Eleanor returned to her office and immediately called Freya. They chatted for a few minutes, mostly about Freya's activities that morning. The mother-daughter duo enjoyed a brief, relaxed moment after lunch before Eleanor ended the call and refocused on work.
She reviewed her plans for Techno Club and Chen Group, then sent an email to the lawyer handling negotiations with Techno Group. After that, she summoned Maya, Lily, and Olivia to her office.
Once they were seated, she announced, "I just acquired 70% of Fortune Tech. The Miller family will continue to manage the company, but only as long as they adhere to our rules. Lily, select an experienced person from our core team to be our representative in Fortune Tech."
All three women were shocked by this revelation. Maya, disbelief evident in her voice, said, "You just went to have lunch with their chairman and walked out owning the company?"
Eleanor handed the signed agreement to Lily, who scanned through it before passing it to the others.
Lily nodded in understanding. "So, we won't interfere in the company's day-to-day operations?"
"Correct," Eleanor affirmed. "Fortune Tech recently developed a highly efficient facial recognition software. They are currently in talks with several social media platforms. Stop them from making any deals and transfer the entire team working on the software to Heimdall. Then, send the software's source code, executable files, APIs, SDKs, code documentation, testing and other support materials, and deployment instructions to our US office."
She turned to Olivia. "Work closely with this team and our US development unit to integrate the facial recognition software into our main AI."
Then, addressing Lily again, she said, "Fortune Tech will continue its normal operations, but I need you to develop a plan to improve its profitability. Also, implement our confidentiality agreements and salary structures there."
"Maya," she continued, "after Teresa finalizes the legal procedures, you'll take over her role in maintaining contact with Fortune's board. Keep this acquisition out of the media spotlight."
Having given her instructions, Eleanor concluded, "That's all for now. Send James Smith to me."
The three women left, and a few minutes later, James Smith entered the room.
"Uncle Smith, please have a seat," Eleanor said warmly.
James took his seat, and Eleanor got straight to the point. "I need your advice on acquiring the IT division of the Chen Group. As you know, the Chens have a vast business empire, but I'm only interested in their IT company. If I take the same aggressive approach as I did with Sage, they'll retaliate with the full support of their group. IT is one of their smallest ventures, but I have found two weak points. First, their casinos are deeply connected to the underworld and are involved in illegal drug trade. I could orchestrate a crackdown and temporarily shut them down, but with their financial backing, they'd reopen within days."
She paused before adding, "The second issue is Daniel Chen, the son of Chen IT's chairman. He is on China's most-wanted list for murder and is currently in the US under my surveillance. I can have him captured and sent to the Chinese Embassy at any time."
James shook his head. "Neither option is ideal. The Chens have deep roots in the Kingdom. Their primary business is importing broadcasting equipment for media companies, giving them strong ties to major media outlets. If you attack them, they'll use their media influence to strike back, which could be bad for us. Without a guaranteed strategy, I advise you to back down from the Chens. Let me dig some information about Chens. I'll inform you later."
Eleanor nodded, taking in his advice. "Thank you. I'll look for another company that fits my needs."
James stood. "If you need anything else, let me know."
As James left, Teresa entered, looking cheerful.
Eleanor smirked. "I was just about to call you."
Teresa beamed. "No need. I've already contacted the director of Sage Enterprise and the chairman's wife. Both meetings are scheduled for this evening. I'll have good news for you by tonight."
"Make sure you seal both deals," Eleanor instructed. "Also, offer an additional one million pounds to the director's offshore account if he can get us another 10% of the shares."
She then became serious. "I'm at a disadvantage with Chen Group. Acquiring their IT division seems nearly impossible in the short term. We originally planned to acquire their new Element Management System."
After a brief pause, she added, "But after weighing the pros and cons, I've decided to leave them alone and pursue an alternative. Before I explain my backup plan, call Lily and Maya."
Teresa called them, and shortly after, they entered the room.
"For now, we won't pursue Chen IT," Eleanor declared. "Instead, we're shifting focus to HFCL of India. Lily, research how to secure a director position in that company. Buy up all available shares in the market."
She continued, "Currently, foreign investments in HFCL stand at 7%, while 33% of shares are publicly traded. Our immediate goal is to surpass 10% ownership. We'll use their EMS for our goal for now. And import their goods to compete with Chen's broadcasting equipment business. If we establish HFCL in the Kingdom, we can challenge the Chens and disrupt their market dominance. It's a win-win."
"I'll allocate 100 million pounds for this tomorrow," she assured Lily. Then, turning to Teresa, she said, "Keep communication lines open with Chen IT. If they don't sell by the end of this week, I'll destroy the entire Chen Group's backbone within a year. Either way, their EMS will be ours."
Teresa looked concerned. "Boss, that's extreme. We have alternatives."
Eleanor gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'm not personally targeting them… I'm just following the profits. HFCL is a better investment, and the Chens are just collateral damage."
Her phone vibrated. She answered, listened for a moment, then ended the call with a satisfied expression. "Techno Club just agreed to sell us 51% of their shares. The signing is scheduled for tomorrow morning."
Teresa was stunned. "What? They rejected me again just yesterday!"
Eleanor smirked. "I blackmailed them and adjusted my demand. I found a video of their bribery attempt with the Secretary of State for Environment to obtain a NOC for their new factory. I initially demanded 70% to keep the video hidden. They finally agreed at 51%."
She leaned back. "Now, we have our machine learning and AI model training software ready. The only missing piece is Sage's video processing software. Once we secure that, we're ready for the big move."
Teresa grinned. "Don't worry. I'll make sure tonight's meetings are successful."
Eleanor nodded. "Good. Then we're on track. If there's nothing urgent, I'd like to head home and spend time with my daughter."
Maya chimed in. "I don't have anything pressing either. Can I come with you? I want to see the little princess."
Eleanor packed her bag, stood up, and smiled. "Let's go, then."