How could he explain himself? Andre felt sweat forming on his forehead. Honestly, he had just been trying to scam some research funds and have a few drinks on the side. But seeing everyone in the room staring at him intently, he knew they wouldn't believe him!
He had been doing this for the past few years—adding some complicated-sounding things to the reports, picking a few names that made people's heads spin. After all, these CEOs didn't understand the technology. By the end of the year, he would submit the list, and the task would be completed. He would have never expected Thea to have been eyeing the weapons for more than just a day or two. She had already reviewed the Queen Group's weapon equipment catalog three times before. Although this project was briefly mentioned in the report, Thea noticed it immediately. She had planned to report it separately after the meeting, but he had jumped out on his own like a fool.
Filled with regret, he still clung to a glimmer of hope and hesitantly said, "It might be a coincidence, or maybe the personnel below made a mistake, or it's an upgrade of the product. I will go back and investigate thoroughly!"
Now he knew he was in trouble. How could he mock Thea just now? How could he easily escape now that she had caught him? Thea took out a piece of paper from her bag and waved it, saying, "This is the report on various indices of the anti-load suit. It was downloaded from our internal network. Can I see your personal computer? According to regulations, all project reports submitted to the group by the former supervisor need to provide a preliminary plan. Let's compare your plan with the indices in this report. Then everything will be clear."
At this moment, the Andre felt like hitting a wall. Wasn't this girl supposed to start working just yesterday? How did she know so much about the procedures? How did he write his preliminary plan? Could he let them see it? After thinking for a while, it seemed like he had just copied it! The evidence in the computer was enough to convict him for ten years. He couldn't let them check his personal computer.
But he had no clear reason to refuse. Looking at Moira, who was smiling and squinting at him in the main seat, he could only make eye contact, hoping she would spare him based on their past merits.
At this point, accusations from several people around also began.
For a moment, the serious meeting room turned into a marketplace. Whether or not they were part of Moira's line, everyone accused Andre of embezzling public funds for personal gain.
Actually, in a wealthy family like the Queen family, a few secret embezzlements wouldn't matter. At least, that was what they thought, except for the mother and daughter. Walter, loyal and in love, even had investments outside. Who didn't have some selfish motives? However, Andre's actions were too unskillful. Exposed by a fifteen-year-old girl, he would be remembered in history. The several self-proclaimed high-IQ executives felt embarrassed to follow him. His personal behavior dragged down their overall intelligence level. In case one of them went to work for another group in the future, as soon as they heard that they had worked with Andre, remembering his brilliant deeds today, who would dare hire them? This behavior must be condemned!
Thea smiled, rubbed her chin, suddenly realized she couldn't grow a beard, and looked a bit dejected as she glanced at Moira. Seeing her mother also looking at her, she immediately understood that her mother was venting for her. She was waiting for her to speak. Not wanting to make a scene on her first day at work, Thea nodded lightly, indicating that this matter could be overlooked.
Moira was initially very angry. She had already given notice yesterday that it was her daughter's first day at work, and to give her some face. She knew what kind of character her subordinates had, but without evidence or a chance to act, she hadn't done anything. Moreover, the new person coming in might be even more greedy. She had been keeping one eye open and the other closed, hoping things wouldn't go too far. The behavior of Andre today, however, clearly crossed the line!
Just as she was about to stop this matter to protect her daughter, she didn't expect Thea to easily resolve the situation and even launch a successful counterattack. This made her think, could her daughter be a genius in management? She had just provided the information yesterday, and today, she had used it to expose a head of department. Such talent wasn't something she had when she was young.
To vent for her daughter and support her, faced with Andre's pleading gaze, she chose to ignore him until Thea nodded, indicating that this matter could be forgiven. Then she slowly said, "Today's meeting ends here. You can all disperse now."
As for Mr. Andre's handling, she didn't even mention it. On the one hand, he was recommended by another shareholder, so she couldn't deal with him directly. On the other hand, Thea was Malcolm's own daughter. Given Malcolm's attitude of "If you touch me, I'll destroy your whole family," there was no need for further discussion.
Moira's speculation about her former lover turned out to be completely correct. Malcolm was like an underground emperor, with his influence reaching far and wide. Moreover, in a company as large as the Queen Enterprises, about a third of the high-ranking executives were either threatened or bought off by him. He was well-informed about the entire meeting because he watched the video version.
He was very happy to see his daughter walk into of the meeting room without any signs of distress. Her performance afterward was nothing short of a pleasant surprise. Thea's composure, grace, wit, and demeanor made him feel like he was looking at a younger version of himself, albeit in a female form.
When he noticed that Moira had subtly let go of the main culprit of his daughter's anger, he wasn't in a hurry either. He had already instructed his men to find a partially constructed viaduct for Mr. Andre. The future bridge piers would be tall, sturdy, and capable of bearing heavy loads, with a high flow of pedestrian traffic around them. He wouldn't charge him any rent, and he believed Mr. Andre wouldn't feel lonely when he moved in at night.
Without mentioning Mr. Andre, his daughter's performance fully deserved the praise of being outstanding. It's said that comparison is the mother of frustration. Comparing his excellent daughter to his son, who he had educated himself, was a big disappointment.
Tommy didn't answer his calls, ignored his personal visits, and didn't respond to his text messages. They had agreed to a competition of abilities, but now his daughter had already sprinted 200 meters ahead, while his son hadn't even reached the starting line yet. This left the great schemer Malcolm at a loss for what to do next.
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