“What’s going on?”
“Are these not the board of directors?”
“Why are they here?”
These were the questions that echoed in hushed tones around the Royals headquarters that morning.
Confusion and anxiety permeated the atmosphere as everyone watched the so-called board of directors thunderously storm into the company.
Each member bore a stone-faced expression as they moved determinedly toward the direction of the boardroom.
Sighing audibly, Ye Shouyi, who had been tirelessly working on a new project with Samuel’s team for the past few days, gazed up at the overcast sky.
The oppressive gray clouds seemed to cast a shadow over the day, further intensifying the sense of foreboding.
“I hate cloudy days. Bad things always happen,” Ye Shouyi muttered under his breath, his voice a low, resigned grumble.
As he entered the company building, the palpable tension was impossible to ignore.
Stressed faces and anxious looks abounded.
Ye Shouyi couldn’t help but wonder what had caused this turmoil.
Venturing deeper into the company, his eyes suddenly fell upon a familiar figure, Xiao Jie, who was inconspicuously hidden behind one of the lobby seats.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Ye Shouyi inquired, his voice pitched just above a whisper.
Xiao Jie, startled by his sudden approach, muttered a few curses under her breath before turning to face him.
“Ye Shouyi, you scared me!”
“Sorry, sorry, but why are you whispering?”
“Haven’t you heard? The board of directors are here.” Xiao Jie whispered absentmindedly as she continues to watch the board members who were now marching into the boardroom.
“What! Why?”
“W-why! Hey, Ye Shouyi, where have you been? Don’t tell me you just went to heaven and came back, how can you not know when it’s already all over the internet?”
“Haven’t you seen the video? You know that actress and singer, Jenna, she committed suicide.”
“What!” Ye Shouyi exclaimed, his voice inadvertently too loud.
He quickly covered his mouth and glanced around, realizing that it had attracted attention.
Xiao Jie gestured for him to keep quiet before pulling him into the break room to share the details.
“All because of that stupid video, everywhere is so chaotic right now. I feel sorry for the PR team. At the same time, as much as I hate to say this, I’m a little bit thankful to that old geezer who chased me out of the PR department.”
“What video?”
Quickly snatching the phone he was holding, Xiao Jie tsked as she continues to type something on his phone,
“Jenna’s manager, Jia Jia or whatever she’s called posted a video, stating that the CEO had a hand in Jenna’s death, so right now, people from all over the country are queued outside Royals entertainment, demanding an explanation and in due time, they will soon get here.” Xiao Jie said before gesturing to him to take a look at the video clip on the phone.
“And you know what the worst part is, even when Royals have become the number one search on the internet, Royals entertainment number two, with the whole world cursing at us, our dearest CEO is nowhere to be found. I heard that the shareholders are even planning to withdraw their shares too.”
“What do you mean the CEO is not around, where is she?” Ye Shouyi asked.
“That I don’t know, aren’t you close with her, so I should be asking you that, I’m sure that, that old geezer, Director Huang will try to use this opportunity to get rid of the CEO for good.”
Not even waiting for Xiao Jie to finish her gossip, Ye Shouyi sighed exasperatedly before dashing out of the company’s building.
★★★★★★★
Meanwhile, Huang Zhenjun, who had been patiently waiting for the arrival of the board members, leaped out of his seat upon receiving news of their presence.
He adjusted his suit jacket, exuding an air of authority.
This time, he was determined to bring an end to Feng Tian’s arrogance, not just in front of him but also to anyone else.
With a self-assured smirk, he turned to his assistant.
“Let’s go.”
“Could the rumors be true? Did she really do that?”
“Everyone, I apologize for keeping you waiting,” Huang Zhenjun announced as he entered the room.
The murmuring ceased immediately, and all eyes were on him.
“Director Huang, it’s good you’re here. Why isn’t CEO Feng here?” Yan Si Tang, an elegant woman in her late thirties and director in charge of Royals Food, inquired.
“I apologize once again, but we currently have no idea where she is,” Huang Zhenjun admitted.
The murmurs among the board members began anew, growing more animated.
“Such a big thing has happened, and the CEO is nowhere to be found. What’s going on?”
“Gentlemen and the lady, I’m sure we are all aware of the real reason I called for this meeting.” Huang Zhenjun continued, unfazed by the increasing disquiet in the room.
Immediately, Huang Zhenjun signaled to his assistant, who nodded and then made his way towards the projector at the corner of the room.
.
The room fell into a tense silence as the attention of the board members was drawn to the looming presentation.
“Overnight, this one video managed to punch a huge hole in Royals altogether. Right now, people all over the world are pointing fingers at Royals…” Huang Zhenjun’s words hung heavily in the room, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
“Why do Royals Food also have to partake in this when we don’t even know who this person is? The only thing we do is sell food, so why are the media asking us to take responsibility?” Yan Si Tang questioned as she slowly turned to face the man sitting beside her in silence,
“Mr. Yan, you are in charge of Royals Entertainment. Don’t you think you owe everyone here an explanation? Why is the public also blaming Royals Food when your division is at fault?” Yan Si Tang’s voice escalated into a yell.
The room erupted into chaos until Huang Zhenjun raised his voice to restore order.
“Silence!”
The murmurs and accusations simmered down, but the tension remained palpable.
Huang Zhenjun emphasized the urgency of the situation.
“This is not the time to place blame on each other, with the rate things are going, if we don’t put out this fire, I’m afraid the shareholders might really pull out their shares.” Huang Zhenjun said, and the murmuring began again;
“We have to do something, we can’t just sit here.”
“Which is why, as a solid member of this board, I believe the only solution right now is for Miss Feng to take responsibility by withdrawing from her position as the CEO of Royals group.”