Chapter 277: Golden Sheele Corp

Chapter 277: Chapter 277: Golden Sheele Corp

The glass doors of the grand press auditorium at the base of the Newman Enterprise Group tower slid open, unleashing a blinding barrage of camera flashes.

Over two hundred journalists, financial analysts, and broadcast crews jostled for position, their voices clashing in a deafening crescendo. The room was suffocatingly hot, packed to maximum capacity with media outlets from across the region, all eager to witness the climax of the most brutal corporate execution in recent memory.

When Jake Rivers stepped onto the raised oak podium, a sudden, collective silence rippled through the auditorium.

He didn’t rush. Wearing an immaculate, dark tailored suit with a dark navy tie, Jake took his place at the center microphone. Beside him stood Sylvia Sheele, her presence causing an immediate storm of frantic whispering among the press corps. To see Sylvia Sheele herself—the notorious "Ice Heiress" of the Sheele Group—personally leading the delegation instead of sending senior executives sent shockwaves through the financial media.

To the media, the contrast on stage was terrifyingly stark. There were no representatives from the Newman family present—no Richard, no Troy, no Finn. The bloodline that had governed this corporate monolith for forty years had been completely purged.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press," Jake began, his low, resonant voice cutting through the ambient hum of recording gear and instant live streams. "Thank you for your patience."

A hundred camera lenses zoomed in on his face, seeking a trace of exhaustion or hesitation. They found none. His dark eyes were cold, precise, and completely untroubled.

"Effective as of eleven-thirty this morning," Jake declared calmly, "the board of directors of Newman Enterprise Group has been formally dissolved. The Newman family has voluntarily surrendered fifty-four percent of voting equity, transferring operational control of the group and all its underlying subsidiaries into a newly formed joint holding vehicle."

The auditorium instantly erupted into chaos.

"Mr. Rivers! Over here!" a senior correspondent from the Financial Times shouted, raising her hand frantically. "Does this mean Newman Enterprise Group is filing for Chapter Eleven protection? What happens to the secondary debt default notices issued by the Bank?"

Jake gestured subtly with one hand, restoring order in a matter of seconds.

"Newman Logistics Holdings’ involuntary liquidation proceeding has been suspended by court motion," Jake explained smoothly. "Through a joint recapitalization agreement, Golden Investments and the Sheele Group have fully absorbed all outstanding secondary debt obligations and personal guarantees tied to the company’s core operations. Bankruptcy has been avoided."

A murmur swept through the rows of journalists. The economic disaster that pundits had been predicting all morning outside the plaza had been neutralized in a single stroke.

"Mr. Rivers! Who would hold absolute controlling interest?" another reporter called out from the front row. "What is the final equity distribution between Golden Investments and the Sheele Group?"

Jake tilted his head slightly, passing a brief, respectful glance toward Sylvia.

"Under the terms of our joint agreement, Golden Investments holds a controlling majority of fifty-four point three percent of the restructured entity," Jake stated flatly. "The Sheele Group holds forty point seven percent, with the remaining five percent retained as non-voting minority equity."

Gasps echoed across the room. Online live streams exploded with thousands of incoming comments per second. Financial bloggers frantically typed out emergency updates: Jake Rivers secures 54.3% absolute control! The Sheele Group takes 40.7%! The Newmans reduced to 5%!

"Mr. Rivers! Miss Sheele!" a broadcast reporter shouted, thrusting his microphone forward. "Im sure the media here is stunned to see Miss Sheele here in person! Did Golden Investments and the Sheele Group plan this hostile takeover together from the very beginning?"

Sylvia stepped up to her microphone, a faint, unmistakably warm smile gracing her lips as she glanced toward Jake—a striking, unprecedented contrast to her legendary reputation for being ice-cold and unapproachable to everyone in business. The subtle warmth in her posture toward Jake did not go unnoticed, sending camera flashbulbs into a second frenzy.

"Strategic opportunities of this magnitude require decisive leadership," Sylvia responded, her smooth, refined voice carrying effortlessly across the hall. "When Mr. Rivers presented a vision that guaranteed absolute market efficiency and protected our investment, aligning our forces was the only logical choice. The Sheele Group fully backs his leadership."

"Miss Sheele! Mr. Rivers!" another journalist interjected loudly. "Given the incredible timing of this merger, did you two orchestrate Monday’s market crash behind closed doors?"

"I am an investor, gentlemen," Jake answered smoothly, his tone dripping with calm, chilling confidence. "When a board of directors mismanages corporate reserves, overleverages core assets, and refuses to adapt to market realities, the market inevitably corrects them. Golden Investments simply recognized the structural flaws before anyone else did... and acted accordingly."

He didn’t confirm the short position, nor did he deny it. But the message delivered to every financial titan watching the broadcast was crystal clear: Challenge me, and I will dismantle you from within.

Another reporter near the front, clutching a tablet, seized the brief lull to ask a personal question. "Mr. Rivers! In light of this total takeover, do you believe the Newman family was secretly behind the viral rumors spread earlier regarding you and Elizabeth Roys to undermine your credibility?"

A faint, inscrutable glint flickered in Jake’s dark eyes. He leaned slightly closer to the mic, his face entirely unreadable.

"Desperate entities will resort to desperate measures when they feel the floor beneath them slipping," Jake replied calmly, neither explicitly confirming nor avoiding the underlying implication. "However, false narratives on social media do not alter true power, nor do they stop market realities. The results speaking before you today are the only answer that matters."

Sylvia stepped forward again, redirecting the momentum with total authority. "To reflect this fundamental transformation, Newman Enterprise Group as a brand is officially retired. Moving forward, the restructured conglomerate, along with all its integrated logistics, real estate, and retail subsidiaries, will operate under a new corporate banner: Golden Sheele Corp."

"Miss Sheele!" a reporter called out. "What role will the Newman family play moving forward in Golden Sheele Corp?"

Sylvia’s warm expression vanished in an instant, replaced by a smooth, chilling indifference. "The Newman family holds no executive, board, or operational roles within Golden Sheele Corp. Their era has ended."

The words hung in the air like a final judgment, heavy and absolute.

---

Meanwhile, on the subterranean level of the tower, far below the flashing cameras and roaring press, the private executive elevators opened with a quiet chime.

Richard Newman shuffled out into the basement parking garage, leaning heavily on Troy’s arm. Behind them, Finn, Mary, Ray, and Joe Dane followed like a procession of ghosts, carrying small cardboard boxes containing their personal desk items.

The garage was silent, save for the hum of overhead fluorescent lights.

As they approached their luxury sedans, Richard stopped in his tracks, staring at the sleek black executive cars lined up in the VIP bay. For many years, his word had been law within these walls. Millions of marks had moved at his command, political figures had courted his favor, and rivals had trembled at his name.

Now, he was leaving through the service basement with a single percentage point of non-voting stock to his name, spared from financial extinction only because the man who broke him decided to leave him a crumb.

"Father... let’s go," Finn whispered, his voice trembling as he held the rear door open for his father. Meanwhile, Troy’s cheek was still dark red from his brother’s slap, but his eyes were completely hollow, stripped of all arrogance.

Richard looked up at the ceiling, listening to the faint, distant rumble of applause echoing down from the auditorium dozens of floors above.

"We thought we were a dynasty," Richard rasped out, his cracked voice echoing in the concrete garage. A bitter, broken tear slipped down his wrinkled cheek. "We thought we were untouchable... but we were just cattle waiting for the butcher."

He slowly climbed into the back seat, pulling the door closed. The heavy black sedan pulled away, its tires squealing softly against the polished concrete as it drove out into the blinding afternoon sun, vanishing into the city traffic below.

---

Back inside the press room, the conference was drawing to a close.

"Final question," Alice announced, stepping forward to regulate the crowd.

A young financial journalist raised her hand. "Mr. Rivers! With Golden Investments now commanding a multi-billion mark conglomerate alongside the Sheele Group under Golden Sheele Corp, what is your immediate priority for the market?"

Jake stood tall behind the podium, his dark eyes sweeping over the sea of reporters, cameras, and live feeds broadcasting his image to millions of viewers across the country.

"My priority is very simple," Jake said softly, his voice cutting through the hall with quiet, terrifying majesty. "Stability for the workers, absolute efficiency for the assets... and a reminder to anyone watching that Golden Investments does not lose."

He didn’t wait for another question. Without a backward glance, Jake stepped away from the podium, buttoned his jacket, and walked off the stage alongside Sylvia Sheele, leaving behind a room filled with breathless excitement, flashing cameras, and the undeniable reality that a new monarch had claimed the financial throne.

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