Chapter 477: The Game (20) Hannah's Plan

Hannah dialed Bill Jones's number.

"Ms. Hannah, what's happening with the Sawyer Group? How did they end up owing you two billion, and how did Charles publicly beat that journalist? Is he going crazy?" Bill's anxiety was evident due to the Sawyer scandal.

"Sawyer faces a severe financial crisis. Their share prices are plummeting, and continued decline will likely lead to bankruptcy," Hannah stated frankly.

"I should have ended our cooperation sooner. Cooper seems a far better choice. Even with your smaller market share, I believe it would surpass Sawyer's under your leadership," Bill regretted his decision.

Hannah smiled. "Mr. Jones, you needn't regret it."

"Of course, I regret it! The board is relentlessly criticizing me. In all my years of service, I've never faced such reproach. I've never failed an e-commerce investment. If I fall because of Charles, it will be the greatest dishonor of my life."

"Mr. Jones, don't worry. I have a solution."

"A solution?" Bill showed interest.

"The international e-commerce project is progressing well, isn't it?"

"If not for Sawyer's scandal, we'd be profitable," Bill replied angrily, referencing the project's postponement.

"If the project resumes, we can recoup our losses."

"How? News of Sawyer's troubles is everywhere. What if the public boycotts my business if I continue? I'd lose everything—the investment, my efforts. I can't risk it."

"Neither can I. But you could find a third party to take over the project from Sawyer," Hannah suggested.

"You mean...?" Bill was stunned. The possibility hadn't occurred to him.

Hannah continued, "Frankly, the Cooper Group wants to replace Sawyer and continue the project with you."

"That's excellent! But how?"

"Mr. Jones, we need your help," Hannah stated.

"Proceed," Bill readily agreed.

"Sawyer owes us two billion. Given their financial state, they can't afford it. Charles won't pay with shares. Their only option is to auction their assets. Of their projects, only the international e-commerce business holds value. Charles will auction it, but he won't let me win after our feud."

"So?"

"So, I need you to announce that this project is exclusively for the Cooper Group. This means if Sawyer sells to anyone else, the project ends. The project's only value lies in its international component; their domestic market failed. Without your support, the international part loses value, making it unattractive to others. Charles will have no choice but to sell to me."

Amazed by her comprehensive plan, Bill nodded. He realized Hannah had cultivated his trust to secure his aid. Her planning was meticulous and impressive.

Noticing Bill's silence, Hannah worried he found her actions exploitative. She'd planned this from day one. This was the moment she'd anticipated.

After a pause, Bill said, "Okay."

Hannah breathed a sigh of relief, feigning surprise. "Oh, thank you, Mr. Jones. I look forward to our cooperation!"

"I expect a successful partnership," Bill thought highly of her.

"I won't let you down. Mr. Jones, the contract requires Sawyer to seek your consent before auctioning the project. When he contacts you, announce your exclusive interest in the next partner," Hannah instructed.

"Okay."

"Thank you, Mr. Jones."

Hannah hung up, her smile widening. An idea struck her. She called Rose. "Rose, notify Sawyer that we'll sue if they don't repay the debt by 10 AM tomorrow."

"Yes, Ms. Hannah," Rose replied respectfully.

Rose soon returned. "Ms. Hannah, Sawyer promises to repay on time."

"Okay."

Rose frowned. "Ms. Hannah, isn't that strange? How could they repay? If they had the funds, they wouldn't have committed loan fraud."

"Charles made a difficult sacrifice," Hannah sneered. "He always finds a way to solve his dilemmas."

"Carry on with your work," Hannah dismissed her.

Later, Bill called. "Charles contacted me. He'll auction the project to address the crisis and asked for my consent. I agreed."

"Okay, Mr. Jones, prepare the announcement."

"The announcement will be released after review."

"Thank you."

Hannah then called Charles. He sneered, "Hannah, you think these tricks will destroy us? I have plenty of ways to recover without losses. Don't gloat! I'm not afraid of your threats!"