Chapter b604 /b

    Ariel didn’t dwell on it. After all, it would just be internal knowledge. The fact of her divorce from Jayson wouldn’t be made public, so it wouldn’t affect the use in their agreement.

    Once she was done, she went back to her room to rest.

    The industry had been buzzingtely. A major bid would be announced soon, and Faye Technologies needed to be fully prepared.

    On the third day, Ariel set out alone for the military base. Along the way, her phone buzzed with an unfamiliar number.

    The moment she answered, a familiar female voice came through. “It’s me, Lori.”

    Upon hearing that name, Ariel hung up immediately. She didn’t care for any of the Sandersons. There was no need to talk to them, and she wasn’t even curious about the purpose of Lori’s call.

    Once she arrived, she blocked the number without hesitation.

    After passing strict security, she entered a two–level conference room. Samson and Elsie were already

    there.

    Samson smiled the moment he saw Ariel. “Over here.”

    Ariel gave him a calm look, noting that the three of them would sit together.

    As she approached, Elsie indicated a spot beside her. “Do you want to sit here?”

    Ariel nced over and noticed that Elsie would be sitting between her and Samson. She didn’t mind and simply walked over to take the seat. 1

    Samson was rather surprised that Elsie had cut in. He nced at her for a second longer.

    Elsie tightened her grip on her pen without saying a word, but her cheeks turned red.

    Samson didn’t say anything. From his pocket, he pulled out a ss jar filled with handmade candies and handed it to Ariel. “I noticed you like sweet–and–sour vors. My family’s pastry chef made these. They’re really good. I hope you like them. You seem like someone who gets so busy you forget to eat. A little sugar

    might help.”

    He carried the jar around like a prized possession and took it out the moment he saw her.

    Ariel looked at him. “It’s fine. Thank you.”

    Samson didn’t mind her cool detachment. He left the jar beside her. “Don’t be so polite with me. The

    meeting will be long, so grab some whenever you want.”

    He then nced at Elsie and shrugged with a smile. “Sorry, this is a personal gift with special meaning, so I won’t be giving you one. I hope you understand.” 1

    Elsie got it immediately. These were for Ariel alone. She pressed her lips together and nodded, unable to

    say anything.

    Ariel had considered giving the jar of candies back, but more people began arriving for the meeting. She spotted the higher–ups she had met previously, as well as six engineers. She quickly shifted her attention to the agenda.

    This meeting was meant to discuss the ns moving forward.

    The biggest challenge was the scarcity of SX alloy, which Ariel already knew about.

    Imports were heavily restricted by foreign monopolies, limiting domestic ns.

    Maurice spoke solemnly. “Currently, the production techniques for SX alloy are all overseas. Domestic efforts are underway, but it won’t happen quickly. For years, we’ve had to rely on imports from Rynovar and Ulyndor. Other countries, led by Merinia, outright refuse to export to us. Our demand for SX alloy in future R&D will be substantial, so resolving this is crucial.”

    The monopolization and blockade of key tech materials would simply limit development. Ariel knew this all too well.

    This had been a critical bottleneck a few years ago.

    Relying on Rynovar and Ulyndor wasn’t sustainable. Costs could skyrocket. Moreover, only three patent- holdingpanies in Rynovar and Ulyndor possessed mature technology for SX alloy. If they refused to cooperate in the future, it would create serious trouble.

    Domestic research efforts would take time and resources, not to mention navigating government approvals. It would be a long–term, ongoing challenge.

    “But…” Maurice suddenly looked at Ariel.

    She met his gaze.

    Maurice’s expression showed surprise. “Ms. Walker, perhaps you could negotiate this.” 1

    A shadow flickered across Samson’s eyes as he turned to look at Ariel.

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