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MAGGIE HAD TURNED THE formula over to her contact at the manufacturing plant to have the last tests for the FDA done and approved. The date was quickly approaching when she, Danny and Kevin would release their newly discovered formula and then sit back and reap their rewards.
Back at Lexi Corp., Danny and Kevin had struggled to remember the formula but finally produced the watered down version and presented it to Mr. Millwood and the board. After the first demonstration, the board nearly wet their pants in anticipation of profits to come. Mr. Millwood was so impressed he actually shook Danny and Kevin’s hands. A hint of a smile lit his face, but it disappeared so quickly it could’ve been a trick of the light. Everyone had kept referring to the miraculous formula as “the formula” so it was finally christened The Formula and packaged in a futuristic looking bottle. Kevin took one look at it, and thought it looked like a mashup of the “I Dream of Jeanie” bottle and a Thunderbird rocket.
Over at Teaberry things were heating up at a much faster rate. While Mr. Millwood was congratulating Kevin and Danny on their hard work, Teaberry was holding a press conference with Martin Tranwrach and the head of Teaberry, Mr. Cornelius Crump Jr. This was Junior’s first big announcement, and he was going make sure the world never forgot this moment. Junior had the head of Research and Development behind him, Gretchen Meadows. Gretchen had told Junior not to have Tranwrach anywhere near the press conference, as he was a walking menace. But Junior refused and told her it was good PR to have a nobody involved in this announcement, “It will give nobodies the world over a good and fuzzy feeling toward Teaberry and their products,” he lectured to her.
Just as Crump Jr. was demonstrating the new formula, “Phoenix,” to the press and an incredulous audience, over at Lexi Corp., Mr. Millwood’s assistant nearly broke down the conference room door to get to the TV remote.
“Just what do you think you are doing, Michael?” shouted Mr. Millwood.
“News conference, Teaberry, formula, our formula stolen!” Michael spurted out and flicked the remote wildly at the TV until a press conference featuring Crump appeared on the screen.
Teaberry had enormous blow-ups of a “before” and “after” picture behind Crump, who was standing with an individual with flawless, glowing skin. Teaberry’s team had copied the non-watered down version of the formula almost perfectly, right down to the nanotechnology ingredient Maggie had given to Danny. Crump Jr. was describing the technology that went into the formula.
“With the help of an outside consultant, Mr. Tranwrach, who provided invaluable assistance in bringing Phoenix to fruition, we have developed an amazing facial and body cream that erase flaws, age spots, and wrinkles. You will look years younger in hours. The ingredients are safe and as you can see on the label, all-natural. There are some things, of course, we have to keep to ourselves. Please give a nice welcome to Mr. Tranwrach.”
Applause greeted Tranwrach, who nearly fainted dead away. He managed to squeak out a “thank you and very honored” before he hyperventilated into the microphone. He was quickly swept away from the press’s view, and Junior returned to the podium and basked in the glow of a multitude of TV cameras and a clamoring press.
Meanwhile at Lexi Corp., pandemonium broke out in the conference room with the shouts of lawsuits in tandem with angry board members pounding on the conference table, trying to out-shout each other. Mr. Millwood, however, was staring at the monitor completely silent and expressionless.
“So looks like lunch, hey, Kev,” said Danny pointing to his watch and then the door.
“My thoughts exactly I rather feel Italian today. How about you?” Kevin asked, eased himself out of his seat, and headed toward the door.
“Where do you two think you’re going?” boomed a voice out of the chaos.
“What was that?” asked Kevin.
“I don’t know, but we can discuss it over lunch.”
“I agree we should go somewhere quieter, but I think lunch is postponed for the moment,” suggested Mr. Millwood, who seemingly just shot up from the floorboards and was now blocking their exit.
“Eeeeee, how did you do that?” squeaked Danny.