Alex leaned back in his chair, his expression as calm and unyielding as ever. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, the sound echoing faintly in the tense silence. Then, he let out a soft chuckle, though there was no humor in it.
“Huh! Imbecile as always!”
“There’s nothing to reconsider,” Alex said, his tone calm but with a final clarity that sent chills down the room especially those who were terminated. His gaze straightened slightly towards them, his sharp gaze locking onto Charles Winters For speaking out to him. “And as for a board meeting… You say?”
He smirked, the corners of his lips curling into a cold smile. It’s like they are not even trying to apologize but more like threatening him now. “That’s unnecessary.”
His next words landed like a hammer, silencing even the faintest whispers. “Because ‘I AM THE CEO.'”
The room fell into a stunned silence, Charles Winters’s protests dying straight in his throat.
Just as he said those words a mechanical voice sounded in his mind and a system panel appeared in front of him, indicating that the matter was solved.
[Ding!]
[System Notification: Task Complete!]
“Congratulations, Host, for successfully removing the parasites from the company.”
“Reward: $10 billion has been deposited into your personal account.”
“The source of funds has been optimized to appear from the most reliable origins. The Host need not worry about any complications that may arise from the system reward.”
Hearing the system’s crisp announcement, Alex’s lips curled into a faint smile. His eyes glinted with satisfaction as he leaned back in his chair, looking every bit the powerful CEO he was becoming or he already was.
“Cleaning parasites and helping me survive and even giving me rewards for those?” he muttered to himself, his tone laced with amusement. “This thing really knows how to make me move forward and even motivate me to do it.”
While Alex savored his small victory and his rewards, the dismissed members of the Winters family sat frozen in their seats. Their faces were pale, and their carefully constructed facades of confidence had cracked under the weight of Alex’s decisive actions that he had just decisively taken.
None of them looked more furious than Charles Winters. His face darkened, his clenched fists trembling as Alex’s cold words replayed in his mind.
Again and again it was like a replay button was inside his mind and someone was tapping on that button again and again.
Forcing himself to maintain a semblance of composure, he thought bitterly, ‘So, you’re determined to kick us out, huh? You bastard. Fine. Don’t blame me for what is going to happen next!’
Just as the tension began to simmer down lightly, another figure rose to retorts Alex, Charles, another senior executive with ties to Rose. Unlike the other Winters family, Charles carried himself with a sense of calculated defiance.
“Sir,” Charles began, his voice steady and measured, though there was an edge of boldness in his tone. “I understand this. You are the CEO, and your decisions are yours to make and no one else. However, there’s something I must make clear.”
He straightened his posture, making a show of addressing the room. “The individuals you’ve dismissed are critical to the operations of the Reid Industries. They’re the backbone of this company!”
Several of the other executives exchanged uneasy glances, but Charles didn’t pause. He continued with growing conviction.
“Removing them without proper replacements will cause significant damage to the company. It will harm our operations, lower morale, and even destabilize the company value and many more things.”
Charles’s tone shifted, becoming more confrontational. “And let’s not forget your relationship with Rose. Have you even considered how she would feel about this? Such an impulsive decision could damage more than just the company, it could damage your personal life and your ‘relationship with Rose.'”
As Charles spoke, the other Winters family members quickly chimed in, their voices creating a chorus of objections that filled the room.
“Exactly! Sir, please reconsider!”
“If you insist on this, the company’s reputation and finances could suffer beyond thinking…”
“And don’t forget, we’re Rose’s family. Your actions will undoubtedly affect your relationship with her.”
Their confidence was palpable, built on years of leveraging their ties to Rose to control the original Alex Reid. They believed that chanting her name in this problem would force Alex to hesitate, perhaps even backtrack on his decisions he had just made.
But nothing was going to go the way they were thinking, at least not this time. As Alex didn’t hesitate. He didn’t falter.
“Ha ha… huh!” Instead, a cold chuckle escaped his lips, sharp and filled with disdain. His piercing gaze landed on Charles, who visibly stiffened under the intensity of Alex’s eyes and his just small laugh and sigh.
“What makes you so confident that your absence will cripple this company?” Alex asked, his voice calm yet carrying an unmistakable edge.
Charles blinked, caught off guard by the back question of Alex even when he mentioned Rose and his relationship with her, but before he could respond, Alex leaned forward, his tone turning more cold, calm… and deadly.
“Have you forgotten how you got into this company in the first place? Maybe you did? Well let me remind all of you then.” The room fell silent, Alex’s words were like it was not Alex but someone else in his face or body with the way he was talking and the way he questioned or talked back and answers but at the same time satisfaction others get at the sudden change in Alex…
“It was me who brought you parasites into this company!” Alex said, his voice rising slightly, brimming with authority. “And today, it is me who will make sure you’re thrown out like the trash And parasites you are and as for damage… well it is inevitable as when you remove parasites from a body it will bleed a little and that is just how it works but don’t forget it is also healed!”
His words were like a hammer, shattering the confidence of the Winters family. Several of them flinched, their faces paling.
Alex leaned back in his chair, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room. “I had planned to let you leave with some dignity, but since you’re so insistent on playing games with me…” His voice turned icy, each word sharper than the last. “Don’t blame me for what is going to happens next!”
Turning to Mr. Waters, Alex’s tone became commanding. “Waters!”
“Yes, Sir!” Mr. Waters responded immediately, standing at attention by Alex side.
“Effective immediately, all personnel I mentioned earlier are to cease their duties,” Alex ordered, his voice firm. “Audit their activities from the day they were hired.”
The room was deathly silent as Alex added, “If any irregularities are found, no matter how minor, report them directly to the relevant authorities.”
The Winters family’s confidence crumbled in an instant. Panic spread across their faces as the gravity of Alex’s words sank in.
“You… You can’t be serious!” Charles stammered, his earlier bravado completely gone.
“Sir, please… have mercy! We’re family to Rose!” another family member pleaded, desperation dripping from their voice.
“That’s right!” Samuel added, his tone frantic. “Rose won’t be happy about this, she’ll be furious if you go through with this!”
The mention of Rose’s name seemed to embolden them, as if her influence could still sway Alex.
“Huh! Rose this… Rose that. Huh!”
——
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