CHAPTER 242: CHAPTER 242: FIND A WAY TO STOP HER

Elias Langley’s arm barely loosened for a moment before he pushed her slightly away and looked down into her eyes.

"The last time at the bar, I arrived just in time because she tipped me off. I owed her a favor, and now we’re even."

However, Juliana Jacobs wasn’t pleased with his explanation.

Elias Langley pulled her to sit by the sofa.

"The investigation results of Mason Sheridan’s case are favorable to Sylvia Sheridan. Although she provided the incense, it can’t be proven that she was the one who added ’Stone Marrow Chrysanthemum’ to the incense used by Mason Sheridan."

Juliana Jacobs’ fingertips trembled slightly.

She had heard of "Stone Marrow Chrysanthemum," a rare medicinal herb that in small doses acts as a powerful stimulant but in excess can erode the nerves.

"The official conclusion is that Mitchell Shepherd, seeking quick results, mistakenly increased the dosage, causing poisoning due to operational error," Elias Langley’s voice was flat as if reading a dry report. "He brought it upon himself."

Juliana lowered her eyes. She cared more about the truth behind the incident than the outcome of the case.

The box of incense with "Stone Marrow Chrysanthemum" was originally given to her by Sylvia Sheridan.

This meant that had she used that box of incense, even if an incident had led to a police report, the result could easily have been twisted to her "seeking instant success and misusing a home remedy."

The thought sent a chill creeping up her spine.

"Juliana," Elias Langley turned his head to look at her, "if it’s my bailing her out that upset you, I apologize."

"You’ve explained, I won’t pursue it," Juliana Jacobs replied softly.

But despite her words, she couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.

On the surface, it seemed like Elias Langley had bailed Sylvia Sheridan out without discussing it with her, but the whole matter highlighted the major power imbalance between them.

Elias Langley always wielded the power to set and break rules, while she... whether his actions stemmed from good or ill intentions, she couldn’t change that.

Elias Langley saw her fall silent and changed the subject, "I’ve heard that Aetherflame’s next-generation solid-state battery research is nearly complete?"

Juliana looked up to meet his deep gaze, "Yes, it’s still being tested."

Elias Langley noticed she didn’t want to say more and lightly brushed his fingers over the back of her hand.

"If the technology draws too much attention, it might be safer to operate through a shell company. If necessary, I can arrange that."

"We’ll see."

Juliana quietly withdrew her hand, picked up a cup from the coffee table, took a sip, and gazed at the deep night outside the window.

"We’re not at that point yet."

Elias Langley watched her serene profile, his eyes growing darker, but ultimately said nothing more.

The next day, Juliana left without telling Elias Langley what she was going to do, but Elias Langley knew her schedule.

Two hours later, they were going to meet at a forum.

Perhaps there, he could find an opportunity to do something for her, to compensate for the displeasure caused by the Sylvia Sheridan incident.

...

The final and most important forum of the Energy Storage Summit was held at the new convention center.

Many big names in the new energy industry who hadn’t shown up in the previous sessions made an appearance at this forum.

The entire venue was purposefully designed to resemble a futuristic laboratory.

The backdrop of the main stage was a giant circular screen, and the center of the stage had a transparent demonstration area, fully equipped with various interfaces and instruments.

The forum hadn’t been going on for long before it was Aetherflame’s turn to speak.

Caleb Shaw, in a dark suit, walked steadily to the front of the stage.

Behind him, the giant screen was filled with the PPT presentation, showcasing Aetherflame’s new corporate logo, and the name imbued with deep meaning—"Genesis."

"Ladies and gentlemen," Caleb Shaw’s voice spread throughout the venue via microphone, "today, Aetherflame Dynamics is honored to introduce a technology that can redefine energy storage, and we’ve named it ’Genesis.’"

He had practiced yesterday for these two minutes on stage.

The PPT displayed astounding new battery theoretical parameters: energy density surpassing existing top products by dozens of times, charging and discharging efficiency near theoretical limits, and a cycle life of up to ten years.

The audience began to stir, and even many seasoned experts expressed disbelief, saying, "That’s simply impossible."

Caleb Shaw did not flinch.

"I know many of you may not believe it, just like a month ago, I didn’t believe I could transition from a surgeon to the head of a new energy R&D company. Any technology that outpaces its era needs data to support it, so please give us a moment, and we’ll demonstrate it for you."

Juliana Jacobs and several company R&D personnel, already wearing masks and holding equipment, waited at the side of the stage.

In the audience seating, in the center.

Quinn Shepherd hunched over and hurried to Elias Langley, whispering in his ear.

Elias Langley watched as Juliana was about to step on stage, his brow furrowing deeper.

On stage, Caleb Shaw announced loudly, "Next, please welcome the core developer of ’Genesis,’ our Technical Director Ms. Juliana Jacobs, to give a demonstration."

In the audience, Elias Langley said in a low voice, "Find a way to stop her."

Quinn Shepherd hesitated for a moment, uncertain if he could succeed, then hurried backstage.

The audience’s attention was instantly drawn to the demonstration platform, as if attracted by a magnet.

Juliana entered the demonstration area, dressed in a moonlight blue work uniform, her face masked, with only her calm eyes and unhurried steps revealing her identity.

Though her face was not clearly visible, the audience was abuzz.

"So young, could she really be the Technical Director?"

"I heard she was once a top student in the Materials Department at Huacheng, groomed as a promising talent, but then disappeared into R&D."

"So the credibility of this technology should be quite high, right?"

"Hush, be quiet, watch her demonstration."

Just as Juliana picked up the connecting cable to link ’Genesis’ to an industrial laser devise needing substantial external power, a faint pop was heard, a burst of electrical sparks erupted at the connection point, and smoke billowed.

The laser’s indicator lights went out instantly, leaving the core power on the demonstration stage dark.

The audience was immediately in an uproar.

Some skeptics among competitors and experts wore anticipative smiles as if watching a spectacle.

Quinn Shepherd wiped his forehead backstage, pulling out his phone to send Elias Langley a "done" emoji.

Though it might make Juliana a laughingstock, a little embarrassment was trivial compared to personal safety.

Juliana hadn’t anticipated such an accident either.

She glanced at the burnt power interface, and just a second later, did something that left everyone stunned.

She went directly behind the laser, tore off the burnt power module with her bare hands, then took the wire connecting to ’Genesis’ and directly connected it to the laser’s internal core circuit.

"What’s she doing?" the audience exclaimed in shock.

Elias Langley immediately furrowed his brow.