Chapter 147: Is This Safe?
Morning sunlight reflected off the towering glass exterior of Nathan Industries Headquarters. The city stretched endlessly beyond the executive floor, where every decision made inside these walls could influence thousands of lives.
Inside Conference Room One...
Silence filled the room.
Aiden sat at the head of the polished walnut table, his fingers resting on the thick proposal folder bearing Eclipse Corporation’s silver insignia.
Across from him, Eclipse’s chairman wore his usual calm smile.
Neither side spoke. Both were waiting for the other to make the first move.
Finally, the chairman broke the silence. "Mr. Aiden...I hope you’ve had enough time to review our proposal."
Aiden slowly closed the folder. "I’ve reviewed the first section."
The chairman raised an eyebrow. "Only the first?"
Aiden smiled politely. "I’ve always believed rushing into billion-dollar decisions is a bad habit."
Several executives from Nathan Industries chuckled softly.
Meanwhile, Eclipse’s representatives remained expressionless.
The chairman simply smiled. "A cautious businessman. I prefer surviving over regretting."
The atmosphere remained friendly. But underneath, every sentence was probing the other side.
...
A secretary entered carrying fresh coffee. Each executive received a cup before quietly leaving.
The chairman gently stirred his coffee. "I’ve heard impressive things about you."
Aiden leaned back. "I’ve heard even more impressive things about Eclipse."
"Such as?"
"You’ve expanded into seven countries within three years."
The chairman nodded. "We work efficiently."
"You’ve acquired twenty-two companies."
"Correct."
"You’ve doubled your valuation every year."
"Also correct."
Aiden locked eyes with him. "Most corporations need decades to accomplish that."
The chairman’s smile widened ever so slightly. "We simply don’t like waiting."
No one in the room missed the hidden meaning.
Nathan Industries’ finance director quickly changed the subject. "Our analysts have reviewed your projected revenue." He activated the conference screen.
Graphs appeared. It projected profit, global expansion, international market share. The numbers looked almost unbelievable.
"Our estimates indicate an increase of nearly forty percent within two years."
Several board members whispered among themselves. "Incredible...This could change everything. Our overseas division alone would triple..."
Even Aiden admitted internally...The projections were tempting.
...
The chairman stood and walked toward the massive digital display. "As you already know..." He pressed a button.
The screen changed. Maps filled the wall. Shipping routes, research facilities, satellite offices.
"Our company possesses infrastructure that Nathan Industries currently lacks." Another graph appeared. "If we combine our logistics network with your manufacturing capabilities..." Lines connected across continents. "...both companies become global leaders."
Applause broke out among several executives.
Nathan’s financial advisors exchanged excited smiles.
One director leaned toward Aiden. "This is the opportunity we’ve been waiting for."
Aiden didn’t answer.
Instead...
He quietly opened the contract again.
Page one. Standard introduction.
Page two. Joint investment.
Page three. Revenue distribution.
Page four. Technology exchange.
Page five. Patent cooperation.
"Everything does look quite flawless. I guess"
...
Aiden continued reading. His eyes moved slower now. Every sentence, every paragraph, every comma.
The chairman noticed. "You read very carefully."
"I always do."
"Most executives skip the legal language."
"They’re usually the ones who lose lawsuits."
A faint laugh escaped several lawyers seated nearby.
The chairman smiled. "I suppose that’s true."
...
Ten minutes passed. Nobody interrupted Aiden. He eventually reached Clause 18.
His eyes stopped.
"..."
He read it again. Then once more.
Nathan Industries shall provide Eclipse Corporation with unrestricted access to designated research facilities under mutually agreed operational necessity.
Aiden frowned. "Unrestricted access?" He looked up.
The chairman calmly answered. "Only to joint research facilities."
"That’s not what it says."
The room became noticeably quieter. The chairman remained composed. "It refers only to projects funded by both companies."
Aiden pointed toward the paragraph. "It doesn’t specify that."
One Eclipse lawyer immediately adjusted his glasses. "We can clarify the wording during the final revision."
Aiden nodded slowly. "I’d appreciate that."
He marked the page with a blue tab. "One...Potential problem."
...
He continued reading. "Clause 24. Eclipse Corporation reserves the right to appoint independent compliance officers responsible for auditing collaborative divisions."
Aiden tapped the paper. "Compliance officers?"
"Our auditors."
"They’ll work inside Nathan Industries?"
"Only within shared departments."
Aiden looked directly at him. "It doesn’t actually say that."
One of Nathan Industries’ legal advisors finally spoke. "The wording is...slightly broad."
The chairman laughed softly. "I apologize. Our legal department tends to write excessively formal documents."
Some people around the table laughed.
The tension eased.
Except...It didn’t ease for Aiden. Something felt wrong. Just...Carefully hidden.
...
Inside his mind,"Something sure looked off."
Aiden was right because every suspicious clause had a reasonable explanation. But individually, they were dangerous. Together...They painted an entirely different picture.
...
The chairman resumed the presentation. "Our companies complement each other." Another chart appeared. Research investment, artificial intelligence, medical robotics, energy systems and transportation. "Imagine the possibilities."
A board member couldn’t hide his excitement.
"Our competitors would never catch up."
Another director nodded.
"This partnership could define the next decade."
Applause followed once again. Only Aiden remained quiet.
...
Meanwhile...
Far away...
Inside Eclipse Corporation’s headquarters, another executive monitored the meeting through encrypted video. He smiled. "They’re taking the bait."
An analyst beside him asked, "What about Aiden?"
"He noticed Clause Eighteen."
"And?"
"He’ll notice several more."
"Should we worry?"
The executive shook his head. "No. Our chairman anticipated that. He prepared answers for every question."
The analyst smiled. "So even suspicion leads exactly where we want."
"Precisely."
...
Back inside Nathan Industries...
Aiden reached Clause 31. This time, his eyes narrowed.
All disputes arising under this agreement shall be resolved exclusively under the jurisdiction designated by Eclipse Corporation’s International Arbitration Committee.
Aiden slowly looked upward. "Interesting."
The chairman folded his hands. "Something wrong?"
Aiden smiled politely. "You want every legal dispute settled by your own arbitration committee."
"Our international committee."
"Which your corporation controls."
"It is internationally recognized."
Nathan’s chief legal officer quietly whispered, "That’s...unusual."
The chairman responded immediately. "Our overseas investors require consistency."
Aiden leaned forward. "And if Nathan Industries disagrees with a ruling?"
The chairman answered without hesitation. "The agreement explains the appeal process."
Aiden flipped several pages. Then he found and read it. Then smiled. "There is no appeal process."
The room froze.
Even Nathan Industries’ executives began rereading their own copies.
One director quietly muttered, "...He’s right."
The chairman looked toward his legal advisor.
The lawyer politely cleared his throat. "It appears that page was omitted from this draft."
Aiden calmly closed the folder. "Convenient."
It was quite noticeable that the chairman’s smile became noticeably thinner.
Both men stared at one another across the massive conference table.
Neither blinked. Neither looked away.
One represented Nathan Industries. The other represented Eclipse Corporation. Neither intended to lose.
Outside the conference room, employees continued their ordinary work, completely unaware that behind those closed doors, a battle far more dangerous than any street fight had already begun not with fists or weapons, but with contracts, hidden clauses, and calculated words.
.......
The conference room remained silent.
One by one, the executives from Nathan Industries reopened their copies of the proposal. Pages rustled across the room.
The finance director adjusted his glasses before looking toward the legal department. "Is Mr.Aiden correct?"
Nathan Industries’ chief legal officer slowly nodded. "He is." He pointed toward the contract. "Clause Thirty-One states that disputes must be settled through Eclipse’s International Arbitration Committee. However, there is no clause explaining how Nathan Industries may challenge a ruling."
Another lawyer flipped through the document again. "I’ve checked twice. The appeal section truly doesn’t exist."
The chairman remained perfectly composed. "It appears our legal team accidentally submitted an earlier draft."
One of Eclipse’s lawyers immediately stood. "My sincerest apologies, everyone. The finalized version includes the missing page."
Aiden calmly folded his hands. "Then I’d like to review the finalized version before we discuss signing anything."
"Of course." The chairman gave a polite nod without the slightest hint of irritation. "We appreciate your thoroughness."
Although his voice remained courteous, Aiden noticed something unusual. Not once had the chairman looked surprised. Almost as if...He had expected every question. That realization sent a quiet warning through Aiden’s mind. "He’s prepared for every objection."
The chairman smiled warmly. "Mr.Aiden, successful partnerships are built on trust."
Aiden returned the smile. "And trust begins with transparency."
For several seconds, neither man spoke.
The board members looked back and forth between them, sensing an invisible contest unfolding across the conference table.
Finally, the chairman broke the silence. "Very well." He closed his folder. "It would be irresponsible for us to continue negotiations using an incomplete draft."
Several Nathan executives looked disappointed, expecting the meeting to end without progress.
Instead, the chairman continued. "I’ll have our legal department deliver the corrected contract by tomorrow morning." He slowly stood from his chair. "In the meantime, I invite your legal team to scrutinize every clause. Every word." He smiled confidently. "I’m certain they’ll find our intentions... entirely genuine."
Aiden also rose. "I look forward to reading the revised version."
The two men shook hands once more. The handshake appeared friendly to everyone watching. But both of them understood the truth. This wasn’t the end of the negotiation. It was merely the opening move.
As Eclipse’s delegation walked toward the conference room doors, the chairman glanced over his shoulder for only a brief moment. His smile remained calm. Yet his eyes had turned noticeably colder. In his mind, he said,"You’re sharper than I expected, Mr.Aiden," he thought. Good. Defeating intelligent opponents is far more satisfying."
The doors closed behind Eclipse’s representatives.
Inside the conference room, Aiden looked down at the contract one last time. His instincts refused to settle. Something about Eclipse Corporation felt fundamentally wrong. He couldn’t prove it.
But he was determined to uncover whatever they were hiding before Nathan Industries signed a deal that could change the company’s future forever.