On the day of the power transfer ceremony, the atmosphere in the family meeting room was more solemn than ever before.
Mr. Dai and Dai Qiang arrived at the scene early, and their seats were specially arranged at the front of the long table, as if to show their unquestionable authority. However, both of them looked unhappy at the moment, especially Mr. Dai, whose usually ruddy face looked a little pale, and his cloudy eyes revealed obvious anxiety and resentment. Dai Qiang sat aside, rubbing his hands anxiously, and looking up at the door from time to time, as if he was expecting something, and seemed to be worried about something.
Soon, the door of the meeting room was pushed open, and Dai Shiya, dressed in a neat business suit, walked in with confident steps. Behind her followed Wei Qing, who looked calm, and several representatives of the neutral faction of the family. Their appearance undoubtedly added some confidence to Dai Shiya's appearance.
Seeing this scene, Mr. Dai's face became even uglier. He clenched the cane in his hand tightly, trying to suppress the surging emotions in his heart.
Dai Shiya's eyes swept around and finally landed on Grandpa Dai. A meaningful smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, "Grandpa, uncles, good morning."
The simple greeting was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly breaking the eerie silence in the meeting room.
After the ceremony began, Mr. Dai was the first to speak up. He stood up shakily with the help of a cane, and scanned the crowd with his cloudy eyes. "According to family tradition, only those who have made significant contributions to the family and have held important positions in the family business for more than five years are qualified to enter the core decision-making layer."
He paused and looked at Dai Shiya sharply, "Although Shiya is your father's daughter, she is young and inexperienced after all. I don't think she is qualified enough to enter the core decision-making level yet."
As soon as Grandpa Dai finished speaking, Dai Qiang couldn't wait to stand up and agree, "That's right, Grandpa is right! Shi Ya, how long have you taken over the company? Family business matters are no joke!"
As Dai Qiang spoke, he deliberately flipped through the thick family genealogy on the table, as if it really recorded the rules and regulations that Grandpa Dai had mentioned.
"Oh? Really?" Dai Shiya smiled calmly, "Then I wonder which 'family tradition' Grandpa is referring to? I remember the first page of the family tree had the eight characters 'keep pace with the times, pioneer and innovate' written on it..."
Dai Shiya was not in a hurry. She stood up calmly and walked to the center of the meeting room. She glanced at every family member and spoke in a calm tone with a force that could not be ignored. "Grandpa, uncles, I understand what you mean and the importance you hold to family traditions. But the times are changing, and family businesses also need to keep pace with the times in order to remain invincible in the fierce market competition."
"Modern family management concepts emphasize specialization, standardization and internationalization, rather than just relying on so-called qualifications and experience." Dai Shiya's voice was not loud, but it was clearly heard in every corner. "I admit that I am indeed young and my experience is not as rich as that of my elders. But I believe that with my love for the family business and the modern management knowledge I have mastered, I am confident that I can lead the family business to a more brilliant future."
"Humph, you talk better than you sing!" Dai Qiang snorted sarcastically, "Who knows what you are thinking? Maybe you want to use the name of 'modern management' to mess up the family business so that you can profit from it!"
Dai Qiang's words resonated with some conservative members present, and they nodded one after another to express their agreement with Dai Qiang's statement.
"Shiya, you are still young, don't aim too high," a distant uncle of the Dai family also stood up and said, "Family business matters are not as simple as you think. You should first train at the grassroots level for a few years. Once you have enough experience, we will naturally let you enter the core decision-making level."
"Yes, Shiya, your uncle is right," another family member echoed, "Young people should keep their feet on the ground and not always think about achieving success overnight."
Dai Shiya ignored these doubts and advice. She calmly took out a document from the folder, put it on the table, and looked at Dai Qiang firmly. "You said that I wanted to destroy the family tradition and profit from it. Then please explain what this is?"
Dai Qiang was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously looked at the document on the table, his face suddenly became a little ugly. The document was some forged family business project data that he had originally intended to use to attack Dai Shiya at a critical moment, but he didn't expect that she had taken it out in advance.
"This...this..." Dai Qiang stammered and couldn't speak for a long time.
"What? You don't recognize me?" Dai Shiya pressed on, a sneer on her lips, "Or do you need me to reveal all the tricks behind these data one by one in front of everyone?"
Beads of sweat oozed out of Dai Qiang's forehead. He tried to explain himself in panic, but was silenced by Dai Shiya's sharp gaze.
"Everyone," Dai Shiya looked around, her tone calm but with unquestionable strength, "I am here today not to compete with anyone for power and profit, but for the future of the family business. I, ..."
Dai Shiya suddenly paused, looked at everyone sharply, and slowly took out a stack of documents from her bag, "...come prepared."
Dai Shiya distributed a thick stack of documents to everyone present. "Here are the real data of the family business in various fields in the past three years that I have compiled, as well as the targeted improvement plan and future development plan that I proposed." She spoke in a steady tone, and every word was powerful. "I believe that data will not lie."
Everyone flipped through the documents in their hands. At first, they were skeptical and critical, but as they read more, their expressions gradually changed to surprise, admiration, and finally deep conviction. In the documents, Dai Shiya not only clearly pointed out the current problems of family businesses, but more importantly, she proposed practical solutions and supported her views with detailed data. These solutions are not just empty talk, but the product of careful consideration, combining modern management concepts with the actual situation of family businesses.
In comparison, the data forged by Dai Qiang seemed clumsy and full of loopholes. He originally wanted to use this to attack Dai Shiya, but he didn't expect to shoot himself in the foot. At this moment, his face was pale, as if sitting on pins and needles, and beads of sweat on his forehead slid down his temples. He didn't dare to look anyone in the eye.
"Dai Qiang," Dai Shiya's voice was as cold as ice, without a trace of emotion, "Do you have anything else to say?"
Dai Qiang opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He originally thought that he could suppress Dai Shiya with his qualifications and status in the family, but he didn't expect that she had already grasped his handle and fought back in such a fierce way.
"I...I..." He stammered and tried to defend himself, but didn't know how to explain the forged data.
"Facts speak louder than words," Mr. Dai said slowly, his voice low and tired. Although he had always favored Dai Qiang, he had to admit at this moment that Dai Shiya's ability far exceeded his expectations. He looked at Dai Shiya with a complicated look in his eyes, "You win."
With Mr. Dai's statement, other family members also changed their attitudes. They were originally skeptical about Dai Shiya's youth and inexperience, but now they have seen her strength and courage.
"Shi Ya, we support you to enter the core decision-making level." A respected uncle was the first to express his opinion.
"We support it too!" Other family members echoed.
Dai Shiya's performance completely won their recognition. They realized that the family business needed new blood and new ideas to survive in the fiercely competitive market. Dai Shiya was exactly the leader they needed.
Dai Shiya looked at the crowd, but she did not feel the joy she had imagined. Instead, she felt a sense of inexplicable uneasiness. She knew that this power transfer ceremony was just the beginning, and the real challenge was still to come.
She nodded slightly, "Thank you all for your trust. I will definitely not let you down."
After the meeting, Dai Shiya was left alone in the meeting room. Wei Qing walked in with a hint of worry on her face, "Shiya, are you okay?"
Dai Shiya shook her head. "I'm fine, but..." She paused, her eyes falling on the documents scattered on the table. "I always feel something is wrong."
"What's wrong?" Wei Qing asked.
Dai Shiya did not answer, but picked up a document and looked through it carefully. Suddenly, her eyes stopped on an inconspicuous signature at the end of the document.
"This signature..." She muttered to herself, frowning, "I seem to have seen it somewhere..."
Wei Qing came closer and followed Dai Shiya's gaze. The signature was scribbled and blurry, making it difficult to recognize.
"What's wrong?" Wei Qing asked, "Is there any problem with this signature?"
Dai Shiya didn't say anything. She picked up another document and carefully compared the two signatures. An inexplicable sense of uneasiness came over her, making her feel cold.
She slowly raised her head and looked at Wei Qing, with a solemn look in her eyes, "I feel... we seem to be involved in a bigger conspiracy..." She picked up one of the documents and pointed at the signature, "This, I must check it out..."
After the power handover ceremony, Dai Shiya officially entered the core decision-making level of the family and participated in formulating the future development strategy of the family business. She vigorously promoted reforms and integrated modern management concepts into the family business, achieving remarkable results and winning the support of more and more family members. Dai Qiang was completely marginalized and had no chance of turning things around.
Although she had established a firm foothold in the family business, Dai Shiya still felt uneasy. She secretly investigated the source of the signature but could not find any clues.
"Maybe you are worrying too much?" Wei Qing looked at Dai Shiya who was frowning and couldn't help but comfort her, "Maybe it was just a coincidence."
"I hope so." Dai Shiya sighed, but she couldn't completely let go of her doubts. She always felt that beneath the seemingly calm surface of the family, there was a turbulent undercurrent, and that mysterious signature was like a key that might be able to solve all the mysteries.
A few days later, while looking through family history materials, Dai Shiya accidentally found a yellowed photo. In the photo, a young man stood in front of an antique building, with a handsome face and elegant temperament. The carving style of the building behind him was surprisingly similar to that signature.
"Who is this person?" Dai Shiya pointed at the man in the photo and asked the butler beside her.
The housekeeper carefully identified the person, his face changed slightly, but he shook his head and said, "My dear Miss, I don't know this person, and I have never seen this photo in the family album."
Dai Shiya was even more confused. Her intuition told her that the man in the photo had some connection with the mysterious signature. She asked the butler about the source of the photo, but the butler just shook his head and said he didn't know either.
"It seems that to solve this mystery, we have to start with this photo." Dai Shiya murmured to herself, her eyes falling on the quaint building, "Wei Qing, let's go for a walk..."