I, the CEO have to Farm to Survive? - Chapter 9：Severed Ties

The awaited day where my position as the CEO will be challenged finally arrived. Ah, father … will you like the gifts I prepared for you I wonder. I yawned ungracefully for the umpteenth time while waiting for a family of three to arrive. I bet Liu Yifei is the reason for them being late yet again considering the amount of makeup she needs to paste on her face.

The three finally arrived 30 minutes later than the scheduled time father himself had set for the meeting. I decided to ignore the fact that two of them were not even shareholders who are in no position to attend such meeting. I will be free after this anyway.

Having everyone sat down, I welcomed them and went straight to the point. “Most of you know the reason behind this meeting. For those who don’t, Mr Ho Chen wants to nominate himself for the CEO position,” I said then added, “Everyone knows the rules. 1% of share equals 1 vote. The person with the highest number of votes get to be the CEO.” Only shareholders who have more than 20% of shares can hold meetings. So father, having recently inherited enough, wished to hold one. I then instructed my secretary to write down the nominees’ names and their number of votes.

To no one’s surprise, father nominated himself. He has 30% of shares; 25% he supposedly inherited from grandmother and another 5% given to him when he turned 18 years old. Actually, he was given 10% of shares but two years ago he sold half of them to help his favorite daughter Ho He open a coffeehouse. A year in, she managed to get it closed from poor management. Grandmother herself gave me the information after father tried to take over the company.

The result so far went like this.

Mr Ho Chen – 30 votes

Mr Donnie Leung – 20 votes

Mr Jimmy Chen – 5 votes

Mr Stephen Woo – 5 votes

Mr Tony Wu – 5 votes

Miss Vicki Wu – 5 votes

“Miss Anne, what are you waiting for? Announce the result,” father demanded of my secretary. “Mr Ho Chen, are you forgetting something? I haven’t voted,” stopped I. “Who cares about your 25 votes. I have the highest number of votes,” he shouted at me before adding, “My first task as the CEO is to ban you from entering the company. You are a nobody without my mother. I can finally get rid of you.”

“Wow, Mr Ho Chen. You won’t be winning any father of the year award with this kind of attitude,” I said sarcastically. I continued to say, “I vote for Mr Donnie Leung with my 30 votes.”

Everyone were surprised of my decision, including the yet to be appointed CEO. I imagined they expect me to vote for myself as well. “I have been in this position for 10 years and it is time to have a change for the good of the company, don’t you agree? I am sure Mr Donnie Leung will lead the company successfully. Besides, if Mr Ho Chen were to be the new CEO, I predict the company will go bankrupt in less than a year’s time,” I explained to them.

Father was not happy with the outcome of the meeting and questioned why I have 30 votes when I only have 25% of shares. “Oh, I forgot to tell you I bought the 5% you sold two years ago. So, now we both have 30% of shares each,” I answered. How is my first gift to you, dear father?

Then, I got my secretary to announce the result before delivering my second gift. “Congratulations to Mr Donnie Leung in becoming the company’s third CEO with a total of 50 votes. Before we end this meeting, I want to announce that I will be selling all 30% of my shares to the highest buyer. You can contact my agent to discuss the price. I will leave his business cards with my secretary,” I said before baiting, “Who knows, you might just be the new CEO with these shares. The meeting is adjourned.” I can hear Donnie Leung cursing at me. I would be mad too if my position is threatened after I thought I felt secured. It is not like I like the man. He is no different than a snake but his insight into business can match top businessmen in the country.

Before I managed to walk out of the room, I heard father called me with a gentle voice. That gave me goosebumps all over my body. It seems the fish is interested in the bait. “Sell me all your shares. Since we are a family, I will buy all of them for 2 million,” he informed me.

“No thanks. You know they are worth at least 9 million. I am sure, I can sell them for more to Donnie Leung. Besides, didn’t you recently inherited 58 million?” I refused, as a matter of fact. He knew it is true so he harrumphed at me before leaving with his two extra companions who did not stop glaring at me from when father started calling me. Forgive me for being selfish father but I do not want you to ever grab the CEO seat that you have always wanted. I also need as much money as possible. Ah, to take two pigeons with one bean. The day could not start any better than this.

I looked at my father disappointingly. It was he who severed our family ties when he attempted to bring Liu Yifei into grandmother’s house merely three days after mother was burried. He had long felt my mother and I as thorns in his eyes for denying him of his happiness. We were happy that is until father became unsatisfied with how much favor grandmother gave our pair of mother and daughter. Here I thought being easily jealous is a thing for women. Tch.

Grandmother once dreamed having mother married into her family and told her son of this. Father who at first had no problem with such an idea did as she wished. He charmed mother into marrying him. Soon after, I was born.

Mother was a model of an old traditional wife. She would manage the household like she was trained to do so when in fact she had no knowledge whatsoever as she became an orphan at an early age. She made sure to personally take care of things as much as possible like cooking for the family or helping me with my homework. She was like the daughter grandmother never had.

I on the other hand, is grandmother’s first grandchild. She pitied and took me in when mother died. Grandmother knew of the other ‘women’ father would be entangled with from her dreams but pretended not to know as long as he cares for mother and I. Our relationship started to go sour after father’s irresponsible behavior.