Chapter 40 Internal Competition
Clara knew Diana was trying to get under her skin, but she wasn't about to assert her authority and show Diana where she stood. So, she kept her cool and just gritted her teeth. "Yes," she said.
Coralie, seeing they were on the same page, didn't say anything more.
Each department took turns speaking, but due to the company's recent bankruptcy and liquidation, some departments were basically on pause, especially the propaganda and R&D teams.
The marketing department was just babysitting the leftover products. In short, there wasn't enough work to go around, and too many employees were just sitting idle.
Clara started thinking about layoffs, especially in the propaganda department, which hadn't done anything for over a year and still had the most people.
She needed to make money to impress Charles, but all the company's projects seemed like a joke—just a bunch of cheap food items. So Clara spoke, "Now that the Percy Group is willing to invest in us, let's go for high-end products."
Isla West from marketing looked confused and asked, "Ms. Williams, our best-sellers have always been cookies and bread. Regular folks love that stuff. Why would the rich care?"
Clara, leaning on one hand, replied lazily, "Then let the R&D team come up with something new. How expensive can it be to make food? Selling to the rich can double our profits."
Some people in the room got excited, while others stayed quiet. Clara's plan needed a lot of cash. Developing a new product would take time, and then there'd be a ton of marketing. Even if it did attract the wealthy, they wouldn't buy in bulk like regular folks; the market was too small.
Clara, having been rich for a while, didn't think much of ordinary people's spending power.
Diana suddenly chimed in, "I reported this plan to Ms. Wipere, and she said it's not feasible. The Spencer Group needs to optimize the existing model, not replace it entirely."
Clara frowned, sounding annoyed. "You want to stick with the old stuff and not even try? How much money can you make selling food?"
"Food is crucial, Ms. Williams, you might not get how important good food is to people," Diana shot back.
Clara felt exposed and furious. She usually dieted and didn't eat much. "You..."
Seeing Clara about to lose it, Diana quickly cut in, "Ms. Wipere said, if Ms. Williams doesn't believe it, we can compete. Split the company into two teams and see who does better."
The employees started buzzing. 'Wow, first day back and the two top dogs are already going at it. Diana's got guts to take on Clara like this.'
Clara wanted to prove herself, so she looked around and asked, "Who supports some internal competition?"
Axel was the first to raise his hand. Competition was a great way to show his loyalty. "I support it. The company needs healthy competition to grow. Personally, I think Ms. Williams' idea is great, and I want in."
Seeing Axel step up, others quickly followed, showing their loyalty to Clara. In the end, out of the 16 employees, 10 sided with Clara. The remaining 6, including Coralie from HR, were either conservatives or just didn't like Clara.
Diana didn't expect any support; she was ready to go it alone. Clara, satisfied with the turnout, shot a smug look at Diana, as if to say, "Power is everything. Go ahead and play intern if you want."
"In that case, Diana, please leave. We'd like to have an internal meeting for our group. You can have your meeting next door," Clara said, not mincing words.
The company's development meeting had suddenly morphed into a group competition showdown, catching everyone off guard.
Diana stood up calmly and motioned to the others. "Let's go, everyone. We'll talk next door."
Seeing the situation, Coralie also got ready to leave. Being in HR, sticking around wouldn't be much help. Plus, if she accidentally overheard any confidential info and it got out later, it would be a big problem. So she found an excuse, "Ms. Williams, I'll go post the job openings to recruit new employees."
Clara nodded, letting her go. With seven people gone, the meeting room suddenly felt a lot quieter.
Diana didn't rush to the meeting but found Coralie first. She spoke in a low voice, her expression firm, "Coralie, please help with rehiring the old employees."
Coralie nodded. During the meeting, she had also hoped the company could bring back old employees. They were familiar with the company, and some had left due to circumstances. But Clara didn't like this idea, so Coralie hadn't said much. She didn't expect Diana to bring it up.
Seeing Coralie agree, Diana turned and went into the office. Of the five who chose Diana, three had been with the company for a long time. They didn't like Nathan, so they didn't like Clara either.
The remaining two were younger and capable. They didn't think much of Clara's idea, so they joined Diana's side.
Diana sat down and got straight to the point. "I'm 阿all about Ms. Wipere's vibe. If you have any objections, feel free to speak up."
The five nodded, showing they were on board.
Diana didn't ask about their original positions but combined the existing work. "The popular products will continue to be produced, and the marketing must be done well. No matter what methods you use, you must make sure that when people think of buying bread and cookies, the first thing that comes to mind is the Spencer Group. Online and offline sales should be combined, especially online, which has more room for growth."
Diana paused for a moment and then continued, "For now, this is what we need to do. The plan needs to be submitted to Ms. Wipere within three days."
The group looked at each other, surprised at how straightforward Diana was. She had given them the framework, and now they just needed to work out the details.
Diana added, "You all have more experience than me, so I won't be involved in the planning. I'll act as the messenger."
No one had any objections. After dividing the work, the meeting ended.
Meanwhile, Clara's meeting dragged on until the afternoon. Everyone was hungry and tired, and Clara reluctantly let them go. The specific results were unclear, but everyone was exhausted. Clara was determined to win this time and outdo Diana.
Over at the Percy Group, Charles was reviewing documents when Nolan came in to report. "Mr. Percy, it seems Ms. Spencer and Ms. Williams have split into two groups and started competing within the company."
Charles paused, remembering how Diana used to chase after him. And just a month after their divorce, Diana was now managing the company.
Charles spoke with disdain, "What is she competing with? She's got no business sense and just keeps copying others."
Nolan chimed in, "It seems Ms. Williams proposed a new development direction, but Ms. Spencer are more conservative, so they split into two teams due to differing opinions."
Hearing this, Charles scoffed. In the business world, being bold and taking risks was key. Diana couldn't even manage that, let alone navigate future challenges. With that, Charles fell silent and went back to poring over the documents.
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