Chapter 21: First Step: Fix the Mess!

"And that ends our deal." Vivian said calmly as she stamped a contract with the signatures of Adryan and Dieter for the firm's successful sale and purchase.

A huge vein throbbed in the former company owner's neck, but he maintained a shaky smile despite the discomfort.

The barely suppressed fury behind a barrier of bush twigs was clear to all present. The man was shaking so badly that he appeared to be freezing.

And that was understandable to Adryan, who did not feel a single ounce of sympathy for him but only smiled at that.

From the 15,000 sassem originally requested by the firm, Vivian had managed to get it down to 10,000 sassem!

Debts, damages, and client problems caused the already rock-bottom price to drop to hell and stay there without Dieter being able to do anything about it.

Doing something would require talking to an inspector, which Dieter wanted to avoid at all costs. For what reason, it was agreed not to ask.

Rising from his seat, the man extended his right hand towards Adryan, veins throbbing in his neck and an extremely forced smile on his face. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Wayne."

The Conspirator could easily see what he wanted to do, so he decided to disturb him a little.

Adryan took the outstretched hand and squeezed it with a smile. ''Likewise.''

Whether at this point Dieter was struggling to get a whimper or a groan out of him. He honestly didn't know.

After all, it's not like Adryan could feel anything with his right hand. And even if he could, he doubted that a normal person's handshake would be more than a mosquito bite.

Dieter looked at him in confusion for a second before grunting and plodding towards the door accompanied by William. The receptionist was carrying a briefcase of his own that looked like he was having trouble moving it.

Watching as the door closed, Adryan laughed softly and began to walk around his new office. His hand traced the empty walls and shelves he planned to fill soon.

"Aren't you afraid they will damage the building on their way out? You should at least accompany them." Vivian commented as she finished putting her things away.

"That won't be necessary. They don't have the guts to do that, besides... I doubt they want to lose any more money." Maintaining his smile, the black-haired man stood before the covered paintings.

Raising a hand, he grabbed the sheet that covered them and pulled it off. A bit of dust flew off, generating a small cloud. Having smelled worse, Adryan simply focused his attention on the revealed paintings.

Just as he thought, they were paintings of various men.

"Those were the previous owners. The last was Mr. Scmith. The last man of that name who knew how to work the family business." Vivian stood beside him as she pointed to the last painting on the right.

The man in this one had no hair and a rather large forehead, which gave him a somewhat evil look; deep grey eyes, a large nose, and a thick beard adorned his appearance.

He looked like the kind of man who, if a child asked him for a hug, would hiss at them like a snake.

Underneath the painting was a name written on a silver plate: Wilburg Schmidt.

Adryan couldn't help but form a small smile when he read the name. His mind had already painted the man's pale skin yellow and changed the realistic style to a more cartoonish one.

 'Well, hello there, Mr. Burns.'

Shaking his head, Adryan turned to look at his lawyer. "Tell me Miss Vivian, would you like to work at the firm with me?"

"Uh?!" Somewhat offended by the question, the Barbarian gave him a glare. "And why the fuck would I do that?"

'Because I want a close relationship with your loving granddaddy.' Instead of answering, Adryan walked to his new seat and sat down.

Resting his chin on his palm, he looked at her with half-closed eyes. "My firm will need someone of your skills if it wants to get out of this hole it's in."

Taping his head, he smiled. "I have a lot of ideas, you know? Many that will make us an amount of money you can't imagine."

"If I was that easy to buy with money, I wouldn't be working where I am." Vivian scoffed, looking at him, annoyed.

"Ah, of course." Laughing softly, he nodded quietly.

"A lawyer like you can't be tempted so easily, eh?" He whispered, his voice seeping like a snake.

A shiver ran through the barbarian's body, who brought her hand to her neck unconsciously. "Mr. Wayne..." She warned.

"What? I didn't do anything?" Confused, Adryan tilted his head to the side.

Vivian looked at him ardently for a few seconds before snorting and lowering her hand. "Anyway, I need a cigarette."

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't smoke in my office." Sighing, Adryan leans back in his chair a little more. "But you still haven't answered my question."

"Ha! The answer is obvious, Pretty Boy. No." Laughing unfunnily, Vivian walks over to face him.

Crouching down slightly and making her bosom dangle slightly in front of the face of the man who always looked her in the eyes, Vivian narrowed her eyes and smiled in derision.

"There is nothing I can say that will make you say yes. But perhaps you could buy me dinner?"

"You know, Princess? I was wrong to call you a Harlot. That bitch in front of you deserves the title much more." Flora mumble-grumbled, her desire to go out and punch the woman huge and growing.

'What a woman in such a rush. I can tell she's giving her all to act like a barbarian.' The black-haired man thought, slightly surprised but not embarrassed.

He could see how his lack of reaction slightly annoyed Vivian, whose gaze turned a little hard.

While the view wasn't bad, Adryan wasn't interested in a fake appearance. To add, he remembered that she was young, and he preferred older women.

Shaking his head, he winked mischievously.

"Tempting, Miss. But I'm afraid I must say no. But I have something better for you~"

"Oh~ And what would that be?" Vivian whispered. Crouching down a little more.

Smiling, Adryan let the woman come a little closer before grabbing her softly by her neck and pulling her close to his ear.

"I can get the formulas and ingredients you need, Miss Barbarian," he whispered, freezing the woman.

All arrogance and flirtation left the woman's face paled, and her eyes widened in shock.

Releasing her, Adryan pulled back and winked. "Think about it, will you?"

Rising from his seat, the black-haired man stepped past the frozen barbarian, walked to the office door, and paused before leaving.

"So? Are we going to have those drinks or what?"

Opening and closing her mouth, Vivian grunted and, with a heavy step, walked over to him.

Stopping in front of him, the woman raised a finger and dug it into the man's chest, her burning eyes colliding with the man's mischievous eyes.

"I'll be back tomorrow morning. That should give you time to get everything in order here. You'd better explain when that's done."

"Of course, and please. Don't try to escape, okay? I don't want to have to go looking for you with my team." Laughing softly, Adryan watched in amusement as the woman froze again.

She slowly turned around and looked at him in complete terror. "Y-you're a Wise Owl!?"

Laughing softly, Adryan exhaled. And accompanying it, a small wave of fire shot out of his mouth and disappeared the next moment.

It might have been a second, but Vivian saw it clearly and could only tremble more.

"You don't need to make a decision today; I really want you on my side, so I'll give you time to think about it. Though I hope her answer comes before the end of August." Laughing a little at the end, Adryan shook his head in amusement at himself.

"Have a good day, Miss Vivian~"

"Y-you too, M-Mr. Wayne." The woman could only nod dazedly, turned, and walked out the door. Adryan could hear her pace quicken as she reached the stairs and sprinted out of the building.

"Well, you can forget about your visit to the casino," Flora said, extremely satisfied and pleased with what she saw.

"Was that the right decision? What will you do if she discovers your lie and escapes? You're still not a true member of the Wise Owls." Flora critiqued the man's risky gamble.

"No need to worry about that, my dear worm. She won't run away."

"How are you so sure?"

"It's simple: That girl's grandfather is unhinged," Adryan said calmly, still remembering the strange letter from the lonely old man.

It was most likely that this woman would write a letter to the man or contact him by some other method, but it was certain that she would send him some message. And considering the man's personality, he was sure he would recommend that she stay and see what happened.

"Besides, it's not like he left her unarmed. She must have something around her neck as a safety measure." Remembering the strange movement when he scared her, Adryan was sure of it.

Vivian has an ace.

"You know him?" Flora frowned. She didn't remember the man ever running into the mentioned grandpa.

The only thing that came to her mind was that strange letter he received when he requested the bell for his messenger.

"You can say that." The black-haired man said mysteriously, drawing a growl from the Jacob.

To end the short conversation, Adryan grabbed the door handle, exited the office, and walked to the balustrade.

Taking a breath, he shouted loudly. His voice reverberated throughout the building and left a loud echo. "All workers, drop what you are doing and come to the boss's office!"

After that, the Conspirator returned to his office and sat in his new seat to wait for his new workers.

After about 15 minutes, the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs reached his ears and, soon after, in front of his door.

Knock Knock

Smiling calmly, Adryan spoke. "Come in."

With the request given, five people entered the office, several visibly nervous and others anxious.

'Of course. I'm sure they think they're about to lose their jobs.' Laughing softly in his heart, Adryan looked at them calmly.

There were three men and two women. All dressed well, although they looked a little tired.

"Are you all the workers of the firm?" His question was more cordial than to resolve his doubt; he was sure it was all of them.

He could no longer hear anyone in the building, and according to the contract, the firm only had six personnel on its roster—five, now subtracting William, who left with his boss.

Oddly enough, the first to say something was the one who seemed to be the youngest of the group.

"Y-yes, sir. That's all of us.

"You're our new boss, are you? M-may I ask for your name?"

"Harvey Wayne. And yes, I am your new boss." Adryan introduced himself with a slight nod.

He looked at everyone present and rested his cheek on his hand. "I already know all your names, thanks to Mr. Dieter, but I'd rather you introduce yourselves and tell me your job here."

The same young man as before coughed somewhat nervously and nodded. "Excuse my manners; I am Eleanor Pembroke, investment assistant. I was responsible for assisting in researching investment opportunities, compiling market data, and conducting preliminary analysis. I also prepared reports for Mr Dieter and Mr William."

Eleanor was a young man, not a day over 25. His brown hair was neatly combed, his chin free of beard, his brown eyes sparkling with emotion, and his gaze determined.

"I am Clara Fielding, Mr. Wayne. The Librarian. I manage the firm's library, which contains accounting books, historical reports, and literature relevant to us."

Clara looked to be entering her 40s. She had slight wrinkles at the corners of her blue eyes and blue-black hair tied in a soft braid that fell down her back. A gold ring adorned her fingers.

"My name is Beatrice Whitaker, Mr. Wayne... The archivist in charge of organizing and maintaining the firm's archive of important documents, contracts and historical records.... A pleasure..."

Mid 30's, with long brown hair falling free down her back and a permanent tired look in her narrowed black eyes that barely had a sparkle. Beatrice looked as if she might fall asleep at any moment.

"Arthur Beaumont. Before Mr. Dieter took over the company, I kept detailed records of all the firm's financial transactions, prepared financial reports, and handled internal audits.

"All that was passed on to Mr. William Cartwright once Mr. Dieter took over."

Arthur was by far the oldest of the quintet, in his late 50s or early 60s. His body looked strong despite his age, and his elegant white mustache gave him the air of a sage. His posture was also that of someone serious.

"Thomas Wainwright, Mr. Wayne. Mail Officer. Responsible for handling and delivering all the firm's internal and external correspondence and documents."

Thomas was a man in his 30s. He had short grey hair, a padlocked beard, and deep brown eyes with square spectacles.

With Thomas, everyone had already introduced themselves. Nodding at this, Adryan rose from his seat, walked around his desk, and stood in front of the group, his back straight and his hands behind his back.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all. Now that I run this company, a lot of things are going to change. But first of all, we must repair the firm. We can't leave with the ship in this state."

"Mr. Eleanor, I'll put you in charge of finding a contractor. I want one on my desk by Wednesday morning. If you can get one before then, all the better.'

"Ah, Y-yes, Mr. Wayne!" Somewhat taken aback by the sudden order, the young man responded slowly.

"Mr. Arthur, you will resume your place as the Firm's Accountant. I need you to give me a thorough review of any debts the firm may have. Mr. Dieter should have shown me everything, but I prefer to be sure. I want everything on my desk by tomorrow morning."

"I'll have them ready as soon as possible, Mr. Wayne." Arthur gave a small bow, his frown slightly more relaxed.

"Miss Beatrice, I'm going to disturb you for a moment. I need an advertisement in the newspaper to look for new workers. Add the ones you think are needed, but prioritize personal secretary, treasurer, and human resources. After three weeks or as soon as we hire 20 new people, we will remove the advertisement once one of these targets is achieved."

"Noted..." The sleepy-faced woman gave a bored nod.

"Madam Clara, please order and check what books we possess and whether they are up to date. We believe in the God of Knowledge and Wisdom; we cannot be short of books or possess old information.

"Also, Mr. Thomas, please tidy up and prepare the mail room. We will have a lot of action soon and better be ready."

"Understood, Mr. Wayne."

"At your orders."

Smiling at the group in front of him, Adryan laughed a little.

"You were with the firm at its worst, and your efforts to keep this place afloat will be rewarded. I promise to elevate this firm to heights it has never seen before in its entire history. I hope you can join me because I can't do it alone.

"I need you for that."

The group looked at each other, all with various emotions, but the greatest of them seemed to be doubt.

Eleanor stepped forward again, her expression confused. "Excuse me, Mr. Wayne... While what you promise is encouraging, we don't want to sacrifice more of our lives for a dead business. Already, the firm was hardly making a profit, making it difficult to pay our salaries.

"Now, with all that you want to do, that inflow of money will be smaller. Can you promise that our salaries will be paid on time and in full after you start all this you want to do?"

Adryan looked at the young man as if he had grown multiple heads, "Of course, your wages will be paid on time. You will have your checks on the last business day of the month."

"How will that be, Mr. Wayne? Once we implement your orders, it's impossible for the incoming money to cover everyone." Arthur said seriously, his deep gaze judging his new boss.

"I have a family to feed, Mr. Wayne," Clara said. "If my salary can't be paid again, I'll have to find employment elsewhere."

Thomas and Beatrice nodded at their co-worker's words.

At this sudden pressure from his new workers, Adryan sighed and inwardly cursed Dieter for the mess he had left him.

'You useless bastard, how can you not pay your workers' wages? Don't you know you don't fuck with people's money? You wretch.'

Sighing again, Adryan smiled at the group before him and amusedly shook his head.

"You don't have to worry about that. Your wages will be delivered on time. And as an apology for Mr. Dieter being late with them, it will be double for the next 3 months."

When the large sum of money was mentioned, the group looked at the man in front of them in disbelief. But such excitement died as quickly as it came, the cause being the same question.

"And how do you plan to fulfill that, Mr. Wayne?" Thomas commented with narrowed eyes.

Laughing at such a silly question, Adryan winked. "I'm rich. I'll pay your salaries until the firm recovers and makes money again."

"..."

Now, it was the group's turn to look at their new boss as if he had sprouted multiple heads.