Not My Grandfather
As we navigated through the quiet halls of the Chen Construction Group building, I observed the employees who, despite the company's dire financial straits, continued to show up for work. They knew the company was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, yet they held onto a thread of hope, coming in day after day to perform their roles in a show of desperation and dedication.
"What should we do with them?" I asked Mr. Chambers, genuinely curious about his perspective on handling the employees who were stuck in this unfortunate situation.
"Be the savior," Mr. Chambers shrugged nonchalantly. "You can finally pay their salaries and give them motivation."
His suggestion struck a chord with me as we walked into the fancy building and were quickly shown upstairs to an office. The lack of delay in being escorted to the boss underscored the slow pace of business here.
A sweaty, overweight man greeted us as we entered his office. Extending his hand, he introduced himself, "Welcome, my name is Kevin Chen, I'm the executive director of Chen Construction," his smile nervous, his handshake seemingly an attempt to convey a confidence he clearly did not feel.
"Alexander Todd, Todd Corporation," I responded, opting not to shake his hand and instead taking a seat at the meeting table. The secretary, noticing the slight, quickly brought me some tea. Just by smelling it, I could tell it was very cheap—a small, telling detail of the corners being cut everywhere in this struggling company.
As Kevin Chen sat down opposite me, wiping his brow, I prepared to discuss the potential future of his employees and the role Todd Corporation might play in turning around their fortunes. The stakes were high, and the decisions we were about to make could either be a lifeline for many or simply a strategic acquisition for us.
Kevin, evidently nervous about the situation his company found itself in, attempted to mask his concern with a veneer of bravado. "I'm actually surprised to see such a rapidly expanding company acquire shares like this. I'm curious as to how such a large firm would draw interest in such an insignificant company," he said, his smile faltering as he spoke.
"Money," I stated bluntly, cutting through the pretense. I wasn't here to dance around the issues.
Kevin seemed taken aback by my directness. "Have you seen the news lately? You might incur huge losses if you take a decking company like Chen Construction. And who'd invest in stock? You should go to a bank," he advised, perhaps trying to steer us away from an acquisition.
Mr. Chambers, whose demeanor had grown increasingly terse, interjected. "Instead of that, it's more appropriate to tell us why you called Todd Corporation," he said, his tone edging on rude—an unusual shift for him that could be attributed to his recent boost in status or perhaps a reaction to suspicions of mismanagement within Chen Construction.
Kevin, picking up on the tension, tried to smooth things over. "We need to know your intentions. Please speak freely, it's my job to listen to the concerns of shareholders," he said, attempting to regain control of the conversation.
"Didn't I already tell you? We're here to make money!" I snapped, frustrated by his roundabout tactics.
"In order to make money, wouldn't it be impossible to sell stocks at a price higher than the purchase price?" Kevin countered, wiping his forehead as he spoke.
"I feel like someone will buy it," I replied, confident despite the apparent risks involved.
"Well shall we look into it then," Kevin suddenly became eager, sensing perhaps a way out or a potential strategy to salvage his position. "There are still people who feel that Chen Construction can recover. I believe they are preparing a substantial amount to buy a majority of the shares."
His last remark caught my attention; it confirmed my suspicions that my mother was likely orchestrating a hostile takeover just as I was. "I'm glad I'm not wasting my time since you're putting in effort."
"I'll do my best to find a suitable candidate quickly to bolster our financial situation," he assured us earnestly.
"Do it by tomorrow," I demanded sharply, unwilling to give him any leeway.
Mr. Chambers glanced at me but maintained a stoic expression, observing the unfolding drama silently. Kevin, clearly agitated by the tight deadline, protested. "How can we...we can't possibly finish it by tomorrow!"
"Is that so? Then I demand a shareholders meeting to be held in three days," I stated firmly, gathering my belongings as I prepared to leave the meeting. "If you want to prevent comments from other shareholders, you should solve this quickly instead of stalling for time."
The tension in the room was palpable. It was clear that the company's management was desperate, likely due to their financial improprieties. They had reached out to me personally after I had acquired a 5% stake in the company, indicating that a hostile takeover was more than just a possibility—it was inevitable.
As Mr. Chambers and I exited the meeting room, he pondered the reaction we had observed. "Why are they so nervous?" he inquired.
"I own 6% of their stock," I explained succinctly, which shed light on their apprehension.
"That's understandable then," Mr. Chambers acknowledged, quickly grasping the implications of my investment. "The cost of acquiring a 6% stake in a solid company is enormous. These guys must be terrified."
As we stepped out of the office building, I continued, "I've recovered evidence of embezzlement," speaking at a normal volume now that we were in the open air.
"You plan on sending them to jail?" Mr. Chambers asked, looking at me curiously.
"I plan on recovering stolen funds. Then I'll clean house and make it something fresh and new," I stated, outlining my strategy to overhaul the company once I had control.
"Ah, we have two acquisitions and a political campaign plus reconstruction efforts to worry about," Mr. Chambers sighed, considering the broader scope of our activities.
"Buy me some time then," I said, half-jokingly yet serious about the necessity.
"Alex, time is precious and can't just be bought," Mr. Chambers lectured, his tone becoming philosophical.
"Yeah, you can't buy a lifespan but you can certainly buy a life. It's called a fixed salary," I retorted, emphasizing the pragmatic reality of our corporate endeavors.
As we walked away from the office building, Mr. Chambers patted my shoulder, signaling a move to more strategic discussions. "I'll have to start by banning the entire Chen family from leaving the state. Lots of stolen money must be abroad, so I can order the Ministry of Justice to investigate," he proposed, outlining the initial steps to control the fallout.
"Please do that," I affirmed, agreeing with his approach and eager to see it implemented.
"When I do, you must take Chen Construction quickly. Still, it'll take years to recover the stolen money, and in the meantime, Chen Construction will go bankrupt, and creditors will struggle to deal with it," Mr. Chambers sighed, highlighting the potential complications and the long recovery process ahead.
"Am I taking too much control?" I asked, suddenly questioning the extent of my influence and whether it bordered on overreach.
"Yes, the prosecution and the IRS investigation should only be used as intimidation," Mr. Chambers advised, cautioning against too aggressive an approach that could backfire.
"What I did should be enough to make them choose then," I brushed off his concern, confident in my strategy.
"Choose?" he queried, seeking clarification on my endgame.
"Whether by this time next year the entire family will be beggars or to give up everything to me and take enough so he doesn't starve and run away to a foreign country," I explained. My plan was to corner them into a desperate situation where their only viable option was to capitulate to my demands. "I'll get them to surrender, so move forward with the prosecution and investigation. Send the auditing team to all their departments at once so they won't have the chance to cover anything up."
"I had a feeling you would say that, so I've already put in the request. The warrant should already be active. The CEO, Mr. Chen, will cooperate," Mr. Chambers assured me, his tone confident that all preparatory actions were in place. "He will be left bankrupt."
"Good," I responded simply, satisfied with the direction we were heading.
"Was that the goal?" Mr. Chambers asked, perhaps to gauge whether my intentions were purely strategic or if there was an element of personal vendetta involved.
As we settled back into the car we came in, the conversation between Mr. Chambers and me took a reflective turn, driven by the harsh realities of the business maneuvers we were involved in.
"Well, if he would've taken care of his employees' overdue salary and not have been working with my mother, I wouldn't have to leave him nothing. But for three months, over 3000 employees have gone without pay. We need to make the Chen family feel that same fear," I said firmly, my voice tinged with a resolve born from witnessing the consequences of corporate neglect.
"I never thought you would understand a struggle like this," Mr. Chambers remarked, somewhat surprised. "Especially being born into the Todd family."
"I know what it's like to be hungry and have no money," I admitted, sharing a piece of my past that few knew about. "Prison teaches you that kind of stuff."
"It's human nature to betray people when starving. After all, over 1000 employees spoke out about their condition in the company," Mr. Chambers added, highlighting the desperation that had driven the workforce to such extremes.
"Yeah, luckily I was the only one who would listen," I noted, aware of my unique position and the responsibility that came with it.
"There are two kinds of people who will betray you, those hungry to endure and those who can't be satisfied no matter what. The former is your fault for neglecting their meals, the latter is also your fault for failing to judge people properly. Keep that in mind," Mr. Chambers advised, offering a piece of wisdom that underlined the complexities of leadership.
"I heard there's some banks that can be taken," I mumbled, hinting at new opportunities on the horizon as we pulled away from the building.
"A bank?!" Mr. Chambers nearly choked on his surprise. "The way you do things is really on par with the Todd family values. If only your grandfather was this ambitious when he was alive."
"My grandfather liked helping everyone but himself," I reflected, contrasting my approach with his.
"Do you hate him?" Mr. Chambers asked cautiously.
"No, I love my grandfather and I learned a lot from him and the rest of my family. But business and family are two different things and unlike him, I can separate the two and not feel bad," I explained, articulating the clear line I drew between personal affections and professional decisions. "This is why we've been able to become kingmakers."
"I'll stop comparing you to your grandfather then. Young people are so much more ruthless these days," Mr. Chambers sighed, a mix of resignation and admiration in his voice.