He left after speaking, and I wasn't in the mood to eat much, so I quickly had a few bites before heading to the office.
The company was a mess at the moment, especially after my father's stroke, with projects stagnating and personnel changes.
Looking at the company's balance sheet, I couldn't help but wonder:
"The company can't even afford ten million in cash flow now?"
Secretary Phelps explained from the side, "Ms. Velez had given a lot of power to Ms. Ayers in the past, but after her passing, the company started going downhill. The market has been bad these years, and after Ms. Velez's stroke, many people left."
"Passed away? You mean Mary passed away?" I was shocked for a moment.
"Yes, three years ago, due to a heart attack."
Alden's mother, the woman I hated most, had died… She died, my father had a stroke, and it almost felt like karma.
"So what about Mary's shares?"
"Of course, Alden inherited them."
I sighed and continued looking at the project proposal:
"How is the bidding for the City Square project going?"
Secretary Phelps looked a bit awkward: "The proposal is ready, but the chances of winning aren't great."
"Why?"
"That project is controlled by Alden's company, and you know his relationship with this side…"
"The ones winning the bids in recent years are our competitors. Their CEO, Russell Huynh, is very close to Alden."
I see…
But if we don't win this project, the company's cash flow will be severely insufficient.
Alden's one hundred million in the E City project won't bring returns for a long time.
I rubbed my temples. "Let's prepare for the board meeting. Have all the participants been notified?"
"Yes, everyone's been informed," Secretary Phelps said, with a hesitant look. "But, Ms. Velez, the layoffs you're planning might provoke a lot of opposition from the board. You need to be prepared."
"Since the company had money to keep them on, but now it's struggling to survive, should we still waste money on these parasites?"
There were many unnecessary positions in the company, all due to board members' connections. It was a significant expense every year.
Now, with the company's survival on the line, it was better to take this opportunity to eliminate these weeds.
"Secretary Phelps, please recruit more professional managers."
I was also pushing myself into unfamiliar territory. After my graduation, I spent a short period working in the company, but since Mary's covert sabotage, I didn't have much real authority.
I had studied art at school, and even after studying abroad for five years, I continued refining my skills, aiming to become a renowned painter. I had even started preparing for an art exhibition before my father's sudden stroke, but everything had been put on hold.
I knew the upcoming board meeting would be a tough battle. When my mom was still around, there had been numerous disputes among the board members over their interests.
I was fully prepared, but to my surprise, Alden actually attended the meeting.
Everyone knew that Alden was Mary's son, and things had been quite tense between us.
After Alden left the Velez family, Mary had a sudden heart attack and ended up in the ICU. My father gave me twenty million and told me to go abroad and never return.
In the meeting room, Alden stood out among the middle-aged men, his gaze unreservedly focused on me.
I had just stood still when people began to speak up:
"Ms. Velez is so young, does she know how to manage a company?"
"I heard Ms. Velez studied painting. But the future of the company isn't something you can paint."
"Starting with layoffs on her first day, does Ms. Velez not care about us board members?"
One question after another hit me, but Alden sat quietly, looking indifferent, his fingers absently tapping the table, as though he were watching a show.
I took a deep breath: "As the CEO, I naturally have the authority to make personnel decisions. Everything I do is for the benefit of the company's development."
Someone from the crowd laughed lightly: "Development? I think it's going bankrupt."
"I think, since Ms. Velez is in poor health, the board should elect a new CEO. Why let a young girl interfere?"
"Right, what can she do?"
The criticisms grew louder, and soon, people stopped hiding their ridicule:
"Since you all think my abilities are limited, I accept your criticisms. If someone can bring in more profits, I'll step aside. As for the E City project, whoever is capable of taking over, I'll step down."
I met the mocking gazes without fear, and soon, several people began to whisper among themselves, even finding me utterly ridiculous:
"The E City project is about to be abandoned, and you still dare to say who can take over?"
I sneered and spoke calmly:
"I can guarantee that the E City project will break ground tomorrow."
Everyone was stunned for a moment, and only Alden remained as calm as ever.
If he weren't here, this would have been a perfect victory for me.
But his ambiguous smile only reminded me of how that one hundred million came to be.
"Alden, what do you think?"
A sycophant from the crowd cautiously tested Alden.
Alden withdrew his gaze, raising an eyebrow:
"Is there anyone here who can start the E City project tomorrow?"
His deep gaze locked onto me, and he adjusted his tie again:
"Since no one else can, I naturally support Ms. Velez's decision unconditionally."
As soon as he stood up, a few people rushed forward to flatter him:
"Alden, why don't we gather tonight?"
Alden didn't even lift his head, his expression still indifferent:
"It's inconvenient. Everyone knows Ms. Velez and I have some personal ties. We haven't seen each other in a while. I'd like to catch up tonight."
He flashed a sly smile and glanced at me:
"I'll wait for Ms. Velez to finish work."
