The New Shareholder

The Federation has a very famous saying: "Victory or defeat is decided outside the courtroom."

This phrase was once used to hint at those capitalists and politicians who interfere with judicial justice through various methods, as they have the capability to undermine judicial procedures and fairness from the outside.

Even now, such situations exist and are more severe than before; only the capitalists and politicians have gradually learned how to handle these things quietly, resolving them away from public attention.

"Every Moment’s lawyer did not object, it seems their stance is not firm."

A prosecutor took a small sip of coffee, "We all know why those exclusive counters are missing. If Every Moment’s stance is too firm, it might cause unnecessary trouble."

He walked to the wall and leaned against it, holding coffee in his hand, "Once the public thinks this is Every Moment’s persecution of ordinary people, they might be mobilized to find those fraudsters."

"Two thousand counters, think about it, just storing these items alone requires a huge space."

"Once people find where they are stored, they can eventually pinpoint who’s behind all this through some details."

"So I don’t find Every Moment’s attitude strange, they just want to drag out the time until the acquisition battle is over, and they’ve found new sources, then they won’t be afraid to pursue the lawsuit."

"Find any reason, say someone mistakenly announced the news and take these counters back ahead of schedule."

"Compromise privately with those store owners, and they can survive this crisis."

The prosecutor is a middle-aged man in his forties, having handled many cases; he easily understood the situation like today.

The Federation has this peculiar phenomenon that, once someone angers the dignity of the lower society members, they become very united.

Being excessively tough makes bystanders feel offended too, and combined with some guidance, it becomes very unfavorable for Every Moment.

It’s better to maintain a relaxed attitude like now, neither agreeing nor refusing the request to delay the trial.

Bystanders continue watching, while Every Moment has enough time to solve what they must first face now.

The judge nodded after listening, "What you said makes sense."

"Then next, I think we may set the date for the next hearing on..." He looked at the calendar on the table, "How about the tenth of next month?"

Others nodded too, with no dissatisfaction about this decision.

Soon, the recess ended, the hearing resumed, and after both lawyers submitted some irrelevant evidence, the judge announced a temporary adjournment. The next hearing would be on May 10, urging the defendant’s lawyer.

If he has any other ideas, he should find ample evidence before May 10, otherwise that would be the final hearing.

The court cannot indefinitely delay time just for their convenience; this is a court, not a restaurant, and people must maintain respect toward the court, judge, and law.

The hearing was somewhat unsatisfactory; both lawyers didn’t physically argue over these issues, making many feel regretful, as the key point was not intense.

Both sides seemed to be going through motions, the motions finished, and the court debate ended. Even TV stations found it unnecessary to produce a special program for this matter.

For this, they invited two senior lawyers, but the station could save that lawyer fee now, as there really wasn’t much to say.

Without these noisy summonses, the world seemed to quiet down instantly...

When turmoil seemed absent everywhere, Every Moment’s shareholder meeting became the center of a storm.

The two companies initiating hostile acquisitions had been in contact with smaller shareholders, hoping to gain their stocks at a premium price; Rongsheng Gold Bank wasn’t idle either, constantly evaluating the expected profit after splitting Every Moment, aiming to garner more supporters.

Just as Mr. Wardrick said, Lynch isn’t the foreign president predecessor, Every Moment has also shifted from a multinational to a local company, rendering many sanction methods useless.

If Lynch were a typical capitalist, part of the system, Rongsheng might continue holding shares.

But look at what kind of person Lynch is; from the first penny he earned, he never once operated within the rules, yet he hasn’t broken them.

He’s like a macaroni at the bottom of a pot, your ladle can never scoop it up, leaving you helpless!

Such a difficult and assertive president does not fit Rongsheng Gold Bank’s strategy of continuing to hold shares, especially when Lynch just took control of Every Moment, showing he will not safely hold the shares without action; he will certainly do something.

Future Light Investment Company has stabilized its structure so far, after internal shareholder mergers, about forty shareholders remain.

The weight of these shareholders far exceeds the ordinary definition of "shareholder."

Holding such a force, coupled with Lynch’s obsession with absolute controlling power, Rongsheng Gold Bank’s think tank believes if not escaping soon, it will become increasingly troublesome later.

He is likely to continuously expand the total number of shares to dilute all shareholders’ holdings, ultimately aiming to control more shares.

If following Lynch’s continuous investment, as more funds are injected into Every Moment, it becomes harder to turn back or leave later.

If not investing with Lynch into the company, undoubtedly, the shares will be diluted to an unacceptable level.

Although doing nothing from a wealth perspective won’t incur losses, and might even make a small gain, the value of shares compared to equity is somewhat lacking.

After internal evaluation, Rongsheng Gold Bank believes selling their shares to Shi Haoyun or Colorful at a suitable price is optimal, as they would offer a good price for Rongsheng Gold Bank’s shares.

As for other details?

They couldn’t care less, as they are a bank, this is their job. If someone goes bankrupt because of this, it merely reflects their own business capabilities, which has nothing to do with the bank.

The representative from Rongsheng Gold Bank looked at the representatives from Shi Haoyun and Colorful Company—of course, they wouldn’t just outright say this; they are still representing a relatively unknown small company.

Once they truly achieve these—such as acquiring enough Every Moment shares—that small company would be wholly purchased by Shi Haoyun or Colorful, reaching their initial goal.

If failing to accomplish it, they can sell their shares anytime and dissolve the company, as if these events never happened.

Wild speculation poses no burden to them; without evidence, they can sue for defamation anytime.

The exchange of glances among the three continued, shareholders had gathered, but surprisingly, Lynch seemed uninterested in immediately convening the shareholder meeting.

Someone reminded him, "Mr. Lynch, everyone has gathered, should we..."

Lynch lifted his head, moving his gaze from a booklet in front to the faces of others, his eyes seemingly momentarily lost.

He then smiled, "There are still some people who haven’t arrived, let’s wait a little longer."

"Are there others?" The inquiring shareholder continued asking.

The shareholder meeting’s situation is never simple; for the one speaking up, they had already planned to sell their shares to the acquiring company.

The other party was willing to purchase the shares at a 20% premium on the closing price the day before Every Moment’s collapse.

This price and timing are considered very sincere.

Facing an uncertain future for Every Moment, the offer had already stripped small shareholders of rejection courage.

Thus, he spoke up at this time, caring little about what Lynch might do later, because he’s about to leave anyway.

After taking more note of the usually ignored minor shareholder, Lynch glanced at the watch. As he was about to say something, the meeting room door suddenly swung open.

Several security guards stood by the door, a gentleman accompanied by a young girl entered, "I’m not late, am I?"

He had an apologetic smile, "Ran into a fire alarm on the way, held up a bit, am I late?"

Lynch stood up, turned, and shook hands with Mr. Wardrick, "You are five minutes late, but I can pretend you weren’t."

He glanced at the secretary who had lost the ability to think, "Add a chair for Mr. Wardrick, right next to me."

After speaking, he turned towards the shareholders shocked by the introduction, warmly introducing, "This is our new shareholder."

"Yesterday evening, I transferred five percent of my shares to Mr. Wardrick and his daughter, Miss Severa, from today, they will also be our shareholders. Meanwhile, Miss Severa will serve as a board member. I hope everyone welcomes their addition."

Applause erupted instantly. Mr. Wardrick’s reputation is too prominent. Unlike Mr. Bruno, who consistently hides in the background, only elites know his influence.

Mr. Wardrick always remains visible; every federation citizen recognizes this gentleman, excelling in wealth, power, influence, and social status, ranking among the federation’s top.

Not everyone likes the President, some even spit at the President, but upon encountering Mr. Wardrick, everyone can’t help but show their brightest smile and offer, "I’m truly honored to meet you!"