"Are you not going to give the staff a heads up on who will be laid off?" James picked up the teacup
and blew in it.
"I've thought about that, too. However, I think that it would be best for them to deal with this as swiftly
as possible. There's no need to prolong their agony. If I give them a heads up, they might think they
can still change my mind."
Jacob sighed. The company was no longer what it used to be. During its golden days, the company
had made tons of money. Now, they were barely scraping by. It was performing poorly, and Jacob was
determined to restore it to its former glory.
He would do whatever it took to help the company. He couldn't bear to just sit there and watch as his
empire crumbled.
"Then, will the board of directors have any opinions on this matter?" James looked serious.
Jacob knew what James meant. Many of them had relatives working at the company. Some of the
directors had used their power and positions to secure a job for their relatives, regardless of whether or
not their relatives were good workers.
If this continued, it would pull the company under. Instead of having useful, qualified staff, it might be
filled to the brim with lazy, incompetent slackers who only got their jobs because of their connections.
Back in its heyday, the company could afford to have a few slackers. Additionally, considering how
much the directors had contributed to the company, Jacob could turn a blind eye to them.
However, everything was different now. After the accident, things were no longer the same. That was
why James was worried. Firing certain staff members would certainly hurt Jacob's reputation. He was
sure to face objections from many people.
"Maybe. That's why I wanted to discuss it with you. For the company to grow, it has to let go of that
which holds it back. There is no doubt about that."
Jacob paced back and forth in his office. He was getting anxious. This would indeed be tricky to
navigate. However, if he stood to offend many people, would he still push through with it?
Jacob sighed. If he didn't think it was so important, he wouldn't have put it on the agenda.
"I think it's necessary to hold a board meeting to see what everyone thinks. Perhaps we can discuss it
with the senior executives to find the best solution."
James looked serious. For him, this was no small matter. This was no different from the fight between
an emperor and a minister. There were always people who had to sacrifice, and there were always
people who had to compromise.
What mattered most was reaching a common ground. Jacob breathed a sigh of relief and looked at
James, visibly dazed.
"I don't think we can avoid having a board meeting, and I've already thought of all the possible
outcomes. If we execute the plan, many people will be resentful about it. But if we don't, it will be bad
for the company in the long run."
Jacob stopped talking and thought for a while. "To be honest, we're damned if we do, and we're
damned if we don't. Once we set this plan into motion, it will be out of our hands. But, I like the
challenge."
Jacob wore a smile on his face. It masked how he truly felt.
"You're right. We must reach a compromise,"
James said, sipping his tea.
"I'll tell Cindy to inform the others and set up a board meeting. For now, only you and I know about the
plan. After all, I have never done cuts. This is a first for me as the company's president."
Jacob clapped his hands and reached out to take the phone from his table.
Then, he headed to the meeting room with James.
The directors came in one by one, but they all seemed stoic. Perhaps it was because they had sat
through many meetings the past few weeks.
It was also possible they knew what was coming, so they didn't dare show any emotion.
Jacob watched the people who were coming in. He wanted to gauge what they were feeling. Of course,
Jacob could already guess what each one would be thinking even before he proposed the plan of doing
cuts.
They had reached an unspoken agreement. The meeting was just for formality's sake.
Jacob looked at James. His uncle was sitting upright, his expression neutral. Suddenly, a wave of relief
washed over Jacob. No matter what, Jacob knew that his uncle had his back.
Jacob looked at the time and found that they were almost complete. Everyone looked very serious. No
one spoke, not even Jonathan. It was as if they could sense what Jacob was going to say.
Normally, unless something major happened, Jacob wouldn't hold a board meeting. What they had to
discuss must be of great importance.
Jacob stood up and looked at the directors present. Seeing them all in one room felt so familiar that he
could've mistaken it for an ordinary meeting.
However, this day was going to be the turning point of the company.
Everything in the past seemed to be a foreshadowing of what was to come. Of course, Jacob couldn't
have known it back then.
But, it was good that he didn't know. Not knowing had the ability to make people fearless and brave.
"I have something to discuss with you. We all know that this is a family business. We have a lot of
useless employees, and there are a lot of unnecessary expenses."
Jacob paused and looked at everyone's expression. They all had different reactions to his words. Some
were indifferent, but most were nervous.
However, they all struggled to appear calm. They waited for Jacob to continue speaking. But deep
inside, they could tell that Jacob was about to make a huge announcement.
They were about to be faced with big decisions.
Jacob glanced at the directors in front of him ruthlessly. "Everyone knows about the company's current
situation, so I want to hear your opinions."
The directors were silent for a while, and then whispers began to flood the room. Everyone seemed to
have something to say, and Jacob couldn't understand what anyone was saying because of the noise.
"Take all the time you need to talk, but I need to have a solution at the end of it all. I want something
that will leave all concerned parties satisfied," Jacob said in a soft voice. However, his tone was
determined. It was clear that his decision was final.
"Mr. Jacob, what do you mean by that? Is there any viable solution?" a director asked in a low voice.
Suddenly, everyone fell silent.
Jacob paused and looked at him. "I don't have any good ideas. I just want to discuss with you. The
more people, the more minds we have working. That is the key to finding what works."
The directors nodded, and they proceeded to discuss. Jacob sat down silently.
"I wonder if anyone has any good ideas." After a while, Jacob spoke again. Everyone fell silent once
more.
The directors were all talking, but no one seemed to bring up any good ideas. That was why Jacob
decided to cut in.
"I have a suggestion. We can make relevant performance or work assessment standards for each
person, and we must make sure that they are doing their best for the company."
An elderly director voiced out his opinion with a smile.
"There are so many people. How are we supposed to set standards for each one of them?" Jacob
frowned. He had expected this.
"Well... That is indeed a problem, but we can do it. Mr. Jacob, don't panic. Many people are here to
help you."
Another director piped up. He pretended to think deeply about it, so Jacob would think he was being
sincere.
"Is everyone wasting their time just to cover up for irrelevant people?" Jacob asked calmly. All the
directors were stunned. They stared at him, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Everyone knew of Jacob's infamous temper. Normally, they wouldn't do anything to go against him.
During those moments, Jacob was obviously angry. No one dared say anything else.
After a long silence, someone else voiced out their opinion. "Why don't you ask them to write a work
plan by themselves and try their best to complete it? In this way, they won't need the guidance of
others. It will save us valuable time and energy."
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