Ex-wife, Please Come Back novel Chapter 331

Jacob's mouth was shut. The meeting room was enveloped in silence, and not a single breath dared to give out any disturbance to the vibe.

In this world, many things could happen beyond one's control. If he didn't reduce the staff, he would have to pay the price soon enough when the company would inevitably fall into a difficult situation.

However, today he had to make that choice, and it was rather a hard choice for he knew it would offend a lot of people. He didn't have the luxury to talk with every single person who was concerned, and he passed the difficult responsibility to the hands of the directors.

To top it all off, these directors had no choice but to accept. It felt almost like they were playing a game in Jacob's palm. It didn't matter what he was feeling.

He knew it was a natural thing that was bound to happen, but as of this moment, he couldn't help but feel upset.

He quickly stood up and walked out of the room without a word after staying seated for quite some time. From now on, he vowed to himself that he would act as the captain willing to go down with his ship.

He was married to the company. The only way he could see that would drive it to greater heights, he must be willing to sacrifice even his reputation. This was the main reason that things ended up as complicated as this.

He had to sever the ties with the others as he explained the situation as clear as he could. No matter in what angle he tried to assess everything, he knew someone had to take the blame and act as the villain. Whatever the case, he had no regrets.

He took out the company's name list as soon as he returned to his office. Some names could be seen to have already been crossed out. He looked down with an enigmatic expression as he carefully examined the document.

He whipped out his pen, and began to cross out some more names. He leaned and supported his chin with his left hand, and held his pen tightly with his right. It didn't take long before he started to get lost in his own little world.

As he started reading the names of the people in his list, a surreal, almost eerie feeling came over him as he continued to browse. He was pretty sure he had some impressions on some of them in person. But now, he had already decided. He had to make the right choice and detach himself from sentimentality because it would only hold him back.

Somehow, he managed to keep his emotions at bay, and he didn't even sigh so much as to show his regret. However, he knew in his heart that what he was doing right now would sure change the fate of many people in his company.

He didn't bother discussing this matter with James. He found it not necessary to share the burden with someone else. Therefore, he could not afford to make a reckless mistake as he continued to cross out names. Now, everything was going according to his plan.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Come in." Jacob continued to be indulged with his work, and he had no idea who it could be.

"Mr. Jacob, something happened." Cindy walked in and nervously stared at him as if asking for his help.

"What's the matter?" He paused from his work and glanced at her with a dull, blank look on his face.

"Someone out there encouraged people to gather in the staff area to make a scene. I have no idea how they got the news about you planning to reduce the staff. Now the employees are demanding for an explanation."

Cindy held the folder in her hand ever so tightly. At first, she ought to work with the documents, but she didn't expect that it would somehow help to lessen the tension.

Jacob nodded in agreement without changing his empty expression. "I see. I'll be there soon after I'm done here. Under no circumstances should you let the other directors know about this. I'll handle it myself before they find out."

She nodded in response as well, and she soon followed him as he walked out of the office, and continued to stride towards the staff area. She stared at his back with empty eyes as she began to drown in her own thoughts.

No matter what happened, it was admirable how he always maintained his confidence and calm demeanor when dealing with things like this. She thought that no one could surpass him with that level of stoicism.

He strode with such haste straight into the staff area. There were some people in there loudly demanding that they would not accept being fired out of the company.

Jacob frowned as he listened to them without uttering a single word himself.

He expected that this type of resistance would eventually happen, but not too soon. It seemed he had no control of every little detail within the company after all.

It was said that a woman's youth was one of the most important aspects for her to make money. It was only reasonable to demand that the company should support her as she grew old as a loyal employee.

Being fired so easily was no way to treat a loyal employee. She was still counting on the company to support her retirement, and it was impossible for her to leave now.

"As long as we're alive, it's undoubtedly a waste of our youth. As for what to do, I believe it's a personal choice. Even if you grow old, it has nothing to do with how the company decides the best course of action to sustain itself,"

Jacob replied, leaving the rest of the employees gasping.

His attitude signified his lack of regret. So no matter how much they pleaded to retain their jobs, the decision was final.

"Has nothing to do with the company, you say? Aren't you afraid that other employees will be disappointed? We have worked our asses off for most of our lives, but at the end of the day, it turns out like this. Don't you think the decision is too cruel and unfair? Did the company lose that much money that it couldn't afford to pay our wages anymore? Why do you have to fire us?"

One old employee burst out of anger as he covered his chest with his hands. His gray hair grew quite distinguishable as the time passed by. But he didn't have much confidence left in him as he said those words.

His fate was in the hands of others now. The intimidation he felt didn't go away throughout his speech, and his anxiety remained to torture his heart.

"Well, if there is nothing else, just go ahead with your work now. Continuing with this conversation would only prove to be futile. If you still insist on sending your complaints, you can come to me directly into my office. But don't make a scene here."

Jacob stretched out his hand and began to make a gesture in the air. However, this did not mean that he agreed to their demands. From the very beginning, he intended their pleas to fall on deaf ears.

Such a thing was out of the question. The decision was made, and it was a firm, unshakable decision.

He looked at the persons in front of him with a pair of determined eyes. It was quite an unusual look—far different from his usual stoic expression.