Noah was shocked to hear that.
"Shut down the company? What do you mean, Emma!?" Noah asked to confirm he hadn't misheard.
Emma let out a deep sigh as she turned to face him. "I'm sorry, Noah. But my dad just called me to say that."
Noah was entirely taken aback.
He knew Caldwell Construction was facing cash flow issues, but he had no idea it had reached its lowest point.
"Why did he suddenly shut down the company? Just a few minutes ago, you called me to visit the project. Emma, can you please clarify this for me? I might be able to help..."
Emma looked at Noah, her eyes red from holding back tears.
To avoid alarming him by appearing close to tears, Emma turned to stare at the company logo on the building, avoiding his curious gaze.
"The investor who had agreed to fund the company suddenly withdrew their support. They pulled back their investment just moments ago, and my dad doesn't have enough money to cover the bank debt." Emma paused, feeling a lump in her throat.
After a brief pause, she continued, "My dad had no option but to file for bankruptcy and shut down the business." She explained, still avoiding his gaze.
Noah was so focused on his plans to help Caldwell that he didn't realize Emma was crying. In silence!
"Let's head inside, Noah. My father will explain everything to everyone. To all the employees..." Emma gloomily said, hurriedly strolling away before Noah could say a word.
Noah clenched his fists and whispered, 'System, please summarize the Caldwell Construction's last three years' financial reports!' He then followed Emma into the building.
...
Arrived at the not-so-large meeting room.
There were almost twenty people in the room, including Noah.
As Noah sat in the back seat, he heard Alan Caldwell explain the company's position to almost all the employees.
The explanation mirrored what he had previously heard from Emma.
Nonetheless, Alan Caldwell insisted he would ensure fair compensation for all employees who worked over six months.
Noah was too busy reading the report results appearing in his system to hear Alan Caldwell express his regret for not being able to maintain this company for long.
Eventually, Noah completed the summary of Caldwell Construction's situation. Reading all those reports hurts his heart.
He looked at Alan Caldwell with genuine sympathy. This man was a good person, but his excessive kindness made him vulnerable to falling into debt with someone he trusted. How unfortunate!
Surprisingly, the one who trapped Alan in debt is Ryan White's father.
Goosebumps ran over Noah as he pondered, 'Did what occurred with Caldwell Construction happen because of me!? Was Ryan involved in this?'
Hurriedly, Noah took out his cell phone and searched for a message from Ryan; as soon as he read it, a knot tightened in his stomach.
"Noah, call me now!" From: Ryan
"If you don't call me now, I'll fucking shut down your source of income, Noah! I'm DEAD serious!" From: Ryan
Noah's hand trembled as he read the last message from Ryan, which had arrived in his inbox two hours earlier.
"I can't believe you didn't bother to meet with Julia! This is absolutely unacceptable! Because of your negligence, I might have to shut down Caldwell Construction! If you want to save your company, come to me, be on your knees, and BEG!" From: Ryan
No words can describe Noah's current feelings.
He was devastated and angry after learning that Caldwell Construction was in trouble because Ryan White wanted to punish him.
A wry smile crossed his lips as he quietly spoke to himself, 'Damn! How frightening would this situation be if my status remained the same as two days ago? It's heartbreaking to see these innocent people suffering because of the greed of wealthy individuals like Ryan!'
Noah's gaze moved across his colleagues in the room, one by one. He could see how sad and shocked they were by this news; it made him feel sorry for them.
He understood that some of them had families they needed to support, and during these challenging economic times, finding new work was tough and limited.
When he saw Emma sitting before him, he noticed she was in tears. He felt a deep squeeze in his heart.
'I'm sorry, Emma... It was my fault for letting you cry.' Noah silently took a deep sigh.
When he saw Alan Caldwell leave the room with his head down and his face gloomy, he decided to speak to him.
However, before he could approach Alan, a man's voice stopped him.
"Let's go, Noah! Let's talk outside..."
A firm hand rested on Noah's shoulder, causing him to flinch and turn to face the man beside him.
A smile appeared on Noah's lips as he watched his close friend Jason Sullivan. Jason's circumstances are even more tragic than his own.
Jason was a bright and honest military officer with a promising future in the Army. Unfortunately, his superiors were corrupt people who framed him for their corruption and horrible mistakes. He was eventually court-martialed and dishonorably discharged.
To make matters worse, Jason was subsequently blacklisted from all job applications. This company recruited him simply because he applied for high-risk construction work with small wages, which no one else had submitted.
Like Jason, Noah was an intelligent student who earned scholarships from high school through college. However, despite his utmost efforts, his wealthy friends continue to block his path to success, which is how he ended up with this company.
Now, Noah is a different person.
He refuses to let himself or those around him endure suffering. He will defeat the wealthy individuals who continually wield their power to oppress the less fortunate, like him.
Nothing can stop him now.
He possesses both wealth and a system!
Now is the moment for him to seek his revenge!
"Jason, please wait a moment while I speak with Mr. Alan," Noah said.
A frown appeared on Jason's forehead, worried that Noah would express his disappointment to Alan Caldwell.
"Why do you want to talk to him? Did you not accept what he offered?" Jason asked.
Noah chuckled warmly, giving Jason's shoulder a reassuring pat. "Nah, man. I won't do something stupid, but I will help this company avoid bankruptcy. You need to relax; everything will be alright..." With that, he left, leaving Jason without a chance to respond.
Jason looked at Noah, his obvious confusion getting worse. Then, he turned to Emma. She glanced at Noah, too; it seemed she was also confused by Noah's words.
"Emma, did you hear that?"
"Yeah... Noah just said he wants to help the company avoid bankruptcy. That sounds unreal, right?" Emma replied. She was uncertain whether Noah was serious or just trying to comfort Jason.
"Has he lost his mind? How could he help the company when he can't even help himself?" Jason understands more than anyone else just how tough Noah's life has been lately.
"I know, right!? He appears different today, though!" Emma responded, growing more confused.