Chapter 6 Board Meeting

The boardroom was an imposing space, with floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a sweeping view of the city skyline. The long, polished table in the center of the room was surrounded by high-backed leather chairs, each occupied by a member of Dragon Corporation’s board of directors. These were men with decades of experience, powerful connections, and, as Kerrigan well knew, their own agendas.

Before, this room has been her seat of power, her throne room from whence she commanded loyalty and respect from the whole business world. Now, these old fools looked down at her as if a child had joined their midst.

Young she may be, but she was the one who bore the wisdom of a millennia old dragon who had been with this company and its leaders since its founding.

Kerrigan’s gaze swept across the faces of the board members, noting the subtle tension in the air. She knew they had been waiting for an opportunity to undermine her, to push her aside and install someone more pliable in her place. She also knew that today, she would give them exactly what they wanted—just not in the way they expected.

“Good morning, everyone,” Kerrigan greeted them, her voice calm and composed as she took her seat at the head of the table.

Chairman Turner, an older man with silver hair and sharp eyes, nodded in her direction. “Good morning, Miss Lokir. I believe you called this meeting to discuss the future direction of Dragon Corporation?”

“Yes,” Kerrigan replied, folding her hands in front of her. “As you all know, Dragon Corporation has seen significant growth in recent years, but with that growth comes new challenges. We’re facing increased competition, market volatility, and internal inefficiencies that could hinder our long-term success.”

There were murmurs of agreement around the table, and Kerrigan knew she had their attention. Now came the delicate part—laying the groundwork for Kelan’s fall without making it too obvious.

“I’ve been considering various strategies to address these challenges,” Kerrigan continued, her tone thoughtful. “As you know, I have spend several months in Jinstain working to expand our holdings. However I realize that has left things at home unattended to and on shaky ground.”

They all nodded and muttered to each other in agreement.

“One option is to initiate a corporate restructuring—something that would streamline our operations here, reduce costs, and position us more competitively in the market.”

The Chairman leaned forward slightly, his interest piqued. “Restructuring? That’s a significant step. What areas are you considering? We understand that you might be displeased with us but you cannot think to simply replace us so simply.”

Kerrigan met his gaze steadily. “I acknowledge we have had our differences. However, in this case I am not seeking to be petty. I am above such childish behavior and hope you gentlemen are as well. No what I am talking about is serious consideration for how we operate and where we can save money for future expansion plans. I have no desire to see dragon Corporation stagnate while the rest of the kingdom flourishes, leaving us in the past.”

“Thus, I believe we need to look at our Research and Development, Marketing, and some of our subsidiaries. R&D and Marketing are crucial, but they’re also areas where we may be able to make use of strategic partners instead of bearing the cost internally. As for the subsidiaries, we should consider divesting from those that are underperforming or no longer align with our core business strategy and use those funds for more profitable expansions such as into Bayan Province.”

There was a brief pause as the board members absorbed her words. Kerrigan could see the wheels turning in their minds, each of them weighing the implications.

“What you’re suggesting sounds reasonable,” said director Tristan Acheson, a man known for his conservative approach to business.  He had often opposed her moves as to ambitious but She still respected him. Perhaps he would be the easiest to bring back to her side.

“But restructuring those areas would require someone with a fresh perspective—someone who isn’t entrenched in the current system. I fear your over protectiveness of personnel could hinder your ability to carry that out effectively,” He continued.

Kerrigan nodded, allowing a hint of agreement to show on her face. “I agree. It’s important that we approach this with fresh eyes. And that’s why I believe we should consider bringing in someone who can lead this restructuring with a new vision. Someone with years of experience.”

The Chairman’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Are you suggesting we bring in outside consultants?”

“Not necessarily,” Kerrigan replied, her tone measured. “We have someone within the company who you have each attested has expressed a desire to take on more responsibility—someone who you have publicly presented to the world as someone who could bring a different approach to our operations.”

The board members exchanged glances, curiosity evident on their faces

“Kelan Benidict,” Kerrigan said, dropping the name with just the right amount of nonchalance. “He’s been vocal about wanting to contribute more to the company’s direction, and I believe this could be the perfect opportunity for him to prove himself.”

There was a moment of silence, followed by a murmur of agreement from several board members. Kerrigan could almost see the calculations in their eyes. Kelan was young, ambitious, and eager to make his mark—exactly the kind of person they could mold to their advantage.

They had already been working on the man and his connections would only benefit them. If he succeeded, they would reap the rewards and be able to remove Kerrigan entirely. If he failed… Well, they would have a convenient scapegoat.

“I think that’s an excellent suggestion,” Chairman turner said finally, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. “Kelan has shown potential, and has his father’s blessing. This could be the opportunity Dragon Corporation needs to come into the new decade.”

“Agreed,” another board member chimed in. “It’s time for the younger generation to step up.”

Kerrigan maintained her composed expression, but inside, she was blistering. These old farts thought Kelan was the younger generation? She was younger still! But then she was a woman. Of course they didn’t even consider her.

In any case, the board had taken the bait. Kelan would be given the task of restructuring Dragon Corporation—an impossible task given she had been streamlining the company for seven years. She personally knew every manager and took regular reports. There wasn’t any bloat left to cut and if Kelan tried, he would be severing a vital artery.  

“I’ll inform Kelan of the board’s decision,” the Chairman said, standing to signal the end of the meeting. “Let’s reconvene in a few weeks to review his progress. Surely he can find 25% fat to cut. Maybe we can all get bonuses this year after all.”

As the board members began to file out of the room, Kerrigan allowed herself a halfhearted smile. Everything was going according to plan, but it was exposing more corruption than she wanted to admit was present in her company. Now, it was only a matter of time before Kelan’s arrogance and inexperience led to his downfall. Hopefully, he wouldn’t take the whole company down with him.

Kerrigan watched from the shadows of her office as Kelan strutted down the hallway towards the boardroom an hour later. He moved with the swagger and confidence of someone who believed he was on top of the world, a king in his own right, completely oblivious to the house of cards his kingdom was being built atop.

Kerrigan had no doubt that Kelan would accept the restructuring task with enthusiasm. He would see it as a chance to prove himself, to show the board—and his father—that he was capable of leading Dragon Corporation. His superficial hands off approach to business would lead to certain disaster.

Sure enough, not an hour later, the news came through: Kelan had accepted the role with gusto. He had already begun his “analysis,” dismissing concerns from more experienced managers and charging ahead with his plans to cut at least 15% of the workforce in R&D and Marketing. He had also set his sights on divesting from the company’s subsidiary businesses including restaurants, malls and even several charity projects, viewing them as dead weight.

Kerrigan could hardly contain her anger as she read the reports. Kelan was playing right into her hands, making the very mistakes she had anticipated, yet she couldn’t help but scream internally.  He was slashing critical departments without understanding their value, gutting the company’s future to achieve short-term gains.

Not only that, but he had zero understanding of how the charities helped the company. Kerrigan had devoted a heavy percentage of discretionary company funds to support those groups not only because it was the moral thing to do for her community, but also because they provided critical tax benefits, public good will, and even a base of loyal future employees.

And the best part? He was completely unaware that he was destined to fail by his own stupidity. All she had done was provide the nudge to get the snowball rolling.

As the sun dipped below the mountain peaks, casting the city in shades of twilight, Kerrigan leaned back in her chair, worry in her heart. The pieces were falling into place, and soon, the board would see Kelan for what he truly was: an arrogant, incompetent fool who had no business leading Dragon Corporation. But would that be enough to rid them of that thorn, or would the board protect their little pet?

And when that moment came, would she be able to step in and save the company from the chaos he had wrought? She would be the one who had seen the danger coming and acted to protect what was hers, but would others see it that way or would she be blamed for allowing it to get that bad in the first place?

For now, she would let Kelan have his moment in the sun. After all, the higher he climbed, the harder he would fall. Hopefully he would take Zadok with him when he crashed and burned.

And Kerrigan Lokir would be there to watch his self-imposed  implosion.