The Return of The Warlord

Chapter 8

“Mr. Walker, is there anything you would like to drink?” Mr. David said, trembling.

Since they had arrived in the Chairman’s office, there had been an awkward silence and David was already soiled with sweat. This was meant to be a meeting, but David felt like it was more like a disciplinary meeting.

“David, what was my instruction when I handed the company over to you to handle?” Alan asked, looking at the bustling city through the transparent ceiling-to-floor window.

“Uhm, you said, I should take care of things here till you return. I know you are angry with the situation of the security guards but I have gotten them replaced already. You don’t have to worry about anything, Mr. Walker. The company has been in safe hands.”

“Safe hands?” Alan scoffed, turning around. “On the 6th of September 2016, someone embezzled $600,000 in cooperation with the Kings group.”

“On the 8th of October, the same year, someone accepted bribes from Hermes Company and purchased inferior building materials for a high price and we had to pay compensation due to quality problems, causing the company to incur losses of over millions of dollars and reputation.”

“On 20th of October, Old Tim called a meeting and publicly berated you in front of the other Branch Presidents and General Managers of the company for your inability to squash the bad elements in Gold Aries Constructions, but I told him to delay your punishment till I return.”

“But, you must have thought that there would be no disciplinary action, because last week…”

David, unable to take it any longer, fell to his knees. “Mr. Walker, I am sorry. Please give me another chance to make amends, I promise that nothing of such will happen again in the future. Give me a chance to correct my mistakes!”

David couldn’t look Alan in the eyes so his gaze was fixed tightly to the ground. How was the absent Chairman able to get such discriminating information about him? It couldn’t have been the Executive Director Timothy Hall, that man was too busy handling all the many parts of the company to bother about all these things. If the issue with the inferior materials hadn’t made the news, Old Tim might not have heard about it at all. So, how could someone that had been absent for years still keep track of so many shady activities going in the company. This young star was indeed formidable. 

David had embezzled so much money as the President of the branch of Gold Aries that handled Construction. He had collected bribes but these were only done when he was sure the company wouldn’t notice or be affected. However, his actions were soon picked up by those working under him and they also started doing the same thing. In fact, they stole far more than he ever did and took more bribes than he could imagine. He was almost oblivious to all this, but Old Tim, who was in charge of all the parts of Gold Aries, kept track and made reports to Alan on these events.

David knew he was in trouble, he had made the company incur so much loss under his administration and lost its credibility in the eyes of the public. 

“You know what you have done has destroyed the reputation of this company!”

“Chairman Walker, please spare me. I promise to make sure the company gains back all the losses it has incurred over the past few years and also I will increase the company’s value in the stock market. I will do whatever you want.”

Alan didn’t give a reply, he knew well that David was a great businessman, he was a corporate devil. But, he lacked sorely in important aspects and his bad traits were spreading in the company.

“I can give you a chance and I expect you to make good use of it, Mr. David. I am not someone who is fond of giving out second chances, so if you fail me this time, you should know what is in it for you.”

David heaved a sigh of relief and nodded his head. “Yes, Mr. Walker! I shall do whatever you want me to do. I will not fail you this time!”

“Do you know of a man named Michael Fletcher?” Alan asked, sitting on the swivel.

“Yes, his company JK enterprise has a very promising cooperation with our company. We are supposed to meet today to discuss the terms of the contract.”

“Cancel it and also make sure to kick the Head of the HR department, Kira out of the company. My company will never contain snobbish employees!”

David nodded. Who knows what these two have done to make Alan angry at them?

Alan, on the other hand, didn’t see a reason to fire David outright yet, such a man was a rare talent, he just needed to make David feel so much pain that he would be forced to turn over a new leaf and flush out the bad elements from the company on his own.

This was Rex’s policy as a hands-off Chairman.

…

Meanwhile, Michael and Kira were outside David’s office, waiting for him. David merely glanced at them, entered into the office and closed the door. Kira and Michael exchanged glances.

“Michael, I think that’s your cue to go inside,” Kira said.

“Let’s go then,” Michael said, straightening up his suit.

As they entered, they met David busy with some files.

“Who asked you both to enter my office unpermitted?”

David was well known for his pride and bad temper; after all, being the President of such a huge company was no small feat at all. Michael had to tread cautiously.

“We had already informed your secretary and she told us to wait for you outside. So when you arrived, I thought it was a good thing to follow you in.”

“I see,” David responded, not raising his head from the documents in front of him.

Michael pulled out a chair to sit.

“Mr. Fletcher, I haven’t asked you to sit down yet,” David raised his head slightly, narrowing his eyes at him.

Michael couldn’t help but swallow. David’s appearance right now was very different from when he was with Alan. Then, he was as mild as a cat but right now, his aura was domineering even the piercing look in his eyes was intimidating.”

“I’m sorry if I have offended Mr. David in any way but my father sent me here to discuss the terms of the contract. The contract as you well know is very beneficial and profitable to both companies and my father is sure that you won’t refuse,” Michael said with a convincing smile.

“What do you mean by that, Mr. Fletcher? Do you think that Gold Aries is short of funds?” David asked, raising a brow.

Michael shook his head with a grave expression on. “Of course not! I was only saying that this cooperation will bring more profits to the company.”

He exchanged worried glances with Kira and that was when David noticed her presence. Alan had ordered him to get rid of this woman so he had better do that right away.

“Ms. Kira, may I ask what you are doing here? I don’t remember calling you to my office.”

Kira coughed slightly, going red with embarrassment. “Uhm, well, Mr. David, you see, Uriel here is my brother-in-law so I followed him here to give him moral support.”

“Moral support,” David replied, appearing amused by Kira’s choice of words. “And I presume you don’t have much work on your desk?”

“Mr. David-”

“Ms. Kira,” David called out, interrupting her. “This is work hours which you are aware of and you left your duties to follow this man to my office, claiming that you want to give him moral support? Have you forgotten the objectives of this company, Ms. Kira? Those documents on your desk are what you should attend to rather than poking your nose into the affairs of the company!”

“I’m sorry, Mr. David. I will get to it right away!”

“There’s no need for that, you are fired!”