Chapter 576 Someone Behind The Scenes.
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Fearing she would get impatient and drive him away, Josiah swiftly changed the topic, focusing on business matters instead. “The project has also been advertised on the tendering website, but since it’s related to construction, the company that will ultimately win the competitive tendering is likely to be one we’ve worked with before. Thorne Constructions and Energies still has a chance. Give it a try and don’t lose heart.”
“All right, sure.”
Lysander was fully engrossed in her work, while Josiah stood behind her, arms crossed, keeping her company.
Whenever he noticed an issue with the plan she was drafting on her screen, he would offer a suggestion. Other than that, he mostly kept silent to avoid disturbing her.
Unbeknownst to them, it had already gotten late at night.
Josiah voluntarily returned next door. Before leaving, he said, “I’m going to sleep next door tonight. You should rest well.”
Lysander neither agreed nor disagreed with it. She simply said. “Thank you.”
The following morning. Lysander woke up bright and early. Her complexion was decent enough, so she didn’t waste any more time primping. After changing her clothes, she showed up in the conference room half an hour ahead of schedule.
Today’s regular meeting was somewhat different from the one on Monday. It wasn’t necessary for the entire executive team to be present. Mostly, it was the upper and middle management from various departments who made an appearance.
Among those who had helped Lysander smooth things over, the shareholders only received dividends and did not participate in the daily management of the company. They were just among those non- participating members. Therefore, the battle today would only be more challenging than yesterday’s.
Even so, Lysander remained composed, seizing every precious moment as she sat at her desk, continuing to familiarize herself with the proposal on her computer.
The conference room gradually filled with people.
Most people, upon seeing Lysander arrive so early, paused to give her a glance before taking their seats. They didn’t even offer her a greeting.
Even though Lysander noticed that, she chose to act as if she hadn’t.
This was not the time to nitpick over such matters.
The meeting was scheduled for nine in the morning. At ten minutes to eight, Rowan arrived. There was a hint of hostility in his approach as he greeted Lysander, “You’re quite early today, Ms. Thorne.”
“Thank you.” Lysander replied, deliberately ignoring his sarcastic tone.
Feeling embarrassed, Rowan abruptly sat down in his chair.
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turned to Lysander before commencing the report and asked, “Ms. Thorne, how is your proposal coming along? We’re concerned that it might be too much for you, so our department has another one prepared.”
Everyone else was eagerly waiting to watch the scenario unfold so they could gloat at her misfortune.
They didn’t believe that a newcomer like Lysander could produce anything worthwhile in just one night.
To their surprise, Lysander handed over the flash drive and instructed, “I’m all set. Could you play it for me, please?”
They hesitated for a moment, but still subconsciously followed through.
Rowan, upon seeing how quickly Lysander had adapted to the role of a CEO, said bluntly, “Ms. Thorne, you’re but a young lady. There’s no need for you to act tough. With your status, you could simply find a husband of equal social standing, get married, and stay home to raise children.”
Lysander replied jokingly, “You’ve probably never taken care of a child, Mr. Cobb, Trust me, it’s not necessarily easier than drafting a proposal for a project.”
Rowan was taken aback for a moment. His expression turned somewhat somber as he said, “I was saying that for your own good.”
“Much appreciated, Mr. Cobb. Now, let’s start the meeting.
The group fell silent. They smirked coldly as they anticipated the blunder she would make with the plan.
Without a change in expression, Lysander calmly stepped onto the podium.
She was thoroughly familiar with the proposal she had worked on until the wee hours, to the point where she could articulate every detail even without looking at it. She also mentioned a few errors she had spotted.
“The construction qualifications of a company are crucial. Since there’s a certificate, why wasn’t it included?”
She showed considerable tact by not specifying which department was at fault.
Unable to contain himself any longer, the senior employee in charge of this exclaimed defensively, “All of this was confirmed with the management department. The company conducts qualifications certification every year. This is common knowledge to everyone.”
“Then why didn’t you attach the relevant pages?” Lysander asked calmly.
The senior employee, who was used to working at a leisurely pace in the company, couldn’t stand being interrogated by Lysander, who had showed up all of a sudden. Irritably, he responded, “Right now, providing you with the reports is merely for planning the proposal. We can photocopy them when it’s time to officially create the proposal”
Lysander gave him a casual glance, choosing not to waste any more words on the matter.
The focus of the following discussion was on staff allocation.
Whispers had already begun to circulate among the people below.
The more Rowan perused Lysander’s proposal, the deeper his frown became. He looked like someone
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Chapter 576 Someone Behind The Scenes
who wanted to find faults but couldn’t.
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The finance director beside him asked quietly, “Don’t you think the style of this proposal seems somewhat familiar?”
“It’s not just the proposal that seems familiar, even her style reminds me of Mr. Guerra’s approach. We’ve been under his thumb for so long, and we finally got some breathing room when he stepped back. How is it that we now have another obstacle in our way?” Rowan said thoughtfully.
“Could she possibly be associated with Mr. Guerra?”
“It doesn’t make sense. Mr. Guerra wouldn’t need to go through all this trouble if he wanted to take over Thorne Constructions and Energies.”
“Next, I have a few personnel changes to announce.”
Only when Lysander announced the members of the project team, did the commotion below finally cease.
The expressions of the senior employees collectively changed.
The head of the marketing department was the first to lose his composure. “What are you implying? This project is local, so it falls under the jurisdiction of the local market. How do you justify bringing in people from other regions to assist?”
Lysander had anticipated some objections and was fully prepared with her
responses.
“The business market of Thorne Constructions and Energies is primarily divided into three major regions based on geographical characteristics. The local market in Harborbrook has been developing steadily due to a loyal customer base. Pulling people out would not only be troublesome but also affect their work. Given these circumstances, it would be better to choose a few less busy individuals.”
Everyone in the company knew that the senior employees of Harborbrook market were the most free. In contrast, market specialists from other areas had to brainstorm ways to expand their markets, which kept them incredibly busy.
Lysander was clearly speaking in sarcasm to show that she didn’t want to be influenced by the senior employees.
Unable to admit they had been relying on past achievements, the head of the marketing department found themselves momentarily lost for words.
Rowan then began to stir the pot from the sidelines. “Ms. Thorne, it’s natural for young people to want to achieve something, but don’t you think you’re being a bit hasty pulling in rookies? The project we’re tendering on is a big deal. What if you guys mess it up?”
“We’re all part of Thorne Constructions and Energies. When the project succeeds, everyone will get a share of the year–end bonus. If we need to be divided, then I wonder if the various departments here exist to serve the company, or to profit certain individuals?” Lysander retorted with a calm demeanor.
She then cast a meaningful glance around the room, taking in everyone present. Instantly, those with guilty consciences were provoked, and they flew into a rage due to humiliation. One of them stood up to challenge her, demanding, “Make yourself clear! What do you mean by ‘seeking profit? We are all trying to secure the project here! What do you know about that?”
“At the very least, I would never overlook something as crucial as a qualification certificate. I’m not
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comfortable entrusting major projects to someone careless enough to make such a basic mistake,” Lysander said, her tone still nonchalant.
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The senior employee, who had previously made a mistake, was already feeling embarrassed because she had pointed out his error. When he saw her mentioning it again, he slammed the table and exclaimed, “How dare you talk nonsense here after only working on a few projects? You’re just a chit of a girl! What skills could you possibly have?”
“Exactly! I suspect,
didn’t even revise this proposal herself! I mean, how could anyone be so efficient in just one night? She probably hired a ghostwriter or something-
Before he could finish speaking, a soft clicking sound intermingled with the voices of disagreement.
Without any warning, the conference room door was pushed open from the outside.
A few of the company’s senior members, filled with righteous indignation, instinctively looked over, only to meet Josiah’s calm and unwavering gaze.
Rowan gasped and exclaimed, “Mr. Guerra!”
Josiah gave no response, nor did he bother to look at him directly. His focus was clear as he moved toward the spare chair next to the conference table. With a slight lift of his chin, he looked toward Lysander who was on the podium and said, “It’s all right; carry on.”
The conference room f
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eerily silent as everyone present didn