Chapter 141
Chapter 141
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Izzy sat at the head of the sleek conference table, her fingers drumming lightly against the smooth surface. The floor–to- ceiling windows behind her cast a warm glow over the meeting room, but no one was relaxed. The Macau Project was one of Weiss Inc.’s biggest ventures, and any setback—no matter how small–could have massive consequences.
Across from her, various department heads and key project managers were flipping through their reports, reviewing the latest updates before the discussion officially began. Anna sat to her right, jotting down notes on her tablet, while Timothy Langston, the lead project coordinator, adjusted his tie.
“Let’s start with the construction timeline,” Izzy said, glancing at Tim. “How’s the progress?”
Tim tapped his pen against his report. “We’re on schedule so far. The site has been fully cleared, and foundation work is underway. Materials are being transported without issue, and we should begin structural work within the next two months.”
Izzy nodded, flipping to the construction timeline in her own report. “And the suppliers? Any delays?”
Michael Han, the logistics director, cleared his throat. “Nothing major, but we did hit a snag with one of the steel shipments. The supplier in Taiwan had some customs delays, but it’s nothing we can’t work around. We sourced an alternative batch from a backup supplier in Malaysia, so it won’t impact the timeline. I have a flight tomorrow to personally fix this problem.”
“Why was there a customs delay?” Izzy asked.
Michael adjusted his glasses, scanning his notes. “Unclear. Officially, it’s a documentation issue, but the supplier hinted at stricter inspections. They think it might be political–pressure from competing firms.”
Izzy narrowed her eyes slightly. She already expected this. “Keep a close watch on that. If this becomes a pattern, I want to know immediately.”
Michael nodded. “Understood.”
Anna tapped her screen, scrolling through the financial reports. “Speaking of suppliers, procurement costs have been fluctuating. Some materials have seen an unexpected price increase, especially imported ones. It’s still within budget, but the trend is concerning.”
Izzy turned her attention to Lyle Torres, the financial analyst. “Do we know why prices are rising?”
Lyle pushed his glasses up. “A combination of factors. The Macau real estate market is heating up, and competitors are aggressively buying up materials. Some of our usual suppliers are getting better offers elsewhere. Others are suddenly citing ‘shortages‘ despite having confirmed contracts with us.”
Izzy frowned. “That’s not a coincidence.”
Tim exhaled, setting his pen down. “It’s not. We’ve been getting inquiries from unexpected parties–investment firms that weren’t interested in this project before are now looking into subcontracting opportunities.”
Izzy leaned back in her chair, processing the information. It’s either someone was trying to interfere or she’s just being paranoid. Either way, it is better to be very careful from now on.
“Tim, double–check every contractor we’re working with,” she said. “If any of them are showing signs of hesitation or are suddenly backing out, I want to know who’s talking to them.”
Tim nodded. “Will do.”
“Anna, get a full breakdown of the suppliers we’re using. Compare their past pricing with current trends. If someone is intentionally driving up costs, I want to know.”
Anna typed quickly, already pulling up the data. “Got it.”
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- Mon, 24 Feb
Chapter 141
Izzy turned back to the group. “Anything else?”
The room was silent for a moment before Michael spoke up again. “Security.”
Izzy raised a brow. “What about it?”
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Michael hesitated. “Nothing has happened yet, but we had an unfamiliar party snooping around one of the secondary sites last week. They didn’t try anything, but the local security team had to ask them to leave.”
Anna stopped typing. “Did you report this sooner?”
Michael grimaced. “We looked into it first. No direct threat, but… well, they weren’t journalists or competitors. Just men in suits, asking questions about who’s financing the project.”
Izzy’s fingers tightened around her pen.
She then flipped through the latest financial reports, her eyes scanning the numbers. The Macau Project was progressing, but there was another issue looming over Weiss Inc.–Cecil’s scandal.
The fallout had been worse than expected.
The Weiss Foundation’s corruption had shaken investor confidence in Weiss Inc., and the effects were bleeding into every sector of the company. Stocks had plummeted, and while they were beginning to stabilize, the damage had been done. Several major investors had either pulled out or reduced their stakes, forcing the board to reconsider future projects.
Anna tapped a few times on her tablet before speaking. “As of today, Weiss Inc.’s stock is still down by 11% from before the scandal broke. Analysts are calling this one of the biggest corporate reputation crises in years. The media is running daily reports on the fraud investigation, and the Macau Project is getting dragged into it too.”
Tim set down his pen, rubbing his temple. “Let me guess–people think we’re using dirty money to fund the construction?”
“Exactly that,“Lyle said. “We’re getting inquiries from regulators. Even though the funding for Macau was secured long before the foundation scandal, people are making connections that don’t exist.”
Izzy exhaled sharply. “That’s ridiculous. The finances for this project were audited and approved. There is no link to Mrs. Weiss’s mess.” Sadly, this could not be avoided either.
Michael frowned. “It doesn’t matter what’s real or not. Perception is what’s killing us. There’s a lot of hesitation from our partners. Some suppliers are trying to renegotiate contracts, and a few subcontractors are delaying work until they get reassurances that Weiss Inc. is stable.”
Izzy clenched her jaw. She had expected some turbulence after Cecil’s downfall, but this level of disruption was frustrating.
“What about the investors directly involved in Macau?” she asked.
Lyle flipped through his notes. “So far, none of them have backed out, but a few are demanding more transparency. They want reassurance that this project won’t get tied up in legal issues down the road.”
Izzy’s fingers tapped against the table. “Fine. Get the legal team to draft a report proving that our funding sources are clean. I want something official sent to every investor, supplier, and partner.”
Anna was already typing the request. “I’ll coordinate with legal now.”
Tim sighed, shaking his head. “This would’ve been easier if Mrs. Weiss just admitted guilt instead of trying to spin things.”
Izzy scoffed. “Mrs. Weiss would rather set herself on fire than admit fault.” However, a board meeting to tackle this issue would happen very soon. She couldn’t wait for Cecil to face some consequences inside the company.
Michael leaned back in his chair. “Well, she’s taking the whole damn company down with her.”
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09:06 Mon, 24 Feb
Chapter 141
Izzy didn’t disagree.
She was done cleaning up other people’s messes, but unfortunately, Cecil’s actions weren’t something she could ignore. Weiss Inc. still had its name tied to hers, and that meant the fallout would keep affecting them.
“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Izzy said, straightening. “We get ahead of this narrative. We don’t let people speculate–we control the information. Lyle, I want a financial breakdown ready to show how separate Macau is from the Weiss Foundation. Michael, make sure our suppliers don’t use this as an excuse to overcharge us. And Tim, double–check every permit and regulatory approval. If anyone tries to slow this project down, I want to know about it before it happens.”
They all nodded.
The meeting was about to end when Anna suddenly received an important call. After stepping out to answer her phone, Anna came back, her face grim. “Miss, we have a huge problem in Macau.”
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