2 It's Just Good Business

The walls of the boardroom were around six meters tall, and they were made of a rich, ebony wood. Polished mahogany covered the floor, glistening under the light of the crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

A table dominated the length of the space – it was roughly rectangular in shape, but it was tapered, narrowing as it neared Ai Jing's seat at the very end. This created an optical illusion, where anyone walking through the doors would be given the impression that the CEO's chair was much larger than it actually was. The entire setup was like that of a modern-day throne room, and its cold grandeur was almost suffocating.

"Please turn to page ten of the document before you."

The board chairman, who sat around the corner of the table directly to Ai Jing's right, was responsible for creating the meeting agenda. He was in his early fifties, and his hair was riddled with streaks of grey. A giant of a man, he sat at least a head taller than nearly everyone else in the room. He was also lean and built like a truck, and his suit always seemed a tad too tight, as if any sudden movement would cause his muscular frame to tear right through it…

Ai Jing set down her coffee and folded her hands over her lap.

The chairman spoke in a way that reminded her of a sledgehammer. Every one of his words was forceful, like he was trying to smash everything he said straight through the listener's skull.

"As you can see from these graphs, our stock has traded consistently between 160 and 165 CNY for the last five weeks. This ends the freefall we've experienced over the past year. Things have stabilized, and we should see a rally in prices soon."

He turned towards Ai Jing, a somewhat tired smile on his face.

"I commend you for your efforts, President Ai. You started off on a rough note, but–"

Before he could finish, one of the other board members interjected. He was one of the dozen or so directors who had arrived late to the meeting, and Ai Jing subconsciously shrank in her seat.

"I'm not sure why you're celebrating this, Chairman Zhou. Our stock is still down twenty-five percent compared to this time a year ago, while the Shanghai Composite is up by over ten percent! The death of Mr. Ai Wen was certainly tragic, but it doesn't justify such a steep decline in the company's value. And in any case, it should not have taken this long to turn things around."

A few heads nodded in quiet assent.

The chairman sighed.

"I understand why you'd be unhappy, Mr. Wang. Twenty-five percent is no small number, and I know you've lost millions. But as the saying goes... there's no use crying over spilled milk."

There was a pause.

"Crying?"

"Simply a manner of speech, Mr. Wang. Though if you must do so, taking it literally does work in this context."

Mr. Wang narrowed his eyes, and Ai Jing could almost feel the indignation radiating from his direction. Sensing that things were about to get heated, one of the quieter board members excused himself, leaving for the washroom.

Mr. Wang and Chairman Zhou had never been on good terms, and this was not the first time something like this had happened. Soon, everyone else was sitting awkwardly as the two men continued to argue. Ai Jing was particularly uncomfortable, as Mr. Wang was talking about her as if she wasn't there at all, reinforcing the doubt that was always clawing at her. Was she really cut out for this?

"And remember our CEO's mishandling of the Beihai Industrial deal? That amazing ten billion dollar deal we spent two years planning, only to completely botch in the end? We lost it to Skyview, of all things! To that damned Gao Ming!"

"You're really going to bring up the Beihai acquisition?"

"Why shouldn't I? It was the only reason our stock began its tumble in the first place! You remember how the media slaughtered us after those negotiations fell through? The selloff that followed?"

The chairman didn't answer immediately, giving Mr. Wang an opening to press on.

"Don't be blinded by your loyalty, old man!"

Now it was Chairman Zhou's turn to be truly miffed. He took a deep breath, and his chest swelled menacingly. However, he wasn't able to come up with a retort, electing to simply glare across the table; his opponent had hit the nail right on the head. Everyone knew that the chairman was ardently loyal to the Ai family... whether it was in the best interests of the company or not.

When the standstill had dragged on for the better part of a minute, the man sitting to Ai Jing's left, Vice President Wu Chenghao, sharply cleared his throat. The second most powerful individual within the entire company, he had been with Edelweiss virtually since its conception. Though Ai Jing's brother was often hailed as a genius visionary, it was also said that he wouldn't have been nearly as successful if he hadn't had Wu Chenghao by his side.

The daring and charismatic Ai Wen, the face of the company; the calm and calculating Wu Chenghao, the wile and wit. Together, the two had made a terrifying duo.

"If I may, Mr. Wang. Mr. Zhou."

The room fell quiet.

"As you all know, Ai Wen was like a brother to me," Chenghao began.

"We built Edelweiss together from the ground up. For almost a decade, I supported him as he helmed this company, as he led it from the front like any good leader should. He was a fighter to the end. He was strong, driven, inventive… and he was loved."

Aside from the soothing timbre of Chenghao's voice, the room was completely silent. As the speech continued, a familiar knot formed in Ai Jing's heart. She had been thirteen when her parents died. Her sister had been four, her brother eighteen. None of their extended family had been willing to foster them, so her brother had taken it upon himself to provide for his two little sisters.

A poor orphan boy, with two mouths to feed besides his own, working his way to the top of the world – his story was as inspiring as any. It was a shame, then, that it ended in such an unceremonious way...

"A little over a year ago, a cruel twist of fate took our beloved founder from this world. In his stead, we have been led by Miss Ai Jing, his dear little sister. It's true that she was grossly inexperienced when she began. Many opportunities were missed during the first few months of her tenure. But in the time since, I have seen her working hard to increase her understanding of the position she has found herself in..."

Ai Jing's hearing wavered, her focus shifting to her vision. Chenghao wasn't a terribly handsome man. His features were a bit rugged, his nose bent from being broken one too many times during his rough childhood. His jaw was also a bit too strong, his expression constantly caught in a look of mild displeasure.

Even so, she felt safe around his presence.

After all, he was virtually a part of her small family. They hadn't seen eye to eye on everything, but Chenghao and her brother had been the closest of friends. They went everywhere together, and though Ai Wen had a habit of overdrinking when he went out, Ai Jing could always count on Chenghao to bring her brother back safe and sound.

"Don't worry about him, little sister. Big brother Chenghao is always watching over him. Ahaha!"

And then, after Ai Wen's death... it was Chenghao that had given Ai Jing a shoulder to cry on, a source of comfort with whom she could reminisce about the wonderful person her brother had been...

Chenghao raised his voice slightly, drawing Ai Jing's attention back to the present.

"In short, Mr. Wang. Chairman Zhou is completely justified in celebrating our President's efforts. She has been doing everything she can to live up to our expectations."

He turned to face her.

"Though I must say... that hasn't been nearly enough."

Huh?

"And on that note, I'd like to move on to the most important topic for today's meeting."

It wasn't just Ai Jing who was confused. Several of the directors were looking around perplexed, caught off guard by the sudden change in tone.

"While the president has been making great strides, I believe it is in the best interests of the company to relieve her of her position. At the same time, I suggest that I be considered to replace her."

After a short pause, the chairman and several other board members began to laugh.

"That's preposterous! Mr. Wu, is it really appropriate for you to be making such jokes?"

Chenghao continued, ignoring them.

"Had it not been for the work I did behind the scenes this past year, our company would almost certainly be in an even worse state than it is now."

When it became clear from his stoic expression that he was dead serious, the air in the room suddenly stiffened.

"Vice President… this board would never agree to such absurdity. I advise you to stand down before you embarrass yourself further. This is–"

"As such, I would like to call a vote on this proposal, here and now. Those in favor of this motion, of removing Miss Ai Jing from her position as CEO and President, please raise your hands."

Before she could even process what was happening, thirteen of the twenty-five board members, including Chenghao, had put their hands in the air. As she cast her gaze over them, she realized that those who had voted against her… were all the ones who had been late to arrive. Almost as if they had been busy setting something up together right before the meeting.

The chairman must have noticed this too, for his next words were hushed and laced with ice.

"You planned this, didn't you?"

Wu Chenghao smiled softly, acknowledging the question. Otherwise, he continued to ignore the chairman.

"Miss Ai, in accordance to company policy regarding the termination of your position, all stock you currently hold must be sold within the next 90 days. Any shares that aren't sold after that period has passed will be forfeited back to the company."

Ai Jing barely heard his words, her mind going into overdrive as she tried to wrap her head around the situation. This couldn't be happening. Was she… being kicked out of the company? By Wu Chenghao, too?

"You'd even have her sell while prices are at their weakest?!"

The chairman could no longer hold back his rage, and he rose from his seat, slamming his palms onto the table.

"You can't just pull a stunt like this, Wu Chenghao! What the hell do you think you're going to accomplish?!"

Chenghao crossed his arms.

"I'm saving the company, Mr. Chairman. As one of our earliest investors, you've been hit harder by this slump than nearly anyone else here. I believe a change in management is in your best interests as well. You must be able to see this fact."

Chairman Zhou looked like he wanted nothing more than to reach across the table and strangle the vice president.

"I will not stand for this!"

Watching from her seat at the head of the table, Ai Jing found herself on the verge of tears. Perhaps it was the shock. Perhaps it was her pride. But somehow, she was able to hold back the brunt of her emotions. Taking a deep breath, she held out her hand, placing it gently over the chairman's.

"Miss Ai…" the chairman whispered.

"Chenghao…"

Though she tried her best to remain calm, her voice was pleading.

"You're kidding, right? You can't actually mean this..."

Their gazes met, and as she looked into his hardened eyes, Ai Jing found the answer to her question. This wasn't a joke. Gone was the warmth she had grown so used to. Gone was the kindness he had shown her in the past. She didn't know when it had happened, but her blood brother was no longer the only person she had lost.

"Sorry... sister."

Chenghao leaned back in his seat, shrugging.

"It's just good business."