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Chapter 2129
Sanderson mused to himself, his thoughts wandering.
Jacob approached with a sense of purpose, placing a document before him. "Mr. Sanderson, please have a look at this."
Sanderson glanced at Jacob and, with a warm smile, took the papers. "What's this, Jacob?"
As he flipped the cover open, his demeanor shifted in an instant.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.
The first page laid bare a listing of all the major projects undertaken by the Strand Group over the past fifteen years. Flipping further, it was more of the same: a catalog of project names.
"What is this, Mr. Strand?" One of Sanderson's backers asked, his patience wearing thin. "Let's just vote on the new chairman already. You've been off gallivanting for months; you probably don't realize how things are piling up at the Strand Group. We've got urgent issues to address..."d2
"Lawler, trust me, I'm well aware of the situation the Strand Group is in," Jacob interjected, leaning back in his chair, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the desktop. "Why don't you take a look at what you're holding? It might shed some light on where the problems with the Strand Group have been festering all these years."
Lawler's lips curled into a smirk, "Ah, so this is about clearing your father's name?"
"My father's reputation isn't in need of any clearing," Jacob replied coolly. "I want to discuss why the Strand Group, despite once thriving, has been on a steep decline for the past couple of decades. Mr. Sanderson said we need to identify the root of the problem to make things better. My father has been out of the picture for a while now, and yet, the Group hasn't improved-in fact, it's gotten worse. What does that tell us?"
With poker-faced stoicism, Sanderson replied, "Old issues aren't something we can simply resolve in a few months." He knew trouble was brewing the moment he laid eyes on the document.
"Maybe you should take a look, Mr. Sanderson," Jacob suggested with a sardonic smile.
Sanderson instinctively glanced at Rosalynn, who was absorbed in the document.
He couldn't shake the feeling that her expression was laced with disdain and contempt.
"So all these projects have been bleeding money?" one of the more neutral shareholders interjected, his voice carrying across the room.
"Exactly," another chimed in. "The larger the project, the greater the potential for loss. If it weren't for a few steady partnerships each year, the Strand Group would be in an even tighter spot!" "Wait, but weren't these projects showing as profitable in the financial reports?"
The murmurs in the room grew louder and more anxious.
"Jacob, where did you get these figures?"
"This is outrageous. Are you sure you didn't just make this up?" Sanderson's allies demanded answers.
"The data comes straight from the company's financial records over the years," Jacob replied calmly. "You've all been enjoying dividends, but the losses from the past few years have finally caught up, reducing your payouts. It's given you the illusion that the decline was sudden. In reality, the rot started at the core."
The room buzzed with whispered speculation.
Then, Rosalynn, who had been quiet, laughed and looked up. "How curious. I've just skimmed through and it seems that a third of these loss-making projects were under... Sanderson. That's you, right? You were in charge?"
Sanderson's face turned ashen.
"Ms. Tesdal, I was merely assisting President Strand; it was actually his responsibility," Sanderson quickly deflected the blame onto Graham.
Rosalynn nodded, understandingly. Then she turned to those shareholders of the Strand Group with a smile. "I've heard that discipline within the Strand Group was quite lax, but witnessing it firsthand is something else. At Bane Corporation, and its subsidiaries, whoever signs off on a project is held accountable. I didn't realize that wasn't the case here at the Strand Group."