Chapter 276: Government Intervention?

Chapter 276: Chapter 276: Government Intervention?

Earlier that morning outside the towering glass facade of the Newman Enterprise Group headquarters, the plaza had transformed into a raging sea of media chaos.

Sensing the tremors of a corporate earthquake, dozens of broadcast vans, camera crews, and reporters thronged the security gates. Across the nation, financial networks flashed breaking news banners detailing the catastrophic, unprecedented collapse of Newman Enterprise Group stock, which had plummeted to absolute rock bottom in a single harrowing trading session earlier in the week.

"We are coming to you live from outside the Newman Enterprise Group headquarters, where the financial world is witnessing what many are calling the most violent hostile squeeze in decades!" a frantic television anchor shouted into her microphone, her voice competing with the roar of the crowd. "Market analysts are completely baffled! On Monday, an unknown liquidity titan utterly shorted the Newman Enterprise Group stock, wiping out hundreds of millions in market capitalization and driving the conglomerate into sudden, catastrophic insolvency!"

Nearby, a panel of financial pundits set up on a temporary broadcast stage were engaged in a heated live debate over the economic fallout.

"If Newman Enterprise Group goes under, the domino effect across the local market will be catastrophic!" an chief analyst argued, gesturing emphatically at a digital chart. "We are talking about tens of thousands of jobs hanging in the balance across logistics, real estate, and retail subsidiaries. The supply chains connected to Newman Enterprise Group account for nearly twelve percent of regional commerce. If nobody steps in, small vendors will be wiped out by week’s end!"

"Will the government intervene? That is the billion-mark question!" another pundit interjected, leaning into his mic. "Historically, a conglomerate of this scale might warrant a regulatory bailout to preserve market stability, but the speed of this collapse has left regulators completely paralyzed! The real question is: who benefits from this absolute slaughter? Whoever accumulated those short positions on Monday didn’t just want a quick profit—they wanted to hollow out the entire corporate structure and buy the remains for scrap value!"

Speculation whipped through the gathered press corps like wildfire. Rumors swarmed as analysts openly debated who held the sheer capital required to pull off such a ruthless maneuver.

"Look at the execution speed from Monday’s trading volume," a veteran market strategist declared on air. "This bears all the hallmarks of international predatory funds! We could be looking at Wall Street heavyweights or offshore institutional consortiums leveraging high-frequency algorithmic shorts to systematically disembowel Newman Enterprise Group before local regulators could even issue a trading halt!"

The atmosphere reached a fever pitch when a sleek, high-end motorcade bearing the crest of the Sheele Group pulled up to the main entrance. Flashbulbs exploded blindingly against tinted windows as Sylvia Sheele’s elite delegation swept past the security perimeter and into the building.

"The Sheele Group is here!" a prominent financial journalist gasped on a live stream feed. "They’ve just arrived! Everyone believed they were moving to acquire a stake to stabilize Newman Enterprise Group, but could they be the ones behind the short attack? If the Sheele family initiated the short on Monday, they could be stepping in today to complete a forced, distressed acquisition!"

Moments later, a second heavy convoy bearing the insignia of Golden Investments glided up to the curb. Whispers rippled through the gathered reporters. Whispers turned into stunned gasps as analysts realized the sheer weight of what was happening. Jake Rivers, who already held a controversial fifteen percent stake in Newman Enterprise Group, had just arrived.

"Wait a minute!" an independent blogger yelled, frantically refreshing his phone on a live broadcast. "Look at this thread blowing up online—someone on the financial forums just connected Jake Rivers to the short attack!"

The comment section and social media feeds were melting down. One viral post argued that Jake’s cryptic final social media post from earlier in the week had signaled a massive market move, and given his legendary liquidity, he was the only player positioned to systematically crush Newman Enterprise Group from the inside.

"That theory makes zero technical sense!" a senior market analyst scoffed live on air, cutting down the online rumor. "Why on earth would Jake Rivers brutally short and destroy a company where he already holds a massive fifteen percent equity stake? Shorting the stock to rock bottom directly incinerates the value of his own holdings! From a portfolio management perspective, it would be pure financial suicide. To drive the stock down that hard, he would be losing billions on his existing long position just to suppress the price. No rational trader—especially one with Rivers’ track record—would burn his own asset base just to inflict damage!"

Yet, despite the technical debunking, no one outside knew the true horror unfolding behind the building’s acoustic glass. They didn’t see Sylvia Sheele negotiating in private. They only knew that titans had collided, and the Newman family empire was bleeding out on the floor.

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Inside the suffocating stillness of the boardroom, the sound of scratching pens echoed like dry leaves scraping across gravestones.

One by one, the Newman family appended their signatures to the legal surrender contracts Samuel Carter laid before them. Every stroke of the pen severed another line of their bloodline’s forty-year dominance over Newman Enterprise Group, transferring their equity directly into the newly forged joint holding company controlled by Golden Investments and the Sheele Group.

Richard Newman’s hand trembled so violently that his signature barely resembled his own. When he finally capped his fountain pen, it rolled from his numb fingers and clattered onto the mahogany table. He sat back, his head falling low, looking as though his entire soul had been scooped out.

Beside him, Troy held his swollen, burning cheek, staring blankly at his signed paper through tears of humiliation. Finn, Mary, Ray, and Joe Dane completed their documents in heavy, mechanical silence.

Samuel Carter methodically gathered the signed copies, inspecting each signature with practiced, cold precision before placing them neatly into his leather briefcase. He turned to Jake and gave a single, firm nod.

"Everything is executed in full compliance, Mr. Rivers," Samuel announced, his voice clinical. "The debt guarantees are absorbed, the equity transfer is registered, and the involuntary liquidation of Newman Logistics Holdings is suspended pending court conversion into our joint restructuring framework. Golden Investments and the Sheele Group now hold absolute control of Newman Enterprise Group."

Jake didn’t smile. He slowly stood up from the Chairman’s seat, smoothing the front of his tailored suit jacket.

"Your board positions are officially terminated, effective immediately," Jake said, his dark eyes sweeping over the defeated family without a flicker of warmth or pity. "Security will escort you out through the rear executive elevators. I suggest you clean out your personal offices by the end of the day."

Richard didn’t argue. He slowly pushed himself up from his chair, leaning heavily on the table for support, looking frail and hollowed out. Without uttering a word, he turned his back on the board meeting room he had ruled for decades and shuffled toward the exit, followed by the rest of the broken clan.

As the heavy mahogany doors closed behind the last of the Newmans, the heavy, oppressive tension in the room dissipated, leaving behind a clean, quiet air of absolute victory.

Sylvia Sheele rose smoothly from her seat, a faint, elegant smile playing on her lips as she walked around the table to face Jake.

"A masterclass in psychological warfare, Mr. Rivers," Sylvia said, her voice smooth and refined, though laced with newfound respect. "You stripped them of everything, yet they walked out believing you spared their lives."

"They got off easier than they deserved," Jake replied casually, leaning against the edge of the mahogany table.

He gestured toward the master ledger tracking the corporate distribution. Before the restructuring, the Newmans had held a combined fifty-nine percent stake. Now, with thirty percent surrendered to the joint entity and five percent left distributed evenly as one percent crumbs among the five family members, fifty-four percent of unencumbered voting equity sat on the table.

"Regarding the newly consolidated block," Jake noted calmly, looking toward Sylvia. "Since we established the joint vehicle, the remaining fifty-four percent should be split evenly between Golden Investments and the Sheele Group."

Sylvia raised an eyebrow, a knowing, appreciative glint sparkling in her eyes. She shook her head slightly with a soft, confident smile.

"No, Mr. Rivers," Sylvia corrected smoothly, resting her hands on the edge of the table as she leaned toward him. "You executed the short on Monday, you broke their spirit, and you orchestrated this entire takeover from the ground up. In good faith, the Sheele Group will cede an additional six percent of our allocation directly to Golden Investments."

Jake met her gaze, noting the strategic generosity. With that adjustment, Golden Investments would command a dominant forty-eight point four percent baseline equity, which, combined with Jake’s twenty-one point three percent stake, cemented his absolute controlling majority at fifty-four point three percent, while the Sheele Group held a massive forty point seven percent.

"A fair division, Miss Sheele," Jake acknowledged with a faint, respectful nod.

Sylvia reached out her hand, her posture regal and confident. "The Sheele Group looks forward to a long and lucrative partnership with Golden Investments."

Jake extended his hand, wrapping his fingers around hers in a firm, measured handshake. "Let’s make sure it’s worth every mark, Miss Sheele."

Turning toward Silas and Samuel, Jake gestured toward the double doors leading to the main foyer.

"Prepare the press conference downstairs," Jake commanded, his voice filled with calm, unshakable authority. "The media has been waiting outside for three hours. It’s time to tell the world that Newman Enterprise Group as they knew it is dead... and Golden Investments has taken the throne."

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