The tension in the conference room was palpable and thick as everyone drowned in silence, thinking of a solution that could help tackle the problem at hand. Time wasn’t on their side. They needed to make a move before Damien Russo did.
“I have a suggestion” Mr. Diego broke the silence with his hand raised to signify. “This proposal is efficient but depends solely on us”
“Let’s hear it out” they all chorused in response.
“I believe we should go for asset injection” he revealed with a serious expression on his face. “It’s more reliable and time-saving”
“What exactly do you mean, Diego?… There are different options for assets. Which one?” A voice questioned, his tone dripping with confusion.
“If you may, I have two options I would like us to look into” Mr. Diego rose from his seat with a pleading gaze. He continued his speech when he got a series of not from his fellow men, permitting him to speak.
“These two options are mostly concerned with assert injection and will help us improve the financial stability and…”
“Come on, Diego. Get straight to the point, we don’t have that time for a brief introduction and we’re not children who don’t understand the basics of this thing” an investor cut him off in annoyance.
“Exactly, just mention what the two options are and let us deliberate on it” another added in support of the former.
“Calm down and let him speak” Louis cautioned the two men and shifted his gaze to Me. Diego, saying”They are the right, we do not have the time for explanations”
“Fine, I’ll just state the option… The two options to consider are Technology transfer and Strategic partnership”
Immediately he mentioned that the whole was saturated with another round of murmuring as some of them agreed to his words while others were in disagreement.
“Please, excuse me”A man who seemed to be a bit younger than the rest butted in. “The two options you mentioned are the best. I sincerely support the second choice which could help us form alliances and joint ventures to access new markets, customers and expertise, but the first choice is almost impossible”
“Yes, he’s right” another man added. “If we are to implement the first choice, we will be needing projects and not just any projects but a groundbreaking and mind-blowing one that would attract the eyes of the public completely away from others… Creating a project like that would require a lot of time which we don’t have. We would have been erased from existence by the time we’re done” an investor explained without restrain which tugged at the heart of others. The first option was the more profitable and efficient one but the time needed was out of it.
“So, we rule out the first choice and go for the second one, right?”
“Yes”
“Hmm… Fine, I believe we all can handle the strategic partnership with our many years of experience and connection. We should get to work” Diego sighed in agreement, his voice a little hesitant.
“Wait” a commanding voice resonated through the room, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. “Don’t rule out the first option, there’s a solution to it” he stated, his voice laced with confidence.
“What are you talking about, Mr. Callahan?.. are you sure about what you’re saying?” Mr. Louis asked with a displeased expression on his face.
“Even if he’s right, how long is it going to take us to implement it? We all know the solution but wasting time is the big issue” another investor argued, his tone solemn.
“We need not bother ourselves with this. Let’s just go ahead with the one we’ve agreed on” an investor stated.
“Enough” Mr. Louis shouted at the top of his voice. “We are talking to the CEO here, the one who rebuilt this company from shambles. Show him the respect that should be accorded” They had forgotten that fact because they were older.
“We’re sorry, Mr. Callahan. Please, accept our sincere apology” they all said in unison.
“It’s fine. I understand that we all are rooting for the good of the company” Liam uttered, his voice calm and collected, a huge contrast to how a distressed CEO was expected to act.
He took a look at their faces, acknowledging their presence, and said,” The technology transfer won’t take our time because I already have a project that could fill in for that”
“What project?” Mr. Diego questioned with a raised brow.
A mysterious smile appeared on Liam’s face as he responded. “It’s the same project that almost led to the downfall of the company during my father’s reign… The same project I wanted to launch before the scandal… No need to be afraid because the details have been upgraded to a more advanced level”
“What!!!…. That’s unbelievable. That project almost subjected our family to abject poverty” a man yelled out in anger.
“You don’t expect me to fund the same project that gave me high blood pressure, I almost died, if not for my children who were already independent” another added, showing his displeasure through his words.
“Are you going to trust me or do you want to wait for the company to fall?” Liam asked with an authoritative voice that caused them to freeze in their seat, recalling that the man they were talking to wasn’t the same as his father. He was dangerous and intolerant when it came to nonsense.
“Mr. Callahan is right. We need to enforce it regardless of the risk. After all, taking risks is what makes a successful businessman” Mr. Diego stated in support of his boss. “We have to do this, we can’t afford to lose what we toiled day and night for”
The investors were beginning to understand the situation as they all nodded their heads in agreement.
“And as for the funding, I’ll take care of it. Just focus on forming the alliance and joint ventures” Liam added with a prideful voice. “I’ll commence the launching by Monday”
“Alright, then… I guess we have all agreed on this. We should dismiss the meeting. It was nice having everyone gather here tonight. Please, ensure you work on your part” Mr. Louis stated, his words dripping with a sense of gratitude which the others acknowledged.