As Jacob noticed the look on everyone's faces, he readied himself to move on to the next topic.
Nobody dared to speak. They all sat at the edge of their seats, anxious about what he would say next.
Jacob had seen this scene over a hundred times before. However, this was the first time he had asked
them to choose. Perhaps what he was showing today was his new side, the side whom nobody had
ever seen.
Everyone's impression of Jacob would probably change and get worse in the future. Nevertheless,
Jacob did not care. These people were dissatisfied with him, were they not? If so, regardless of how
ridiculous his plan seemed, they had no choice but to accept it.
The directors stared at Jacob in awe. They were dumbfounded, and it seemed as though they almost
forgot to breathe. Even so, nobody questioned him.
"To put it simply, the company will let them stay no matter how many they are. But of course, there's a
catch. The company will give in, but someone will have to make a sacrifice."
As soon as Jacob finished speaking, an uproar suddenly erupted in the room. The directors discussed
their opinions all at once. Jacob, however, gazed at them with satisfaction.
After a few minutes, the directors finally had a grasp of what Jacob had said. A sacrifice? The
competition was fierce in the workplace. Since he had mentioned that word, an idea occurred to them
suddenly.
"What sacrifice?" someone asked fearlessly. His father-in-law was working for the company as well. If
the company continued to lay off employees, he would definitely leave a bad impression on his father-
in-law.
"The company can only afford to pay the employees half of the salary. Those who had invited them will
pay for the rest instead. As you all know, the company is in a dire situation right now."
Jacob spoke indifferently as if he was talking about something that had nothing to do with himself.
Everyone burst into an uproar again. Meanwhile, Cindy stared at Jacob with wide eyes. His idea was
so good that it disproved everyone's arguments. Jacob was letting them decide for themselves. Almost
instantly, he presented such a difficult problem to everyone present.
Cindy could not help but chuckle. In her mind, Jacob had always been impressive. His ideas were
eccentric and beyond ordinary people's reasoning.
The directors all fell silent. Nobody dared to speak, and they all looked terrible. Their dissatisfaction
towards Jacob could clearly be seen.
Nevertheless, nobody dared to refute his proposition.
Jonathan glared at Jacob and said in a sarcastic tone, "What can I say, Jacob? You look like you're
watering a tree. It seems that you're doing this for the sake of everyone."
Jacob did not respond and just waited for Jonathan to continue. There would always be someone
whose goal was to provoke him, and it was Jonathan. The latter said those words in hopes of getting
the directors on his side.
How could Jacob not know? Jonathan wanted to put on a show, and Jacob was willing to give him one.
"Wait, did I say that you used boiling water when you watered the tree? How dare you say that it was
actually for the tree's own good? Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" Jonathan said without beating
around the bush.
Jacob was taken aback by Jonathan's words for a moment. Then, his lips curled into a sardonic smile.
"Boiling water? Mr. Jonathan, I'm afraid that you're taking my words too seriously. I'm just giving
everyone, including myself, an option. It's up for everyone to decide. I'm not forcing anyone, am I?"
When the directors heard this, their hope, which Jonathan attempted to light up, extinguished in the
blink of an eye. They realized that it was now impossible to count on Jacob.
"Think about it. Anyway, if you changed your mind and agreed to my terms, just come to Cindy to sign
the agreement. The company will give them salary but don't expect it to be whole. It could only afford
half and hopes that you all could pay the other half."
Jacob smiled. It was satisfying to see the look of anger and frustration on everyone's faces while they
held back their tongue. Little did they know, his smile was only a facade. For all he knew, his plan had
offended everyone.
His proposal was not only a solution but also a test. If they agreed, Jacob would no longer lay off staff.
After all, nobody really wanted to drive anyone struggling and miserable.
However, if the board members, who invited their own relatives and friends, could not make a sacrifice
on their own, how could they say that the company was the ruthless one? Since everyone only cared
about themselves, why not make them clean up their own mess?
James, who had not spoken for a long time, quietly watched the scene in front of him. Jacob's growth
was impressive. Although the strategy seemed simple, he deemed that Jacob's mind was actually
complex.
If a person could get whatever he wanted just by using his own intelligence, it was already an ability
itself. At the thought of this, James looked at Jacob with admiration.
Meanwhile, Cindy, who was next to Jacob, looked at him expectantly. Because she had been an
executive assistant for so many years, Jacob was the only one she admired for his ideas and
capabilities. She believed that it was right for him to be the CEO.
Excellent people become more excellent over time. Jacob was the best example of this.
Some of the directors seemed to be lost in thought while their heads were lowered to the ground.
Meanwhile, the rest had an embarrassed look on their faces as they counted how many people they
had invited. Based on their current salary level, they wondered how much money they would give away
every year.
Jacob tapped his fingers on the table. He was the only one in the room who seemed unfazed. As he
watched everyone weigh the options he had presented, he breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, he
was the one to blame and the one to make the decision at first. Fortunately, he managed to give it to
others without anyone noticing.
The directors thought it through for quite some time. Then, after a while, Jacob asked those who
agreed with his idea to register at Cindy.
Only a few did so, and Jacob looked at them with a sneer. He had somehow anticipated that this would
happen.
Jonathan was right. Nobody would want to sacrifice themselves for the sake of others. All this time,
they were just pretending to water the tree. Truth be told, they only cared about themselves.
Some of them had already registered. Meanwhile, the faces of those who did not turned as pale as a
sheet. They had nothing else to say. Jacob's idea really pushed them into the fire.
"Is there anyone else who wants to keep their relatives? I say, seize the opportunity. This is only a
once-in-a-lifetime chance!" Although Jacob coughed a bit after speaking, he did not seem to be joking
at all.
All of the directors stopped talking at once, even those who were outspoken since the very beginning.
When it came to their own interests, most of the time, they would only protect themselves. Jacob was
aware that this was every human's weakness. Because of this, he decided to gamble on it.
Gazing at the people in front of him who were at a loss for words, he figured that his decision was right.
Just like gambling on stones, he had known from the start that he bought a good stone. There was no
need for them to fight him as they were clearly outmatched.
"Well, that's it. The problem is finally over. Meeting adjourned. Before you go, remember that it's not me
who made a rash decision. It's you. I just gave you an option. Although there's no perfect answer, I
believe that this is the most reasonable solution."
With that, Jacob smiled at everyone and announced that the meeting was over.
62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda