Ever since that call from Venice, Yeri had been distracted.
She sent messages to her father and to Jj, but both of them seemed to have reached a silent agreement not to worry her. They simply told her to focus on her classes and not overthink things.
---
Meanwhile, at Zhi Corporation, Nolan Zhi arrived with a smug, arrogant air.
Behind him trailed several shareholders he had successfully coaxed to his side.
Without hesitation, he took the chairman's seat, as if doing his brother a favor. After all, once the board officially announced the change in leadership and he took over, it would be embarrassing for Klaus to still be sitting there.
By then, Klaus would be reduced to a joke, forced to step aside.
Normally, the shareholder with the largest stake had the most say in appointing the CEO. But even if Nolan had not surpassed his brother's shares, the majority of board of directors could make that decision.
As long as they expressed collective dissatisfaction and followed the plan, even if Klaus could not be removed outright, Nolan already had ways to force him to step down.
When Klaus arrived, the first thing he saw was Nolan sitting in his seat.
"What are you doing?" Klaus asked sternly.
Nolan smiled faintly and lowered his voice.
"Saving you some face, dear brother."
"This isn't a place for jokes," Klaus replied coldly.
Nolan's smile remained, but when he saw that Klaus had no intention of backing down, he stood up and muttered, "Since you're so eager to embarrass yourself, don't blame me later."
Klaus ignored him.
Soon, the meeting began, moving on to discussions of financial forecasts, revenue performance, and upcoming sales targets.
The atmosphere in the room shifted the moment the discussion drifted toward the topic everyone had long been aware of, yet no one had dared to voice openly.
The air grew heavy.
Nolan cleared his throat. With visible reluctance, as if burdened by responsibility rather than ambition, he spoke.
"For the sake of the company, and on behalf of the board, I believe it's time we place this issue on the table."
His gaze fixed on Klaus. "I propose we discuss the removal of Klaus Zhi from the position of CEO."
Klaus's eyes narrowed slightly. "On what grounds?"
It was the question Nolan had been waiting for.
Without hesitation, he pulled out a stack of neatly organized reports, his movements precise and rehearsed, like a judge ready to pass sentence.
"First," Nolan began, "the company's performance over the past two years. Declining revenue, falling stock prices, and missed growth opportunities."
He flipped a page. "Second, a clear failure to adapt to new market conditions, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence and digital integration."
Another page.
"Third, your management style. Reports of a toxic corporate culture, strained relationships with employees, and increasing friction with the board."
He looked up, voice steady. "This strategic misalignment has caused a serious breakdown of trust."
Klaus's gaze swept slowly across the room, cold and piercing.
"Do you all agree with this assessment?"
Silence answered him.
Some directors avoided his eyes entirely. Others pretended to focus on the documents in front of them, flipping pages that did not need turning.
A few frowned, maintaining a carefully neutral expression, clearly choosing to drift with the current rather than stand against it.
Nolan could barely suppress his triumphant smile.
Out of the thirteen board members present, ten had already pledged their allegiance to him.
One of the directors finally sighed. "Klaus, this isn't easy to say, but we all want what's best for the company. I'm sure you feel the same."
"It's not that we don't acknowledge your abilities as CEO," another added. "But several major projects suffered from ineffective execution. The company bore the losses, and we've yet to see the promised results of those strategic visions."
Klaus remained composed. He responded directly, calmly addressing each issue raised, his explanations measured and precise.
Then Nolan shifted the blade.
"There's also the matter of public relations," he said casually. "Your daughter, Yeri, once worked part-time at one of our café branches. A dispute with a customer escalated and dragged the company's reputation into controversy."
He paused, watching carefully. "This raises a serious concern. You acted in personal interest, or rather, in your daughter's interest, instead of prioritizing the company. It was poor crisis management and a clear failure in public relations leadership."
The moment his daughter was dragged into the discussion, Klaus's expression hardened.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
His gaze grew colder still, sharp enough to make several board members shift uncomfortably in their seats.
Just as the balance of power was tipping decisively toward Nolan Zhi, Klaus calmly noted the absence of one board member.
"There is still one director who hasn't arrived," Klaus said.
"With the majority already present, does it really matter?" Nolan replied contemptuously, convinced Klaus was making a last, desperate attempt to cling to his position.
At that moment, the boardroom doors opened.
"Am I late?"
The deep, magnetic voice cut through the room, shattering the tension.
It wasn't just the voice. The man himself commanded the space the instant he stepped in.
Tall and imposing, wrapped in an aura of absolute authority, he looked like the embodiment of power and wealth.
Shin Keir.
For a split second, the boardroom fell into chaos without a sound.
Shock. Disbelief. Confusion. Wariness.
Several people wondered if something was wrong with their eyes.
Why was he here?
"This meeting was called rather suddenly," Shin said calmly. "I wasn't able to cancel a prior engagement with a client."
No one dared speak out of turn. No one was bold enough to suggest that perhaps Shin Keir had walked into the wrong company.
Klaus cleared his throat. "I neglected to make an announcement earlier. Mr. Grey has recently transferred his position as a board director of Zhi Corporation to CEO Keir."
The room stirred.
"This was done at Mr. Grey's request," Klaus continued. "I intended to make a formal statement, but this emergency meeting was called before I had the chance."
Mr. Grey or Mr. White, it hardly mattered to them.
What mattered was this: why would Shin Keir, already the CEO of KGG, join the board of a company completely unrelated to his group, and one that was far beneath it in scale?
Was he taking a break from running a tech empire?
Or was this a signal that KGG intended to expand beyond technology, adding another leg to an already massive conglomerate?
One director could no longer restrain his curiosity.
"May I ask, CEO Keir, what sparked your interest in Zhi Corporation?"
"I want to enhance my leadership skills and better understand this industry," Shin replied flatly.
Silence.
Enhance his leadership skills?
Damn it. What utter nonsense!
Yet no one dared voice their disbelief.
Nolan, who had been wearing a smug expression just moments ago, felt unease creep in. He had never imagined that someone like Shin Keir would replace Mr. Grey, a man who had never once shown him a good face.
Then a thought struck him like lightning.
Klaus noticed the rapid shift in Nolan's expression, but what puzzled him even more was the sudden return of arrogance on his brother's face.
The meeting resumed, but the atmosphere had completely changed.
When the topic of removing Klaus Zhi as CEO resurfaced, the balance no longer leaned toward Nolan. But it did not tilt toward Klaus either.
Without a single word being spoken, it was clear.
These seasoned old foxes were waiting. Waiting to see which side Shin Keir would choose.
Growing increasingly eager, Nolan began listing Klaus's faults and failures as CEO.
This time, he sounded less like a brother and more like a prosecutor, presenting evidence with cold precision, condemning a man he had already declared guilty.
When Shin Keir asked whether everyone shared that view, the response was very different from earlier.
Unlike when Klaus had asked, no one rushed to agree. Instead, vague replies filled the room.
"Nolan isn't wrong, but…"
"There are still some uncertainties…"
"What if we consider other possibilities…"
Every sentence curved back to the same question.
What does CEO Keir think?
Carefully indirect, deliberately ambiguous, the board stalled, each person eager to leave a favorable impression on Shin Keir.
Nolan stared at them in disbelief, anger simmering beneath his skin.
He knew it. Those arguments alone would never be enough to remove Klaus Zhi.
Klaus, meanwhile, showed no intention of silently swallowing the accusations.
"The company's declining revenue," he said coolly, "was the result of someone cutting corners. Cheaper ingredients and inferior supplies were approved, leading to consumer complaints and delayed negotiations with our original suppliers."
Nolan instinctively looked away. He knew better than anyone that those decisions had been made under his direction, all in a desperate attempt to impress upper management with short-term gains.
"And as for a so-called toxic corporate culture," Klaus continued, a faint sneer appearing. "What exactly does that mean?"
His gaze sharpened. "Shall I remind everyone that Nolan Zhi recently went viral for his chaotic private life? His mistress creating a public scene while wrestling with his legal wife?"
Nolan slammed his hand on the table, his face flushing red. "What does my private life have to do with the company?!"
"So my daughter being falsely accused damages the company's reputation," Klaus shot back, "but yours does not? Have any of you considered the public backlash we would face if our CEO were someone with questionable morals and a scandal-ridden private life?"
The room shifted.
Those who had maintained neutrality earlier suddenly felt uneasy. The issue had been public knowledge for a long time, and now that it was dragged into the open, it was clearly unacceptable.
"It was a misunderstanding!" Nolan argued hastily. "That matter will be clarified. If needed, I can issue a statement immediately. That woman was just my ex-girlfriend, not a mistress. She was confused."
Wrestling with the legal wife was considered confused?
Few looked convinced.
At his age, still entangled in public romantic scandals, it was nothing short of humiliating.
The room fell into an uneasy stalemate. Some directors weighed their personal gains in silence. Others were more concerned with currying favor with Shin Keir than with the company's future.
Shin Keir glanced lazily at his watch. Then he spoke. "I vote for Klaus Zhi to retain his position as CEO."
The argument came to an abrupt halt.
Nolan froze, his expression twisted, as if he had suddenly suffered from constipation.