What It Means To Be King

Chapter 56: Speaking Business As Elite Students

Author-san has a feeling that this fic will be a lot longer than What Was Worth A Heart. We're not even finished with the first part yet, and it's already more than half a hundred. Is that a good news? I'm only gladder that this fic has much more plot than the first one actually. 

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When Shao Long entered the SC meeting room with the book in hand, he had long since forgotten the existence of Hatt Powell, currently still inside Evan's office. That was the only reason why he could settle into his seat like it was a normal day of work and began preparing for their meeting, due in an hour. Charles had chosen to hold the meeting later during the day to let them have time to touch up their presentation and ask questions they needed for it. Not that they really needed that extra time. Charles just didn't want the meeting to end in an awkward silence, they could all just go back to the dorms after it finished instead of staying and warring internally between each other when they got into an argument which was honestly bound to happen. 

So Shao Long, as someone who would not be presenting that day, and will only be held responsibility to weigh the pros and cons of other members' proposal, was delightfully using the time to finish up on the work he had promised to complete last weekend, the same work that was held back due to his unceremonious sickness. He absolutely did not touch his homework, and absolutely did not study for the upcoming quiz tomorrow, or even the scrapes of Student Council treasurer work that he couldn't be too bothered about. This time, he was much more focused on his own company. 

As expected, him being MIA during the weekend was an absolute no-go for his father's company, he hadn't had the proper chance to submit his work completely, leaving empty spaces here and there, only to be received with an unsatisfactory response from his supervisor. And now they were complaining. Shao Long wouldn't be surprised if they used this chance to lower his position in the company, and hence will greatly affect his paycheck. Just a day ago, his mother's position was yet again demoted, up to the point where her paycheck is lower than Shao Long's own, all because of a simple mistake during one of the meetings. 

Something was definitely wrong with that company. Shao Long had a hunch that the Board were watching them like eagles, using every bit of vulnerability shown to shove them further and further down as if their very existence was a threat to their seat of power. Of course it would be a threat, Shao Long didn't really think his father wouldn't make a comeback once things with his little brother had settled down, and he would have the chance to bare his fangs. Thing was, if those up on top were so adamant on seeing them suffer, didn't they at least think about what Xi Wenzhou would do to them once he got his power back? At all? Xi Wenzhou was a ruthless man, even if he was righteous by nature, he was still someone who would do anything to defend himself and his family. 

If Shao Long was in their position, he would be damn scared to kick a drowned dog, just out of fear it would heal and come bite him back in the ass. It was almost as if those old farts were so certain that Xi Wenzhou wouldn't return to his seat as the CEO at all. 

He wondered if that meant that they were somewhat responsible for Ru-er's accident too. 

That's not even to mention Shao Long's own company. It was as if everything was falling apart from every direction. Sometimes it made Shao Long wonder which deity his family offended lately, or which mafia boss, or maybe a politician even, to put them into such a fate. If he was the only one being targeted, then he wouldn't question it all that much. Throughout his life, he had gained a lot of people's ire, be it his peers, younger or older people, his younger life was filled with bullying and fighting, he's lost count the number of times he broke someone's nose or someone broke his. It was a miracle his face was still the same shape it was supposed to be. Not even all the business people were that fond of him too. Him being younger than all of them inspire some sort of envy, scorn and ridicule among them. Not all, but enough to give him a headache. Throughout the years, he'd thought that he'd gained plenty of respect through his work ethics, and he did. Just, not as much as he would've liked.