Chapter 153
Seeing Penelope and Leo leave happily, Charlie couldn’t help rubbing his slightly throbbing temples.
“Grandpa.” Ben pursed his lips. “Although we’re not staying together anymore, the two villas are quite close. Penelope can come here often.”
Charlie let out a long sigh.
He said, “I know, Ben. Penelope has done a lot of things behind my back over the years. Although I know a little, I always think that she can change one day, so I’ve been deceiving myself and trying to suppress the matter. I know that you have tolerated her for so many years for my sake.”
Charlie was a decisive man when he was young.
However, as one aged, it was inevitable that one would reminisce about the past and be a little more lenient on certain things.
Even if Penelope had done a lot of bad things, she had always been respectful to Charlie. She didn’t have her own social events and her clothes were very simple. She was also willing to accompany him to watch documentaries that young people hated the most.
In addition, although what Penelope had done was ridiculous, it couldn’t cause any real damage to Ben at all.
Therefore, although Charlie warned Penelope over and over again, he did not do anything specific in the end.
But now, Charlie realized that he was wrong.
He patted Ben gently on the back of his hand and said, “Ben, you don’t have to feel sorry. I should be the one feeling guilty. In the past, you would rather live in the company than go home. I scolded you many times because of this, but I didn’t think about it from your point of view. Every time you come home, someone will always be there, being sarcastic and mocking you. Although it won’t do you any substantial harm, can such a place still be regarded as your home?”
Charlie sighed and said, “I understood this only after Susan entered the family. Susan is a very good child, really. Penelope is always saying mean words, and insinuating things. You often don’t react. I thought that you shouldn’t be bothered to argue with her so I didn’t say much. But what about Susan? When Penelope says something strange, she must fight. back until Penelope is rendered speechless. Since then, you have been going home frequently. Because, in this family, there is finally someone who really protects you, right?”
“Grandpa…” Ben had a complicated expression on his face.
Susan hurriedly said, “Grandpa, I just like to quarrel, and I wasn’t protecting him. At that time, he was so scary to me. How could I be in the mood to protect him?”
Susan said that on purpose because she didn’t want Charlie to feel too guilty.
“Oh dear.” Charlie sighed. “At my age, what can’t I see through? In the past, I always thought that we were a family and that as time went by, no matter how big the conflict was, it would disappear one day. But I ignored the grievances Ben suffered in the process. Since I made a mistake, I have to correct it. The only thing I can do to make up for it is to split up the family today.”
Charlie glanced at Ben gently and said, “In my name, I will officially announce that the Landor family is divided into two branches. Your branch has nothing to do with Leo. No matter what the mother–son duo do in the future, it won’t have anything to do with you
anymore.”
Charlie had always been a reserved person.
But at this moment, he was looking at Ben with unconcealed love in his eyes.
Ben had always been the grandson he was proudest of.
Ben had mixed feelings.
He stepped forward and gently hugged the Charlie.
Charlie was stunned for a moment, and his eyes welled up with tears.
His grandson was very clingy to him when he was a child.
But how long had it been since Ben last hugged him like this after taking over Storm
Group?
Charlie patted Ben on the back and pretended to be stern. “Alright, you’re an adult now. Why are you still acting like a child?”
Ben laughed. “There’s nothing wrong with being a child.”
If it weren’t for the Charlie saving him back then, it was impossible for Ben to be like this.
For Ben, Charlie and Susan were probably the two most important people in his life.
The next day.
Leo was full of energy and ready to inspect the company.
If he had known that he could directly get a company and so much cash after the family had divided, he would’ve suggested it long ago.
But it was not too late now.
He was still young.
Ten years later, he would establish another Storm Group.
Leo held his head high and went to the company with his mother and wife.
In Leo’s imagination, as soon as the news of the new boss got out, the employees should be full of joy and even lined up excitedly to wait for him at the entrance of the company.
However, the truth was the entrance of the subsidiary was empty. There was nothing but
air.
Leo darkened his face at once.
He walked all the way in, but no one recognized him.
It was not until he was about to enter the office that someone stopped him.
Leo angrily revealed his identity, and the secretary quickly invited him to go.
Leo sat down and was about to teach the employees a lesson.
As a result…
At first glance, he saw a large stack of resignation letters on the table!
“What’s going on?” Leo was stunned.
The secretary hurriedly said, “Mr. Leo, everyone is here for the Storm Group. But now, the company is officially independent and no longer belongs to the Storm Group, so many people will naturally quit their jobs.”
Leo looked even grimmer now.
“Who are these people?” Penelope was angry. “Leo, we don’t want these people anymore. If they want to get out, let them go.”
Leo said with a gloomy face, “I’ve approved all these resignation letters. Tell them not to cry and beg to come back in the future.”
The secretary responded and then skillfully took out a letter from her pocket. “Then my resignation letter?”
Leo was speechless. “…Get lost!”
In just half a day, half of the employees in the subsidiary were gone.
The rest of the employees were still watching.
The more Leo thought about it, the more indignant he became. Before those resigned employees had handed over their work, he deliberately sent a message saying that the salary of all the remaining employees would rise by 10%!
Heh! With how generous he was, those who wanted to leave would probably be angered to death.
Unfortunately, no matter how they begged, he would not let them stay any longer.
Leo was waiting for the sound of regret and pleading from the employees when he realized that there was something wrong with their expressions.
The resigning employees were all relieved.
The employees who had not resigned yet were also shaken.
Leo was speechless.
The secretary, who had handed in her resignation letter but had not handed it over yet, could not bear it and reminded him softly, “We have the same terms as the Storm Group for the salary increase. In the company, every year when we stay, the salary will rise by 20%. The outstanding ones will get an even higher salary increase. Now is the right time to raise the salary every year. Mr. Leo, your offer… isn’t enough to keep people here.”
Leo was speechless.
An increase of 20% every year?
Ben must be crazy!
Isabella’s eyes flickered and she pulled Leo. “Leo, if they want to leave, just let them go. We can recruit new employees with a lower pay.”
She had already regarded Leo’s money as hers, so naturally, she didn’t want Leo to spend
more money.
Leo nodded. Ignoring the employees, he turned around and left.
As a result, more than half of the remaining employees handed in their resignation letters as well.
This time, Leo was not anxious at all.
He had already thought about it.
He wanted to do things differently and create his own business empire.
Leo was eager to know more about the company’s business.
He had just flipped through a document.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
Leo coughed and picked up the phone with a dignified expression. “Hello?”
“Is this Mr. Leo?” The person on the other
from Urban Electronics. I’m calling to found of the line hurriedly said, “I’m Mr. Fairchild
you that the agreement between our two
companies has expired. From now on, it won’t be renewed.”
Not renewed?
Frowning, Leo quickly flipped through the documents and found the information on Urban Electronics.
His brows immediately jumped straight up.
It was a great company and was one of their main partners.
Leo’s company would definitely suffer heavy losses if Urban Electronics were not renewing
the contract.
“Mr. Fairchild, this matter…” Leo still wanted to talk about it.
But the man hung up the phone directly.
Leo couldn’t help looking grim.
Bah! How snobbish!
Mr. Leo?
He hated that Mr. Fairchild didn’t address him as Mr. Landor, and thought it was better not to work with people of such.
Leo was still angry when he received another call.
This phone call was to tell Leo that they had decided not to sign the contract they had agreed on before.
Leo felt that something was wrong.
Then, calls came in one after another.
Their original partners had all given up on them.
Although Leo still looked calm, he was a little anxious in his heart.
What was going on?
The secretary next to him packed up her things and was about to leave.
Seeing Leo like this, he still reminded him, “Mr. Leo, there is today’s newspaper on the bookshelf next to you. Take it and have a look.”
After that, he left.
Leo
frowned and took the newspaper to read.
Penelope and Isabella also came over curiously. C0ntent © 2024 (N/ô)velDrama.Org.
On the front page of the newspaper, Charlie made an announcement, and the title was printed in a huge, bold font.
Charlie announced the wealth distribution of the Landor family to the public. He had stated that Leo and Ben would no longer have any business dealings with each other.
Wealthy and powerful families had split up in the past, and this was nothing new.
But most of them were dealt with in secret.
Charlie was the first person to directly publish the matter on the newspaper like this.
He almost mentioned that Leo’s matter would have nothing to do with Ben in the future.
Now, anyone with a little reading ability would know.
The relationship between Ben and Leo was ordinary.
Moreover, Ben would no longer care about the subsidiary assigned to Leo.
For the investors, Ben was like a great brand. As long as a company was under the Storm Group, there would be people who would ask for cooperation with good deals.
But now… this subsidiary had nothing to do with the Storm Group.
The new CEO was just a fresh graduate of college.
How could the investors trust him?
Hence, everyone asked to terminate the cooperation, which was expected.
“Dad has gone too far,” Penelope said angrily, “You and Ben are still brothers, aren’t you? Does he have to tell the world that you two are doing business separately now?”