Chapter 826: Austin’s Plan

Chapter 826: Austin’s Plan

Austin snorted dismissively and gave the two of them a mocking

glance.

The lack of respect had been going on for more than just a few days,

and the two of them had reached their breaking point.

Mr. Moya said, "Austin, if you're going to say that, then I'll say it too.

The benefits you mentioned are like a drop in the bucket compared to

what the Norman family receives. The benefits we each receive are not

proportionate. Why should we bear the responsibility and risk with you?

Your actions are simply unreasonable.”

"That's right, when you violated the law, you didn't inform us and didn't

directly tell us what you were planning to do. Now that everything has

come out, you're saying we didn't want to bear any responsibility. You

want to take all the benefits for yourself, but where in the world does

such a good thing exist?"

Mr. Davalos and Mr. Moya expressed their inner dissatisfaction directly,

and after their words, their supporters followed suit, expressing their

agreement.

As for those loyal to Austin's father, they still remained silent, creating a

situation where no one was speaking up for Austin.

This silence infuriated Austin even more.

Austin stood up directly, facing everyone, and said coldly, "If you want

Norman Group to continue standing strong, come up with a solution for

this matter. Otherwise, if I encounter any trouble, Norman Group won't

be unscathed. By then, the shares in your hands and the money in your

pockets won't remain untouched.”

Austin's threat was direct enough, and everyone stared at him in

disbelief. He made it clear that the deed was done, and he wouldn't

bear the responsibility alone.

Austin's attitude silenced everyone, leaving them unable to respond.

Seeing this situation, Austin smiled satisfactorily.

He smirked and looked at Mr. Davalos and Mr. Moya, saying, “Uncle

Davalos, Uncle Moya, I'll leave it to you to come up with a solution. I

have other matters to attend to, so let's conclude the meeting here. I

hope to see your plan within an hour because time waits for no one.

Delaying will only increase the risks for Norman Group.”

After saying that, Austin turned around and left the meeting room.

As he left, everyone's expressions turned grim.

Mr. Davalos and Mr. Moya remained silent for a long time.

After a while, Mr. Davalos finally spoke in a calm tone, “Let's start by

issuing a denial statement. Then, have the PR department highlight all

the charitable and pro bono work Norman Group has done for Campole

over the years. It might temporarily salvage Norman Group's

reputation.”

After Mr. Davalos’ words, Mr. Moya remained silent, unsure of what to

say.

At this point, it seemed there was no other option available.

The PR department of the Norman Group acted swiftly, and the news

was immediately released.

The news drew both support and opposition.

Public opinions were divided, and neither side had the upper hand.

However, the fact that the Norman Group was able to release such a

clarification statement at this time indicated that the Norman Group had

nothing to hide. Combined with the significant contributions the Norman

Group had made to Campole, they still garnered a fair amount of

support.

Observing the handling of the situation, Jeremiah asked Austin, "Mr.

Norman, the current outcome is beneficial to us. Should we proceed

with your original plan of finding a scapegoat to replace us in this

matter?"

Austin leaned back in his office chair, holding a cigarette in his hand.

His face was cold and expressionless, his brow furrowed tightly without

any change in expression for quite some time.

After a while, he spoke nonchalantly, “It's not just about finding a

scapegoat. We need to make it a truth. The things that have been

released are not fake to anyone who has some wit. These things are

deadly for us. So what I need is not just a scapegoat, but someone who

will take full blame.”

"What do you mean?" Jeremiah asked.

"Since Mr. Davalos and Mr. Moya are both shareholders of the Norman

Group and have been with the company for many years, they have also

benefited greatly from the Norman Group. These benefits were hard-

earned by me, and now it's time for them to give something back."

Austin narrowed his eyes, a chilling determination evident in them.

Jeremiah instinctively stiffened, then immediately replied in a low voice,

"Should I arrange it?"

“I'l do it myself. Later, when I'm not here, you will separately arrange to

meet them and inform them that I'm only meeting them individually. It's

not good for too many people to know about certain things."

Austin gave indifferent instructions, and Jeremiah immediately

understood, nodding and quickly went to arrange the matter.

Jeremiah made separate phone calls to Mr. Davalos and Mr. Moya, and

they were cautious and did not inform each other.

It was past 6 p. m. when Austin stayed in the office without rushing to

leave because there were quite a few reporters and media personnel

waiting downstairs from the Norman Group building. He decided to

leave a little later.

So, he met with Mr. Davalos in the office.

The two sat on the office sofa, and after Jeremiah poured two cups of

tea, he left.

Austin held the teacup in his hand and personally handed it to Mr.

Davalos, his attitude polite and humble. He spoke softly, "Uncle

Davalos, have a cup of tea."

Mr. Davalos looked at him questioningly before reaching out to accept

the tea.

He looked at Austin, somewhat skeptical, and asked, "Did you invite me

here for something specific, Austin?"

Austin smiled and spoke in a gentle voice, "Uncle Davalos, there's no

need to be so polite. Just call me Austin. You've watched me grow up,

and as the person in charge of the Norman Group, there are times

when I have no choice. So, I hope you won't mind if I have done

anything offensive to you. I'm here to apologize to you."

Mr. Davalos furrowed his brows, still somewhat unconvinced by

Austin's words.

He said calmly, "Austin, if you specially asked me to come, there must

be something you want to say, right? It's already this late, so if you

have something to say, just say it!"

Austin's expression froze for a moment, and then a shallow smile

appeared on his face. He said softly, "Alright, since Uncle Davalos is

being so direct, I won't beat around the bush either."

Austin took out a bank card from his pocket and pushed it in front of Mr.

Davalos. He stared deeply into Mr. Davalos’ eyes and said in a low

voice, “Uncle Davalos, it is to show my respect for you. Thank you for

standing by my side during this incident. In this card, it's half of my

personal wealth. It's not meant to bribe you, just a token of my

appreciation. I hope you won't refuse it."

Mr. Davalos immediately furrowed his brows, his expression becoming

very serious.

Especially after hearing Austin mention the amount inside the card, his

expression grew even more serious and solemn.

Because the amount in the card was too large, large enough to tempt

even someone of his age.

It made him wonder just how much money Austin had earned over the

years.

Mr. Davalos remained silent for a long time, and Austin spoke again in

a low voice, "Uncle Davalos, would you accept it?"

Austin's words made Mr. Davalos' face darken even further. He looked

at Austin and asked, "Do you have something you want me to do?"

Austin didn't deny it at all, and the smile on his face deepened. He

chuckled softly, "Uncle Davalos, you really know me pretty well. It's not

in vain that you've watched me grow up. You've been friends with my

father for many years. With you standing by my side in this matter, I can

rest assured.”

Without any hesitation, Austin explained to Mr. Davalos what was on

his mind.

The more Mr. Davalos listened, the more grim his expression became.

He looked at Austin and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Uncle Davalos, you know it pretty well. So, you should know what to

do, right?"

Austin smiled lightly, a look of triumph in his eyes.

Similarly, he met with Mr. Moya later that night and explained it to him

in the same way, and the result was just as he desired.

After arranging everything, Austin waited for what would happen the

next morning. By then, he would not only resolve the troubles for

himself but also eliminate these two senior figures. Only then would the

Norman Group truly belong to the Norman family, to him.

Austin's plan was already set in motion, but he overlooked one person.