Chapter 11

"I gave you a chance, but you never cherished it. Don't blame me for what's about to happen next." Once Perseus was done with his cigarette, he pulled out his phone—an older model of Nokia—and got ready to call Charles. The truth was, he had already contacted Charles when he was buying the cigarettes earlier. Nancy had already updated Charles on the ownership transferral in advance after all. Perseus also used the opportunity to tour around the company. Quantum Innovations was now his company, after all. He needed to pay close attention to how things worked. What Perseus didn't expect was that Catherine and Raymond were in cahoots with Dean just to make him suffer. He must nip workplace toxicity in its bud before it worsens. Quantum Innovations was Perseus' company now. He would never let it become a place for toxicity to grow and fester. "Hah! You're giving me a chance? Did your brain rot from all the time you wasted in jail? What makes you think an ex-convict like you has the right to say such things to me?" Dean picked up his phone once more to call the security guards. At that moment, the door was opened from the outside with a soft creak. A bald, middle-aged man rushed into the office hurriedly. "Mr. Stout!" Dean called out to him, clearly surprised by his presence. Unfortunately for him, Charles never bothered glancing in his way. Instead, he quickly approached Perseus. "Hello, Mr. Caitford! I'm really sorry. I was stuck in a traffic jam just now, so I ended up making you wait for too long. I'm so sorry about that." Charles had seen Perseus' photo before. After Nancy transferred Quantum Innovations' ownership rights to Perseus yesterday, she filled Charles in on everything. That was why he knew that Perseus, who was dressed in plain and shabby clothes, was the actual owner of the company. "It's alright. I've just arrived as well." Perseus shook Charles' hand once. Then, he turned to look at Dean, whose complexion became stark white almost immediately. Beads of sweat began forming on the latter's forehead as well. Dean knew that he'd screwed up big time. It turned out that Perseus really knew Charles. To make things worse, Charles was even simpering at Perseus while calling him "Mr. Caitford" instead of pointing out his identity as an ex-convict. Dean reacted very quickly by reversing the situation in his favor. "M-Mr. Caitford, you should've said you knew Mr. Stout from the start—" "Don't call me that. I like it when you're all arrogant and hot-tempered. You should just call me an ex-convict. I'm more used to you calling me that," Perseus interjected while chuckling inwardly. Was this what true power felt like? Charles' demeanor and words were enough to change Dean's dismissive and mocking attitude toward Perseus upside down as though he was a mutt. His arrogance vanished instantly, as if it never existed. "What? Did that really happen?" Charles was instantly furious. He wasn't a fool; he knew the underlying problems that were ever present in a workplace. There were definitely issues in Quantum Innovations, but Charles never cared much about them. In fact, he'd pretend they never existed as long as there weren't any major problems. Regular employees worked for money. Managers, on the other hand, worked for both money and power. They loved the feeling of having power over everyone else. Dean got unlucky by choosing to step on Perseus' toes. Charles didn't care whether or not Perseus was an ex-convict. All he knew was that Perseus was his boss. "No, Mr. Stout! I—" "You're officially fired, Dean. I want you to pack your belongings and leave the premises in an hour. I'll have the finance department wire your salary and the severance fees into your account next month." Charles needed to deal with this situation appropriately, seeing as Perseus was there. Also, he wanted to showcase his brutality and decisiveness as a good subordinate. "Mr. Stout…" "Get lost!" Charles snarled out, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. "I'm only giving you an hour! Don't make me get the security guards to throw you out! Hmph!" Dean couldn't utter a single word after that. Right now, he resembled a wretched, unwanted mutt. It was then he caught sight of Perseus smiling at him. What went around came around, that was for sure. It was just that Dean didn't expect retribution to come so soon. "Mr. Caitford, why don't you come over to my office?" Charles' cold and stern demeanor melted away immediately. He turned to flash Perseus a friendly smile while hunching over subconsciously. "Sure. Lead the way." Perseus nodded in response. He left the office with Charles taking the lead without even glancing at Dean. Even though Charles might be the CEO of Quantum Innovations, he still retained a low profile. His office was the same size as Dean's. However, Perseus was there as a guest instead of an interviewee. "Mr. Caitford, are you here to check the finance accounts or the human resource database?" Charles began digging out the account books and the official documents as he spoke. "None of those, please." Perseus thought for a moment before continuing, "I'm really here to look for a job. Why don't you arrange a job position for me?" "Mr. Caitford, please don't make such a joke. This company is yours. What job position could you possibly want? You're the real CEO here! I'm just here to work for you!" Perseus shook his head and turned Charles' suggestion down. "No. I just want a regular position." He needed a mediocre position that allowed him to keep a low profile. First of all, Perseus could stay in the company and discover more underlying problems so that he could start fixing them. Second of all, he just needed a job to reassure Egbert and Lindsay that he was doing well in life. If not, they'd be worried about him all the time. Finally, he needed an unassuming identity to see the true colors of the employees in the company. He didn't want to start out as the CEO because it was far too advanced for him. Charles finally realized that Perseus was being serious. "Ah, so you intend to roleplay as a regular employee. Which department would you like to work at?" "Which department has flexible working hours?" Perseus only wanted a job. He didn't want his freedom to be constricted because of it. After all, he needed more time so that he could settle the score with Rochelle. Once Perseus sorted out his life in Neptuna, he'd repay those who showed his family kindness and get vengeance on those who dared to harm them over the past three years. "Well, that'll be the sales department," Charles replied. "The sales employees don't have to clock in and out for work. Their KPI is enough to show how dedicated they are at work. "However, if they can't hit their KPI for the month, they'll only receive their base salary of 2,000 dollars." "Alright. I'll work in the sales department, then. Go ahead and inform the manager of my recruitment. I'll swing by the department to introduce myself as well. "Don't give away my true identity, alright? Remember, you're still the CEO of Quantum Innovations." Perseus made up his mind on the spot. He didn't plan on making Catherine's and Raymond's lives hell. Instead, he decided to observe them for a little longer. No matter what, Catherine was still his cousin. He needed to show Randolph the respect the latter deserved. "Alright. Please wait for a moment, sir. I'll tell the sales manager to come to the office right away." After that, Charles placed a phone call in front of Perseus. A tall and slim woman walked into the office in less than three minutes. Perseus stood up immediately. He marveled at the woman's beauty at first sight. She was extremely gorgeous, after all. Not only did she have a tall and slim figure, but she also had flawless skin and a heart-shaped face. Her eyes sparkled animatedly as though they were precious gems. However, the bright red lipstick the woman used indicated that she was a stoic and aloof woman with a fiery streak in her personality. Her gaze fleeted across Perseus before landing on Charles. "What's the matter, Mr. Stout?" she asked. "Ms. Lawrence, this is the newest hire for the sales department, Perseus Caitford. He's one of my distant relatives. Give him guidance when you're free, yeah? What do you say?" Charles came up with a lie on the spot. He was relieved when he saw Perseus staying quiet instead of objecting to it. "Your distant relative?" Faith Lawrence frowned instantly. She subconsciously wanted to turn Charles down. "Hello, Ms. Lawrence. I'm Perseus Caitford." Perseus took the initiative to greet Faith with his hand outstretched. He made sure to plaster a smile on his face. "Hello." Faith nodded at him, though her frown never faded. "Mr. Stout, I can take him in for now, but you know my rules. If he doesn't hit his KPI within the next three months, I won't show him any mercy nor spare his pride." "Well…" Charles looked quite torn. He didn't know how capable Perseus truly was. "If you don't agree to my conditions, then I'm leaving right now." Faith didn't give Charles an opportunity to twist things around. She had no time to guide newbies, after all. People who joined the company via connections were the hardest bunch to deal with. Meanwhile, Perseus raised an eyebrow. A hint of admiration could be seen in his eyes. "Interesting. I agree with your conditions. I'll resign if I can't complete the task," he said, not wanting to make things difficult for Charles.