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“I’m still thinking it through. But let’s say that you do sell Paragon and start over. I agree that you can’t come to Dynamica—you can’t work for someone else. You’re too stubborn and set in your ways.”
“Ha-ha.”
“So I’ve asked Kami to draw up a sales agreement—I’m going to spin off my subsidiary biotech division and sell it to you. We can close this week. You won’t be a vice president; no sense in going backwards. You’ll be the CEO of your own company. Of course, the building is in the same office park as Dynamica, so you might not be as far away from me as you’d like. Your employees will continue to work for you and only you, Your Highness.”
“But…but…with everything that’s going on, I can’t get all the financing together right now—”
He grinned at me. “I know. That’s why I’m selling it to you for a dollar.”
Shocked, I said, “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’m not. All the elements of a valid contract are there: offer, acceptance—as soon as you accept—and consideration. A dollar counts as valid consideration. Kami assured me it was legitimate.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“You could start with ‘yes.’ And then maybe move on to something more interesting, like ‘thank you,’ or ‘I love you and your big muscles.’ That’d be nice.”
“Gabe…” I stroked his face, overwhelmed by his generosity. “I’ll pay you back, someday.”
“Of course you will.” Gabe laughed. “Knowing you, you’ll outearn me within the year.”
For the first time in a long time, I smiled and it wasn’t forced. “Not that this is a competition, but…I’m sure as hell going to try.”
“Good. Then you can keep me in the lifestyle I’ve become accustomed to.” He pulled me onto his lap again. “Back to Li Na. The thing with her is, we need to keep our eye on the ball. This is a long game—so even if she gets what she wants right now, it doesn’t mean she’s ultimately going to emerge victorious.”
This sounded suspiciously like sports talk, which didn’t compute. “Honey? I don’t really understand what you’re saying…”
“What I’m saying is, maybe we should set her up. Lull her into a false sense of security, and then, when she thinks she’s done with us, we crush her.”
“And how are we going to do this, exactly? I’m not comfortable with the idea of sending an assassin to Shenzhen to take her out. It would probably be cathartic, but I’m not a murderer.” It sort of felt like a personality defect in light of the circumstances.
“Neither am I, and that’s not what I’m talking about.” Gabe’s eyes shone with excitement. “Li Na cares very much about her reputation and her standing within her country and with the government. If she gets Paragon and begins to dominate the market, her standing and position will increase exponentially. That’s what she wants—to be important. To have face.”
“Huh?”
“It’s a Chinese sociological concept. In Chinese business, the idea of having face is very important, maybe even more so than money. Face means your social standing—your importance with your peers. Li Na’s made it very clear that what matters to her is Jiàn’s market dominance, and making sure Shenzhen is on the map as a leader in global commerce. That’s what she cares about—that’s what makes her tick.”
“I’m still waiting for the part where we crush her.”
“You have what it takes to beat her. Do you see that?”
“I’m still not following you.”
Gabe reached out and stroked my face. “You can make something better than the patch. So let her have it. And then you can take the market back from her and publicly crush her black little soul.”
“I can’t make something better than the patch.”
“Of course you can.”
I gaped at him. “No, I can’t. That innovation is one-of-a-kind, and I can’t make something better than it and I can’t improve upon it. I was perfecting the technology for years. It’s completely unique.”
“And so are you,” Gabe said. “You are capable of great things, great things like the technology behind the patch. If you put your mind to it, I know you’ll be able to find something that will improve upon the technology—something that will take the market back when you launch it.”
I stared at him, incredulous. “You want me to go after her, when this is all over? Seriously?”
“All I’m saying is, I don’t want you to give up. You worked for years to realize your dream. None of that’s in vain, babe, whatever happens next. My brothers are out here now, and they’re staying, God help me. She’s never going to sneak up on us again. We can circle the wagons, make our company—er, companies,” he corrected himself, “safe and secure. And we can go after her once and for all. We can show the world her real face—which is the face of a criminal, of a hack, someone who’s cheated her way to the top. You’re the one with the real promise. That’s why she stooped so low and did such terrible things. That’s what she is capable of. You can beat her because you’re smarter than her and you’re better than her. Then, the good guys still win.”
“I’ll think about it,” I said, my mind whirling, “as soon as we get Hannah home.”
