No Strings Attached

With that speculation, lan's heart finally began to calm down. He gave Leonora a cold look and said in an even tone, "Where is the blueprint now?"

Leonora smiled lightly. "In my heart."

"You destroyed it?"

"What do you think?"ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

lan watched her act so defiant and knew that this was all within her and the mastermind's expectations. They were prepared, and through this, nothing would be discovered.

After leaving the prison, he went straight to find Katherine. He showed her the necklace and obtained a blueprint identical to Leonora's. Even the drafting techniques used by the Leonora and Katherine were the same.

Looking at the two blueprints, lan was completely lost. He felt there was some key link he was missing. Only by finding it could there be a breakthrough in the case.

Just then, lan's phone rang. He saw the caller ID and immediately answered. Dawson's urgent voice came through, "Mr. Hayes, there's been an incident. Our latest smartphone model has had three charging explosions, with twelve casualties so far. The company's stock has plummeted, and the media has surrounded our headquarters."

Upon hearing this news, the smile in lan's eyes instantly froze. Their latest smartphone model, the S60, was vastly superior in both quality and battery life compared to previous models. It should not have had any charging explosions.

If true, such an incident would impact the company and future product development, causing significant losses. If not handled correctly, it could mean the end of their presence in the industry.

"Tell me more about the casualties?" lan asked.

"Three dead, six critically injured, the rest have minor injuries. All have been taken to the hospital. The issue has been posted online, and now all S60 users are demanding refunds. If we go through with it, our group could lose billions."

lan took out his phone to check online posts and said sternly, "Don't worry about the money. Focus on taking care of the victims first and prevent the situation from escalating. Get the authorities involved for an investigation."

"The PR department is already on it, Mr. Hayes. This issue isn't small. It seems to have been premeditated for a long time. Today, the brand AB just happens to be having a launch event for their 5G smartphone. It's no coincidence that we encountered this issue with our S60 model. Don't you think it's a bit too coincidental?”

A cold light flashed in lan's eyes. "Last time we were hacked, we recovered the data, but it's very possible it was copied to create counterfeit phones. Send out a message, recall all S60 phones, and minimize our losses."

Dawson sounded troubled. "Mr. Hayes, doing so will entail huge losses, and the chip export project we just finalized with our international partners will also be affected. The losses could exceed billions." "If money can solve this, then it's not a real issue. When money can't solve it, that's when we're in a real bind and unable to escape."

The issue caused a massive uproar online. All users were clamoring for refunds and compensation.

A few days later, Hayes Corporation lost billions because of the incident. The group's reputation and projects were significantly affected. Ian's position as CEO was questioned by the shareholders. With the same model experiencing the same incidents at the same time, lan didn't believe it was a coincidence. He ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the smartphone explosions.

Brodie saw his weary face and said with a soothing voice, "You haven't been home in days. Clara must be worried, too. This isn't something that can be resolved overnight. Leave this to me. You should go home and rest."