The Heir of the Family

009 - Asking For An Advice

After waiting for a moment, Viona asks the others if there are still those who want to leave the meeting room. He even gives a warning to those who decide to stay.

  

“Mr. Charles wouldn't mind if anyone opted out now. But whoever later chooses to stay, after that they will not be allowed to leave this ship.”

  

One of them raises his hand like he wants to ask something.

  

“At least, tell us first the reason behind all this. Why did Charles choose this obscure person to lead this company?”

  

“I have no obligation to answer that question. If you mind, you can leave. We still have a lot of people who can replace all the positions here,” says Viona.

  

That one who expressed that question immediately takes his leave. And after that, another two also choose to leave the room as well. Until finally, there are only 7 people in the room besides Viona and Victor left.

  

“Anyone? After this, there is no option for you to leave anymore,” says Viona.

  

The seven people don’t give any answers. Two of them are women. The rest are all the men who have been able to maintain their composure since the beginning. One of the five men then says something with a slight smile towards Victor.

  

“It has been so long, hasn't it? Victor?” he asks rhetorically.

  

“It's an honor for me that Uncle Benjamin still remembers my name,” Victor replies with a slight smile, lowering his gaze slightly.

  

“The last time we met was 15 years ago. There's no way I could recognize your face after that long. But I knew it was you, since Charles will never put a joke about this serious matter,” replies that old man named Benjamin Smith.

  

The other high-ranking officials look at each other after that little dialogue between Victor and Benjamin. In fact, that man named Benjamin is the person appointed as the Vice President for the company, and it seems very clear that Benjamin knows Victor quite well.

  

“Do you have any special relationship with Charles?” asks another man named Joseph Colter.

  

“Don't you even realized it yet? It is certain that he is William Charles' only son whom he had been keeping a secret so far. Otherwise, Viona will not create such conditions that seem to bind us after we choose to stay here,” says a beautiful 47-year-old lady named Emilia Werner.

  

“Yes, I'm glad all those who decide to stay are the people who I really knew and could trust,” says Viona.

  

After that Viona walks over to a table with a phone on it.

  

“But I remind you, the condition I mentioned earlier oozed from Charles himself,” she continues.

  

After that, Viona presses a few buttons on the phone and a moment later a man's voice answers the call.

  

“Bring the files here, please!” she says.

  

[Yes, Mam!]

  

After waiting for a while, an employee comes and brings the files Viona asked for. Those files are the agenda they need to discuss for that meeting.

  

And there Victor's attention is diverted when he finds that the employee who delivers the file is none other than Oliver, that one cocky guy he met earlier in the restroom.

  

Of course Oliver is also stunned there, to find Victor is sitting on one of the chairs among the executives.

  

“Victor?” he mumbles with a disbelieving expression.

  

“Oh, isn't it our dear Oliver?” Victor replies.

  

Victor casually asks Oliver to come along and sits next to him. Oliver looks so awry to sit there, being in the ranks of the company's top brass.

  

“Hey, what are you doing here?” Oliver whispers.

  

Victor only smiles, but he doesn't give an immediate answer, letting Oliver find himself the answer he needs.

  

Each of those executives convey the points of the problem they want to raise, as well as the solutions they have provided one by one.

  

Currently, Victor can't follow any talk being mentioned in the meeting. Because since the beginning, he hasn’t had any preparation, while he is also having a serious matter regarding his divorce with Emma.

  

But luckily, those executives seem able to understand his position and condition. So they don't push Victor too much to give immediate response for what they have brought up in the meeting.

  

They just let Victor know and learn the big picture of the issues for Counterbrand as much as he could grasp. But then, there is someone who is a little nosy, provoking Victor to give a response.

  

“So what do you think, Victor? You've seen the development of some big players in all sectors. Some of us coincidentally provide the same input, so that we try to find new market sectors while still surviving and competing with what we are currently working on. Do you have any other suggestions?”

  

Victor puts a blank face. He then averts his attention to Mr. Benjamin, but Benjamin closes his eyes by holding his smile.

  

“Well, umm, we could have started looking for an idea for a start-up that would, mainly, focus on, digital. Or maybe like social media,” he expresses in a bit of an unsure way.

  

He then puts an awkward grinning after finishing those stammered words.

  

“You mean, a start-up mainly on a digital platform?” that lady responds with an awkward feeling.

  

“Well, since you intend to try something new, you better prepare yourself for a new perspective. Why don't you start by listening to someone like Oliver here,” says Victor as he averts their attention to Oliver who sits next to him.

  

Oliver's face immediately looks so pale and could only look down at the table which has absolutely no files on it.

  

Viona even closes her eyes and shakes her head with Victor’s antics.

  

Victor's cell phone suddenly rings. He intends to reject the call. But he changes his mind as he finds out that it is Mr. Benigno.

  

Only then does he remember that he forgot to take care of his problems with his former boss.

  

[Hey, Victor! Didn't you promise me to pay for everything double? Where are you? Don't tell me you run away and has no intention of paying for it]

  

“Sorry, Sir. I forgot. I'll be right there to sort it out in person.”

  

After Victor hangs up the call, he finds that all eyes are on him. Those people deliberately turned off their cell phones for the meeting. But now Victor just casually responds to a call.

  

However, Victor uses it as an excuse to avoid the meeting and decides to leave.

  

“You see. This Oliver here was talking about the importance of having a breakthrough idea that can bring profits, or about an idea that can solve a problem. Why don't you try hearing his ideas first? Who knows, you will see a completely new perspective about the new market conditions in other sectors.”

  

Victor then gets up from his seat and pats Oliver on the shoulder.

  

“Good luck!” he whispers.

  

Oliver doesn’t say a word. He doesn’t even dare to lift his face, still looking down with a pale face.