Chapter 4

Ariel had all but become the center of attention. She had even set up several devices on-site to livestream across multiple platforms at once.

The title of her livestream was impossible to miss: [A Worker's Fight, Won! From Now On, We Only Talk Money!]

She stood at the center of a small crowd, riding high as she explained how she had "woken up the silent majority."

Kevin hovered around her like a personal manager. One moment, he straightened her collar; the next, he flashed a victory sign at the camera.

The room fell quiet for a moment when I walked in.

But the silence did not last. Almost immediately, everyone turned that same look on me: gleeful anticipation at the prospect of watching me humiliate myself.

I stepped up to the podium and cleared my throat. "Good morning, everyone."

My voice carried clearly through the microphone and filled the hall. "Regarding the recent controversy online and the concerns many of you have raised about this company's values, I want to offer, on behalf of management, a sincere and thorough self-criticism."

I bowed deeply to the room.

The applause and whistles that followed seemed endless.

In Ariel's livestream, the comment feed instantly exploded.

[Holy shit! The boss actually caved!]

[Hell yes! This is a historic moment for workers everywhere!]

[She's a badass! You changed the rules!]

In the crowd, Kevin clapped enthusiastically and grinned from ear to ear. He shot me a look that said this was long overdue.

I straightened and continued, "After serious reflection, we've come to understand that our previous management style was vague and overly reliant on sentiment. It lacked clarity and left far too much room for misunderstanding.

"That runs counter to what we are at our core: a business that pursues efficiency and clearly defined returns.

"So, in direct response to the calls from so many of you for measurable, quantified value..."

I deliberately let the pause stretch.

Everyone in the room held their breath and leaned in slightly.

Ariel kept her camera trained on me, ready to capture what she believed would be a historic moment.

I swept my gaze across the room and announced my decision. "Effective immediately, every flexible benefit policy that cannot be measured will be abolished."

"Yes!"

The cheers nearly brought the roof down.

"And to ensure that every resource this company has is devoted to achieving maximum efficiency..."

I paused again.

"Starting next Monday, the company will fully implement standardized KPI evaluations and a mandatory overtime schedule. Everyone will work from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., six days a week.

"Base pay for every position will be cut by 30%. The remaining compensation will be tied strictly to performance. At the end of each quarter, the lowest performers will be let go."

The faces that had been celebrating only seconds earlier instantly went rigid. Fear and unease filled the eyes of the employees who had been counting on a guaranteed base salary while comfortably coasting with minimal effort.

The phone I had placed on the podium to control the projector suddenly lit up.

An urgent email appeared in real time on the giant screen behind me. Every word carried a chilling weight.

[Sender: Starlight Capital, Hugh Lawrence]

Hugh was the most prestigious venture capitalist in the industry and the single most important potential investor in our Series B round.

[Mr. Spencer, I've seen what's circulating online.

We can't accept backing a company with such an unstable culture, where employees show no sense of contractual integrity or professionalism.

My top analyst, Russell Sutherland, will be joining your company as a Special Advisor starting next Monday.

He will conduct the final evaluation of your team.

Whether this funding round goes through depends entirely on the results of that evaluation. Prove to me that your team is worth my money.]

Hugh's email plunged the conference hall into dead silence.

Everyone understood exactly what it would mean if the team failed that evaluation.

At that moment, fear gripped the entire room.