Midtown Manhattan, Rockefeller Center.
Bruce packed up his things and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Hey, Bruce, I heard you're going to work for your daughter—seriously?" an old colleague came over and asked.
"No, not work—I'm the CEO. Chief Executive Officer. I'm just worried about my daughter," Bruce said, a little embarrassed.
"Hey, that puts you on the same level as our boss now…"
"Well, everyone, I'm heading out."
Bruce practically fled the office, finally breathing a real sigh of relief.
The CEO (Chief Executive Officer) position was a product of reforms and innovations in corporate governance in the United States during the 1960s. The first time the term had been mentioned in the company was by Bruce himself; in fact, the company only introduced a CEO position during Bruce's rise. The company underwent a major personnel reorganization, and Bruce was promoted as a result.
The CEO system originated in the United States as a form of corporate management. It is an important component of the modern corporate system—and likely of the future as well. Its widespread adoption in American companies is determined by the characteristics of U.S. shareholding structures.
In the United States, corporate ownership structures mainly consist of two types of shareholders. One is minority shareholders, who are highly dispersed. Because their holdings are small and scattered, they neither care much about nor are able to interfere with company management. The other type is so-called institutional investors, such as pension funds, life insurance companies, and investment trusts (notably, venture capital was founded by Laurence Rockefeller). These institutions generally hold large stakes in companies, but they are not the true owners—only agents managing funds on behalf of others. As a result, they are less concerned with a company's long-term performance and more focused on stock prices. They tend to act discreetly, quickly selling their shares if returns decline. There are also independent directors, who have no direct connection to the company. This ownership structure prevents boards of directors from exercising strong, hands-on control. Because equity is so dispersed and weak, shareholders usually do not participate directly in day-to-day operations; instead, professional managers are fully responsible for running the company.
Of course, the CEO of Catherine's company is different in some respects. On the surface, it looks like Bruce has simply replaced Catherine in her role, but in the future, the company itself will become the core of corporate management.
Catherine never wanted her business to be limited to the United States; she wanted it to become a multinational corporation.
Another factor behind the rise of CEOs is precisely the emergence of these multinational corporations.
Bruce had an excellent job.
Yet for the sake of his daughter, he chose to leave it.
He still remembered the look of shock on his boss's face when he explained why he was resigning.
Was working for his daughter really that bad?
Hey! My daughter is a genius—a genius! How could they possibly understand a genius?
That said, Bruce was extremely capable. After taking over the company, his first decision was to establish an office in New York, moving operations from distant Georgia to New York while shipping products directly from Georgia. This arrangement proved very convenient.
As a result, the company's business grew by 20 percent.
After that, Bruce hired many new employees, essentially building a proper corporate structure so the company was no longer run solely by Catherine as it had been before.
Once that was done, Bruce traveled to Georgia to inspect the factory's production. Catherine had managed this side very well, and Bruce was satisfied, so he made no changes.
Overall, the company showed a strong upward trend and was thriving. Although it was not yet large, thanks to its founder—the "little genius" Catherine—it enjoyed an excellent reputation. Thanks to Time magazine's interview with Catherine, the company's current situation was quite favorable.
After everything was settled, Bruce didn't get to rest—Catherine wouldn't allow it.
The company was producing the Magic Chess series, with shipments reaching 300,000 units. While that wasn't a sales figure, it was still an impressive result. Each game sold for ten dollars, and each module set cost five dollars, allowing the company to recover its investment quickly.
Originally, the reason for developing the D&D series was The Lord of the Rings. Now, it was Catherine's Harry Potter. In other words, Catherine's Harry Potter had replaced The Lord of the Rings as the foundation of its influence and reach in the United States.
After recouping her investment, Catherine considered setting up a new subsidiary—Apple—something she had always envisioned.
Catherine's vision for Apple was entertainment and fashion, staying on the cutting edge; that was her requirement for the company.
After the company was founded, its first product, GameTV, was ready for launch.
According to the plan, GameTV had already begun production, but sales had not yet started. Instead, inventory was being stockpiled.
The reason was the World's Fair.
Catherine planned to debut GameTV at the World's Fair and then begin sales.
Even so, people were already asking about it.
After all, Catherine had mentioned it in Time magazine, but people couldn't really understand what a "video game" was based on text alone.
If it had been anyone else, the topic might have faded away, but Catherine had been in the headlines constantly lately. Things that once would have been ignored were now coming to the surface.
Although Catherine herself hadn't paid much attention to it, the "scarcity effect" was already becoming obvious.
Catherine had been practicing target shooting, but her best score so far was only five rings.
This was a shooting club—more precisely, a private shooting club.
"Kate, you're amazing! You actually hit a five!" Lily exclaimed beside her.
"Maybe," Catherine shrugged.
This was property owned by Jenny's grandfather, and the location was very secluded. Otherwise, if people saw a young girl in a place like this, the other members would probably be quite shocked.
Catherine looked at the M1911A1 pistol in her hand.
The M1911A1 is one of the oldest firearms among the world's ten most famous guns. However, this one appeared to have been modified—slightly "miniaturized," with less recoil but also less stopping power, seemingly designed for women.
When Jenny first invited Catherine and her friends, she had honestly been stunned.
To be precise, this place had been a birthday gift from Old White to Jenny, though it was now fully equipped.
Jenny was fifteen years old, and although a gun license requires you to be sixteen in the United States, that didn't stop her from practicing here.
In fact, Catherine's friends were incredibly excited after being invited.
Although gun ownership was legal in the United States, it was still prohibited for minors.
Everyone was thrilled just to get close to these weapons.
In reality, though, they weren't really practicing shooting—it was just for fun.
The only one practicing seriously was Catherine.
She had always believed she needed at least one or two ways to protect herself, especially after Bitman drugged her.
Lesson learned: Catherine was no longer lacking in vigilance—but she lacked the means to defend herself.
After all, this was one of the most chaotic periods for law and order in U.S. history.
"Maybe… I should start a security company," Catherine thought. She recalled her "Black Lagoon Project," but then felt the name didn't quite fit security—it sounded more like mercenaries.
This was exactly the right time for such a company to thrive, during the Vietnam War.
Besides, Jenny's grandfather was an arms dealer—maybe they could even work together.
Catherine's eyes lit up.
This was an opportunity.
Bang!
Another shot rang out. Catherine smiled. A perfect ten.
—Though it was a close-range target.
She subtly adjusted her stance, then quietly stroked her gun with a faint smile…