Back in Yun Sui Bo's office, his secretary and Vice President sat and tried to formulate how to reinstate the faith of the shareholders.
"President, I think we should call a board meeting immediately to quell any rumor," Li Wenyue, the Vice President spoke up.
Yun Sui Bo carefully looked at the secretary and called them up. "I am hungry. Please get us some snacks and tea," he ordered.
The secretary promptly got up to her feet and scurried away, knowing that the President wanted to speak to the other in private. She knew best not to linger around. More people had been fired in the past few years from the executive staff than she cared to admit and she had a sneaking suspicion that it had to do with them knowing too much or protesting.
Despite hating the job and the boss, she needed the salary. She was paid well for putting up with his attitude. She wondered how the current Mrs. Yun, Jiang Xin, had gone from being the President's secretary to wife. He had a bad personality. She couldn't even imagine liking the person enough to have a meal with him, let alone get married to him.
She shuddered just at the thought.
The woman had a different level of willpower, probably.
Inside the office, Yun Sui Bo was not calm.
"A board meeting to quell rumors?" he voiced. "Do you think that will work out?" he scoffed.
"That is the best course of action," Li Wenyue said quietly. "I am still looking into raising money from other sources and getting a loan," he told Yun Sui Bo.
"You realize that doing that will make the rumors worse, yes?" he asked.
"President Yun, I am doing everything discreetly. You don't have to worry about word getting out. I know we are struggling but I don't want the situation to spiral out of control… more so than it already has."
The undertone of concern and courage in the VPs voice made Yun Sui Bo take a second glance at the man.
"Do you think you worry more about this company than I do?" he asked. The only reason he had allowed Li Wenyue to be the Vice President was that his son was still young and he didn't have a family member to take that position and be the leader.
This man was not from his family and not invested in the business as badly as he was. But here he was, running his mouth, pretending to care more than Yun Sui Bo did. It angered him.
"President, I love this company as much as you do. I have been working here for the past twenty years. I crawled up from the bottom up. I just want—"
Yun Sui Bo put up his hand. "Don't say something that will make the situation worse. I am getting the money. Just go out there and make sure they believe that we are financially okay. Understood?" he asked.
In truth, Yun Sui Bo treated all his employees like servants. He didn't care much for them, even if the other was the Vice President, taking care of most of the day-to-day workings.
Li Wenyue was struggling to make ends meet and doing his best to pull the company up. But meeting the demands of the President was hard.
Li Wenyue had shed more hair in the past couple of months than he had most of his life. He was slowly growing tired and really wanted to break out of this company and speak up about the things that go on behind the curtains.
But the NDAs. The iron-clad NDAs preventing him from speaking up and the ban on working in any competing company for the next three years or taking clients with him was keeping him from making a move.
"I will call a board meeting and show the reports and ensure everyone. Please don't worry," that is what he said finally. "I need to get going, I have to prepare for everything."
He stood up abruptly and fixed his suit before hastily leaving.
Yun Sui Bo watched the man leave with a speculative look on his face. When the secretary returned, he asked her one simple question.
"Did anyone say where the news came from?"
His voice was grave.
The secretary startled and shook her head. "No one really knows the origin, President. Do you have someone in mind?" she questioned.
He leaned in and grabbed a biscuit as he looked at the now-closed door.
"I have my suspicions," he said immediately.
The secretary followed his gaze and realization dawned on her. She gulped and praised the lord that she wasn't the one being questioned in this case.
She didn't even speak of work matters outside.
Good thing she had a drinking session today with the other people. She needed to destress.
Yun Sui Bo, on the other hand, was thinking about Li Wenyue as his supposed disloyalty. He had never liked the man, but he came with great credentials. But the man was ambitious. He was ambitious beyond Yun Sui Bo's comfort level.
The man was bolting forward at every opportunity, trying to do great things and getting credit for his work.
Right now, the only person who was getting heat for the rumors was him, the President. No one else seemed to be getting flack for this. In reality, the rumors seemed doctored. Like someone with close knowledge of the company was feeding information to outsiders. The suspicious lack of names was also worth noting.
The only person who knew everything and would profit off the news getting out was Li Wenyue. If Yun Sui Bo was thought of as incompetent, the next in line to take the President position was him. He would have no one stopping him from taking over the position.
The initiative to raise money and looking overly concerned about the company were also signs pointing to it.
A mere servant growing greedy because of their higher position and trying to usurp the throne from its rightful owner. And everyone knows what happens to a servant who disobeys orders. They get fired and sold off.
Yun Sui Bo bit into the biscuit and took a sip of his tea.
'Rebellion should be nipped at the bud.'
Right after the board meeting, he would corner and get rid of Li Wenyue.