“What are you looking at?” Gian asked, following her gaze to a blurry figure in the distance.
Danielle snapped out of her trance and shook her head, taking a sip of water. “Nothing. For a second, I thought I saw someone I knew.”
But a sudden thought surfaced in her mind.
Had Alexander known she wanted to work with Cole when he suddenly asked her to join the meeting with their representative yesterday?
NextCore's main focus was the 07 fighter jet, a key national project, which meant any partnership would be heavily restricted. Cole, despite being a powerful overseas corporation, had limited room for collaboration on projects involving core national technology.
So, was it possible Alexander had intentionally brought her into the meeting, even allowing her to speak with Davies, as a way of “gifting” the Cole resource to her?
After all, Ninesky was an independent tech company. While it collaborated with the government, it wasn't a direct subsidiary, giving it more flexibility and fewer restrictions when partnering with foreign enterprises. And for Cole, looking to break into the domestic market, Ninesky was an excellent entry point.
The thought left Danielle with a complicated mix of feelings. She didn't know what Alexander's motive was. Guilt? Compensation? Or was there another agenda at play? Whatever the reason, he had certainly given Ninesky a rare opportunity.
Just then, Davies and his team from Cole entered the restaurant.
Danielle immediately pushed her thoughts aside and stood up with Gian, smiling as she approached them. “Mr. Davies, it's a pleasure to see you again.”
Gian and Danielle exchanged an excited glance. This was it—Ninesky had successfully taken the first step toward a partnership with Cole.
“Thank you very much for your endorsement, Mr. Davies,” Gian said, rising to shake his hand. “We're ready to communicate further at any time and look forward to collaborating with Cole.”
After the meeting, Gian was in high spirits.
Danielle glanced toward the private room in the back of the restaurant. It was quiet now; Alexander must have already left.
She didn't know how to feel about what he had done, or whether this supposed favor concealed some other motive. But she knew one thing for certain: whatever Alexander's reasons were, Ninesky could not afford to miss this opportunity.

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