It occurred to her that some scenes in some movies. One tried to be the king, and he always had some followers. The one who claimed that he was not suitable was always the worst.
She was to laugh at them, but Shirley spoke, "You know yourself. Compared with Henry, do you still have an idea about the company's engagement since you have stayed at home for so many years?"
William looked annoyed.
"As far as I am concerned, Joseph is the most suitable," Shirley said directly.
Irish gasped sharply.
Human beings are inherently contradictory. Their allegiances and loyalties can shift as their interests and circumstances change. Consider Shirley as an example. Upon realizing that William no longer shared the same position as her, she decided to align herself with Joseph, the very person she had previously worked to remove from the equation.
William stared at her, a sense of disbelief washing over him.
With determination, she asserted, "It's evident to everyone that Joseph possesses exceptional skills and capabilities."
Irish observed the unfolding scene with a cold detachment, silently acknowledging the intricate nature of human behavior.
"I respectfully disagree," voiced an elderly shareholder.
"Neither can we." Others said.
The opposition from the old shareholders was unsurprising, and their motives were clear. Joseph had been a source of distress for them. While it was true that over the past year, Joseph had brought considerable prosperity and wealth to the Runestone Group, his radical reforms had also instilled fear in them. They dreaded the possibility of being quietly ousted by him in the future. Consequently, they preferred the idea of having a compliant figurehead rather than an intelligent and capable leader.
Irish got anxious, "You..."
"Irish." Joseph pulled her and said lightly, "Do not force them."
Irish had to resist her anger.
"Mr. Dover, we are not mean to you, but your situation now is not suitable for the Runestone Group." The old shareholder said.
Joseph smiled lightly, "Understood."
Irish felt sorry for Joseph.
She was really annoyed.
Such idiots!
Things seemed to be confirmed.
Just then, a hurried knock on the door interrupted the tense atmosphere.
It was Daisy.
Caught off guard by Joseph's presence, she was momentarily surprised. However, she quickly composed herself and instinctively turned to Joseph, delivering her report, "Mr. Dover, there's a large group of reporters outside. They've gathered at the building's entrance."
Irish was taken aback by Daisy's actions.
It wasn't the content of Daisy's report that surprised her, but rather the fact that Daisy had directly reported to Joseph.
Unhappy with the situation, William questioned Daisy, "Daisy, who were you speaking to?"
Realizing her mistake, Daisy quickly apologized, "I'm sincerely sorry."
William furrowed his brow and inquired, "What's happening outside?"
Daisy cast a discreet glance at Joseph, revealing the complexity of her emotions. Irish could discern various sentiments in that gaze—pity, reminiscence, astonishment, and even... love.
Indeed, Daisy loved Joseph. Irish was aware of this fact.
While she knew that Daisy wouldn't act upon her feelings, a tinge of envy crept into Irish's heart.
Daisy proceeded to provide an update, "The media somehow obtained information about Roy's death. The news quickly spread and went viral. By the time we became aware of it, the information had already been disseminated extensively. The situation is now beyond our control."
"What?" William felt shocked.
Other shareholders were also surprised.
"What is the Public Relations Department doing? They don't know that?" William stood up suddenly and shouted, "What are you doing?"
"Sorry." Daisy apologized.
"Call the director of the Public Relations Department here."
Daisy hesitated, "Now?"
"Yes, right now!"
Daisy followed his order.
Shortly after, Bella arrived at the scene. As capable as ever, her face brightened upon seeing Joseph's presence, and she quickly assumed a respectful demeanor towards him.
Joseph nodded to her as a greeting.
"What's going on, Bella? You have strong connections with the media. Why has this issue escalated to such an extent?" William's dissatisfaction with Bella's demeanor towards Joseph grew, and his tone turned confrontational.
Bella tended to be neither humble nor pushy. This time, her explanation was still reasonable.
"I apologize, Mr. William. It's our failure to fulfill our duties. The media that released the news did so without seeking confirmation from us. It's possible that they had obtained accurate information, hence their actions."
"I don't want to hear your excuses. Right now, I want to know what steps your department intends to take," William's tone grew even more brusque and impolite.
Irish sat there, watching the whole scene clearly.
Despite William's usually mild demeanor, he had resorted to scolding Daisy during the meeting and summoning Bella without considering the context. While the Public Relations Department had indeed made mistakes in this instance, publicly berating an employee in front of numerous shareholders seemed unnecessary and potentially damaging.
And then, there was only one possible reason.
William wanted to give a threat to Joseph.
Daisy and Bella were once Joseph's good followers.
Irish, feeling the urge to intervene, intended to say something to Bella. However, Joseph quickly reached out and subtly gestured for her not to act impulsively or in a confrontational manner.
Irish was torn between her anxiety and sympathy for the situation unfolding before her.
Irish understood Joseph well. While he could be demanding of his subordinates, he was never as unreasonable or harsh as William. Joseph genuinely valued and cared for his followers, which earned him their sincere respect. This was evident in the loyal dedication shown by individuals like Daisy and Bella towards him.
Such a situation was sad and hard to accept for Joseph.
Bella was still apologizing, but obviously, she was not patient anymore.
Irish knew Bella, who had the same personality as her. Bella was able and honest. Many times, when she went to Joseph's office, she found that Bella was quarreling with Joseph about their work.
Undoubtedly, being scolded in front of a large audience would have caused unhappiness for someone like Bella. Despite her continued apologies, she was undoubtedly feeling embarrassed and growing increasingly impatient with the situation.
"You should take responsibility for the situation. Your position as a director is now uncertain," William persisted in his aggressive stance.
Bella, now genuinely infuriated, stared at William and pronounced each word with clarity, "Fine. I will submit my resignation."
William felt surprised.
He had never thought that she would say that.
Bella removed her name tag and tossed it onto the desk with a hint of defiance. Speaking in a subdued voice, she declared, "I will prepare my resignation letter." With that, she turned away and left the room.
"Hey, you…"
"Bella!" Seeing the situation, Irish stopped her.
Bella stopped and turned around.
"It's not the time for impulsive actions," Irish spoke, trying to calm the situation. "I understand that everything unfolded rapidly, leaving the Public Relations Department with little time to respond. William was anxious, which may have affected the tone of his words. Please don't take it to heart. We need you now, and you can't simply leave."
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