Chapter 398: Chapter 398: A Matter of Time
Over at Vanreid, things had already blown up.
The massive factory was in a state of chaos, with some workers even jumping onto the assembly line and unfurling banners.
The bold letters on the banners were shocking.
"Heartless boss selling the factory, running away now, ignoring the workers’ life and death!"
When Evelyn Clayton arrived, this was the scene she saw.
Someone spotted Evelyn first and shouted, "The boss of Gem is here!" Instantly, all eyes turned towards Evelyn.
Evelyn noticed that a piece of equipment nearby had been flipped onto the ground, battered beyond recognition.
Anger surged within her, and she quickly walked over to inspect it.
Thankfully, the equipment was still functional, but the exterior shell was shattered, looking very tragic.
"Who did this?" Evelyn suppressed her anger, looked at the crowd, and asked loudly.
The people present fell silent instantly, not one stepping forward to admit guilt.
Evelyn raised an eyebrow and said coldly, "There are surveillance cameras in the factory. I can check them at any time!"
At this moment, the man holding the banner jumped down from the table.
Dressed as a factory line worker, he looked fierce, nearly taunting as he stared at Evelyn.
"It was me, so what?! That old bastard John Jacobs sold the factory to you, saying he would lay us off! But we haven’t seen a penny of severance pay, and he’s run off now, so what if I break a couple of your machines?!"
Evelyn coldly locked eyes with him. Beside her, Rhys Jacobs was visibly annoyed and stepped forward to speak but was stopped by Evelyn.
She let out a cold laugh and said loudly, "So, breaking the machines will get you your severance pay?"
The workers looked at each other, hesitation creeping into their faces.
The man’s face turned red with anger, and after a moment, he shouted, "Stop spouting nonsense! Just tell us, are you giving the severance pay or not? If not, we’ll empty the factory!"
The crowd was instantly ignited by him, their shouts growing louder and louder, making Evelyn’s ears hurt.
Evelyn couldn’t bear it any longer. She grabbed the factory’s loudspeaker and said forcefully, "Quiet!!"
Her expression was solemn and cold, intimidating the workers into gradually quieting down.
"Firstly, I only acquired Vanreid, not all of you, because you are people, not objects in the factory."
"Secondly, what I paid John Jacobs was just a deposit. I’ve only obtained the right to use the factory’s machines, and the business license hasn’t even been transferred to me yet, so strictly speaking, I could completely walk away, treat that deposit as lost money, and not care about your fates!"
Evelyn paused, her tone gradually softening, "But I haven’t done that because I’ve already decided to acquire Vanreid, and I’m committed to taking full responsibility for it."
The workers gradually calmed down.
When Yara Reagan arrived, the scene had completely settled down.
Evelyn stood at the factory entrance, speaking quietly with Rhys Jacobs.
"How did it go?" Yara asked, slightly out of breath, handing the job statistics report from Ly to Evelyn, "They didn’t do anything to you, did they?"
Evelyn shook her head, flipping through the statistics file, and said lightly, "Calmed them down."
Rhys watched Evelyn from the side, a trace of admiration in his eyes.
Yara noticed Rhys’s expression, then looked at the workers quietly sitting inside the factory, seemingly waiting for Evelyn’s decision, and was a bit shocked: "How did you calm them down? They all seem so obedient."
"Just said a few words." Evelyn paused her flipping through the files, revealing a faint smile, somewhat sly.
Actually, she had already obtained the business license, and given John Jacobs’ situation, she could sue him at any moment, then take the deposit contract to court. The operation rights of Vanreid would be in her hands; it was only a matter of time.
But there was no need to tell the workers about this.