541: Chapter 536 Nothing at all!

Shen Yan's words were cold and realistic, devoid of a single trace of emotion.

But when Kevin heard it, he smiled with relief.

He knew it.

This was the Shen Yan he knew.

Forever calm, forever pragmatic, forever able to turn everything into a surefire, profitable business.

Compared to a hypocrite full of righteousness and morality, an honest ambitious person was actually more reassuring.

"I understand."

Kevin raised his glass and solemnly toasted Shen Yan.

"What specifically do you need me to do? When should we hold the press conference? Who at the Vance Group do I need to contact?"

He no longer asked why.

He only needed to execute.

"My team will coordinate the details with you."

Shen Yan clinked glasses with him.

"You just need to convince those old guys at the Vance Group."

"Hosen Capital is optimistic about Arthur Vance and the future of the Quantum Chip."

"Make them feel that this is a ticket to the future that they absolutely cannot miss."

"Simple."

Kevin downed his drink, and a confident smile returned to his face.

"Acting, that's what I'm best at."

"After all, I've been acting every day for the past six months."

The last of the red liquid in the glass slid down his throat.

The excitement on Kevin's face had not completely faded.

"Then, Mr. Shen, I wish us a happy cooperation."

He raised his empty glass, as if completing a sacred declaration.

"For Arthur's freedom, and for our future."

Shen Yan set down his glass, the bottom making a light sound as it met the tabletop.

"Happy cooperation."

His voice was calm, betraying no discernible emotion.

It was as if what they had just finalized was just an ordinary business deal, not a plan to shake the foundations of a century-old family.

The banquet ended.

The two exchanged no excessive pleasantries.

The Bentley cut a smooth black line through the night, disappearing into the neon depths of Saint-Loup.

Kevin stood at the restaurant entrance, watching the car drive away.

The evening breeze blew, and only then did he feel a thin layer of sweat coating his back.

Cooperating with that man always felt like dancing on the tip of a knife.

Exciting, yet potentially fatal.

He turned, looking at the dazzling city beneath his feet.

This time, he was no longer a chess piece.

He was the knife Shen Yan was extending.

The next day, early morning.

New York time, exactly eight o'clock.

The pulse of the financial world began to beat with the opening bell.

An official press release signed by the "Hosen Capital Strategic Investment Department" quietly appeared on the front page of the Wall Street Prism website.

The headline was concise.

"Hosen Capital Injects Tens of Millions of Dollars, Betting on Quantum Chip Newcomer R&D Project 'Dawn'."

The article was very short.

It was entirely filled with glowing praise for the "Dawn" laboratory and its chief scientist, Arthur Vance.

Kevin Hossen's own photo was placed in the most prominent position.

In the photo, he looked confidently smiling with sharp eyes.

He declared in an exclusive interview,

"The Quantum Chip is the key to unlocking the next era, and Arthur Vance is the person in the US closest to the keyhole. Hosen Capital is honored to be the first supporter of his dream."

This report was like a stone thrown into a still lake.

At first, it only stirred up a small ripple.

Wall Street traders glanced at the headline and didn't pay much attention.

A ten-million-dollar seed investment was as insignificant as a speck of dust in a capital market where trillions of dollars flowed daily.

But soon, someone noticed something was wrong.

"Wait, Arthur Vance? Is that Arthur Vance from the Vance Group?"

"The family that deals in oil and heavy industry? When did they start playing with high technology?"

"Hosen Capital personally stepping in to endorse... there's something going on here."

Capital's intuition is always the most sensitive.

A few minutes later.

The stock price of the Vance Group began to show a subtle, almost imperceptible tremor.

Simultaneously.

In the top-floor conference room of the Vance Group headquarters.

The atmosphere was as heavy as the sea before a storm.

Arthur Vance stood at the far end of the long conference table.

Opposite him sat over a dozen family directors, led by his uncle, Desmond Vance.

Desmond's face was so grim it looked like it could drip water.

He slammed a tablet computer onto the table.

"Arthur, before I had someone summon you, shouldn't you explain what the hell is going on here?"

The tablet screen displayed the report from the Wall Street Prism.

Arthur glanced at it but did not answer Desmond's question.

He took a document out of his briefcase.

"This is my letter of resignation."

He pushed the document toward the center of the conference table.

"I will resign from all my positions within the Vance Group."

He then took out another document.

"This is the independent operation plan for the 'Dawn' laboratory."

"Starting today, I will separate from the Vance Group and seek financing and development as an independent legal entity."

The conference room fell into a dead silence.

Immediately following, an incredible uproar erupted.

"He's crazy! He must be insane!"

"Separating from the Vance Group? Who does he think he is?"

Desmond laughed in anger.

He looked at his nephew as if he were an idiot.

"Arthur, have you been staying in that damned laboratory too long and damaged your brain?"

"Resign? Go independent?"

"Don't forget, that laboratory, including those researchers, are all assets of the Vance Group!"

"You used the family's money to chase your dream, and now your wings are hard, and you want to fly solo?"

"This is betrayal!"

Desmond's voice suddenly rose, filled with moral judgment.

"I did not use the family's money."

Arthur's voice was not loud, but it was very clear.

"The first batch of funding for the laboratory came from the trust fund my mother left me."

"When the laboratory was registered, the legal entity was my individual name, with no equity association with the Vance Group."

"The employment contracts for Evelyn and the other two were also signed directly with the laboratory."

"All these documents have been notarized by my lawyer."

He calmly stated the facts.

Every word was like a small hammer, striking the hearts of Desmond and the directors present.

They had always thought the Quantum Chip was just Arthur's childish hobby.

They never imagined that this usually docile nephew had secured all his escape routes from the very beginning.

Desmond's face turned ashen.

He hadn't expected to find no loopholes on the legal front.

But he still had other cards to play.

"Good, very good."

He sneered and applauded.

"Even so, what of it?"

"Do you think you can soar just because of Hosen Capital's ten million US dollars?"

"I'm telling you, Arthur. With just one word from me, not a single supplier in the entire US will dare provide your laboratory with even a single strand of wire!"

"Not a single venture capital firm will dare to follow your investment!"

"I will make you realize that without the Vance name, you are nothing!"