Everything was unfolding just as Jacob had anticipated. Sanderson was still clinging to the sweet dream that Jacob was the dutiful son, easily manipted by his father. "Looks like you hit a nerve; he''s been blowing up your phone," his assistant remarked. "Even called me, wondering why you weren''t at the office."


    "Let him stew," Jacob said as he strode confidently towards his car.


    What could Sanderson possibly need him for now? The most pressing issue at hand was the investigation by the Financial Crimes Unit.


    Sanderson''s name wasn''t on the list, but he was the puppet master behind every scene.


    After the shareholders'' meeting, Jacob hadn''t set foot in the office for three days, socializing from dawn till dusk, meeting with every heavyweight in town.d2


    Truth be told, whenpared to Graham, Jacob''s name carried more weight.


    Slowly but surely, the old leader was stepping down, making way for the sprouting new generation to take the reins of major corporations.


    Among this new breed, if you had to pick the two most beloved figures.


    Jacob was certainly one, and the other was Wayne.


    But Jacob was different from Wayne, who ruled with an iron fist and audacity.


    Jacob''s currency was his social prowess.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Over the years, he had be a conduit, silently orchestrating coborations among the scions of wealth and privilege.


    Whenever there was an irreconcble conflict between families.


    Mr. Strand would set the stage, inviting both parties to break bread, indulge in small talk, and share a drink. With mutual interests at y, resolutions were swiftly found. Jacob was also known for his generosity. Anyone in a bind who reached out to him could expect support, with checks of hundreds of thousands, even millions, readily signed off. To Sanderson, all of these were nothing but Jacob''s frivolous indulgence.


    Three dayster.


    Jacob returned to the Strand Group headquarters with a stack of new partnership deals.


    During those three days, Jacob''s assistant, together with the newly recruited HR director, had been making bold and sweeping changes within thepany, letting many employees go.


    Apart from the standardyoffs, which came with generous severance payouts. There were quite a few who had been caught doing shady things, fired with thepany retaining the right to prosecute. What added insult to injury was that the HR department recorded the entire process to prevent the dismissed employees from spreading rumors online.


    When it came toyoffs, the evidence was overwhelmingly clear.


    With vacancies created, recements were needed.


    Jacob had enlisted several top head-hunters, who had been working tirelessly but sessfully over the past few days.


    Many of Sanderson''s people had been let go.


    The department under him had been practically gutted.


    Upon hearing of Jacob''s return, Sanderson stormed into Jacob''s office, fury written all over his face, "Jacob, what the hell are you doing? You take over as chairman and you don''t even show up at the office, spending your days in indulging with your friends, and then you have the gall to fire my staff! Do you want to run the Strand Group into the ground that badly?!"


    Sanderson''s voice boomed. The office door was left ajar, and it seemed like his roar could be heard throughout the entire floor.


    "Indulging?" Jacob pped the stack of partnership files on the desk, "If securing new deals for thepany also counts as indulgence, then Mr. Sanderson, perhaps you''ve been indulging far too little in the past?"