She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 433

Loyce didn't show a hint of panic. In fact, she simply said, "That's good news."

Thinking she didn't grasp the severity of the situation, Manager Wang emphasized his tone. "The winter collection launch is right around the corner! If both the design department and the manufacturing plants go on strike right now, we are totally ruined!"

Jean opened her mouth to speak, but Loyce cut in first. "It doesn't matter. I'll personally go meet with the manufacturers and negotiate. Bloomberry's largest raw material supplier is Yavon Loom Factory, right? I'll make a trip there."

Having nothing left to argue, Manager Wang backed down and left the room.

Only then did Jean anxiously speak up. "Yavon Loom Factory handles both our fabric dying and garment production; they are definitely our biggest supplier. But their clothing quality is incredibly inconsistent, and our customer return rate for their products is exceptionally high. If you want high-quality fabrics, I have much better, more cost-effective factories I could easily recommend to you."

"I know," Loyce replied.

"Then why go to them?" Jean asked.

Loyce offered a faint smile. "That's my own personal business. Your only job is to work with our sole remaining designer, Giselle, and craft the absolute best garments possible."

Loyce knew perfectly well that her exact words would make their way directly back to Alicia Seabrook's ears.

After a busy two days, Loyce made a trip back to the military housing compound. It had been a while since her last visit, and the elderly residents had already lined up for her holistic consultations.

The small clinic was packed, making the already limited waiting area feel incredibly cramped. A few elderly men sat in a circle, gossiping about recent military shake-ups.

When the topic shifted to Lucian Shapiro, Loyce's ears instinctively perked up.

"Rumor has it those two from the Shapiro family are coming back," a retired Navy veteran mentioned. "I hear they brought a son with them, too."

Another man chimed in. "I knew this day would come. With an empire that massive, there's no way they'd just willingly hand it over without a fight."

Finishing up a prescription, Loyce casually asked, "Isn't Lucian an only child? I thought his parents passed away and he was raised entirely by Zeke Shapiro."

Her question brought a brief silence to the small clinic. Then, the retired Navy veteran explained, "That's the story Lucian gives the public. He despises his parents. Mr. Shapiro knows how much pain the boy went through and realizes his own son and daughter-in-law are piece of work, so he just goes along with the story."

The voices inside were all heavily distorted by special software. They were currently engaged in a heated debate over the news that military facilities were going to be built in the Emerald Strait, all agreeing that this was the perfect moment to make a massive profit in arms sales.

The moment Ms. X's account entered the room, the entire channel fell dead silent.

A microphone belonging to the alias Nightingale lit up first. "Boss, you're here. We just got word that the Oceanic Federation and the Eastern Isles Kingdom are looking to purchase munitions. We were wondering if we should step in and offload a batch of our inventory."

Loyce tapped her finger rhythmically against the desk. "Sell arms to them?"

Another distorted, electronic male voice named Storm spoke up. "They're both clients of Ares Global. Lately, Ares has been sitting on a massive production line of new warships and fighter jets that aren't selling. The sudden military buildup in the Emerald Strait gave Ares the perfect excuse to sell weapons. Word is, his clients are heavily lobbying on Capitol Hill, presenting 'threats' to key politicians to push for an increased naval budget."

Storm continued, "We don't have enough rare earth materials to manufacture warships and jets, but undercutting Ares to snag a few arms contracts would be a walk in the park."

"Have you all lost your minds?" Loyce cut him off, her tone merciless. "Or did my extended absence from the island give you the delusion that you're allowed to profit off a national crisis?"