Free Web NovelChapter 189: Chapter 189: Damien Vaughn Pulls the Rug Out
Upon learning this news, Shane Grant immediately took a team to the town to investigate personally.
The Vaughn Group seemed dead set on acquiring this land. The final site for the international airport hadn’t been revealed yet, and this was just a poor, desolate, and remote area, yet they had offered a high price of 400 million.
For the local residents, 400 million was an incredibly generous price. But for Shane Grant, it sent a cold sweat running down his back in an instant.
If the final site for the international airport wasn’t the land he had won at auction, but this one instead... He couldn’t even bear to imagine the consequences.
But whether he dared to imagine them or not, that day still arrived.
A week later, the municipal government issued a formal notice. An airport that would meet international standards in both scale and facilities was to be built within the next three years, and the location was precisely the plot of land the Vaughn Group had purchased.
Damien Vaughn had executed a perfect feint, a classic misdirection.
Twice, he had used Zeke Walton to "reveal" his inner thoughts to Shane Grant, leading Shane to solidify his choice and bid on the wrong piece of land.
Now, Shane Grant had bet all his capital on the wrong location. There was no longer anyone in Veridia who could compete with the Vaughn Group for the international airport project.
Not only would Damien easily secure the project, but he would do so at an extremely low price.
The Vaughn Group would ascend to a new level once this project was realized. As for the Grant Group...
At Grant Properties, Shane Grant sat in the conference room as the shareholders before him erupted in chaos.
"How could we have gotten stuck with such an absurd investment failure? It’s a total disgrace! If this gets out, how can I ever show my face in public again? And you, Lee! Didn’t I tell you back then not to be hasty, to wait a little longer? You just had to..."
"How was I supposed to know it would be so far off! You make it sound like I was trying to sabotage the company! Wasn’t I just hesitant because I was afraid of missing a golden opportunity? President Grant was the one who personally went to Corvane, met with that official, and came back with the conclusion. Who knew the information from an official could be wrong!"
"Shane, say something! What exactly did the official tell you when you met with him?"
"Forget being a laughingstock, all our capital is tied up! I’ve been personally covering the costs for several of my projects. I thought I could manage it for a while, that once the project started, the funds would slowly be approved. I thought the hardship was temporary, but now... I can’t hold on anymore, guys. Let’s talk about allocating some funds to me!"
"You think you’re the only one who can’t hold on? Hell, I’ve been covering my own costs too! I’m fronting the money while running around trying to get loans every single day. The bank managers are starting to hide when they see me coming! You want an allocation? So do I! Let’s talk about getting me some funds too!"
"And me! Payroll is due soon. I’ve already been holding off my people for half a year. If I don’t pay them now, there’s going to be trouble. If there’s money, I should be the priority!"
Everyone was talking at once, the clamor giving Shane Grant a splitting headache.
He pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, finally raising a hand to signal for silence before calling in the financial director.
"How much money is in our accounts right now?"
"Only fifty million in liquid capital. And payday is the day after tomorrow, President Grant."
Hearing this, Lee’s face darkened even further.
"Fifty million? Only fifty million? That’s not even enough to make a dent for me alone, and we have so many projects..."
Shane Grant looked at him wearily, his voice rising. "Wait. Let me finish speaking before you start."
The conference room fell silent. All eyes were on him.
Shane Grant pondered for a moment. "Take out the funds we had prepared for the international airport project. How much is there in total?"
The financial director replied, "For the international airport project, from start to finish, after all financial declarations were completed, we’ve already spent exactly five billion. Of the twenty billion in cash flow you pulled together, there’s exactly fifteen billion left."
"We won’t be needing that money for now. Distribute it among them."
Shane Grant looked back at the shareholders.
"Speak up. Roughly how much does each of you need?"
"I put in three billion when we pooled the funds. I need at least four billion back now, or I won’t be able to cover my shortfall with the bank, and getting future loans will be a nightmare."
The financial director noted it down as another shareholder spoke up.
"I gave you three-and-a-half billion during the fund-raising. My situation isn’t as urgent, but I need my principal back in full, otherwise my future operations will be too difficult to manage."
"Give me two billion."
"I need four billion. Let me explain in detail..."
In just over ten minutes, the entire 15 billion was spoken for.
And yet, there were still people who hadn’t gotten enough.
"We’re not just going to let that five billion go down the drain without a fight, are we? We need to act fast and start recouping that investment. Otherwise, the daily interest alone will be more than we can handle. Shane, you bear the primary responsibility for this. You need to give everyone an explanation."
Since a meeting had been called, an explanation was exactly what he was there to provide.
The primary responsibility for this matter did indeed lie with him. And without anyone needing to say it, Shane Grant himself would never allow five billion to be thrown away for nothing, making himself into such a laughingstock.
"I will develop a feasible and profitable project based on the land’s location and topography as quickly as possible. I just ask that you all give me some time."
"And here, I want to express my profound regret for my professional error. I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused everyone."
The shareholders filed out of the conference room, murmuring amongst themselves, clearly unsatisfied.
The financial director watched his exhausted boss rubbing his forehead. He really didn’t want to report more bad news, but he had no choice.
"President Grant, there was something I didn’t get a chance to tell you before you came into the meeting..."
Shane Grant could tell from his tone that it wasn’t good news. He let out a silent breath, pulling off his tie and tossing it onto the conference table.
"Go on."
"The Development Bank and Radiant Bank both called an hour ago. They won’t be renewing our contracts after the current repayment date. They claim there’s been a major leadership change within their banks, and many policies need to be redrafted. They said they’ll invite us to cooperate again once the new policies are successfully implemented."
"How much do we owe those two banks in total?"
"1.7 billion to the Development Bank, and 1 billion to Radiant Bank."
Shane Grant laughed.
It wouldn’t just be these two banks. In the coming days, other banks with looming repayment deadlines would probably all be calling to terminate their cooperation as well.
He was pulling the rug right out from under them.
Damien Vaughn wasn’t just stealing his livelihood; he was trying to shatter it completely. This was all premeditated.
And to think he, Shane Grant, was three years older, yet he had fallen right into the hands of a younger man. If Damien hadn’t laid all his cards on the table, Shane would have remained completely oblivious.
"I understand. I’ll handle it. You can go back to your work."
Shane Grant left work early and went home.
As usual, he went to see the children first, and then Cecelia Archer.
To become self-reliant abroad, Cecelia had recently started studying hard, preparing to take the self-study exams for an adult bachelor’s degree.
Since she had a strong academic foundation, the questions were a piece of cake for her. So, in her spare time, she was also teaching herself traditional Chinese medicine.
When Shane Grant entered, she was practicing acupuncture on an anatomical model.
She was always like this—gentle and serene, peacefully absorbed in her own world, unconcerned with the strife outside. Seeing her every day when he came home, Shane Grant felt as if he had returned to the time when he was first in love with his wife.
In their world, there was only each other, and having each other was enough.
’What a pity...’
Hearing the sound, Cecelia Archer turned and, as always, gave him a smile.
"You’re back."
Shane Grant walked over, fighting the urge to pull her into an embrace.
"I’m afraid you’ll have to handle the kids on your own for a while. I have to go on a business trip."
