From Zero To Trillions

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER SEVEN

Xavier had a thought. He wanted to make sure Austin got a car to go back to his new mansion. You see, Austin Parker was now the big boss, the chairman of Ledger Group. He had so much money, like a mountain of it to live a luxury life for eternity! Xavier worked for him, so he wanted Austin to feel comfortable around him. He wanted to be helpful.

But then, Austin left very fast. He went into the elevator, and Xavier didn't even get a chance to say goodbye or offer a ride. Xavier had to wait for the next elevator to go down. When he got out! He noticed a very familiar woman. She had strong-looking guards with her. They were standing in front of Austin, blocking him from leaving the elevator area. Xavier's body ran cold and sweaty when he saw this.

“Lieutenant Xavier! What… what are you doing here?” Elsa said. She looked behind Austin, and she seemed very surprised.

“Elsa! What in the world do you think you are doing?” Xavier asked. He took a step closer to them, and his face looked angry.

Just then, another person spoke up. It was the lady who sat at the front desk. She didn't know what was really happening. “Lieutenant Xavier,” she said in a sweet voice, “this poor wretched man bothered Miss Elsa! So, she is teaching him a lesson!”

“Poor wretched man?” Xavier was really surprised by her words. He looked at the receptionist and then he shouted, “You! You are fired! Go get your things and leave this place now! We don’t need people like you who are like bugs in this company!”

The receptionist looked at Xavier. She was shocked and didn't understand. Suddenly, her eyes got big and tears started to come out. She slowly went down on her knees in front of Xavier. “Please, Lieutenant Xavier, I…” she started to say.

“What are you wasting your time begging for?” Xavier said, his face still showing no feelings. “I already told you to leave! Are you deaf? Or do you want us to drag you out like you are trash?”

Then, Xavier turned to Austin. His voice became soft and respectful. “Chairman Parker, are you okay? I am so sorry for this misunderstanding. It is all my fault for not walking you out…”

“It's alright,” Austin said. He didn't seem to care much. He just said it in a calm way.

The air in the entire lobby seemed to thicken, every sound fading away as Lieutenant Xavier's words hung heavy in the silence. All eyes, wide with utter disbelief, locked onto the scene unfolding before them. The renowned second-in-command of the powerful Ledger Group was addressing… him? This young man, seemingly just another face in the crowd, being called "chairman"?

Elsa's breath hitched in her throat. "C–chairman!" The word escaped her lips in a stunned whisper. Her gaze was fixed on Austin, unblinking, as if she couldn't quite process the reality before her eyes. A wave of dizziness washed over her, the room seeming to tilt precariously.

"Li–lieutenant Xavier," Elsa stammered, her voice trembling slightly as she finally managed to tear her gaze away from Austin and direct it towards the stern-faced lieutenant. "W-what in the world is going on?”

Xavier's expression remained impassive, his voice firm and commanding. "What do you mean, 'what's going on'?" he retorted, his eyes sharp. "Hurry up and apologize to Chairman Parker. Get on your knees. He is our company's new chairman!”

The weight of Xavier's words crashed down on Elsa. Without a moment's hesitation, her face paling with a sudden rush of fear, she spun around to face Austin. Her knees buckled, and she found herself kneeling on the cold floor before him. "Chairman Parker," she choked out, her voice laced with desperation. "I- I am so incredibly sorry for my behavior earlier. I didn't... I didn't realize who you were. I might have deeply offended you, and for that, I am truly ashamed. Please, please don't hold it against me. I am a good employee of Ledger Group, I promise you. I will work harder, I will be more diligent…”

Her words tumbled out in a rush, a frantic plea for forgiveness. After speaking, she lowered her head, her gaze fixed on the worn leather of Austin's shoes. The silence in the room was thick with tension.

"Chairman Parker," Xavier said softly, his tone now deferential as he addressed Austin. "How would you like to handle this situation?”

Elsa's heart leaped into her throat at Xavier's question. Terror gripped her. In a desperate move, she reached out and clutched at Austin's leg, her fingers tightening around his trousers. "Please, Chairman Parker, please don't fire me," she begged, her voice cracking with emotion. "I will do anything you ask, anything at all. Just please... please don't let me lose my job.”

Ledger Group. The name itself carried weight, a symbol of success and prestige. Countless individuals would give anything to have a position within its ranks. Elsa had poured her heart and soul into her work, climbing the corporate ladder to become the head manager of her department. The salary she earned was substantial, a testament to her hard work and dedication. The mere thought of losing it all now, of having her career ripped away, was unbearable.

Austin remained silent for a long moment, his gaze fixed on Elsa's trembling hands clutching his leg. "Anything I want?" he finally asked, his voice quiet, almost thoughtful.

A flicker of hope ignited within Elsa's chest. "That's right, Chairman Parker," she said quickly, eager to seize the opportunity. "As long as it makes you happy, anything at all. Whatever you desire, I will do it." In her desperation, a dangerous thought began to form. If she could somehow ingratiate herself with the young chairman, perhaps even... involve him in her life, her position in the company would be secure, untouchable.

Austin's gaze drifted away from Elsa, his eyes scanning the stunned faces around the room. Then, he looked back down at her, a strange glint in his eyes. "Alright," he said nonchalantly, his voice surprisingly even. "Starting from today... you will be a cleaner in the company."

With that, Austin turned and strode out of the room, leaving a stunned gasp among the crowd.

Elsa remained kneeling on the floor, her face slowly flushing with a mixture of shock, shame, and a burning anger. Cleaner? He had demoted her to a cleaner? She had expected... something else entirely. This was humiliation.

Xavier, his face still devoid of emotion, addressed Elsa. "Did you understand that? Chairman Parker said you have been demoted to being a cleaner.”

"Y-yes," Elsa managed to stammer, her voice barely a whisper. "I heard..." No matter how demeaning, even being a cleaner within the prestigious Ledger Group was better than the crushing blow of unemployment. She would swallow her pride, endure the humiliation, and perhaps, in time, find a way to climb back up.

As Austin turned and started to walk away, he still felt like everything that had just happened couldn't possibly be real. He wondered if someone was playing a big joke on him, or if he was just having a very strange dream that he would wake up from any minute. But when he remembered how scared Elsa looked, and how respectful Xavier sounded when he spoke to him, Austin started to think that maybe it was all actually true.

And then, for the very first time in his life, a new feeling started to grow inside him. It was a feeling of actually mattering, of being important. He had made a decision, and someone had obeyed him and done what he asked. In a small way, he had been able to take charge of his own life. This feeling was new and unfamiliar, but it also felt strong and powerful in a way he had never known before. It was a quiet but definite sense that he had, in that moment, made a real difference.