Just then, Danielle's phone rang.
She answered it, and a respectful yet anxious voice came from the other end.
"Mrs. Crawford, there's an emergency meeting regarding the follow-up to the 07 aircraft project. We need you at the R&D center immediately."
After hanging up, she looked at Gian and Kirsten across from her.
"Something urgent has come up at the R&D center. I have to go."
Kirsten set down her teacup and stood.
"Perfect timing. The Ninesky Group's summit on global partnerships is being held there as well. Gian and I will go with you."
Gian nodded, grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair, and the three of them walked briskly out of Ninesky.
Inside the car, Danielle leaned against the window, her fingertips tapping unconsciously on the door.
The anxious tone of the staff member on the phone had planted a seed of unease in her mind.
"Is there a problem with the 07 aircraft project?" Kirsten asked from beside her.
Danielle gave a slight nod. "Most likely."
"Harold may be caught, but the foreign powers behind him haven't been completely rooted out," Kirsten continued.
"It's not impossible that there are still some stragglers."
Just as she finished speaking, an assistant handed Danielle an encrypted file.
As Danielle quickly scanned the pages, her expression grew increasingly grave.
"This is an official notice. The follow-up development for the 07 aircraft has been temporarily shelved."
"There's a risk that the core data has been compromised," she explained. "We can't risk moving forward until we've confirmed there are no hidden threats."
Kirsten's brow furrowed.
So many people had poured their hearts and souls into this project; seeing it forced to a halt was a bitter pill for anyone to swallow.
"Ninesky's work can't stop," Gian's voice, steady and strong, broke the silence in the car.
"We must accelerate our pace of international integration. Only by seizing more control can we secure our footing in this game."
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