Chapter 335: Kennedy Will Surely Fire Riley

Zachary glanced at him. "I’m saying my dad can handle it."

Kevin laughed softly. "That sounds like a very specific distinction."

"It is." Zachary gave him a faint smile. "My family may be angry with me for not fixing this situation, saying something to cope with their frustrations, but they’ll eventually deal with it themselves and accept it. I’m not going to interfere when Riley was the one who caused the problem."

Hunter raised his glass slightly. "Then I suppose we just have to make sure Riley doesn’t find a way out."

Zachary’s expression turned calm again as he looked at him. "Exactly. That’s why I told you not to let your guard down."

"Don’t worry about it, Boss," Hunter reassured him with a confident smile. "I’ll make sure he has no way to cause you any more trouble."

Hunter raised his wineglass and gently sipped the last of his drink before setting it down. His tone was relaxed, but his words carried confidence. As Zachary’s hacker and Cresswell Tech’s IT Director, he knew better than most how much information he could uncover when given a target.

Zachary also raised his glass and nodded, satisfied with Hunter’s answer. He trusted Hunter’s ability, especially when it came to protecting their interests.

After taking a small sip, Zachary turned his attention back to Kevin. "So, when will you start filing the lawsuit and make it public?"

"I’ve already discussed the legal strategy with Aaron," Kevin replied. "He asked for a little more time to finalize the documents and make sure everything is in order before we file. Assuming there are no issues with the evidence or the final review, we should be able to file the lawsuit by the end of this week, Friday."

Kevin paused before continuing, his expression becoming more businesslike.

"As for the public announcement, we can release the news on the same day, about an hour before the market closes. That timing should put some pressure on Sterling’s investors. They’ll have very little time to assess the situation before the market shuts, and once the news spreads, there’s a good chance we’ll see panic selling."

Zachary fell silent for a moment. He leaned back slightly, his eyes resting on the wine in his glass as he considered Kevin’s plan. He was not surprised by the strategy. In a legal dispute involving companies of this size, the lawsuit itself was only one part of the battle. Public perception, investor confidence, and market reaction could be just as important.

Seeing Zachary remain silent and knowing he was probably thinking several steps ahead, Kevin waited for a moment before asking, "What do you think, Zach? Do you have another thought?"

Hunter also looked toward Zachary, curious about what was going through his mind.

After a few seconds, Zachary finally spoke. "Expedite the reporting process for the case. I don’t want any unnecessary delay once the lawsuit is filed. Make sure the legal team has everything they need to move forward."

Kevin nodded. "That shouldn’t be a problem."

"As for the public announcement," Zachary continued, looking directly at him, "can you hold off until I return from my business trip?"

Kevin raised an eyebrow slightly. "Sure. When will you be back?"

"The event is Friday through Saturday. I’ll be back in the capital on Sunday morning, so you can handle the announcement on Sunday or Monday morning."

"Okay. I’ll schedule it for Sunday night. That way, when the stock market opens on Monday, Sterling Group’s shares will feel the impact immediately. Investors will have the entire weekend to hear about the lawsuit and decide how they want to react."

Zachary leaned back casually in his chair and nodded in agreement. "Sounds good to me. You can go ahead with that."

Kevin was about to respond when another concern crossed his mind. He looked at Zachary carefully before asking, "What about your shares in Sterling Group and Capital?" His tone carried genuine concern.

Kevin knew Zachary’s position was not simple. Zachary was CEO of Sterling Capital, but his financial interests extended far beyond that; he also owned shares in the company. The situation with Sterling Group could affect Zachary financially, especially if the market reacted badly.

A faint smile played across Zachary’s lips as he answered coldly, "I don’t really care. If they drop, let them drop."

Hearing how nonchalant Zachary was, Hunter and Kevin could only exchange glances. Neither of them immediately understood how someone could remain so calm while talking about a possible drop in the value of his own investments.

They waited for Zachary to continue, expecting him to explain himself. However, he remained quiet and simply took another sip of wine as though the matter were not worth discussing.

Hunter eventually gave in to his curiosity. "Boss, aren’t you worried that your family business’s stock price might plummet to rock bottom?"

"Of course I’m not worried," Zachary smirked before adding, "And I’ve prepared for it. I’m planning to buy more when the price drops."

Hunter stared at him for a moment before shaking his head with a quiet chuckle. "Only you could turn a falling stock price into a shopping opportunity."

"Hunter, don’t think the price will keep falling. My father will intervene once things get serious, and the share price will be back to its actual worth."

"Ah, you’re right," Hunter said with a chuckle. "I forgot your father certainly wouldn’t just stand by and watch his business legacy collapse."

Kevin leaned back and nodded. "Kennedy will surely fire Riley."

Zachary glanced between Kevin and Hunter before continuing in a calm voice. "Well, one thing is certain. My father will make them the scapegoats and find a way to turn the situation around."

Neither Kevin nor Hunter questioned him.

Zachary knew exactly how his father had built and led the Sterling Group over the years. Kennedy had transformed the company into one of the top-tier businesses in the country, and he had never been the kind of man who allowed one failure to threaten everything he had built. He had used both clean and dirty business dealings when necessary, and he had always been willing to do whatever it took to achieve his goals—even if it meant sacrificing his own child.