Emotional

As Jasper continued to work out the tension in my shoulders, Mr. Chambers made no effort to hide his disapproval, his attention shifting between the newspaper in his hands and the scene unfolding before him. "Isn't this a violation? I used to fire people who got massages at work," he commented dryly, not bothering to look up from his reading.

"Mind your business, old man," I retorted, half-jokingly, as I savored the relief Jasper's skilled hands brought to my stiff muscles.

"Anthony used to do that during office hours too," Mr. Chambers remarked, glancing over at us, referencing my brother known for similar breaches of office decorum.

"I am his younger brother, I probably picked up a few bad habits," I sighed, finally batting Jasper's hands away. Despite our marital status, public displays of affection like this in a professional setting were indeed unprofessional.

"I really don't mind," Jasper chimed in, his tone light, indicating his willingness to continue if it helped.

"No, it's not part of your job," I insisted, firm in setting boundaries. "We're making Mr. Chambers uncomfortable."

"As long as you two leave the PDA for when I'm not looking. Nothing against you two, PDA is just not tasteful to me in general," Mr. Chambers finally said, setting his newspaper aside as he addressed the matter more directly, his tone suggesting a blend of tolerance and personal preference that bordered on aversion.

Jasper, taking a seat on the couch opposite Mr. Chambers, adopted a slight pout, an attempt to lighten the mood. "So how's Chen Construction going?"

"Everything has been going smoothly. I gave them a lot as compensation," I groaned, my frustration apparent. "The thing is, the Chen Construction CEO refuses to release the funds. He would see his entire family arrested for embezzlement of public funds. Money is a scary thing."

"Proceeds from the sale of shares are his last stand. He must've decided not to use it yet and is waiting for the correct time," Mr. Chambers explained, shedding light on the CEO's possible strategy.

"There's no chance of pulling through!" I exclaimed, dismissing any hope of the CEO salvaging the situation on his own terms.

"Once his entire family is arrested, the stock will be burned as public money collected in addition. In return, you won't have access to the money either," Mr. Chambers advised, outlining the grim consequences awaiting the CEO's decisions.

I was puzzled by the complexity of the situation. "I don't get it. If he returns the proceeds, his entire family will be free, but if he doesn't, everything will be confiscated by the state. Anyone would choose the former. Don't talk in riddles."

"Your sense of justice is a problem," Mr. Chambers advised sternly. "You're forgetting to act like a businessman."

"Useless emotion?" I queried, trying to understand his point. "I'm only thinking of the normalization of Chen Construction and money."

"No, it's because you want justice. You can't let anyone go until you've played with them and destroyed them; in this case, it's about the employees not receiving their wages while his family lives the high life," Mr. Chambers clarified. "He's waiting for another offer because if he holds out, none of you will get anything."

"What would you suggest?" I asked, seeking his guidance on how to navigate the predicament without losing sight of our objectives.

"Forget the ants. What does it matter how people think or live?" Mr. Chambers said, his advice stark and dismissive of the broader social implications, focusing solely on business outcomes.

Feeling my resolve falter under the weight of my personal vendetta, I questioned Mr. Chambers, looking for clarity in the midst of my conflicting emotions. "My need for revenge is getting in my way? So I should let him go on more favorable terms?"

"Yeah, if he says he'll give half the stock price to the company, why not let him out on probation?" Mr. Chambers suggested, proposing a solution that seemed too lenient, too simple for the depth of betrayal involved.

What a load of garbage! Is this really the right way to try and settle things? I pondered internally, doubting the simplicity of the suggestion.

"Don't think about it too much. The only thing that should be on your mind is money. As long as Mr. Chen doesn't pose a threat to you, don't even think about him. And forget about getting even. Don't be emotional," Mr. Chambers continued to advise, his words aimed at steering me back towards a path focused solely on financial gain and away from personal grudges.

His wits are very quick, I noted mentally. Despite my initial resistance, I recognized the wisdom in his perspective, especially for the longevity and health of my business endeavors. "I'll take what you said into account and act properly," I conceded, agreeing to consider his advice and recalibrate my approach to focus more on pragmatic outcomes than emotional satisfaction.

As we continued discussing strategy, Mr. Chambers made a pointed suggestion, perhaps knowing well my reluctance toward leniency. "I suggest you make the offer while you visit Mr. Chen in prison," he said, his tone serious, hinting at the gravity of the encounter.

"Fuck, I get it, I'll play nice with him," I huffed, my frustration evident. The idea of compromise gnawed at me; it was against my usual approach of strict retribution.

That really wasn't my style. If I felt slighted, the only way to feel better was to get even with the offender. Mr. Chen had offended me by working with my mom and resisting, so I was taking over. To think I might have to... compromise. That's not really in my nature!

"You can do it. Being a robot is something you're good at," Jasper teased, trying to lighten the mood with a slight jab at my usually cold demeanor.

"Save your emotions for the people who matter," Mr. Chambers interjected. "This is something that comes with experience, it's not surprising that you didn't notice."

"I've had almost fifteen years of experience," I argued back, not ready to admit that my experience might not equate to wisdom.

"Yeah, observing and learning and doing little projects in high school. You've never been hands-on with something truly valuable or wielded real power. You're still a baby in this aspect," Mr. Chambers countered, his words blunt and perhaps intended to provoke a more thoughtful reflection on my part.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jasper asked, picking up on the tension in Mr. Chambers' words.

"It means I need to stop playing god and come back down to earth," I sighed, internalizing the critique. As much as I hated to admit it, Mr. Chambers was right! I can't be god because god is merciful, but I can be the devil if I wanted to. There are more nefarious ways of getting my way, after all.

As Jasper left to fetch the coffee, Mr. Chambers continued, his tone somewhat playful yet edged with seriousness. "Being the devil is much more fun in my opinion," he remarked, a sly smile on his face. "Once the waters settle, there's plenty of evil things that can be done to Mr. Chen. I almost pity him for getting on your bad side."

"Is that bad?" I asked, genuinely curious about his perspective on my approach.

"Yes and no. Your aggression is appropriate when it comes to business matters. It's actually how we've gotten this far in the first place. But when you're emotional, it affects your planning and makes you overlook things you usually wouldn't," Mr. Chambers explained, laying bare the dual nature of my temperament.

"My emotions show through my work?" I questioned, slightly taken aback by the notion.

"That's why I've been pulling you aside so much," Mr. Chambers revealed. "You're an excellent businessman, Alex, but you're very emotional and that's not something that's needed while taking over a city. You need to think only about benefits and profits not the people."

Feeling the weight of his words, I slumped over on my desk. "Then I need an outlet," I admitted, feeling the strain of containing my more vindictive impulses. "I've got to channel my pettiness into something very productive."

"There's plenty of small business owners to bully," Mr. Chambers suggested half-jokingly, perhaps to lighten the mood.

"No, I like confrontation too much," I responded, knowing well that my nature wasn't suited to petty squabbles but rather to direct, impactful confrontations.

"Personally, I go shopping. Add some diversity to my wardrobe," Mr. Chambers shared his own method of relaxation, a stark contrast to the high-stakes games we played in the boardroom.

As I contemplated ways to channel my frustrations more constructively, an idea sparked. "I'll still be itching for trouble... actually, that might be just what I need," I mused aloud, thinking of how Travis was well-versed in the city's more adrenalized scenes, places where I could potentially take my anger out, or perhaps he could even arrange for a bodyguard to spar with me in a boxing ring.

"You like violence, but in our line of work, it's only ok to use it as a last resort," Mr. Chambers cautioned, his tone serious, reminding me of the professional boundaries within which we operated.

"It's justice for—" I began to argue, feeling the urge to justify my inclination toward a more hands-on approach to dealing with my anger.

"Justice isn't our job, Alex. The minute you start looking down on your competitors, the more you make mistakes. What makes you better than Mr. Chen? You may do things differently, but at the core, your values are exactly the same. Being a hypocrite right now isn't beneficial to Todd Corporation," Mr. Chambers interjected sharply, cutting through my justifications with a stark reminder of the reality of our business and the dangers of hypocrisy.

Fuck. He was right.