Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Walking into a Trap
The functions of Homo Sapiens Company’s Human Resources Department had now expanded significantly.
Previously, it was only responsible for recruitment, training, and employee records. Now, its duties had grown to include employee performance reviews, workplace inspections, transfer evaluations, internal employee complaints, and arbitrating internal disputes.
The gradually improving internal management regulations of Homo Sapiens Company had come to cover virtually every aspect of the business.
As a Soldier, Duke, the head of the Human Resources Department, ensured its fairness and impartiality. He would neither favor mid- or high-level employees, nor would he dismiss the concerns of lower-level staff as unimportant.
Homo Sapiens Company allowed subordinates to report their superiors, and as long as the evidence was conclusive, they could even receive a reward.
However, false accusations would also come with a corresponding price.
In reality, the Internal Affairs Department’s surveillance of the company’s interior was so pervasive that it was nearly impossible for an employee to be wrongly accused.
In the two-plus months since construction began, the Human Resources Department and the Internal Affairs Department had joined forces on multiple occasions to deal with eight problematic employees, a group that included both regular staff and mid-level managers.
When it came to internal discipline, Li Qingye did not like sudden crackdowns; he preferred it to be a routine process.
After all, within his memories, he had "personally experienced" Xinxin Company’s journey from initial unity to its later state of irreversible decay.
It wasn’t that his father hadn’t tried to deal with it. Rather, he hadn’t paid enough attention at the beginning. By the time the parasites had formed their own interest group, they were incredibly difficult to handle.
He would not allow Homo Sapiens Company to go down the same old path as Xinxin Group. Therefore, from the very beginning, he had to take preventative measures and crush those parasites in the bud.
In truth, the role of the Soldiers within the company was equivalent to that of highly intelligent computers.
Computers might be rigid, but they also follow their programming meticulously.
Humans have desires, which often cause instructions to be deliberately distorted as they are passed down the chain of command.
For example, if General Manager Fang Xincheng issued a directive stating that he would inspect Haitian Agriculture at three in the afternoon tomorrow.
His secretary, in passing the message down, might say the general manager is coming to inspect at two o’clock. By the time the directive reaches Haitian Agriculture, it might have changed again to "President Fang will arrive at one o’clock tomorrow for his inspection, so everyone needs to come in an hour early to prepare."
This is human nature. Every additional link in the chain of information exchange creates a potential for distortion.
But Soldiers were not like that. If the order was for three o’clock, it would be three o’clock.
This was why Li Qingye needed both Soldiers and natural humans. The two could complement each other, and they could also correct each other’s shortcomings.
...
While Li Qingye was busy researching biotechnology and monitoring the company’s internal development, Chen Jianxiong, after two-plus months of familiarization, had finally completed the initial integration of the Security Department’s various teams. He began to gradually advance their previous assignments, team by team.
For instance, using the Second Team (the East Japan Group) and the Third Team (the Fernando Group) to provide the Internal Affairs Department with suitable experimental subjects.
To date, the Security Department had delivered a total of 86 experimental subjects to the Internal Affairs Department.
These newly converted Soldiers were then gradually dispersed throughout Luzon and other Southeast Asian countries to carefully establish intelligence outposts.
As for the full-scale infiltration of the Fernando Clan, Chen Jianxiong was personally commanding the operation. He had already gained control of one of Mad’s uncles, and the next target was Mad’s younger brother—Gafei Fernando.
「Manila.」
Inside a villa belonging to the Fernando Clan.
Jacques Fernando listened to his butler’s report, raising an eyebrow. "It seems Mad’s partnership with that Homo Sapiens Company has earned him quite a bit!"
"Young Master Gafei seems a bit dissatisfied. He hopes Young Master Mad will hand over a portion of the profits, since, after all, the entire Fernando Clan contributed to that partnership," the butler relayed Gafei’s words to Jacques.
Jacques smiled and shook his head. "Let Gafei talk to Mad himself. If he doesn’t have the skills for it, does he expect me to help him?"
The butler nodded. "Yes, Master. I will inform Young Master Gafei."
Evidently, Jacques wasn’t concerned about Mad keeping all the profits for himself. Although he wasn’t particularly fond of his eldest son, the clan needed a strong leader if it was to continue to prosper.
If he favored one son, would that son then be able to rest easy? No, doing so would only lead the Fernando Clan to ruin.
’If he can’t even defeat his own brother, what right does he have to inherit the entire clan? Even if he became the heir, would others submit to him?’
Therefore, Jacques would never interfere in the struggles between his sons. As long as no one was killed, any other method was permissible.
In the southern Luzon Island city of Sosogon, Gafei gritted his teeth and smashed his phone after hearing his subordinate’s report.
Although he and Mad were brothers, they did not share the same mother, and their relationship was terrible.
Suddenly, a subordinate ran in. "Young Master Gafei, Redis is here."
"What’s he doing here? Wasn’t he just causing trouble for Mad a while ago?" Gafei thought for a moment before telling his subordinate to show the man in. After all, Redis was his uncle. Even if they didn’t get along, he couldn’t just avoid seeing him.
A moment later, a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair and a thick gold chain walked into the living room.
"Gafei, long time no see." Redis clapped Gafei on the shoulder with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
A flash of disgust crossed Gafei’s eyes, but he didn’t act on it. Instead, he asked coolly, "So, Uncle Redis, what brings you here? Surely you didn’t come to talk about family affection, did you?"
"Heh, Gafei, you must have heard about me going to see Mad a while back, right?"
Gafei remained silent.
"That bastard Mad made such a huge profit and doesn’t want to share a single bit with us. You’re not just going to let it slide, are you? If so, you might as well go back to Manila and be a good little ’Second Young Master’," Redis said calmly.
At this, Gafei finally couldn’t hold back. "What’s your plan?"
Redis said viciously, "It’s simple. We team up, bring in the number two’s faction, and put pressure on Mad together. If he doesn’t agree to give up a portion of the shares in Haitian Agriculture and the project contracts, then we don’t need to be polite with him anymore."
"Team up? Fine." Gafei didn’t hesitate, then asked, "Uncle, how do you plan to pressure him? Just go there directly?"
Redis answered directly, "Of course. What else did you have in mind? Charge in with a bunch of men? Wouldn’t that just make us a laughingstock for the other families? This is our clan’s internal business. If Mad knows what’s good for him, I naturally don’t want to blow things up. Otherwise, your father won’t let us off the hook."
Gafei understood the logic. This was indeed an internal clan matter. Even if they went in person, Mad wouldn’t dare kill them. After all, his father had more than just two sons.
If he eliminated them, Mad would have no way of inheriting the clan either.
Their goal this time was to force Mad to compromise. If they escalated the situation from the start, Mad would be backed into a corner with no way out, and both sides would be forced into a head-on confrontation.
Therefore, Gafei agreed with Redis’s approach.
Soon, the uncle and nephew, each with five or six bodyguards in tow, rendezvoused with Harry Fernando, who had come from another city, also accompanied by five or six bodyguards.
The group headed directly for Mad’s current location—Lima South City.
However, upon arriving, Mad’s local men informed the trio of uncle and nephews that Mad was currently in Dart Port discussing matters with the chairman of Homo Sapiens Company. If they wanted to see Mad, they would have to go to Dart Port themselves.
Comments