Chapter 643

Under normal circumstances, delivering 20,000 smartphones to Leopold within a week wouldn’t have been an issue.

However, problems arose shortly after signing the contract with Leopold.

Several factories under the Crawley Group were temporarily shut down for a week due to substandard quality control. They had to undergo a complete overhaul and pass the quality inspection before they could resume operations.

Without the factories, it was impossible to produce 20,000 smartphones within a week.

The solution was to seek external assistance.

The main agenda of the meeting was to discuss potential strategies for outsourcing.

The meeting didn’t conclude until midday. Then the staff returned to their work.

Thalassa and Betty went back to the secretarial department.

As soon as Thalassa sat down, Ethan strolled in, tossing a folder onto her desk. “You were late today.

As a punishment, you can handle this tricky collaboration. At 3 p.m., go to the Sinclair group. If you can’t secure a deal, your monthly salary will be docked.”

“Mr. Ethan, I…” Thalassa began explaining.

Ethan glanced at her, interrupting, “Do you have a problem?”

Thalassa gulped at the oppressive gaze and the inherent authority Ethan commanded as the boss. She shook her head and replied, “No.”

“Good, don’t be late. 3 p.m.,” Ethan said and walked out of the secretary’s office.

Sympathizing with Thalassa’s predicament, Betty sent her an encouraging look, saying, “Hang in there.

You can do it!”

Everyone knew that the Sinclair Group’s primary focus wasn’t electronics. They mainly dealt with everyday goods, real estate, and supermarkets.

Electronics were the Sinclair Group’s weak point.

The fact that Ethan was turning to the Sinclair Group for help, intending to collaborate and produce 20,000 smartphones within a week, was like trying to sell a comb to a monk.

Moreover, word on the street was that the Sinclair Group’s CEO was icy and indifferent, making him difficult to work with.

No wonder Ethan had said it was a tricky collaboration.

Thalassa managed a weak smile, “Thanks, Betty.”

At half past two, Thalassa set off, and by ten to three, she had arrived at the Sinclair Group’s headquarters.

The receptionist greeted her warmly, “Thalassa, it’s been a while.”

Thalassa nodded with a smile, “Yes, I’m working with a different company now and am here to discuss collaboration. I have an appointment with Mr. Sinclair at 3 p.m.”

“Let me check Mr. Sinclair’s schedule,” the receptionist said, turning to her computer.

Thalassa asked, puzzled, “Isn’t managing Mr. Sinclair’s schedule usually the secretary’s job?”

“Yes, but since you left, Mr. Sinclair hasn’t hired a new secretary. I’ve had to handle basic secretarial duties, and the workload has nearly doubled. I’m exhausted. Ah, here it is. Crawley Electronics has an appointment with Mr. Sinclair. So you are…”

The receptionist peered at Thalassa, seeking confirmation.

Even though they were acquaintances, she had to follow protocol.

Thalassa quickly produced her work ID and said, “I’m Mr. Ethan’s secretary.”

The receptionist glanced at Thalassa’s ID and said, “Alright, Mr. Sinclair is in his office. You can head straight up.”

Thalassa paused in surprise.

Lysander was actually in the office. His grandmother had just passed away. Shouldn’t he be at home tending to Sybil’s funeral?