Brendan drove the luxury Lamborghini back to Reed's central estate, the trunk loaded with an enormous cash box, title deeds, and share transfer documents.
The Reeds at the main house crowded around Brendan, their eyes wide with astonishment as they admired the magnificent car and the wealth within the box, worth more than twenty million dollars. Compliments flew in Brendan's direction.
"Brendan is something else. He brought back so much wealth. The Reeds are bound to make a strong comeback!"
"We can use this to build new company as well. Brendan is really capable, no wonder Mr. Reed Senior chose him."
"He's truly worthy of being Thaddeus' grandson. If Brendan takes over, we can all be confident in our future!"
"Absolutely. Brendan's always had a knack for success since he was a kid. He's just getting more capable as time goes by."
If Brendan continues to be capable. At this rate, he will be well-known across Emerald Coast County in the coming years!"
The glowing remarks and praise had Brendan floating on cloud nine. Thaddeus beamed with pride, clearly pleased with his grandson. He made the right choice of choosing him and trained him to be the future head of the family.
"Brendan, you've done well. I can confidently hand over the family to you in the future," Thaddeus said, touching Brendan's shoulder.
Brendan responded respectfully, "Thank you, Grandpa. I'll work even harder and never let you down!"
At that moment, a family member burst in, panic written all over their face. "We have bad news! Something terrible has happened!"
"What's wrong? Why are you so upset?" Brendan snapped, annoyed at the disruption.
"The factory reported that all Reed Corporation plants have been shut down due to manufacturing violations, requiring immediate rectification! The finance department also received word that our financial risk is too high, and all loans must be repaid by the end of today! Otherwise, we'll face lawsuits, bankruptcy, and liquidation!"
The news hit like a bombshell, leaving everyone stunned.
Thaddeus' expression darkened, and he sprang to his feet. "How did this happen?!"
Brendan's face mirrored his grandfather's shock. "This all happened too fast. Someone must be targeting the Reeds! Our factories have always cut corners for profit; if someone decided to inspect, they'd definitely find violations. But we usually get a heads-up before inspections. This time, everything happened at once."
The factory shutdown alone would be catastrophic. Not to mention the loans—how could they repay them in a single day? What is happening? How come they were not informed in advance on this matter?
Despite his anxiety, Thaddeus ordered, "Brendan, call Mr. Dove. Find out what's happening at the factories and see if we can use our connections to get some leeway. And contact the bank immediately."
Brendan made several calls, but Mr. Dove didn't answer, and the bank responded coldly, insisting the financial risk was too significant. And that they have studied all their current standing and decided that the loans must be repaid.
Panic spread among the Reeds. Their capital was tied up in bank loans, which wasn't enough even with the assets Brendan brought. The million dollars in cash was the only liquid asset; the title deeds and luxury car still required administrative processing which will take few days to finish.
The blows kept coming. The finance department chief ran in, sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Chairman, many partners are terminating their contracts. We can't persuade them to stay. A crowd has gathered at the company, demanding that they end their contracts and that we pay off our debts!"
Thaddeus sank onto the sofa, pallid. "Find out who's behind this!" he ordered.
The Reeds frantically made calls.
"Hello, Mr. Wilcon. This is the Reed Corporation. Our agreement... Damn it, he hung up."
"Hello, Mr. Blue. I need to discuss our contract... Hello? Hello?"
Executives from partner companies abruptly ended calls after hearing the Reeds' inquiries.
Finally, they got information from a former partner, Mr. Keds.
"Don't blame me. The Reeds offended a big shot, and we're caught in the crossfire," Keds said helplessly.
Thaddeus grabbed the phone. "Mr. Keds, please, on my account, tell me who the Reeds have offended?"
Mr. Keds sighed. "Mr. Reed, I don't know. We got a call saying we'd be in trouble if we didn't end our partnership with you. I'm not trying to scare or deceive you. Ask around, and you'll see."
Keds hung up, leaving Thaddeus and the Reeds in despair. They were questioning who they had offended and why this happening in an instant.
The realization hit hard: they'd angered someone powerful enough to shut down factories and demand immediate loan repayments. But who? They seemed unable to understand who they offended.
Thaddeus glanced at the package Brendan brought home. The lid was open, revealing piles of pink banknotes and documents.
A sudden thought struck him. He inhaled sharply and slapped Brendan across the face. "This is all your fault!"
Brendan, stunned by the unexpected slap, took a moment to react. He covered his face as the slap was stinging and pleaded, "Grandpa, what did I do wrong?"