Jiu Defense had just opened, with a myriad of things to attend to, all of which Hanna Gagar had to personally straighten out one by one.
But once she left the canopy of the Apocalypse Defense Group, many things had changed, with even her former employer becoming a competitor to Jiu Defense.
For a newly emerging military contractor, it was inevitable to be sized up by industry veterans and even challenged in order to ascertain each other's Jianghu status.
Watching the thin wisp of steam rise from her coffee cup and a thick stack of documents, Hanna Gagar suppressed her displeasure and said, "Uncle Horton, your terms are really too harsh, completely different from what we had discussed before. I can't accept this kind of offer."
The opposing Saber Group was one of the professional logistical suppliers providing support services for military contractors in the Asia Region and had a longstanding cooperation with the Apocalypse Defense Group.
Beginning with the hope of leveraging old connections and catching a favorable wind to establish new business contacts, Hanna Gagar of Jiu Defense Company could not have anticipated that the previously agreed favorable terms would change at the time of formal contracting, with the other party looking to raise the stakes right then and there.
Raised they did, but the price quoted was above the industry average, clearly showing no intention of giving face to Jiu Defense Company.
Other newly established military contractors would not possibly accept such an exorbitant and nearly unreasonable price list.
"Sorry, but when it comes to the piece of the military contracting pie, if you get a bigger slice, someone else gets a smaller one. You'll need to face some tests before the industry truly recognizes your strength, heh, more like, challenges!"
Chairman Horton Saber of the Saber Group smiled calmly, flicking the ash from his cigar.
In the midst of managing affairs, he had taken time to receive his great-niece, mostly out of respect for the Gagar Family, even though the entire family was now down to a single person.
Though not among the top ten giants of the industry, the Apocalypse Defense Group was nevertheless one of the leading companies within the top hundred. Even having just gone through a corporate war with one of the behemoths, which had significantly drained their vitality and caused their ranking to plummet, the old saying 'a crumbling ship still has three pounds of nails' applied.
Bringing down a newly established company like Jiu Defense was merely a matter of speaking the word.
On one side stood the long-established large military contractors; on the other, the new and tender Jiu Defense. If the Saber Group, which provided logistical services to various military contractors, had to choose sides, their stance was clear and easy to see.
The fact that he was now personally meeting with her and clarifying the reason for their actions was a courtesy out of the ties with the Sager Family.
This goodwill was now nearly depleted.
Hanna Gagar couldn't help but clench her fists.
She hadn't expected that the first to trip her up after striking out on her own would be her former employer.
A Pure Light Sparrow with black feathers hopped around the room, flying to the bookshelf, then to the sofa, and then to Hanna Gagar's shoulder, pecking at her hair before perching on the plants, gripping the stems and swinging up and down.
But no one concerned themselves with the little bird's comings and goings.
Even with such a lively and adorable little creature present, the atmosphere in the room was unavoidably heavy.
Seeing his great-niece still hesitating, Chairman Horton Saber of the Saber Group smiled and said, "My son Banks just earned his master's degree from the University of Berkeley, and he's quite the catch..."
He hadn't finished speaking when he was decisively interrupted by Hanna Gagar.
"Sorry, Uncle Horton, but I have no such plans at the moment."
What the other party was up to was immediately clear to her the moment he started speaking.
The Saber Group giving Jiu Defense a hard time, with an inflated logistics services list, was probably not just due to the Apocalypse Defense Group, but also the chairman's personal agenda.
The logistics-focused Saber Group also wished to dip its fingers into the military contracting business—is that not overreaching?
Hanna Gagar couldn't help feeling that the other party played a shrewd game.
Although the newly established Jiu Defense was insignificant compared to a behemoth like the Apocalypse Defense Group, Jiu Defense was not without its aces.
Enough reserves to last seven to eight years, container clusters stocked like small hills not fearing supply cuts, and dozens of ground combat personnel with rich combat experience.
As the foundation of its operations, the Aircrew Base 911.
It subtly rivaled the influence of Meman Brothers United, and although this advantage was intangible, it was there, solidifying Jiu Defense's status in Jianghu.
The most important thing was that Jiu Defense also possessed a Combat Flight Squadron that could rival an ace squadron, "Genuine Fragrance", which absolutely guaranteed the ability to slap back anyone daring enough to provoke them, even if they were one of the top ten military contractors in the industry.
Chairman Horton didn't seem upset at all about being interrupted, but instead continued to speak in a friendly and amiable manner, "Won't you reconsider?
With the full support of the Saber Group, your defense company can completely ignore the interference from the Apocalypse Defense Group, and might even take over the surrounding aircrew bases to run a large area as tightly sealed as an iron bucket."
The path of the young naturally needs the care and guidance of their elders to achieve twice the results with half the effort, and what if she is persuaded? Why harbor any resentment with one's own daughter-in-law? We are all family!
"There's no need to say more, Uncle Horton, I'm afraid I cannot accept your conditions."
There's no need for unnecessary words when opinions do not align, and Hanna Gagel stood up immediately.
The other party had ill intentions, wanting to swallow Jiu Defense whole and profit from both its assets and talents, something she could never agree to.
"Hanna, I think you should reconsider," Chairman Horton's warm smile turned cold as he pressed a button on the desk.
The doors to the office burst open and several people rushed in.
Hanna Gagel's face went pale—she clearly understood that the other party was about to flip the table, intending to use force.
Just as she was about to activate her Wind-type Psionic Ability, her head suddenly spun, and she saw one of the intruders pointing at her forehead with their index and middle finger, staring malevolently at her.
A Psychic Ability User, at least Rank C!
Just as she made this judgment, the others immediately restrained Hanna Gagel, and as her neck felt a sharp pain, her severely disrupted special ability receded like the tide, leaving only waves of dizziness and a darkening vision.
One of the women casually took her phone, while the rest stepped back, allowing the weakened Hanna Gagel to slump back onto the sofa.
Two others swung wide nets, skillfully snagging the unsuspecting Little Bird and efficiently shaking it into a metal wire cage. The steel wires, at least four to five millimeters thick, trapped the little creature within.
Little Bird protested discontentedly, finding the steel wire cage far from aesthetic.
From the moment Chairman Horton pressed the buzzer, it took only three to five seconds to restrain both the person and the bird.
"What have you done to me?"
Hanna Gagel could clearly discern that her abilities had been forcibly suppressed.
In the face of a strong Supernatural Ability Suppressant, even an S-rank supernatural power user would not be spared.
"My dear niece Hanna, I hope you will seriously consider my offer. Banks is a good lad, he will not shame you, and together with him at Saber Group, combined with Jiu Defense, you can surely achieve greater success. You take a rest here, think carefully," Chairman Horton signaled those who rushed in, and they fluidly exited.
He then walked towards the office door, looked back and said, "People from the Apocalypse Defense Group are just outside. I can only give you five minutes, please consider carefully."
After speaking, he closed the door and left the office.
Hanna Gagel slammed her fist onto the sofa, but it was a weak blow.
Once bereft of her abilities, she was no different from an ordinary person.
A third-order Pure Light Sparrow.