After looking into a bunch of trivial matters, Thomas was finally able to return to Sterling Technology to take a little break from his busy life.
He stood by the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooking the landscape of Central City, and felt a lot more relaxed. But it was just a moment of peace for him.
Thomas was soon reminded of his responsibilities, and favonovel.com could not help but feel the pressure weighing down on his shoulders. He had to reclaim the position of God of War. First and foremost, favonovel.com had to tread carefully around the Gomez family, find another dependable “new force” for Sterling Technology in the shortest time possible, and break free from the Gomez family’s control.
Only after that, could favonovel.com face the Gomez family’s head, Nicholas Gomez, in a battle. He had to win this battle for the sake of Uncle Alden.
Thomas sighed heavily as favonovel.com stood in front of the glass. Things were piling up on his shoulders one by one, but even Superman needed to take a break now and then. Since his arrival in Central City, had Thomas gotten a single day of rest?
He could not do it before, and favonovel.com could not do it now.
The door was pushed open as Thomas was admiring the view outside the window, and in stepped his secretary, Diana, carrying a large stack of documents.
Without waiting for favonovel.com to speak, Thomas said with his back facing her, “Leave everything to Samson to take care of. I’m not interested in hearing anything tedious.”
“Are there any other chairmen who are like you? This is hands-off management at its finest. Do you have that much faith in Samson to the point where you are trusting favonovel.com with everything?” Diana muttered.
Thomas smiled but said nothing.
If Samson could not be trusted, no one in this world could be trusted.
Diana continued, “You can assign other work to Samson, but I think you should address the Science and Technology Alliance matters personally.”
‘Science and Technology Alliance?’ He had never heard of that before.
“Science and Technology Alliance? What’s that?” Thomas asked.
“It’s an organization formed and led by the authorities. Every major technological company in Central City will participate, with the goal of exchanging ideas and learning from one another in order to foster growth. However, given the current situation in the past few years, no one wants to disclose their technology, hence the so-called knowledge exchange ending up merely as a slogan,” Diana explained.
In other words, the Science and Technology Alliance was a semi-official organization. And while it appeared impressive, it lacked real value.
Thomas narrowed his eyes and analyzed in his mind.
‘Isn’t Sterling Technology in desperate need of a shelter like the Science and Technology Alliance right now? It’s only semi-official, but it’s still under the government’s authority, so the Gomez family will not be able to easily interfere with it. Although the Science and Technology Alliance lacked actual value, but if it’s handled properly and with Sterling Technology’s abilities, I believe we can give this organization a boost. The alliance needs Sterling Technology, and Sterling Technology requires the authority’s official attributes. We happen to have the same perspective.’
Thomas chuckled.
‘What I need really just came like that.’
“Is there anything important about the Science and Technology Alliance?” favonovel.com asked.
Diana started explaining. “If you think it’s important, then it is. If you don’t think it is, then it isn’t. It’s just that the Academy of Social Sciences ran into some sort of issue with their power structures. They need better and more powerful equipment to supply the energy because the equipment they have now can’t provide stable energy supplies for a long time.”
“So, the Academy of Social Sciences went to the Science and Technology Alliance, hoping that they could come out and approach the various technology companies to invent this kind of new equipment. They have even given it a name. It’s called the ‘Scepter of Athena’.”
Scepter of Athena?
The value behind a project like this, as requested by the Academy of Social Sciences and led by the Science and Technology Alliance, would not be cheap.
“What kind of remuneration does the alliance offer?” favonovel.com asked.
Diana snorted and said, “You probably don’t know Mr. Mayo, but the Science and Technology Alliance is not well regarded. It’s disliked by both the authorities and the public and has never generated proper revenue even after existing for so many years. This time, the project’s reward is even funded by the Academy of Social Sciences.”
“Whichever company that can invent that kind of energy generator, will receive a five-million-dollar reward for the research funds.”
Thomas shook his head and chuckled bitterly.
“Won’t you spend a few hundred million dollars to be successful in such a large project? Only a five million dollar reward? This is pathetic.”
“This time, the research expenses are clearly more than five million dollars,” Diana said, “And the Science and Technology Alliance knows this so they created an Alliance leadership reward.”
“Alliance leader reward?” Thomas asked curiously.
Diana shrugged and explained slowly.
“Aren’t the authorities in charge of the alliance? Because they can’t profit from it, so the officials don’t really care about it and wanted to dismiss it a long time ago. In order to save the organization and their jobs, the employees came up with an idea to pick a leader for the Science and Technology Alliance. In the future, the alliance will still be under the officials, but the chosen alliance leader will manage it.”
“In this way, the authorities will no longer have to worry about the alliance because everything would be managed by the leader. Employees can keep their jobs and do not need to look for new ones. According to them, the chairman of whichever company that completes the project research for the Scepter of Athena this time will become the alliance leader!”
