Chapter 88: Chapter 88
Every once in a while, the man’s eyes would stray to the middle seat in the front row. As the conference proceeded, the employees were too occupied to notice that something was weird about the man’s behavior.
Assistant Jiang on the other hand was not only confused but wary. Mrs. Lim leaving the hall could be due to many reasons, but he could feel the change in the man’s aura after she left.
Was it displeasure or annoyance? Assistant Jiang couldn’t tell.
Mrs. Lim wasn’t the only employee who left the hall. In fact, some employees were constantly going in and out, and the ones from the HR Department were sharing souvenirs. So it would be hard to take note of anyone that went out.
If he hadn’t been looking in the direction his boss was staring at, he wouldn’t have known that Mrs. Lim had left.
“Mr. Lim, is there something else you would like to say?” The MC was speaking again.
Andrew looked away from the front row, the frown on his face dissipating. “The stage goes to Mr. Wu.” After saying that, he turned off the mic in front of him.
The claps were not loud this time when the former CEO’s name was mentioned. There was less enthusiasm in the air, and some employees had begun gossiping.
“Mr. Wu also has an announcement to make? What could it be about?”
“Is it true that Mr. Wu still holds an immense power in MystiArt Productions?”
“He is among the major shareholders, what are you even saying? Normally, he still has a say in whatever goes on in MystiArt Productions.”
“But Mr. Wu is a sly man. I wonder if our new CEO listens to him.”
“The answer is obvious. While the new CEO is like an angel, Mr. Wu can be described as the devil. Since when has those two crossed paths?”
“Whatever it is, I can’t wait to hear what Mr. Wu has to say. Hopefully, it is not one of those weird decisions he made in the past.”
“Hey, no one knows if he still has influence over the shareholders. Remember, even the CEO can’t make a decision until the majority of the shareholders agree.”
This time, the MC was able to suppress the noises without a hassle. The employees were eager to hear what Mr. Wu had to say so they didn’t waste their time to gossip much.
“Well, I am sure everyone in MystiArt Productions has been faring well. Some months have passed already since we bid farewell. Sadly, it seems like no one misses this Old Man.”
Mr. Wu tried to dispel the awkward atmosphere with a light-hearted joke, but apart from the Shareholders and Managers, only a handful of the employees laughed and clapped again.
Who could ever forget how the man had trampled on them while he still controlled the company?
During his time, working beyond work hours was the norm of the day, and not a week went by without one or two employees getting fired for some minor offenses.
“Alright, I’ll go to the point.” Mr. Wu continued. “As you all know, I have done a lot for MystiArt Productions while I was still the CEO. Verily, our current CEO can attest to that.”
“However, one thing still bugs my mind to this day.” He put on a sad look and shook his head. “An important mission I didn’t achieve while I was the CEO keeps me up at night always. Can anyone guess what that is?”
Seriously, the employees didn’t know what he was talking about. There were a lot of things Mr. Wu didn’t achieve. There were even a lot of proposals he canceled.
“Right, I know what you’re thinking.” Mr. Wu chuckled. “It is nothing but the merging of the Innovation Department and the Arts Department. I have overlooked this important mission in the past, however, I will bring it up today.”
The employees began murmuring again.
“Eh? Has Mr. Wu turned a new leaf?”
“That man was so adamant not to merge both departments in the past because of his friendship with Mr. Wang.”
“Have you forgotten that the Innovation Department is now In-laws with the Arts Department?”
“Hehe, normally, Mr. Wang won’t keep fighting with his son-in-law.”
“Ah, so that’s what it’s about.”
The employees’ hope dampened. Mr. Wu didn’t turn a new leaf, the man was only doing things in his friend’s favor, the way he had always done.
When the whispers died down again, Mr. Wu continued speaking…
“Since the new CEO is here today, I would like to bring forth this issue to merge both departments and ensure the satisfaction of the employees of the Innovation Department and the Arts Department. After all, I have discussed the issue with the CEO already.”
All eyes were now on the new CEO. The employees could clearly remember that he didn’t agree to merge the departments too. At the meeting that day, he said he would give both departments a month to prove themselves, yet, no one brought up that matter.
They had fully believed that the merging would not happen since he didn’t say anything about it. Was the CEO still contemplating or had he come to a decision already?
“Of course, the CEO spoke about expanding the company’s management and also opening spots for many positions.” Mr. Wu went on. “Although the shareholders haven’t decided yet, we are all aware that the final decision is obvious.”
The employees all nodded. It was a good strategy, only a crazy person would not back it up.
“So I will use this medium to bring this issue to the CEO’s attention again. MystiArt Productions is on its way to a brighter future. How about we start implementing the changes now? Everyone knows that merging the Innovation Department with the Arts Department is a good thing for the company. Therefore, let’s hear the final decision.”
Mr. Wu put it in such a way that it would seem as if he was also seeking the employees’ support. They had never seen the man this humble before.
They all looked toward the CEO with anticipating looks, waiting for what he was going to say.
Andrew turned on the microphone in front of him and said in a relaxed tone, “The Merging Will Happen.”