Chapter 35: If You Don't Want It, I'll Sell It to Someone Else

Sure enough, Tiffany Rose replied very quickly from the other side.

First came a barrage of insults, but perhaps seeing no reply from this end for a long while and realizing that the message she had just received actually made sense, her tone finally softened.

"That might be true, but this set of a program is too useless for me; its practical value isn't high. Don't you guys have an upgraded version here?"

Only then did Pearl reply in a leisurely manner.

"Why didn't you say so earlier, Boss? If you want a better patent, we can certainly produce one, but the price might be a bit higher than you imagine. I just don't know if you'll be able to afford it."

Tiffany: "How much? Name it."

Those four exceptionally confident words—one could no longer trace any hint of the little girl who once desperately needed financial sponsorship.

Vivian Hale and Pearl weren't about to be polite either, and Pearl quoted the price directly.

"Twenty million, flat price, non-negotiable."

Having already dished out eight million earlier and now being hit with another twenty million, this ought to drain all the money she had taken from Adrian Cross, and she would likely even have to pay a bit out of her own pocket.

"Twenty million? Are you selling a patent, or are you selling actual gold!"

Vivian knew exactly that she would have this reaction.

Remaining unhurried, she instructed Pearl on how to slowly explain: "The income generated by any high-level patent carries a long-tail effect. At the very least it lasts ten years, and at most a century. Just relying on copyright fees alone, who knows how many hundreds of millions can be earned in a year? Boss, you're an insider, you ought to understand this better than I do, right? If it weren't for the fact that our people can't show their faces, wouldn't it be better if we kept the patent for ourselves?"

"A buyout at twenty million is already a remarkably low price. If you don't want it, I'll sell it to someone else!"

Sure enough, the moment these words were uttered, the other side hesitated for a brief moment before replying instantly, "I'll buy it! But before making the payment, I want to see the final presentation effect first."

Seeing these two sentences, Vivian couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, "Tell her: Sure, we'll run a test for you right away."

Following that, she opened the laptop she had brought along. An encrypted file was transferred over, and Vivian sent it straight to Tiffany without a single second thought.

Gancing at it, Pearl was instantly struck with absolute horror.

"Vivian, isn't that the real deal? Why did you actually give it to Tiffany? Have you gone mad!"

Vivian, however, was far more composed.

She lightly pressed her hand over Pearl's, her face entirely serene: "It doesn't matter. After all, I've already successfully applied for the patent."

"If I don't give her the real thing, how is she going to suffer an even more devastating fall..."

Pearl lifted her head, catching sight of a digital copy of a patent certificate sitting right on her computer desktop.

She instantly burst into a laugh, "I have to admit, this strategy of yours truly is brilliant. The exact millisecond they dare to use this thing, they're completely finished."

...

Meanwhile, having witnessed the effect on her end, Tiffany was stunned on the spot.

Even though she wasn't particularly proficient in this field, she was thoroughly shaken by the presentation effect displayed before her.

Twenty million was an absolutely fair price.

She made the decision on the spot: "I'm buying it!"

To achieve this, she had no choice but to sell off all the luxury products in her possession.

But she knew that this item was worth it.

In fact, to prevent the other party from backing out, she wished she could deploy and apply this thing right this very instant.

No, she couldn't be that hasty. She wanted to have Adrian Cross launch a press conference directly and announce it during the event; this would definitely help the Cross family reclaim their pride.

And when that time came, what would a mere twenty million even matter.

However, Tiffany wasn't a fool either. Over this recent period, she had also perceived that Adrian wasn't entirely sincere toward her.

This patent couldn't just be handed over to him for nothing once it was secured. This time, she wanted him to marry her first!

Only by sitting securely in the position of Mrs. Cross could she truly rest easy without any worries.

Tiffany placed a phone call to Adrian.

"Adrian, I’ve successfully debugged the new program, and the patent will be officially issued very soon. Cross Group can convene a press conference immediately."

Yet the man on the other end wasn't as ecstatic as she had imagined, his voice dropping to a freezing tone.

"Send the program to me."

And then he hung up the phone directly.

Tiffany wasn't angered by his attitude, dispatching the program over immediately.

Within less than ten minutes, Adrian's phone call came through once more.

"This is incredible! The company owes everything to you this time. I'll transfer three million to you right away as a reward."

But Tiffany curled her lips into a smile, declining him directly.

"Adrian, I don't want money. You know exactly what my heart wants regarding you. Only when you divorce Vivian Hale and marry me will I hand this patent over to you."

...

Meanwhile, after receiving word of the transfer, Vivian fell into deep thought.

Right now, the situation only awaited the final reeling in of the net.

But it was still missing one tiny piece.

She wanted to divorce Adrian Cross and ensure he was left entirely empty-handed.

Therefore, she was advancing her plan step by step precisely to drive Adrian to an absolute dead end, while simultaneously making him suspicious of Tiffany. In the end, for the sake of the so-called patent in Tiffany's hands, he would proactively agree to a fake divorce with her, letting her help him transfer his assets.

Too bad for him, when that time came, getting a divorce would be easy, but getting remarried would be completely out of the question.

Before that, she still needed to give Tiffany one more push.

Only when Tiffany’s ambition was magnified without limitation would she be able to ignite Adrian’s suspicion.

And if she remembered correctly, tomorrow presented a golden opportunity.

Tomorrow was her mother-in-law Eleanor Cross's birthday.

Arthur Cross had been busy managing the overseas market abroad for the past several years and rarely returned; the birthdays in recent years had consistently been spent with just her and Adrian accompanying her.

"Right, Pearl, don't you have a friend at the hospital? Can you help me forge a diagnostic certificate for a breast cancer recurrence..."

She turned her head to speak to Pearl.

Not only did she want to stimulate Tiffany’s ambition, but she also wanted to lower Adrian’s guard against her. At a time like this, a terminally ill patient was naturally the absolute best way to keep anyone from harboring suspicions.

Hearing this, Pearl chorused her agreement completely.

Only, she still wrapped Vivian in a heavily sympathetic hug: "Vivian, your life has been so bitter. I truly hope that after getting through this matter, you can encounter the happiness that truly belongs to you."

Happiness that belongs to herself?

Vivian smiled bitterly. She was no longer considering it; after going through this ordeal, she only wished to live well on her own, and at best, have a child.

At the thought of a child, the silhouette of that other man uncontrollably surfaced in her mind once more.

Hopefully, he could be a bit more effective.

...

By the time she returned to the villa, Adrian hadn't come back.

Vivian didn't care at all by now; if she hadn't guessed incorrectly, he should be accompanying Tiffany.

After all, having just obtained the item, how could Tiffany possibly pass up the opportunity.

However, during the night, Vivian still received a phone call from Adrian.

His voice was somewhat low, glaringly obvious that he was calling behind Tiffany's back.

"Tomorrow is Mom's birthday. Don't forget to prepare a gift; I'll bring you along with me."

Vivian offered a sensible murmur of agreement, "Rest assured, Honey. I've prepared it long ago."

I've prepared a massive gift just for you all, after all.

Hanging up the phone, she turned around and intentionally posted a brand-new update on Weibo.

[Celebrating Mother-in-law's birthday with my husband tomorrow—an exclusivity reserved only for family members.]

Only then did she curl her lips into a smile, pulling out a batch of medicinal food ingredients from the kitchen to soak ahead of schedule.

Preparing this medicinal food had always been an incredibly troublesome process, and she hadn't dared to be even a fraction sloppy in the past—not only did it require soaking a full day in advance, but she even had to get out of bed at five in the morning to stew it.

But right now, it didn't matter anymore; it was merely going through the motions anyway, and that person wouldn't even get to eat it!