Chapter 96: Corporate Corpse Climbing
Elsewhere :
"So, has anyone here discovered the perpetrators of the recent incident that has harmed our interests...?" a tall, fat man with balding black hair and stark black glasses questioned the people gathered in the room.
"N-no, Mr Daffords... We've attempted to secure the identities of the group that attacked us but everyone who might know is refusing to cooperate. Even if we sent our security teams or requested the NCPD to accelerate their effor-"
*Bang!*
Roger Daffords slams his palm on the glass table, prompting everyone to go silent as he points at the previous speaker, "I didn't ask you to explain why you failed, Miss Fay! I asked if we knew the criminals who cost Biotechnica hundreds of millions of dollars! Forgive my language, but I don't give a SHIT what, why, or fucking how it happened!" he scans the room, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't have you all thrown out of the building right now!"
...
"Hmph," a woman sitting far from him huffs in amusement.
"Is something wrong Dr Koch?" Roger questions with a sharp glare.
She smiles slightly and waves him off, "Oh, it's nothing... Just that you have no authority to touch any of us, not anyone."
"And why do you say that? Unless you have forgotten, I am the Regional Manager of this company location. All of you fall under my authority, all of you answer to me."
She sniffs again and shakes her head, "No... As of three minutes ago, you aren't the Manager of anything. Headquarters have deemed your abilities inadequate to run such a substantial marketplace, or so they said. I'm inclined to agree with them, given how you're still just sitting back and blaming all of us while Biotechnica's stocks plummet."
"Is this a joke? Do you think this is funny!? I'm the only person here keeping this company afloat! Besides, I would have received notice, earlier than you anyway." he gestures at her, glancing at the armed man guarding the door, "Take Dr Koch outside and strip her of her access card, she will no longer-" he pauses, eyes visibly glowing as he's sent a message.
Joanne stands from her chair and starts walking over to Roger, "I heard the news before you because I just received a promotion." she slides Roger's wheeled chair away and stands at the focal point of the table, staring at the other directors, doctors, and other partners present. "I am Joanne Koch, the new Regional Manager of this area. And I believe some changes are due... But first," she glances at the guard, "Have that witless idiot dragged to the NCPD officers outside, HQ wishes him to admit his guilt and culpability with the Securicine incident"
The guard nods, walking over and grabbing Roger by his arm, forcing him out of the daze he'd entered upon reading the message, his termination. "W-wait! They wouldn't do this! I have worked at this company for thirty years!" he begins pointing at various people along the table as the guard struggles to drag him out.
"I stopped the NCPD from finding out about your dalliances with that pre-teen! I bribed officials to prevent you, Jerald, from getting life in prison! Dr Koch! I backed you up when you unleashed bioweapons on innocents to test their effectiveness! IF I'M GOING DOWN, I'M TAKING THE REST OF YOU WITH ME! DO YOU HEAR ME!?"
Joanne just smiles at him, holding a hand up which causes the guard to pause, "Oh, we heard you loud and clear, Roger." she glances at the pale, guilty faces of those present, "And I believe we've all come to a consensus on what to do with you." she nods 'sadly', "A shame, your suicide letter was written with such haste, you just couldn't wait to end your guilt."
Roger's eyes widened as a few people turned away from him, not willing to meet his eyes or acknowledge what was about to happen to him. "N-no! You can't do this! I-I have backups saved! The moment I die, every scum-seller in the damned city knows of your crimes!"
"I sincerely doubt that, you were never so smart. Perhaps if you'd attended your duties properly you might've seen tomorrow. Take him."
With that, a dozen more guards arrive and carry the screaming man away, all while everyone gathered attempts to tune him out. They all knew how cut-through Corporate life was, but never had they been so close, or so directly responsible for a man's death.
Not only that, a few realised the power play. Dr Koch had literally just had her former superior dragged away to be framed for the crimes and executed, all while indirectly implicating everyone in the room. No doubt she had cameras present, so unless they immediately contacts the authorities to report what was happening, they could face consequences for their inaction... That's even if they got that far too, since Dr Koch had shown how eager she was to remove threats to her new position.
The new Regional Manager takes her seat and folds her legs, "Now, since the Late Roger Daffords' strategies haven't been working, why don't we discuss some alternatives? I'll start... Let's have the bottom-dwellers of this city do our jobs for us, hire some mercs, have them hunt the 'Zombie' and his band of criminals." she states, not recommending but actually ordering it to be done.
"We will also need some plans to recover the financial hit Roger caused the company in his negligence... First, rebrand most of our products, and advertise them as triple-tested alternatives we've decided to release in response to Securicine. Next, we need a controversy for one of our competitors, I don't care how it happens, just draw the public eye away from us. With our former Regional Manager's departure, we should be able to buy some goodwill, donate to some foundations, have some clinics built, etc."
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