She Quit Her Family and Found Herself novel Chapter 143

From the moment they entered the hall, the bespectacled executive and the other two H&J managers had their eyes glued to the industry titans and rival mega-corporations vying for the bidding qualifications.

After scanning the room, the three of them grouped back up with Herbert and Sylvie.

"Mr. Jewell, Ms. Sinclair, practically every top-tier figure in the field is here! Look, Academician Coleman, Dr. Lynch, Professor Yardley—all the heavyweights are present!" the executive pointed excitedly toward the front rows, marveling at the legendary figures he had only ever seen in academic journals or on television.

"And look over there, Mr. Jewell." Mr. Larson pointed to a cluster of entrepreneurs networking nearby. "Horizon Dynamics, Ascendant Corp, Omni Corp, Zenith Data... all the leading companies are here. They must be planning to enter the public bid."

Herbert knew this launch was a high-profile event, but seeing it in person made him realize it was far beyond his expectations.

Not only were the academic giants present, but government officials had shown up as well.

Crucially, the companies competing against him were powerhouses easily on par with H&J. Even Zenith Data, a massive corporation that hadn't previously dabbled in quantum navigation systems, was in attendance. They clearly saw the lucrative future of the Quantum Crystal Laboratory and wanted a piece of the pie.

In terms of overall resources, Zenith Data definitely outranked H&J.

But it didn't matter. Although Zenith Data was a fierce competitor, Herbert had unwavering confidence in his own abilities and his company's technology.

"We really owe Ms. Sinclair a massive thank you. If you hadn't pulled some strings with Trident Corporation, we'd never have gotten the chance to attend an event of this caliber!" the bespectacled man praised Sylvie with obvious adoration.

The other two executives chimed in, their gratitude overflowing.

Their reverence greatly satisfied Sylvie's vanity.

Herbert and his group followed the crowd's gaze.

When they saw who was standing at the entrance, they were utterly stunned.

"Dr. Atherton! Isn't that Dr. Atherton? I thought he stepped back from the front lines ages ago!" the bespectacled man blurted out first, his glasses nearly sliding off his nose at the sight.

The elderly Dr. Atherton was seated in a wheelchair, being pushed into the room by a nurse.

And the striking, aristocratic man walking right beside him was none other than the man Herbert had just been meaning to thank—Caspian Sterling.