Four cents. That was the entire merit bonus Miles Keaton received after sixteen unbroken years at Red Haven Turbine Works.

Friday afternoon, 4:30 PM.

Thirty minutes remained before the absolute expiration of the Apex acquisition deadline.

The executive boardroom on the second floor was crowded to maximum capacity.

Eight corporate attorneys from Boston, six representatives from Apex Energy, Arthur Pendelton, and the entire executive board of Winthrop Capital were present via video conference on the massive wall-mounted screens.

Celeste Winthrop sat in a chair at the corner of the table, entirely isolated.

She wasn't holding a crystal glass of sparkling water. She wasn't holding her gold pen. Her hands sat limp in her lap as she watched her board members scream at her through the video monitors.

"You ruined a seven-hundred-and-twenty-million-dollar deal over a four-cent merit check?!" the senior partner from New York roared through the speaker. "Are you completely out of your mind, Celeste?!"

"It was a standard performance metric..." Celeste whimpered, her voice completely broken, her eyes staring blankly at the polished table.

"You are terminated!" the voice boomed. "The trust is accepting Apex's receivership offer. Sign the transfer papers and get out of that building!"

Harrison Vance stood up at the head of the table. He picked up the heavy black pen resting on the master contract—the restructured contract that handed full operational control of Red Haven Turbine Works over to an independent employee trust, with guaranteed five-year labor agreements, modernized equipment funds, and full pension restoration for every man on the floor.

Vance signed his name on page ninety-two with a sharp, decisive stroke.

Then, Vance turned to the door.

"Mr. Keaton," Vance called out.

The heavy mahogany doors opened.

Miles walked into the boardroom. He carried his heavy brass QA stamp in his right hand and his father's wind-up watch in his left.

Behind him stood Jonah Pike, Bobby, and Arthur Pendelton.

Miles walked up to the mahogany table. He didn't look at Celeste sitting broken in the corner. He looked at the paper resting in front of Harrison Vance.

Page Forty-Two: EXHIBIT D — MASTER QA AND METALLURGICAL INTEGRITY RELEASE.

Vance handed the pen to Miles. "It's all yours, Mr. Keaton. The shop floor owns its future now."

Miles looked down at the paper. He didn't rush. He pulled out his father's watch, clicked the top button, and checked the time.

4:48 PM.

Twelve minutes to spare.

Miles picked up the heavy brass stamp, pressed it firmly against the blue ink pad, and brought it down squarely onto the signature line of Exhibit D.

STAMP: APPROVED — KEATON, M.A. — MASTER QA #40882.

He picked up the pen, signed his full name in bold, clear cursive across the parchment, and set the pen down on the mahogany table.

A collective roar of cheers erupted from the hallway outside!

Two hundred workers who had gathered in the administrative corridor began clapping, stomping their heavy steel-toed boots against the floorboards until the entire second floor shook with joyous thunder!

Jonah grabbed Miles's shoulder, laughing tears of relief, while Bobby threw his arm around Pendelton, who was weeping openly with a smile on his face.