Chapter 95: The Boardroom Purge
Rick left the wooden pier behind as he took deliberate, heavy strides toward the massive glass administration building situated at the center of the Azure Harbor complex, deciding it was time to officially claim his throne.
He pushed the heavy front doors open and stepped into the air-conditioned lobby, where a young, professional receptionist sat behind a polished marble desk, sorting through a stack of VIP guest manifests.
She looked up as Rick approached, her eyes lingering for a fraction of a second on his plain black t-shirt, faded denim jeans, and scuffed boots, since his casual attire starkly contrasted the tailored suits of the billionaires who usually wandered into this specific building.
"Welcome to Azure Harbor Marina, sir," the receptionist greeted politely, maintaining her professional smile despite her internal confusion, as she clasped her hands together. "How may I assist you today? Are you looking to book a standard rental slip or register a vessel?"
Rick did not offer a polite greeting in return, as he simply rested his large hands on the edge of the marble desk, looking down at her with cold, deadpan eyes.
"I am not here to rent a slip," Rick stated flatly, his deep voice carrying a heavy, oppressive weight that made the receptionist blink in surprise. "My name is Rick Smith, and I am here for the executive board meeting."
𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
The receptionist’s polite smile vanished instantly, as the blood drained from her face, leaving her looking like a sick ghost.
Her trembling hands frantically grabbed a digital tablet resting on her desk, swiping past the guest manifests to pull up the urgent, top-priority corporate memo she had received just an hour ago from the global registry.
She stared at the name displayed in bold red letters on her screen, confirming the identity of the phantom billionaire who had just acquired one hundred percent of the marina’s holding company, before she looked back up at the young man standing in front of her.
"M-Mr. Smith!" the receptionist stammered, as her knees physically buckled, forcing her to stumble out from behind the marble desk and bow at a strict ninety-degree angle, terrified she had offended a true dragon by questioning his purpose. "Please forgive my ignorance! General Manager Bi and the senior executives are already waiting for you in the top-floor boardroom!"
"Point the way," Rick commanded lazily, ignoring her apologies since she was just a low-level worker doing her job.
"Take the private elevator straight up, Boss," she whispered reverently, gesturing toward the restricted access doors with a shaking hand. "It opens directly into the executive suite."
Rick walked past the groveling receptionist, stepping into the elevator and swiping his hand over the sensor, waiting as the car ascended rapidly to the summit of the administration building.
The elevator chimed softly, as the metal doors glided open, revealing a sprawling, sunlit boardroom where seven older men and women wearing expensive business suits sat around a massive oval table.
Sitting at the immediate right of the empty Chairman’s seat was General Manager Bi Songjiang, a stern, sharp-eyed veteran of the marine logistics industry who possessed decades of elite management experience.
Bi Songjiang looked up as the elevator doors opened, his eyes narrowing slightly at the sight of the casual clothes, but his sharp corporate instincts triggered the moment he felt the suffocating, apex predator aura radiating from the young man entering the room.
"You must be Mr. Smith," Bi Songjiang declared, standing up immediately and bowing his head, proving he possessed the vision to recognize Mount Tai regardless of the attire.
The other six executives gasped softly, exchanging nervous glances, as they hurriedly pushed their chairs back and stood up to bow toward Rick, shocked that their new supreme owner was barely in his twenties.
"Have a seat," Rick ordered, walking directly to the head of the table and dropping into the heavy leather Chairman’s chair, resting his boots casually on the edge of the polished wood to assert his dominance.
The executives sat back down in unison, keeping their spines perfectly straight, sweating slightly under his intense, calculating gaze.
"I have reviewed the harbor’s quarterly financials, Mr. Smith," GM Bi began, sliding a thick folder across the table to prove his competence. "Profits are steady, but we are currently implementing a new logistical framework to streamline the commercial seafood lanes, since I know the Peninsula Hotel relies heavily on our daily shipments."
Rick nodded slowly, acknowledging the General Manager’s sharp foresight, as he flipped the folder open.
"Your commercial logistics are adequate, Bi," Rick stated coldly, shutting the folder with a sharp snap. "But your management over the VIP rental slips is a rotting mess."
Bi Songjiang stiffened, his face falling into a mask of deep concern, as he looked around the table.
"I assure you, Boss, we maintain the highest standards of luxury..." Bi started to defend his team, before Rick raised a single finger, silencing the older man instantly.
"Where is the Operations Manager for the eastern VIP pier?" Rick asked lazily, his eyes locking onto the single empty leather chair positioned at the far end of the oval table.
GM Bi sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose, clearly frustrated by the absence of his subordinate.
"Manager Miao texted me ten minutes ago," Bi explained apologetically. "He claimed he was dealing with a massive structural emergency on one of our rental yachts and a hostile tourist harassing our VIP guests, so he requested a slight delay in attending this meeting."
Rick let out a dark, booming laugh that echoed off the boardroom walls, finding the sheer audacity of the corrupt rat incredibly entertaining.
"A structural emergency and a hostile tourist," Rick mocked crudely, resting his chin on his hand. "Let’s wait for him, then. I want to hear all about his heroic efforts."
The boardroom fell into a tense, agonizing silence for exactly five minutes, as the executives shifted uncomfortably in their seats, terrified by the heavy, villainous smirk dancing across their new owner’s face.
Suddenly, the heavy wooden doors at the back of the boardroom burst open, as Manager Miao swaggered into the room, smoothing down the lapels of his flashy blue suit.
Miao carried a digital tablet under his arm, looking incredibly smug and self-satisfied, as he walked toward his empty chair without even bothering to look toward the head of the table.
"My deepest apologies for the delay, General Manager Bi!" Miao announced loudly, his voice reeking of unearned arrogance, as he puffed his chest out to impress his colleagues. "I had to handle a very delicate situation on the docks, since some of our high-paying female guests experienced a minor accident with a wine bottle."
"Just a wine bottle?" GM Bi asked sternly, glaring at the tardy manager.
"A tiny scratch on the leather, nothing to worry about," Miao waved his hand dismissively, acting like the savior of the company. "But the real issue was this uneducated, broke street rat who wandered onto the restricted pier! He started harassing the girls and demanding we charge them a fortune!"
Miao chuckled maliciously, shaking his head as he pulled his chair out, eager to brag about his fake alpha dominance.
"The peasant was wearing cheap, faded jeans and a ratty black shirt," Miao boasted to the silent room, completely oblivious to the sheer terror radiating from the other executives. "He tried to lecture me about company policy! Can you believe the audacity of these poor beggars? I put him in his place and threatened to have security break his legs if he didn’t crawl back to the gutter!"
"Is that so, Miao?"