novelraw Chapter 355 - 194: From This Day, the Emperor No Longer Attends Morning Court
Chapter 355 - 194: From This Day, the Emperor No Longer Attends Morning Court
As soon as Luke Stern finished speaking, Kenneth Osborne had already sent him an electronic contract."This is a contract with real-time online certification by a third party, and the electronic signature has legal validity," Kenneth said calmly with his Bluetooth headset on. "Sign it, you just agreed to it."
The last bit of luck was gone from Luke Stern.
He initially wanted to play for time, dragging Kenneth Osborne and then rushing back to force Justus Spencer to sign the contract immediately so that once Spencer signed, he could back out without giving ten billion to Kenneth.
To Luke Stern, this money is like his lifeblood; if he can avoid giving it, he will.
Kenneth Osborne seemed to understand Luke Stern quite well, blocking all routes of luck for him.
Luke Stern smirked and swiped his signature on the phone screen with his finger.
The electronic contract acknowledged his signature and was sent to a third party for electronic certification.
This electronic certification first requires real-name authentication, and then the certification platform will provide both parties with CA certificates and a unique timestamp, making the electronically signed contract a legally protected document.
Simply put, it’s no different from signing a contract with a lawyer present from both sides.
When the CA certificate and unique timestamp came through, Luke Stern had already resigned to his fate.
After signing this contract, Kenneth Osborne would own 20% of Wayford Intelligence.
Luke Stern said with a sullen face, "Congratulations, Mr. Osborne, you are now a major shareholder in Wayford Intelligence. I hope you remember your promise. If you release the news of your exit now, my company will be worthless, and you won’t get a penny!"
Currently, besides him, Kenneth Osborne held the most shares in Wayford Intelligence.
Kenneth Osborne chuckled, "Sure, sure. I’d have to be crazy to refuse money, right? Rest assured, until your contract with Spencer is effective, I won’t say a word."
He then reminded Luke Stern, "Mr. Stern, don’t forget to notify me on the day your sale agreement with Spencer Group comes into effect. As the second-largest shareholder in Wayford Intelligence, I must be present."
Luke Stern was so angry with him that he almost had a heart attack.
He clutched his chest and took a few deep breaths, speaking hoarsely, "Got it. I have other matters to attend to, I’ll hang up now."
Luke Stern hung up Kenneth Osborne’s call, his expression nearly ferocious.
He cursed under his breath a few times, then adjusted his collar, raised a smiling face, and returned to the private room.
Justus Spencer had already been waiting anxiously.
The longer Luke Stern was missing, the more he worried the other side would demand more.
Frankly, fifty billion was already his limit, if the other party really continued to demand more, he wouldn’t be able to afford it. — Because there simply wasn’t that much money.
So when he saw Luke Stern smiling as he entered, Justus Spencer nearly stood up from his seat, anxiously asking, "Mr. Stern, are you going to sign or not?"
"...Mr. Spencer, what’s the hurry? Can’t we talk after dinner? Or maybe, discuss it tomorrow?" Luke Stern assumed a stance as if he didn’t quite want to talk about it, smiled dismissively, and poured himself a glass of red wine.
Justus Spencer slapped his chopsticks onto the table, his face darkened, "Mr. Stern, this is really dishonest. We’ve come with sincere intentions; you can’t just prioritize whoever bids higher!"
Luke Stern put down his chopsticks and said with great emotion, "Mr. Spencer, I certainly understand your sincerity, but as you know, this company is the result of my ten years of efforts, like my child, and I wouldn’t sell my children. I just want to find my children a better home."
"I hope to see them continue to function in the new company, rather than being shut down or shelved after being acquired..."
Luke Stern spoke so emotionally that his eyes reddened, sparkling with tears.
Justus Spencer quickly said, "Then you must choose us at Victory Wise! We at Victory Wise Corporation have the best CTO, the strongest funding support, and the largest clientele base. With us, Wayford Intelligence won’t even change its company name!"
"Really?!" Luke Stern seemed moved by his words, suddenly looking up, "Can you guarantee Wayford Intelligence’s company name won’t change?!"
"Of course, we’re acquiring Wayford Intelligence to integrate valuable AI companies and unite them. That’s how we grow bigger and stronger!" Justus Spencer’s words indeed had an appealing power, quite suited for motivational speeches.
Luke Stern was quite receptive and also knew he couldn’t drag on any longer; the longer the delay, the more uncertainties arose. Only tangible cash in hand was real.