Chapter 772 Count Us In
Shane, upon receiving the news, was so furious that he directly smashed the office.
The assistant had been with him for many years, and he witnessed Shane losing his temper so much for the first time.
The assistant cautiously handed over freshly ground coffee, patiently advising, “Sir, please calm down.”
Shane, engulfed in rage, forgot all about gentlemanly behavior. He turned to the assistant with a fierce glare, his wide-opened eyes resembling fiery orbs. “Calm down? Those idiots spent so much money and failed to handle such a trivial matter. How dare they come back to me and ask for more money? Have they gone mad?”
To bring down the Duncan Corporation’s several branches in Casier, Shane exerted great effort to gather this group of hackers and offered them a substantial task reward.
However, these incompetents not only failed to defeat the Duncan Corporation but also got caught in a counterattack, losing even their reward.
Now, they demanded compensation. Shane thought they must be insane.
The plan had failed, and the Breens had been embarrassed. Shane refraining from punishing them and allowing them not to return the reward was already a generous move.
They wanted compensation, huh? It was a daydream.
Shane angrily instructed the assistant, “Tell those trash that the compensation is out of the question. If they insist, they can try fighting with the Breens. I dare them.”
Although these hackers formed a powerful alliance, after this battle, they became scattered. With their strength, how could they challenge the financial giant, the Breens?
“Sir, rest assured, I’ll handle this matter. You don’t need to worry,” said the assistant.
“Have you found out the relationship between the Duncan Corporation and Hacker Alliance?” Shane inquired.
The assistant shook his head. “Sir, still investigating.”
If it weren’t for the full support of a few big shots from Hacker Alliance, the Duncan Corporation would have had a hard time escaping unscathed.
Given its financial resources, it was not difficult for the Duncan Corporation to hire Hacker Alliance. However, mobilizing so many big shots from Hacker Alliance in such a short time indicated a more profound connection.
“Sir, do you think Hacker Alliance might have cooperated with the Duncan Corporation from the beginning, deliberately working against us?”
If it hadn’t been for preparing in advance, there would have been no way they could have arranged a response strategy so quickly.
Shane, after careful consideration, dismissed this notion. “It’s unlikely. This operation was a sudden decision on my part. They can’t have prepared countermeasures in advance. There must be some hidden connection between the Hacker Alliance and the Duncan Corporation. Investigate thoroughly and report to me as soon as possible.”
“Yes!” The assistant nodded. Recalling Shane’s earlier inquiry about Catherine, he briefed Shane on Catherine’s situation after returning to the Duncans’.
After hearing the report, Shane furrowed his brows. “She stayed at the old mansion playing games and didn’t join Branden to deal with the Duncan Corporation crisis, huh?”
“Yeah,” the assistant responded confidently.
Shane found this situation peculiar. ” Could it be that Branden is not that important in Catherine’s heart, and that’s why she didn’t lend a hand?” he wondered.
Shane instructed the assistant, ” Continue to keep an eye on her. Report any updates promptly.”
“Yes, sir!”
The mood among the Duncans’ members was good at the Duncans’ old mansion, having just won a victory in a network maintenance battle.
Carlo, who had been under immense pressure for the past few days, finally breathed a sigh of relief, and a rare smile appeared on his face. “Mr. Duncan, Miss Swann’s people are all outstanding. Fortunately, they helped us resolve the big trouble.”
Despite his usual banter with Zobber and the others, Paxton agreed with this point. He had to admit that Zobber and the others were truly powerful.
“Mr. Duncan, is it our turn to attack next?” Paxton inquired.
In front of Branden were three massive screens displaying red and green line graphs representing stock market fluctuations. He calmly scrutinized the movements and listened to reports from his subordinates.
Upon hearing the question, Branden looked up and instructed him in a low voice, “Wait a bit longer. Since they want to witness the downfall of the Duncan Corporation, let’s fulfill their wish.”
Carlo was a bit puzzled. He did not understand why Branden was considering the feelings of their opponents.
“Mr. Duncan, won’t we incur considerable losses this way?” Carlo asked, not fully understanding Branden’s intentions.
Paxton, however, grasped Branden’s thoughts. Seeing the cold smirk on Branden’s face, he felt a chill running down his spine, and a sense of fear surrounded him.
To avoid being overwhelmed by Branden’s powerful aura, Paxton shifted his gaze to Carlo and said with a hint of disdain, “You’ve been by Mr. Duncan’s side for so many years, yet you haven’t learned a bit of his kindness.”
Carlo was confused by this statement. ” Mr. Duncan is kind, huh?” he thought.
About to retort, he heard Paxton firmly state, “Don’t you know that before a death row inmate is executed, they are granted a small wish?”
Carlo was momentarily stunned but quickly understood Paxton’s implied meaning. He grinned. “Right, Mr. Duncan is kind, allowing them to have a good time before their demise.”
Branden finished his work, and when he noticed the two still bantering, he immediately lowered his voice. “Why? Do you guys also want to enjoy a good time?”
Startled, the two hastily bowed their heads. “Mr. Duncan, we were wrong.”
After Paxton apologized, he immediately found an excuse and slipped away. Carlo followed closely, running away together.
As the group departed, Branden also emerged from the study and headed towards the living room, where Catherine should be now.
Indeed, Catherine was in the living room, and Ronin and the others were there too.
Upon hearing Catherine’s decision, Ronin was the first to step forward in opposition. “Catherine, since you’ve decided to assist the Duncan Corporation, it naturally can’t be a solo effort on your part. We’re in this together.”
Earlier, Catherine had informed everyone that she was ready to support the Duncan Corporation and bring down the Breens once and for all. However, she didn’t want the Hacker Alliance to be implicated again.
Catherine understood Ronin’s intention but didn’t want to involve everyone in her personal matters.
The reason the Duncan Corporation behind Branden was targeted so quickly by the Breens had partly been because of her.
“Shane’s target is me,” Catherine calmly stated her reason.
Ronin, seemingly indifferent, replied, ” Catherine, I know Shane is after you. I’ve tolerated that old guy for a long time. I still remember the past few years of enmity. This time, it’s not him not letting me go. It’s me not letting him go.”
After Ronin clarified his stance, Zobber and Withal also expressed their determination.
“Catherine, count us in! We’re joining too!”
