Chapter 12

While assigning the promotions, Hans desperately hinted at Ron not to say anything. 'Don't trip me up now, I'm begging you!' If Deidre were to become the general manager, Ron would first have to step down from the position. If Ron resented that and made a fuss, thereby ticking Charles off, the consequences could be disastrous. That was why Hans was trying so hard to have Ron take the hint! However, Hans' worries were completely unfounded. Ron was no fool. Charles had just invested fifty billion dollars into the company, more than doubling their worth. Since the company was expanding in size, they would need steady hands to steer the new direction of the ship. As a veteran at the company, Ron knew this was his turn to shine. He had contributed greatly today by persuading Hans to ask Charles for help. In other words, Hans would definitely do right by him after today. Even if he was removed from the position of general manager today, he might just as easily be promoted to vice president tomorrow. Only a fool would turn down such a golden opportunity! Besides, he could leave a good impression on Charles if he actively gave up his current seat. Charles was now the largest shareholder in the company. Getting in his good books would surely come with unimaginable benefits down the road. That was why Ron's current course of action was to agree wholeheartedly with Hans' suggestion and even praise Deidre a little. That would really polish up Charles' impression of him! "That's a brilliant decision, Mr. Chairman! Everyone can see Miss Chase is more than qualified for the job… You should have promoted her to general manager long ago!" "Compared to her, oldies like us already have one foot in the grave! If the company wants to develop further, it needs young blood, fresh minds… After all, they have the energy and motivation to push harder. They can lead the company to an even brighter future!" Ron said with a laugh. Hans finally breathed a sigh of relief. After that, he shot Ron another look. Ron immediately understood what Hans meant. In no time at all, he was really going to become the vice president. "General Manager Chase, please inform everyone of Miss Sanders' promotion to sales manager right away!" Hans addressed Deidre politely. "Right away!" Deidre turned and left the office, leaving Charles behind to continue discussing the contract. If Charles had any complaints, Hans and Ron would change the terms immediately! The truth was, there was no need for them to be so careful around him... To Charles, this really was just a paltry sum! He had a quota of 10 trillion to burn every day… 50 billion was really nothing to him. In the office area on the first floor, all the employees had stopped working. They were gathered in groups of twos and threes, munching on snacks and drinking tea… The office had become a mess in record time. Only one person was left diligently sorting out the property sales contracts — and that was none other than Rue. "Why are you still working so hard, Rue? The company is about to close down. You should be looking at the job market right now!" someone taunted her. It was Heather, snacking on cashews. "Maybe so, but I'll keep working as long as I'm a member of this company!" Rue did not even look up. She could not be bothered to deal with Heather. "Hah! You can work all you like, but you'll still be kicked out once the company goes under!" Heather snorted and began to brag to the others. "I've already found another company. The base salary and commission rates they offered are even higher than the ones here!" "Really? Heather, can we join you?" Everyone surrounded Heather, asking excitedly. "Of course!" Heather loved the way everyone else crowded around her and praised her. However... She was lying about her new job offer. She had yet to contact anyone. "Why are you all gathered here? Shouldn't you be working?" said a cold voice suddenly, startling everyone. Heather shuddered as well… because the person who barked at them was Deidre. However, Heather quickly remembered that the company was about to collapse. Everyone would have to leave... In that case, Deidre, her manager, held no power over her anymore. With that thought, Heather quickly lost that last trace of fear. "Really, Miss Chase? The company is going under soon. Why are you still flaunting your authority?!" Heather mocked Deidre. "Who said the company is going under?" Deidre asked with a cold expression. "We heard everything in the reception room just now. The chairman was swindled out of 20 billion… The company's about to run out of funds. There's no way it can survive that, haha!" Heather remained cynical. Deidre's expression was ice cold. She ignored Heather and turned to the others. "Do you also think that the company is going bankrupt?" Although everyone thought so, they were not as bold as Heather, so they all remained silent. "If you still have faith in the company, go to your desks and sit down. I have something important to announce!" Deidre shouted coldly again. Intimidated by her authority, everyone immediately returned to their seats… with the sole exception of Heather, of course. She continued to munch on her cashews, leaving crumbs everywhere and getting on the cleaning lady's nerves. "What's the announcement about, Miss Chase?" someone asked curiously. "The Chairman has promoted Rue to the position of sales manager. Everyone, give her a round of applause!" Deidre announced loudly. Everyone was instantly stunned. Rue even raised her head in disbelief. "Rue has only been here for a month! How did she become the sales manager?" "If Rue is now the sales manager, what about Miss Chase? Did she get promoted too?" "I'm so jealous of Rue! Why aren't I so lucky?" Everyone discussed animatedly, but Heather continued to sneer and mock, them. "The company's closing down soon, and you're still trying to buy our loyalty? Are you kidding me?" Her words made sense, so the others nodded in agreement. Deidre's expression was cold, but she asked around slowly, "Do you all believe what Heather said? Do you all think the company's going under? Are you all in a rush to leave?" Everyone was silent, but Deidre could tell from their expressions that she had hit the nail on the head. They just did not dare to say so out loud. "If you're really so sure, you can go to the Finance Department right now to claim half a year of your basic salary. After that, you may leave!" Deidre continued. Heather immediately shouted, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and resign! You won't get any money if you're late!" Although many people were tempted to leave now, Heather was still the only one who took action in the end. "Bunch of idiots!" Heather scolded. If these people refused to leave, she would just have to make a quick escape on her own. The ship would sink in no time, after all. The company could even run out of money by tomorrow. Deidre looked at the people who stayed behind with a satisfied smile on her face. "Since you're not willing to resign, does that mean you've decided to stick with the company through thick and thin? In that case, I'll tell you some good news!" Heather stopped in her tracks. As if there could be any good news right now! She wanted to hear what Deidre had to say, just for the fun of it. "Mr. Duncan just invested 50 billion dollars into our company, becoming our single largest shareholder! The company has now doubled in worth… So don't worry about your salary, everyone. Instead, you should start thinking if you have the skills to take on a higher position!" Everyone widened their eyes in disbelief at Deidre's declaration.