Did you eat shit for breakfast or something?

Everyone had cleared out of the office, even the shareholders who were once in Sonia's corner.

"Miss Juarez, you better shape up," Samuel warned as he slowly stood up and adjusted his suit, smirking. "Given the size of Wind Group, if you don't play your cards right, there's only one way this can go—you'll be bought out. Your company might be worth half a billion now, but in a few days, it could plummet to just fifty million. Keep that in mind."

He walked out to find all the other shareholders still lingering outside, none of them had left. They scurried to catch up with him, eager smiles plastered across their faces.

Sonia remained seated alone in the conference room, staring at the vast emptiness.

She was still the president today, but by tomorrow, she could be out on her ear.

Stock prices were plummeting just as Samuel had predicted. The choices were stark: accept a bailout from the Davis family, potentially reviving the group, or keep selling assets to keep the company afloat. Either option was a win for Samuel but a dead end for Sonia.

The Davis family had effectively blocked all of Wind Group's export channels, causing endless disruptions to their shipments. How could a company worth a few hundred million hope to compete with a multi-billion dollar empire?

In the elevator, the mood was celebratory.

"Way to go, Samuel! It won't be long before Wind Group is yours!"

"And she won't last much longer. Soon she'll be knocking on your door, ready to do whatever you want!"

"After you take over Wind Group, we'll all be right behind you!"

Samuel laughed heartily, buoyed by the flattery. "Don't worry, there'll be plenty of rewards to go around!"

They left the lobby in high spirits. Stepping outside, Samuel locked eyes with Gibson, who was standing by the security booth smoking a cigarette. They had never met, but the hostility was palpable.

However, only Samuel felt this animosity. For Gibson, seeing Samuel as a rival would be demeaning to himself.

Noticing the tension, one of Samuel's lackeys quickly whispered in his ear, prompting a glare from Samuel.

"Are you the Gibson?" he sneered as he approached.

"What do you want?" Gibson responded, flicking his cigarette butt onto Samuel's polished shoes, his tone icy.

Samuel saw the burn mark on his shoe but before he could react, his followers were already up in arms.

"How dare you disrespect him like that? Do you know who this is? This is Samuel, the future boss of Wind Group!"

"Looks like you're asking to be fired!"

"Get down and clean his shoes. Know how much those cost? More than you make in months!"

"Heard you're quite the fighter, huh?" Samuel said to Gibson, his face full of hostility, nearly spitting with every word.

They were standing so close that Gibson could feel Samuel's breath on his face. "Man, can you step back a bit? Did you eat shit for breakfast or something? It's reeking! Give a guy some breathing room, will you?" Gibson complained, stepping back and covering his nose.

The room tried to hold back laughter. Behind Samuel, one of his associates snickered. Samuel whirled around, motioned him over with a quick flick of his hand. The man hurried over, all eagerness, "Yes, Samuel? What do you need?"

Slap! Samuel's hand met his face. "You're fired!"

"What? Samuel, please, it was an accident!" The man fell to his knees, pleading.

"Get out!" Samuel snapped, and two muscular guys immediately grabbed the man and dragged him away.

Samuel straightened his collar, turned back to Gibson, and coolly proposed, "I like you. The Davis Group is all about inclusivity. You're making what, $4,500 a month here? I'll offer you $45,000. How's that sound?"

"Why waste time here over a girl? With the Davis family, you've got a future. And remember, never fight against money, right?" Samuel added, his eyes gleaming with a smug smile.

Many capable people once surrounded Sonia, and Samuel had managed to poach almost all of her bodyguards. In his view, there's nothing money can't fix. If there is, it just means there isn't enough money involved.

That's why Sonia's place was full of bugs and hidden cameras. Even with bodyguards, they were often unreachable, not due to incompetence, but because they had been secretly bought off by the Davis family.

Most of them were double-dipping, taking money from both Sonia and the Davis family. They knew how to play the game.

"Just that?" Gibson suddenly interrupted, his face breaking into a scornful smirk. "$45,000? That's not that impressive. Why should I join you?"

"What?!" Samuel, who had been smug just a moment ago, now looked completely taken aback.