Conference meeting

Stylish, Black, Cares soft plus leather, ergonomic boss mid century executive conference chairs tucked the marble, steel furnished, rectangular, 15 seat capacity conference table coated brown. Organized in the boardroom seating arrangement, it gave all members involved a space in accordance with their hierarchy. The table was of Italian design portraying the prestige and it’s enthusiasm making many who had the chance to be on such esteemed company feel glad and honored. 110 to 119inch digitalized Sony projection screen, was dynamically screwed to the center of the far wall in the conference room where the esteemed partners turned to face. A well and fully functional air conditioner was at the far opposite side of the projection screen some few inches from the entrance door, set at suitable cool temperatures and modernized to adapt and change with the surrounding environment. A well established Wi-Fi network was set at various points and two in the conference room, ensuring consistent flow of network when the need for online video conferencing arises. An aura of lavender and a sense of raspberry with some rose pinch, filled the room with relaxing and welcoming energy accompanied by the cool adjusted temperatures.

In charcoal, gray, single breasted jackets, accompanied by gray wool trousers, in white based collared dress shirts, some brought along black Latin ties, walked in the people of the hour. The footsteps of plain black lace ups grew in the room, others carrying along their leather notepad cases, they walked in all smart, dressed like the true intelligent and sharp people they were. According to superiority, the Head manager, Tony Mason, sat at the middle while the juniors sat on on the left and right seats. Resting his left hand on the padding on the armrest, he neared closer and called the meeting to order.

“Good evening, gentleman.” He greeted, taking a slight pause as he organized his papers. Momentarily, organizing his thoughts and his agenda for the meeting.

“Good evening, sir.” The five men seated unevenly, two on the left and three on the right, answered responding in a respectful and diligent manner.

“All six of us are gathered here for a reason. I know you are wondering why I have chosen you because apparently, you are all from different departments.” Tony paused giving the slight room for reactions. He gave them the room to build that eagerness and also simultaneously thinking, keeping track of his every word.

“Well I am an intellectual man, one who believes that a lone man is crushed by the world but a strong trustworthy group of men can conquer the very cruel world.” He retorted, slightly reaching for his hanky in his left breast pocket. Rubbing the sudden moist touch on his lips, he continued.

“So I have come to the point where I have seen each one of you, capable, and the best at what you are professionals at.” He coughed slightly to build up his motivational tone.

“You, you, you…(pointing to every one there) all of you are the best.” Tony senses his motion is building up. He sees the eagerness that arises, that pride of their esteemed boss praising them over the 100 and counting staff in that very company.

“Now I have chosen each one of you to be my advisory council. Does anyone feel they are not worthy of such honor?” he questioned, waiting for the dumb wit with the balls to turn down this silver platter life changing opportunity. They all remain unshaken, confident that all were comfortable he was now prepared for what he was going to bring next.

Confident of his newly appointed advisory committee, Tony pushed back, and elegantly he moved and reached for the projection screen. What followed was the warming up of the motherboard, and the sudden blinding bright blue light from the immense device. Recuperating from the sudden blinding, the committee turned and faced towards Tony’s direction. Coincidentally, they all cupped one hand on their chin, keenly they rested on the table and all eyes were on their Head manager.

“Eem…” he coughs to gather attention and signify he has started his presentation. On the projection screen was a Microsoft Excel graph presentation, a bar graph to be exact. On the x axis were the years from the year 1990 till the current year, while on the y axis was the sales rate starting from 0 to 100 in percentage. Each bar had its own color and had its own varying height in the sales rate alignment.

“As you can see gentlemen, our company has experienced one of the most remarkable growing sales rate over the past 10 or so years.” Tony addresses his colleagues, as he shades his hands on the screen to make his point more impactful and understanding.

“Our greatest sales rate hit the sky high 80% and this was five years ago, and as you all can see…” he pauses to zoom on the single bar, which was in 2015, “…it is the only year where we actually ran out of goods in our warehouses and we had to improvise on what remained.” He concludes zooming out, projecting the bar graph as a whole as it was before.

“But shockingly we have never reached that sky high after that year because as you can see after that year our greatest sales rate was at…” he zooms in on the years after 2015, and he notes down the bar with longest sales rate, “…72%, and that was last year the era of our previous head manager Mr. Sam Mason.” He concludes zooming out.

“So gentlemen, since you are my newly appointed advisory committee, what do you suggest we put in place to make sure we break the 80% sales rate record the staff of 2015 set for us?” he poses the question, moving back from the projection screen and near to the table, ears open for the launched in ideas.

“Good evening everyone, um sir if I may…” he rises up, a man dressed similar to the rest but with a black necktie, a bald shiny head and wearing clear black Lion Gates specs, his name tag written Peter recognizing his presence with that name. Giving a temporary room for the response to his greeting he continues.

“When talking of the record set in 2015, they did the one thing that had never been done over the previous years and has never been done again ever since.” He utters out, building suspense and arising questions from his colleagues on what was the referred mysterious strategy. Tony, was also caught off guard and he too was pondering on this very strategy.

“Don’t stress yourself too much, I will help you.” He clears his throat as he moves back from his seat and nears the projection screen.

“They were not as the Mason’s company, they were more than them, they had a united alliance with another giant of their business empire. One who boosted their sales to the sky high peak it is at now.” He retorts, in an aspiring and motivational way. It was true, the company had only once in it’s time during it's growth ever included a third party, an outsider into their business approach, and that was the year 2015. It was also that very year that history was made. So there was a solid point that had just been put out, and the committee with their head manager were to exploit it to the fullest if they were to break and rewrite history. But there was tension and curiosity that was building up, which company was big and successful enough to join hands with the Mason’s? The Mason’s were known as the very best, so their associate was either as powerful or more than they were. On behalf of the unspoken voices in the room, Tony posed out the curious query that many too wanted answers.

“What was the name of this third party?” Tony questioned as he stood further and was more attentive and keen than he was before. Given room, Peter neared the projection screen. Flipping some images he settled on one peculiar one, it was a very common image that many in that room saw but they were wondering where. Huge, tall buildings, aligned in an Arabian architectural taste, with reflective crystal glass walls from ground floor to top, a large label placed and nailed on the top, “The Kangs Enterprise”, made of reflective material with gypsum furnishings making it eye attractive in the day and the night. Yes, they all recalled, they knew that company.

“The Kangs Enterprise, based down the southern coast, they are known globally for producing the most advanced and most reliable microprocessors. They even produce microprocessors that we use to make our software and hardware.” Peter paused as he zoomed and enlarged the image taking the full projector screen.

“During the 2015 era, they had made a technological breakthrough, and the Mason’s seized this to give them financial support in exchange for shares in the company. So as the company grew the more we grew.” Peter addressed his already lively audience that seemed to be into what he brought out. Within the temporary silence Peter had taken to rub his glasses, he noted Tony nearing and he held back for his superior to pause his query.

“If we do have shares, then why are they not included in our accounts section?” Tony asked, still wondering why, eagerly he stepped back giving room for Peter to answer back.

“ It’s because, when the company started the head manager of the Mason’s company had doubts on the prosperity of the Kangs Enterprise so he made a one year agreement contract. So within that one year he was in charge, the contract was effective, but when he stood down and retired so did the contract expire.” Peter answered, making it as clear and self explained as possible. Certain by the satisfactory facial expression Tony wore, he was confident and continued from where he was cut short.

“So if the Kangs Enterprise made us reach that high, why don’t we have a business alliance with them once more?” Peter concluded, leaving his question to linger among the audience as he went back to his seat. Why not answers brewed about as the colleagues discussed amongst themselves, all while Tony measured the risks and benefits. The colleagues were keen on the upsides but Tony looked into the downsides, if this went south how much would go down, he wondered and the colleagues murmurs faded as he went deep in thinking, all while he gazed on the massive building that belonged to their once business accomplice.

“The prosperity of this enterprise since it’s start, how would you rate it from a scale of one to ten?” Tony asked, all were addressed and their ecstasy filled murmurs were cut short. The five sitting there, weighed the chances of the bargain weighed on their partner if they would oblige by it, they thought for around five minutes and at that time it was just the running of a microprocessor heard and the air blown from the air conditioner filled the room.

One said eight, the other nine, the other ten…averagely the lowest odds was eight and highest was ten, so there were high chances that the Kangs were reliable business acquaintances. Tony listened and he too thought on the odds, there was a good and better chance that this alliance would be their ticket to the history breakers and remarkable staff of their time.

“So you all believe that this alliance will be what we need to break the 2015 record?” Tony posed, leaning on the table as he glued on his subordinates faces. Confident, non hesitant, they nodded in agreement, smiling and hopeful that this was it.

“Peter, set up a meeting with the head manager of the Kangs enterprise, reach out first and see how they respond.” Tony addresses Peter who nodded in agreement and affirmatively answered yes in assurance.

“Gentlemen I think that is all then, so if there is no more to say, let’s head for the tea room, shall we?” he responded sheepishly, as he gathered his papers and led the way out of the conference room. Excited of their first meeting, their sounds of laughter and cracked jokes faded as they headed for the tea room, their ecstasy and excitement lingered the corridor, and silence fell in once more.

The fading footsteps of lace ups, the opening and shutting of the glass door, ergonomic seats tucked back in place, the projection screen went dark and it’s cooling system followed. Just like it was before, the nature filled aura still lingered, the cooling sensation of the suitable temperatures filled the room, and as it was empty before, it is empty now.