Without getting tangled up with Philip and Grosvenor, the three of them called in their lawyers and spent more than two hours confirming the contract and going over every conceivable detail before formally signing the share swap agreement.
Watching William sign his name and press the Devonshire family seal onto the contract, both Philip and Grosvenor let out a huge sigh of relief.
William was equally pleased. With this 20% share in hand, his total stake in England Power had now reached 68%, giving him absolute control.
As long as he didn't consolidate the shares scattered across more than 20 offshore companies, he wouldn't have to notify the securities department. With England Power's stock price currently plummeting, he could even acquire more shares from the market.
After calculating for so long, now that his wish had come true, William was in a great mood. The energy sector was where the Devonshire family's true foundation lay. The bulletproof products company, while profitable now, would eventually face market saturation.
Although the company's future seemed very bright at the moment, it wasn't hard to estimate its market cap ceiling. No matter how advanced or practical the products were, they were still niche.
Many people could afford them, but the actual number of people who needed them wasn't large. Unless, of course, the world suddenly became one where rich people were frequently targeted, kidnapped, or assassinated.
With this thought, William silently wondered whether, if movie-like scenarios happened in the future, he should just let things take their course.
As long as there wasn't something or someone threatening to destroy the entire world, should he just let small-scale chaos develop naturally?
Suddenly startled by his own thoughts, William realized how dangerous this line of thinking was. Yet, for some reason, he felt a hint of excitement at the idea.
Reining in his thoughts, he finished dealing with Philip and Grosvenor, then turned toward Catherine and Garris, who both looked expectant but hesitant.
Before William had arrived, the two of them had already spoken with Philip and Grosvenor.
Upon learning that William had valued the bulletproof products company at £5 billion, they both quickly did the math. Just 1% of the company's shares was worth £50 million.
They had worked tirelessly promoting the products, but the money they had earned over the past few months was barely enough to buy even a small portion of shares.
They were both worried, wondering whether William would still honor his promise to let them buy in at a $1 billion valuation.
Seeing their hesitation, William knew exactly what they were worried about. "Don't worry, I always keep my word. I'll stick to the $1 billion valuation: Catherine, you get 2%, Garris, you get 1%. However, you'll have to transfer the voting rights of these shares to me. Any issues with that?"
"Of course not, no problem at all."
Seeing that William wasn't holding them accountable for not hitting the sales targets of 200 and 100 units, and that he was sticking to the previously promised $1 billion valuation, both Catherine and Garris breathed a huge sigh of relief and agreed with big smiles.
Not agreeing would have been foolish. Even Catherine, usually a stern, middle-aged woman, smiled and excitedly hugged William. "Thank you, I'm really glad to know you and to work with you."
"You're welcome, Catherine. I'm happy to work with you too, and I think we'll be working even more closely together in the future, right?"
"Of course," Catherine replied with a smile. "In a few days, I'll probably resign. Does your earlier offer still stand?"
"So soon?" William was surprised by this news. "Are you really willing to give up your current position?"
Catherine showed a helpless expression. "You probably haven't been paying attention to some recent developments. Although no one can blame me for what happened, James's death has made my situation worse, not better.
"I can understand how people feel. Whenever they think of James, they remember that his death was indirectly caused by me."
Catherine shook her head and forced a smile. "It's fine. Leaving now is better for everyone. Not only will I have a new job, but I'll also gain goodwill from others. That will make certain things easier in the future. I'm only 49—who knows what lies ahead?"
"Hmm? Smart choice," William quickly understood her thinking. Resigning while everyone felt uncomfortable around her would not only earn her goodwill from her former colleagues, but it would also make them feel like they owed her.
While this wouldn't necessarily translate into any tangible benefits, a few years of laying low would certainly give her an advantage if she decided to make a comeback.
And she wouldn't be walking away empty-handed. At the very least, she was about to become a shareholder in a company with great prospects—an undeniable benefit.
"If you're willing to come on board as an executive director for the new company, I'd be more than happy to have you. With your connections, I'm sure our sales will only grow. So, should we sign the stock agreement now or after you resign?"
Catherine thought for a moment and replied, "I plan to use a trust fund for my shares, so it doesn't really make a difference whether we sign now or later."
William shook his head. "If you have any plans to return to politics, don't rush into this. It's better for everyone if you don't leave any potential loose ends. I promise to hold the 2% for you. I'm particular about some things, but my credibility is rock-solid."
"Alright," Catherine agreed quickly. As William himself had said, he had a solid reputation when it came to trustworthiness, and there was no conflict of interest between them.
With Catherine's matter settled, they both turned to Garris, who had been waiting on the side.
Garris shrugged and smiled. "I'm definitely ready to sign now. Compared to the money, my current position means little to me. Besides, MI6 doesn't handle domestic affairs, so joining a company focused on bulletproof products might stir up some controversy, but it's not really a big deal. Worst case, we just stop publicly selling the company's products. Who's going to stop me from quietly recommending them to people?"
"That's a good point," Catherine nodded in agreement.
"OK then, if you think it's not an issue, let's sign the contract. But let me be clear: if this causes you to be forced into resignation, that's not on me," William said with a smile.
"Don't worry, I won't blame you," Garris replied with a grin. "If the company is already worth £5 billion now, in a few more years, it could easily reach £10 billion. Right?"
"£10 billion? I'm confident of that. Maybe you should aim even higher—multiply that by four," William laughed.
"Heh, that would mean my 1% share would be worth £400 million. With that kind of money, who cares about this job? Maybe I'll follow Catherine's lead, take a few years off, and come back later. No way am I going to keep doing all the dirty work."
"As long as you have a plan, that's great, buddy. Cheers to our cooperation," William said, extending his hand.
"Cheers to our cooperation," Garris replied, happily shaking hands with him.
They called in the lawyers to sign the contracts, and Catherine, who had been watching the entire time, felt even more at ease now that Garris had officially become a shareholder.
With the contracts signed and the atmosphere festive, Grosvenor enthusiastically invited everyone to his house for a celebration, hoping to introduce his son to William.
However, while William wasn't concerned about the implications, both Catherine and Garris had their reservations and politely declined the invitation.
Grosvenor didn't mind the refusal. He wasn't even fazed when Philip mentioned wanting to go back for an afternoon nap, as his main target was William.
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