Return Of The Prodigy
Return of the Prodigy Chapter 171

Leroy turned to look at the entrance.

Several people had entered the room, with Robert Byron and Bruce Holiday in the lead.

"You convened a meeting but didn't bother to notify one of the council members? What were you thinking?" Robert Byron said in a mocking tone.

"You didn't even wait for all the members to arrive; this vote doesn't count. It has to be cast anew," Bruce Holiday echoed Robert's words,

The businessmen behind them followed suit and demanded, "We won't accept this outcome. Cast the vote again!"

"Yeah, cast the vote again!"

The room plunged into chaos.

Leroy's face darkened. He knew that all these businessmen were related to Hartley Group one way or the other, and that was why he did not invite them. He had planned to become the President of the Chamber of Commerce and deal with them later. It was out of his expectations that they would arrive this soon.

"It doesn't matter if you agree or not. I've already obtained more than half of the votes, which gives me the majority anyway."

"Is that so?" Robert said with a sneer. "It seems you're already accustomed to the ways of the Camdens! Very well, if you're going to be the next President of the Chamber of Commerce, the Byrons are withdrawing from the chamber!"

"I don't like the foul atmosphere of this new Chamber of Commerce. The Holidays are also out!"

"The Chamber of Commerce exists so that everyone can grow strong together. It's not supposed to be a tool for petty revenge. I'm also out!"

"I'm out as well!"

In the blink of an eye, several businessmen withdrew from the Chamber of Commerce. Nearly half of the members were gone.

Leroy's face fell. He gnashed his teeth in anger and said, "You'll regret this later. It's easy to withdraw, but I can assure you that rejoining the chamber won't be easy."

Robert sneered. "Rejoining? You think too highly of yourself and your chamber. Nothing stops us from creating our own Chamber of Commerce."

"Yeah, we can build the Chamber of Commerce anew. We won't be your pawns."

"I endorse Ms. Hartley. She'll be a good president."

"I agree."

The businessmen in Robert's camp all expressed their support.

Katie was stunned, and she hurriedly said, "Please, wait a moment. Don't act on impulse."

"Ms. Hartley, can't you see what's going on?" Robert interjected. "The Camdens want to turn the Chamber of Commerce into a tool for their revenge. We can no longer stay here."

"Ms. Hartley, please don't refuse. We know that you're a capable woman. You'll be a good president."

The other businessmen echoed Robert's words.

This sudden turn of events was out of Katie's expectations. She had come here because she did not want the Chamber of Commerce to fall into the hands of the Camdens. She did not foresee that the Chamber of Commerce would split and that they would try to make her the leader of one camp.

"Haha, it seems you've forgotten something. If you want to create a new Chamber of Commerce, you'll need the permission of Alameda County's Chamber of Commerce first. Without their authorization, you can't do anything. The most you can do is create a private club. You're fools if you believe that it's so easy to found a new Chamber of Commerce!" said Leroy mockingly.

"As a spokesperson of the Hamiltons," Clarissa interjected, "I approve the creation of a new Chamber of Commerce."

Leroy's smile stiffened, and he clapped back, "Fine, I want to see how this plays out! I can assure you that you'll come back. You'll beg me to take you back!"

Katie sighed inwardly. She did not want to involve Robert and the others in this matter, so she advised, "Mr. Byron, I thank you for your support, but a fractured Chamber of Commerce won't help anyone."

"Haha, are you getting cold feet now?" Leroy sneered. "Also, stop being a sanctimonious bitch. If you care so much about Lisle's Chamber of Commerce, just dissolve Hartley Group!"

Katie stared daggers at him and replied, "Leroy Ortiz, I'm just trying to uphold everyone's best interest. Keep your insults to yourself."

"Are you starting to regret involving them?" Leroy said mockingly. "It's too late for that. They've already left the Chamber of Commerce. Unless you kneel and beg me, I'll sanction them along with your company. All of them will be targeted by the Camdens!" Katie was so angry that she quaked all over. "The Camdens are a disgrace! Fine. Since you want to pick a fight with us, we'll play this game with you. If it's a war you want, a war is what you'll get!"

Katie did not back down this time. So many people had withdrawn from the Chamber of Commerce and rallied behind her, she had to fight for their sake.

Robert and the others clapped, expressing their support. Then, they turned around and left, leaving behind a stunned Leroy.

His face twitched nonstop, and he said through gritted teeth, "Katie Hartley, I'll make you regret everything you did today!" Then, he turned to look at the people left in the room and asked, "The Chamber of Commerce lost nearly half of its members. This is a big deal, not only for me but also for you guys. What suggestions do you have?"

"I think we should make use of the popularity of our Chamber of Commerce and prevent the public from knowing that there is a new Chamber of Commerce."

"We have to advertise our Chamber of Commerce everywhere."

"We need to tell everyone that we're the legitimate Chamber of Commerce."

"We should sponsor some events through our Chamber of Commerce, especially if they have the potential to blow up."

"Speaking of which, that tournament they're holding in Lisle seems in vogue. I think it's called Ultimate Fighting Championship. We should sponsor them."

"I support this idea. I just happen to be collaborating with the organizers. They reserved some clothes from my store."

"I also support the idea."

Leroy nodded in satisfaction. "All right, let's sponsor this Ultimate Fighting Championship. I'll go meet them in person. "Ross, you're coming with me."

-

Sky High Venue, where the Ultimate Fighting Championship was going to be held.

Adam sat in a chair and looked at Owen, who was gritting his teeth in anger.

"For real? Are these the only guys you could replace? These bums never trained in their life. How are they supposed to keep the audience safe?!"

Adam had brought over the security guards from Hartley Group so that Owen could start their training. As a result, the latter had been losing his mind.

Adam was also surprised when he found out that Hartley Group's security guards were this bad. After training for one hour, they were already at their limit, panting and unable to move even a finger. He felt sorry for Owen, but since he had already brought them over, he could not just send them back.

He said, somewhat embarrassed, "The worst they are, the greater your achievements will be when you turn them into something. If each of them was a gifted fighter, I wouldn't need to bring them to you. After all, everybody can train them and obtain good results. "Moreover, since you're here, it's not like we need skilled fighters. It'll be okay as long as these guys are good enough to run errands for you and keep an eye on the place."

Owen frowned and fell into thought. "Is that so? What you said makes sense, but there's something that's bugging me..."

Adam did not give him time to ponder further and said, "This will also help you improve your leadership skills. Otherwise, how can you be a hero?"

Owen looked pensive but nodded eventually. "You have a point. I'll continue to train them."

Fannie and Arianna, who were whispering to each other, looked at Owen with pity in their eyes.

Adam looked away and stood up. "Since you've work to do, I'll take my leave."

At this moment, a man entered the building and demanded haughtily, "Who's in charge here? I'm the President of the Chamber of Commerce, and I want to sponsor this tournament." Adam stopped in his tracks and looked at Leroy Ortiz.

Leroy also saw Adam, and fear flashed in his eyes. "Why are you here?"

Adam furrowed his brows. "President of the Chamber of Commerce, huh? And you want to sponsor the Ultimate Fighting Championship..."