Chapter 1056: This board has decided

"It seems... we’ve got our first no."

Just like Benjamin did with the last seven ballots, he spun around slowly to show the ballot to everyone. As he did, he studied everyone’s reaction: some furrowed their brows in confusion, others arched an eyebrow, glancing at the others as if trying to find out who voted "no," and a few let out a sigh of relief. The rest were either neutral or just waiting to hear the final result.

"Seven yes and one no," Benjamin remarked before pulling out another ballot. When his eyes landed on it, he didn’t react immediately. His tone grew colder as he announced, "Our second no."

"Ah, goodness..." William’s lackey heaved a sigh of relief, sliding his eyes toward William. "Director William, I think they’ve already used up their ’yes’ votes."

"Another five ’no’s, and his chances will drop," the other whispered.

William’s expression remained unchanged as he glared in Jonathan’s direction. He didn’t say anything immediately, as those ballots could still be their own votes.

"I’m taking out another one," Benjamin announced, placing his hand inside the ballot box before checking it carefully. It was hard to tell what the vote was because neither Benjamin nor the other two with him showed any reaction.

"No," Benjamin said, revealing the sheet, and following his usual routine. "Seven yes, and three no."

William’s lackeys adjusted from their seats, their chests shaking with a mix of anxiety and relief. They couldn’t help but clasp their hands together, feeling their palms sweat. When they heard Benjamin announce the fourth "no," they almost choked.

"Goodness, this is making me anxious," someone grumbled under his breath. "Was the AC off? I’m sweating a lot."

"Another no — that’s five," Benjamin continued in the same manner, not wasting a second as he picked another ballot. "Our sixth no."

"One more, and it’s a tie," William’s lackey breathed out, leaning forward.

William, on the other hand, silently counted his side’s votes, unable to focus on anything else.

William’s lackey was almost praying, watching Benjamin just like a fan watching their favorite team during a game. Even those who had neutral feelings couldn’t help but double their focus on the next ballot. While they might not be as anxious as those who didn’t want Atlas in the company, they knew just how important this vote was.

On one hand, they’d heard Atlas was problematic, but on the other, his attitude and work ethic had taken Global Prime Logistics to new heights. That proved how capable he was, and from a professional standpoint, Atlas was an asset to the company.

For some reason, time seemed to slow down as everyone watched Benjamin with bated breath. Some instinctively stretched their necks, as if that would give them a glimpse.

Benjamin glanced at the sheet coldly. His eyes were sharp—deadly. "Seven yes, and seven no. We’re tied. Six votes left, and we’ll know whether we welcome Mr. Atlas Bennet as the new Chief Operating Officer, or if the spot remains vacant."

Different reactions erupted quietly in the room, revealing where everyone stood in the vote.

"I’ll continue," Benjamin announced after a quick observation of the room.

Meanwhile, Benjamin noticed some people in the room were still recovering. William’s people, in particular, couldn’t help but look at each other before setting their eyes on William.

"Director, six left, and this will be over!" one of the lackeys spoke quickly, then covered his mouth and lowered his head. "Another four votes, and he won’t take the position."

William’s face was grim as he held his hand in front of him. "Four votes left..." he grumbled, looking back at Jonathan sternly. "He better make sure he has another four votes."

Having a tie with so few votes left was even more nerve-wracking. From this point on, every vote mattered. Some had to loosen their ties as the suspense built. Others sat on the edge of their seats, leaning forward.

Benjamin took out the next ballot, glanced at it, and showed it to the other two. When they nodded, Benjamin faced everyone again and announced,

"Eight... no, seven yes."

This time, the reactions were more obvious, with some sighing and others burying their faces in their palms. But Benjamin didn’t stop; he rolled out another ballot.

"Nine no, seven yes."

Atlas leaned back in his seat and exhaled deeply. As he did, he heard Zoren’s quiet voice caress his ears again.

"Nervous now?" Zoren asked, earning a short, cold glance from Atlas.

"Eight yes, nine no," Benjamin announced again, earning a different reaction from everyone.

"Still not nervous?" Atlas repeated, watching Zoren playfully face him. "You should be, because that means you’re doomed. Bid goodbye to the time you were planning to cut off from your working hours. You’re not getting rid of them."

"...." Zoren furrowed his brows and looked at Benjamin, frowning. "That almost slipped my mind."

After all, Zoren had been planning to shorten his working hours so he could focus more on his recovery. If Atlas was in the company, he could have that much freedom. The only reason Zoren didn’t put anyone else in that spot was that he didn’t need it and couldn’t trust others enough to give them such authority.

"Nine yes, nine no," Benjamin announced after a short while.

Atlas arched an eyebrow and cast Zoren a sidelong glance. "Nervous now?"

"...." Zoren was rendered speechless, lowering his gaze as he could feel Atlas’s eyes on his side. "I was simply teasing you to cheer you up, First Brother."

"I am not," Atlas coldly answered, listening to Benjamin’s next announcement.

"Nine yes, and nine no still." Benjamin showed the blank ballot. "It seems someone is undecided, which leaves the score at nine-nine."

Benjamin then showed it to everyone before handing it to the person next to him. He then slipped his hand inside the ballot box, keeping it folded in his hand.

"We only have one vote left. This will decide the fate of this company," Benjamin remarked. "Before I announce what’s inside, I first congratulate everyone for making a decision that you believe is best for the company. Whether you voted yes or no doesn’t matter. I trust that you voted with the company’s best interest in mind."

Benjamin shifted his gaze to Zoren, earning a nod from the latter before shifting his attention back to everyone. "I’ll now read the last ballot." Slowly, he opened the paper with his thumb, covering the back, then showed it to the other two.

Their reaction made everyone furrow their brows as they all seemed neutral. They weren’t happy or unhappy, concealing their emotions before standing straighter. Benjamin’s lips parted:

"This board has decided," he started sternly and clearly. "Mr. Atlas Bennet is..."