Reincarnated With the Ultimate Son-in-law System

Chapter 13

The Crawford Enterprises boardroom hummed with anticipation as executives filed in for Michael's first major presentation as COO. Richard sat at the head of the table, reviewing documents with focused attention. Eric entered last, nodding confidently to Jason who sat rigidly with a laptop before him.

"Let's begin," Richard announced, gesturing to Michael. "I understand you've accelerated the Smart Buildings implementation."

Michael rose, buttoning his jacket with ease. "Thank you, Father. Today I'm presenting the full Digital Integration Framework, including projected financial impacts across all divisions."

As Michael connected his presentation to the main display, he noticed Jason's subtle movements—fingers nervously tapping keys, executing the malware Eric had provided. Michael suppressed a smile, having anticipated this exact sabotage.

The screen flickered momentarily as Jason's malware activated, designed to corrupt Michael's financial projections during the critical presentation. However, instead of the embarrassing failure Eric had planned, the slides displayed enhanced versions of Michael's original projections—showing even more impressive numbers than he'd initially prepared.

"As you can see," Michael continued smoothly, "our predictive maintenance systems alone reduce operating costs by 17.3% across all properties in the test group. When fully implemented, this translates to approximately $34 million in annual savings for our current portfolio."

Eric's brow furrowed as he studied the slides, confusion evident in his expression. This was not the outcome he'd expected. Jason stared at his laptop in disbelief, frantically checking to confirm his sabotage had executed.

Michael continued his presentation without missing a beat. "Beyond cost savings, I'm proposing a new division: Crawford Digital Security. By leveraging our internal building security protocols as commercial services, we create an entirely new revenue stream projected at $45 million in the first year alone."

Richard leaned forward, clearly impressed. "These projections seem ambitious."

"They're conservative, actually," Michael replied confidently. "The pilot implementation is already exceeding these metrics. We've included a contingency buffer of 20% in all calculations."

As Michael walked the board through detailed implementation timelines, he observed Eric's growing discomfort. His brother had expected humiliation, not triumph. Jason looked physically ill, knowing his attempted sabotage had somehow backfired spectacularly.

"Any questions?" Michael asked as he concluded the presentation.

"Yes," Eric interjected, his voice tightly controlled. "These financial projections seem significantly more optimistic than what was shared in the preliminary reports."

"The preliminary numbers were deliberately conservative," Michael replied smoothly. "I prefer to under-promise and over-deliver, as I mentioned in our previous meeting."

Richard nodded approvingly. "Prudent approach. The board approves the Digital Integration Framework and the creation of Crawford Digital Security, under your direct supervision, Michael."

"Thank you, Father," Michael replied, gathering his materials as the meeting adjourned.

As executives filtered out, Michael noticed Eric pull Jason aside, fury evident in his tense whispers. Michael walked past them, offering a pleasant nod. "Gentlemen, thank you for your attention during the presentation. Your support means everything."

Jason paled visibly while Eric's expression hardened. "Always happy to support my brother's... initiatives," Eric replied, each word carefully measured.

After exiting the boardroom, Michael ducked into a side corridor and checked his phone. The counter-malware he'd secretly installed on the presentation system had worked perfectly—not only neutralizing Jason's sabotage but replacing it with enhanced projections that made Michael's initiative appear even more promising.

"Amateur move, brother," Michael murmured to himself. "Did you really think I wouldn't anticipate your first attack?"

The warehouse lab had been transformed yet again since Michael's last visit. A dedicated medical research area now occupied one corner, equipped with specialized neurological monitoring equipment. Megan worked at her usual station while Olivia calibrated security protocols at hers.

"Our guest has arrived," Michael announced, guiding Rebecca through the entrance.

Both women looked up, curiosity evident in their expressions. Rebecca stared wide-eyed at the sophisticated facility, clearly impressed despite her attempts to maintain professional detachment.

"Rebecca Chen, meet Olivia Wagner and Megan Chen—no relation, I assume?"

Rebecca shook her head. "Not that I'm aware of."

"Olivia handles our security architecture and authentication systems," Michael explained.