Chapter 3

3.

When I arrived at the Phoenix Kiln site, everyone was gathered around the kiln door.

They were staring intently at the sealed iron entrance.

Vivian was using a trembling hand to wipe the sweat from her brow.

"Open the kiln!"

She announced, her voice shaking.

As the door slowly opened, a pungent, burnt smell wafted out.

Everyone craned their necks to look inside.

The porcelain within was completely deformed and cracked.

The glaze was muddy and dull, looking like a pile of charred garbage.

"This... this is impossible..."

Vivian stumbled back a few steps, her face as pale as a sheet.

Caleb rushed forward to catch her.

"Vivian, don't panic. There must be some mistake."

The secretary walked over with a cold face.

"Mr. Sterling's car has reached the village entrance. If this is your so-called 'masterpiece,' I don't think we have anything left to discuss."

She scanned the crowd with a freezing gaze.

"Get your penalty money ready. It's 1.38 billion dollars."

Caleb shook violently and suddenly turned toward me.

"Elena! Where were you just now? Did you sabotage this?"

Before I could even open my mouth, Vivian suddenly grabbed Caleb's arm.

"Wait!"

She tried to remain calm as she addressed the crowd. "Don't forget, there's another batch of porcelain being fired in the other kiln. Those are the backups made with the traditional process."

Caleb's eyes lit up.

"Yes! Elena's kiln! Quick, go open that one!"

"No!"

I shouted sternly. "That batch isn't ready to be opened yet!"

"Slap!"

A resounding slap landed on my face.

Caleb's distorted face was inches away from mine. "You bitch! Look at what time it is! Do you want to kill the whole village?"

The craftsmen's gazes pierced me like knives.

"Elena, you're too selfish!"

"If we can't deliver the goods, you're driving the whole village to their graves!"

"Exactly! You heartless old hag!"

Even the young apprentices started shouting.

Vivian suddenly began to sob. "It's all my fault... I'm just too useless."

She raised her tear-filled eyes.

"Elena, I know you hate me for taking your position, but this is not the time to be petty!"

"Caleb!"

I stared straight into his eyes. "Do you remember what your father said on his deathbed ten years ago? This kiln must―"

"Shut up!"

Caleb interrupted me in a rage. "Stop using my father to pressure me! I'm the head of this family now!"

He waved his hand aggressively. "Tie her up! Open the kiln!"

Several villagers immediately pounced on me and grabbed my arms.

Being older now, I couldn't break free.

"You can't open it! The temperature isn't right, and it will ruin everything!"

But no one listened.

The rough hemp rope dug deep into my wrists.

I watched helplessly as they rushed toward the kiln I cherished the most.

This was the family heirloom my father-in-law had personally entrusted to me, carrying the blood and sweat of three generations.

Just as they were about to pull the door open.

I suddenly summoned all my strength and kicked a young man named Tom in the knee.

I broke free from their grip and rolled in front of the kiln door.

"Nobody touches this kiln!"

"Unless you step over my dead body!"

The crowd fell into a commotion.

Just then, a set of steady footsteps approached from a distance.

Dante Sterling, dressed in a sharp suit, walked over slowly with dozens of black-clad bodyguards behind him.

He scanned the messy scene, his gaze finally landing on the pile of charred porcelain.

A cold smirk appeared on his face.

"Mr. Sterling!"

The secretary stepped forward. "They've failed."

Dante nodded coldly, and over a thousand bodyguards immediately surrounded the site.

"According to Section 17, Clause 3 of the contract,"

A lawyer wearing gold-rimmed glasses stepped forward. "If the second party fails to deliver qualified exhibits on time, they must pay a penalty of 1.38 billion dollars and compensate for all of the first party's losses."

The scene erupted in chaos.

Some people collapsed to the ground in terror, while others began to curse under their breaths. "It's all because of Caleb and that bitch."

Caleb fell to his knees, his face ashen.

"Mr. Sterling!"

I suddenly raised my voice. "Please give me ten minutes."