Chapter 573

Chapter 573 Testing The Waters

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+5 Pearls

Rowan held considerable seniority within the company. Even Howard respected him when he was in charge.

that Lysander suddenly became his superior, it was no surprise that Rowan felt dissatisfied.

Lysander listened quietly as the discussion progressed, occasionally jotting down notes related to the project.

Rowan, feeling no need to be courteous, spoke confidently as if he were the highest authority in the company. At moments, his passion caused him to strike the table for emphasis.

“The financial report this month was truly abysmal. We couldn’t collect the payments for the goods, and sales have drastically decreased. I really don’t know what the sales department has been doing! And what about the legal department? Aren’t they supposed to handle uncollected final payments? Even though Mr. Guerra isn’t in charge of Thorne Constructions and Energies anymore, I am still around!”

Lysander glanced at the head of the marketing department seated in the middle of the conference table, who also held shares. He was quick to shift the blame defiantly, saying, “Who’s to blame for this? When Mr. Howard was around, this was the rule, and Mr. Guerra did not change it either.”

Tensions were running high among the top brass in the company, the air thick with conflict.

Lysander quickly recalled the materials she had reviewed and carefully considered her response. “The financial report you mentioned is from last month. Let’s focus on finding solutions for this month. onward.

“I wonder what your plan is, Ms. Thorne? It’s not easy to recover those final payments.”

“Let me thoroughly review the contract first, then I’ll discuss it with the legal department before making a decision.

Relying on his seniority, Rowan showed no respect to Lysander, and immediately shouted, “Wait? Until when? If the company’s cash flow is limited, are you prepared to cover these holes yourself?”

Lysander replied, “First, let us think about increasing revenue and cutting costs. This client has a large order, and we might continue to do business with them in the future. It is not wise to offend them too much. If they switch to our rival company, the loss will outweigh the gain.”

Another man with gold–rimmed glasses joined the conversation. “Ms. Thorne, increasing revenue and cutting costs may sound easy, but in the end, it is just empty talk. Do you have any brilliant ideas?”

Lysander matched him with the finance director’s name on the files and nodded. “I am new here, lacking experience and expertise. Mr. Barrera, if you have better ideas, please share them, and let us discu together.”

Clyde Barrera adjusted his glasses and chuckled. “Looks like you’ve done your homework before coming here. You already know us all.”

Lysander responded, “I’ve seen everyone’s resumes and profiles, but honestly, I am still getting to know everyone’s faces. So, Mr. Barrera, any ideas? I’m all ears.”

Clyde sneered and turned away. “I am only in charge of finance, not business or legal affairs. I don’t have

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Chapter 573 Testing The Waters

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Lysander nodded and then asked, “Who is Mr. Castillo from the legal department?”

A person at the end of the table raised his hand. “Ms. Thorne, I am Herbert Castillo.”

“Mr. Castillo, you’re a seasoned legal professional, having previously served in large overseas companies. I am interested to hear your perspective.”

Herbert pondered for a moment before saying, “I think it is best to go directly to Mr. Guerra and let him decide.”

His statement made it clear that he was avoiding responsibility.

Once these words were spoken, the majority of people began to chime in.

“Right, let us consult Mr. Guerra before making a decision.”

“Absolutely! Mr. Guerra is much more reliable. This young Ms. Thorne just does not cut it, no matter how you look at it. I really can’t fathom what Mr. Thorne was thinking. Even if he wanted to promote his own daughter, he shouldn’t be so nepotistic!”

“Exactly! It’s like she’s treating the whole company as her plaything! She’s the heiress of the Thorne family. so it does not matter to her if the company dissolves. But what about the thousands of employees? They’d be out of jobs!”

“Don’t you know yet? Mr. Guerra has already teamed up with Dillon. He won’t be looking after us

anymore.”

“Oh my, what are we going to do? Is our company really going to go under because of a little girl?”

As Herbert listened, he slowly glanced at his wristwatch. It was clear that he found the meeting rather uninteresting, showing signs of waning patience.

Lysander raised her voice and remarked, “That’s a nice watch, Mr. Castillo.”

Herbert chuckled. “Not too bad. Last year, under the guidance of Mr. Guerra, Thorne Constructions and Energies performed exceptionally well. The year–end bonus was in the seven figures, so I treated myself to a watch.”

“It seems you hold a high regard for Mr. Guerra.”

Herbert corrected, “Ms. Thorne, your words are not quite right. Given Mr. Guerra’s status and audacity, he does not need approval from a nobody like me. I simply admire him and am considering switching to Guerra Group to continue following him.”

A junior staff member from the administrative department quietly chimed in, “Me too.”

It seemed this was the sentiment shared by the majority of the company.

In all honesty, when it came to running a company, Lysander truly admired Josiah.

While allowing Lysanne’s cousin to create chaos in his own company, he did not miss out on gaining personal admirers.

When he last attended the summit in Apex City, it seemed as though he had quite a significant fan base.

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Chapter 573 Testing The Waters

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With Herbert leading the way, several others who had previously been at odds suddenly turned their guns on Lysander.

“Ms.

With a hint of anger, Rowan said, Thorne, it is one thing to be late for the meeting, but your words sound like they’re from a script. We all know these clichés, but now the company’s orders are dwindling. and we’re almost entirely reliant on old customers,”

The head of the marketing department chimed in, “Yes, Ms. Thome. You’re so young, and you probably haven’t encountered such situations before. A new leader taking over can’t be this rash with drastic changes.”

With these people confronting her, the questions thrown at Lysander became more and more challenging.

“Ms. Thorne, you aren’t from the construction industry, right? No wonder you look so unfamiliar. You should know that the company’s agenda was personally set by Mr. Guerra. The company is where it is today because of him.”

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Lysander remained calm and replied, “I know that Mr. Guerra has made significant contributions to Thorne Constructions and Energies over the years. But now that he’s no longer in charge, we need to work together to solve specific issues. We can’t always rely on him.”

Rowan quickly added, “Makes sense. So, here’s the deal. We have an invitation to tender coming up, and if we can secure it, we won’t have to worry about this year’s projects. Everyone is trying to figure out how to seize this opportunity. Ms. Thorne, how do you suggest we handle this?”

“I need to see the details first,” Lysander replied. While she had reviewed the materials in detail, she was not entirely sure about the company’s upcoming projects.

Nonetheless, she remained composed and said, “The competitive tendering is no small matter. Since this. opportunity is so crucial, I am sure each department has made preparations. After the meeting, please send the materials and documents you’ve prepared to my office. I’ll review them as soon as possible and provide a response to everyone.”