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I just nodded. It all sounded very confusing, but most technical corporate things were to me. All I knew was that he would essentially be using me as the front of the business, and he would be controlling things from the back end.
I flipped through the pages, signing wherever he indicated.
“What is this business?” I asked because I didn’t want to get myself in more legal trouble than I already was.
He seemed amused, smiling. “Renewable energy and biodegradables. It’s all legitimate, believe me, and it has the potential to be explosively profitable in the future. But the shareholders don’t see the potential and are only thinking in the short term, which is why I’m going to need you to shake things up once you get to this meeting. You might make a few enemies in there, but I need you to stand your ground.”
I nodded. It seemed simple enough, and making enemies wasn’t new to me.
“And I do mean stand your ground,” he added more seriously. “Because, trust me, if they sense any weakness, they will walk all over you.”
“Trust me,” I said. “I’ve never given in to a bully in my life, and I don’t want to start now.”
He smiled and nodded, looking satisfied. “Alright. Finish up, and we’ll head to the meeting. I’ve already informed the shareholders that you will be acting in my and your father’s stead. I’ll tell you everything else about the meeting on the way there.”
* * *
Chris was right.
The shareholders were downright hostile when I showed up, and they did not like the fact that I was there. Despite whatever he said about them expecting me, they tried everything to keep me out, including calling security and asking me for several pieces of ID to prove I was who I said I was.
I showed them all the documents, but they said they would need time to review them.
“That’s your own problem,” I said to the old man with a particularly arrogant gaze at the head of the table. Chris told me his name was Arthur, and he owned a few oil companies out in Texas. He was the next largest shareholder after me. “You can verify all you want. But I’m sitting in this meeting, acting for my father and Mr. X.”
Mr. X was Chris’ code name.
They all looked around as if they were not sure what to do next. Without saying anything, Arthur narrowed his eyes at me and gestured to the security guard to escort me out.
The guard nodded and moved toward me but came to a halt once I stated, “Touch me, and you won’t have a job by tomorrow.”
At my words, he hesitated, which was wise of him.
“Last I checked, I’m a majority shareholder now.” I turned back to the rest of them. “I have the shares and fifty-five percent stake. That means I am officially the person with the largest shares in this company. Now, you can all get used to it or sell your shares. I would be happy to buy them from you. Your choice.”
They all looked at each other some more, but none of them made any moves to evict me again.
“So, what are we talking about?” I questioned. “Because I would love to vote on this new plan to expand from renewable energy generators to ‘green oil,’ whatever the fuck that is. I think it’s atrocious and will absolutely bullshit our entire business.”
“What do you mean bullshit?” one man asked. From his appearance, I figured he was Cole, another shareholder Chris told me about.
“I mean, from a branding and logical standpoint, it makes no sense,” I said. “It will make more money in the short term, but you’re competing with every other oil company out there, and once people understand it’s just a grift, we lose our unique selling point and hence our advantage in the energy market. Plus, it’s just complete dumbassery from a financial standpoint.” I looked around at all their stunned faces. “So I vote no. And since I have the majority share, my vote is all that matters. Is that clear enough?”
They all sat there looking stupefied, as though the pristine large conference room was a ghost town.
Arthur glared at me like he wanted to rip the skin off my bones.
But I just smiled at him.
Their reactions made me a little proud of myself for pulling it off, to be honest.
But not as proud as Chris was when he met me at the park after it was all done. He was listening in on the whole thing using a listening device in the earring he gave me.
And when we met up again, he looked proud.
“I’m impressed,” he said to me, and I had to smile back, momentarily forgetting that he was my enemy.
“Thanks,” I said in return, feeling like I was on cloud nine. “Now, let’s go for ice cream.”
