Chapter 69 — Press Conference
Li Chuanmo went to get his phone in the study, while Pei Yueran looked around his room.
His room was pretty much as big as the room she was staying in. It was decorated in grey and black tones. It had a minimalist vibe whilst also giving off a subtle air of elegance.
In one word, it screamed "class".
Li Chuanmo soon came back. He was talking on the phone with Gong Anwei as he walked in.
"....till further notice. Decline all interviews and make a company wide announcement to every employee, asking that no one grant personal interviews. Everyone should stay calm and not panic."
After listening to Gong Anwei's reply, he ended the call.
"So what's the situation?"
"The usual. Reporters are hounding our employees and trying to get more insider news at all costs. I've already told Gong Anwei to prepare for a press conference."
"Good. Don't let these things sway you. You're talented and competent, and no one has the right to demean your hard work so far. These are just temporary problems that would be resolved soon. So chin up, you've got this."
Li Chuanmo nodded, smiling a little. The tension he had been feeling since yesterday decreased a bit, while anticipation began to build.
Looking at how things had been playing out since yesterday, he could almost confirm his guess. It made sense, considering the fact the the Board of Directors had been opposed to him from the beginning.
Rather, it made more sense to say that Fen Wucai was opposed to him, and his words carried a lot of weight among most of the shareholders, though he usually pretended to be neutral.
Thankfully, his father still had a few loyal supporters, and even those that claimed to be neutral were infact standing on his side.
He was going to use this opportunity to weed out those dissidents and take firm control of the company.
"I'll be going for the press conference now. Take care of yourself." He gave her a brief hug and was about to leave, but she held him back.
"I don't think you should go yet. The conference is in the evening, right? Sleep for a couple of hours more. You need sleep, and food too."
"Do I look that bad?"
"You look mighty handsome, but you still need food and sleep, so that's not the point."
She walked to his bed, sat down and patted it. "Come here."
Li Chuanmo stood still for a moment before walking over. She made to leave, but he held her back. "You need sleep too, so let's take a nap together."
Pei Yueran hesitated for a moment, but she soon nodded. "Okay."
Both of them settled down and went to sleep in each other's arms.
Two hours came very quickly, too quickly for Li Chuanmo in fact. He was still having a very pleasant dream when someone tapped his shoulder.
He didn't want to wake up, but the object of his dreams called into his ears, "Time to get up Chuanmo."
When he opened his eyes, he saw that Pei Yueran had gotten out of bed and was leaning down to wake him up.
He sat up in bed while Pei brought a tray of food closer. She had told the butler to prepare something light for him, since he had not eaten since yesterday.
He smiled at her appreciatively. There were congee, rice noodles in clear broth, some dumplings and a dish of sweet and sour pork. Both of them dug in and cleanly finished the food.
Then Li Chuanmo went to shower and get ready. Pei Yueran picked out clothes for him before leaving. She had decided to go along with him.
She showered quickly and dressed up. Since she had not gone home yet, she did not have her "battle outfits", which was what she called her work suits.
Li Chuanmo had bought her a lot of clothes in the past month, enough to fill up a large closet, but he left out suits for some reason, most likely because he didn't want her to have the notion of going to the company.
She decided on a black, form fitting gown after some contemplation. It would have to do. She went out of the room in time to see Li Chuanmo leaving his room as well.
He gave her a look but didn't argue. He made an "after you" gesture. When both of them got downstairs, they saw Zhang Heying and Li Qianye waiting for them.
Both of them looked a bit worried, but they didn't want to give them more stress, so they didn't say much.
"We'll be back, Father, Mother." Li Chuanmo said. Pei Yueran also greeted them.
Li Qianye nodded, while Zhang Heying went forward to hug her son. "Stay strong. All these will pass." She also hugged Pei Yueran, silently thanking her for her presence and encouragement.
She knew Li Chuanmo felt happier and more relaxed with her around.
"Thank you Mother. We will be back soon."
*****
The press conference was uneventful. Li Chuanmo gave a speech he had already prepared, which essentially said: Our software was leaked, but things are under control. We are preparing for a better comeback, and our software will be released officially on so-and-so date. Anticipate.
No matter the comments and questions the reporters threw at him, he remained unfazed.
One reporter even asked, "Now that the company shares are dropping due to your carelessness, what do you plan to do? Are you going to step down from the chairman position?"
The stare Li Chuanmo leveled at him made him shiver. His aura was Antarctica-level cold. The reporter shut up in an instant.
Li Chuanmo still replied, "The concerns of our shareholders and customers who put their trust in our company are valid, and they will not be disappointed. If I cannot deliver the expected results, then I promise to take full responsibility. I implore everyone to wait till the software is released."
Pei Yueran stood at the very back of the conference room, in the last row. He was looking at her as he enunciated every word.
She smiled at Li Chuanmo, silently giving him her support.
They silently communicated with their eyes while around them, the reporters were snapping pictures madly, trying not to miss Li Chuanmo's facial expressions.