Capítulo 27: Trouble Times

As they sat down, Alex noticed the opulence of the mansion. The walls were adorned with paintings of famous artists and the furniture was made of fine wood. The dinner table was covered with a white cloth and the silverware was polished to a shine. The aroma of the food filled the room, but Alex couldn't quite tell what they were having for dinner.

Alan cleared his throat and began the conversation, "I'm glad you could make it, Alex. I have to admit, I'm surprised that you agreed to meet with me after our last encounter."

Alex simply shrugged and replied, "I'm here to listen, Mr. Tronc. Let's get down to business, shall we?"

Alan smiled and continued, "As you know, my company has been expanding rapidly, and we're always looking for new opportunities to grow. We're interested in trading with your company, Portal, specifically our popular game, Life and Land."

Alex raised an eyebrow, "And what do you want to have in return?"

Alan leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his wine, "We have a few things in mind, but let's discuss that later. First, I wanted to talk about your source of products. We've heard rumors that it's not entirely legal."

Maxie spoke up, "I assure you, Mr. Tronc, that all our products are sourced legally."

Alan nodded, "Of course, of course. But you know how these rumors can spread. That's why I wanted to offer you a deal. You give us access to your source of products, and we'll make sure that those rumors disappear. And if we ever need a favor from you, we know you'll be more than willing to oblige."

Alex's eyes narrowed, "And if we refuse?"

Alan's smile disappeared, "Let's just say that it would be in your best interest to accept our offer."

Alex remained calm, "I'll have to discuss it with my team first. Now, about the trade..."

The rest of the dinner was filled with small talk and negotiations, but Alex couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. He knew that he couldn't trust Alan, and he had a feeling that this was just the beginning of their problems.

Through out the whole meeting John didn't say a single word, he was just staring and glaring Alex but he didn't care.

Alex knew he wasted his time coming to the dinner because of course he was not going to tell Alan that he gets his produts from the game, so will not be getting the game anytime soon.

With that, the dinner was over, and Alex and Maxie made their way out of the mansion, relieved that they had managed to escape without revealing too much. But they knew that the battle with Tronc was far from over, and they needed to stay vigilant if they wanted to protect their company from harm.

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The next few days were tumultuous for Portal. False news and rumors spread like wildfire that Portal was sourcing its products from African countries through slave labor. The accusations were so severe that even Alex found it hard to believe.

As the news spread, many people stopped patronizing the company, and some of their major partners and clients were considering cutting ties with them. Alex knew that this was the work of Alan and Tronc. He had never trusted them, and their dinner invitation had only confirmed his suspicions. He was furious that they could stoop so low as to defame his company with false accusations.

it had been revealed that some of the employees who were poached by Tronc had leaked confidential information about the company. This was the source of the false allegations against Portal. Alex was angry that people he had trusted had betrayed him.

He had a meeting with Maxie, and they discussed their options. They decided to take legal action against those responsible for spreading false information about the company. They also agreed to launch a media campaign to counter the rumors.

However Alex knew that it was going to be a long and difficult road to regain the trust of their customers and partners after all he can't reveal the source of his products. But he was determined to do whatever it took to clear the name of his company and to bring the perpetrators of the false accusations to justice.

Alex and Maxie spent the next few days working on their legal case and media campaign. They hired a team of lawyers and public relations experts to help them navigate the situation. They also made sure to reach out to their partners and customers to reassure them that the allegations were false and that they were taking action to clear their name.

They spent weeks gathering evidence and building a case against Tronc and the ex-employees. It was a stressful and exhausting process, but they were determined to see it through. They also made sure to keep their customers and partners updated on their progress, hoping to regain their trust.

Finally, the day of the trial arrived. Alex and Maxie, along with their legal team, presented their evidence and argued their case. Tronc and the ex-employees denied everything, but the evidence was too strong to ignore.

In the end, the judge ruled in favor of Portal. Tronc was ordered to retract their false allegations and pay damages to Portal. The ex-employees were also found guilty of breach of contract and stealing confidential information.

It was a major victory for Portal, but the damage had already been done. They knew it would take time to regain the trust of their customers and partners, but they were willing to do whatever it took. They launched a new media campaign highlighting their commitment to fair and ethical sourcing, and they made sure to keep their customers and partners in the loop every step of the way.

Despite their victory in court, Alex and Maxie were still facing challenges in regaining the trust of their customers and the public. Sophia had launched multiple campaigns to counter the false allegations and promote the company's commitment to ethical and sustainable sourcing, but the damage had already been done.

Social media was still flooded with criticism and skepticism about Portal's sourcing practices. Some users accused the company of using loopholes to conceal their use of slave labor or other unethical practices. Others simply didn't believe their claims of ethical sourcing, seeing them as mere PR moves to save face.

Alex knew that the only way to win back the public's trust was to be completely transparent about where they sourced their products from. But he couldn't reveal their secret source.

Like this summer came, time for Alex to join collage.