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__ Several Months Later __
** Cha Corporation **
Inside a huge board room of an enormous company, the atmosphere was overwhelming and very intense while beads of sweats trickled down everyone's forehead as they shifted in their chairs across each other. And even the assistant who had been standing silently behind the ice-cold man for several hours now was continuously wiping away his sweats.
Sitting elegantly on the huge chair across the long table was the ever-stoic CEO whose calm gaze slowly swept past everyone on the chairs as they continued to shift nervously in their seats.
Despite his calm expression, the dark aura emanating from him could be related to that of burning lava that was wriggling to burst at any moment from a volcano.
Everyone in the company had always dreaded the day of this event which only happens once in every month and they all termed it as the judgment day.
On this day, which the higher-ups will make decisions on the profits and losses of the company, and all the company's managers who had toiled with their positions and had done some crooked transactions don't need to be told of what awaits them today.
Even the shareholders who were to have a say in the decision making and are all present today were not spared from the anxiety, due to the overwhelming aura the guy was giving off.
Although they were very happy that the net worth of the company had increased very drastically over the past few months and had surpassed all the profits that were made since the company was established; everyone had noticed a little change in this CEO because even though he was cold before, they all admitted that the aura he always carried around was not as intense as this.
None of the shareholders had dared to utter their opinions on the decisions, not because they weren't allowed to, but because everyone was afraid to voice out a wrong opinion or truthfully speaking, they were all afraid to speak in the presence of this fearful guy.
So they all waited patiently together with the managers who were anxiously awaiting their fates.
There was pin-drop silence in the room as no one had even dared to cough talk more of sneezing, except for the clicking of the mouse now and then, and the slight sounds coming from the computer which was sitting in front of the CEO as his eyes were now fixed intently on the screen, after observing everyone's expression.
A chuckle sudden resounded in the room, and everyone gulped nervously, including the assistant who had continued wiping off his sweats with the white hankie in his hand.
If it was before, then everyone would have sighed in relief, hearing the guy's chuckle. But, now__ they all knew that he had finally found a fault, frankly speaking, he had found a scapegoat. All of them knew well, not to trifle with this man, however... some of the managers who were totally engulfed in greediness would never learn.
"You are fired."
The low voice which was laced with a hint of anger suddenly resounded in the room and everyone finally sighed inside in relief, including the manager who is now shivering under the CEO's cold gaze.
Since the start of this meeting, he knew that this is what awaits him and had been patiently waiting for this one sentence. Apparently knowing that begging would be futile even if he kept crawling on his knees from now till sunset, and before all hell could break loose, he didn't wait for the securities who were already on standby at a corner to move toward him and he quickly scrambled out of the room in all limbs without glancing back.
Once again, everyone sighed in relief, knowing that the meeting had finally come to an end, and luckily, it is only one manager that managed to get fired today. They all waited patiently then watched as the CEO who still had on his calm expression finally stood up from his chair.
David quickly packed the few documents which were on the table and took the laptop, also sighing in relief, then he hurried behind his boss who was already out of the room.
All the managers and the shareholders also stood up from their chairs after the assistant had left the room and they started walking out as the intense atmosphere slowly dissipated.
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Sighting the CEO, all the employees who were walking in the long hallway instantly halted in their footsteps then quickly lowered their heads, and those who were chattering happily quickly shut their mouths as they all greeted him concurrently.
Amidst the employees' greetings, David glanced up at the ever cold and stoic man whose gaze was fixed ahead and did not spare them even a glance as they neared the elevator.
The employees who were inside the elevator, scurried out quickly while greeting profusely as none of them dares to stand in the same proximity as the CEO, afraid that even a slight mistake from them will easily get them fired.
Watching the elevator's door closed after the two had entered, everyone sighed in relief and they all continued with what they were doing.
Although they didn't dare to voice it out, they all wondered what had really happened, as the company was now all serious and no one dare to lag.
Everyone works tirelessly not because of the fear of being fired but because they knew that they would never find any other company that would pay just like this one. And despite the number of employees that gets fired often, more people kept flooding their resumes to the company, but only a few with higher qualifications were being retained.
And this leads to a very high competition with all of them working tirelessly without even having time to gossip about the thing that had kept bugging them for the past few months, about the CEO's drastic change in attitude.
Because if it was in the past, an employee may be forgiven if it was just a minor mistake, however, now... even the smallest mistakes are not overlooked.