Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 414

In the Vice President's office, Jarvis's demeanor darkened for a brief moment when he found out that his subordinate, Derek, had been fired directly by Ludwik. Just yesterday, he had made snide remarks about Ludwik not being familiar with the top brass at the Lippert Corporation during an event in the grand hall.

Today, Ludwik had retorted by not only dismissing Derek but also his and Riley's boss, signaling that he didn't need to win over any branch managers with charm when he had other, more direct means at his disposal.

However, Jarvis's smile quickly returned. With this move, Ludwik thought he was showing strength, but in reality, he was just poking the bear. Jarvis knew that he didn't even need to intervene; with Riley and three other managers being fired, they would make the first move. Ludwik's boldness in firing them would mean nothing if he couldn't get the work done. Sitting in that CEO office, he'd soon become a joke, a leader who couldn't lead anyone.

Jarvis was well-versed in the art of corporate power plays and knew it wasn't going to be as easy for Ludwik as he thought.

---

Contrary to Jarvis and Riley's expectations, the CEO's office remained quiet, with no announcements for manager assignments or shareholder meetings. The silence was puzzling until, just after 9:30, when all the managers, including Mr. Nelson, were waiting, Ludwik called them in for a meeting. They were prepared to follow their superiors' instructions: to challenge and delay Ludwik from engaging with any corporate affairs as much as possible.

But as the elevator doors opened, an elite team strode out, mostly men, all in sharp suits. With serious and cold expressions, they carried their laptops and quickly made their way to the CEO's office.

Felix, with a welcoming smile, opened the door, "Welcome to Mr. Lippert's brain trust!"

"Mr. Lippert has been expecting you."

"Good morning, Mr. Lippert."

The team entered in an orderly fashion. Ludwik, leaning against his desk with an air of nobility, simply gestured with his hand without saying a word. The team immediately got to work, laptops open and ready.

"Felix, what are those peeping toms outside doing?" one of the female managers asked.

Felix, by the door, closed it with a slow smile, loudly proclaiming, "Those are the Lippert Corporation's general managers waiting for Mr. Lippert to assign them tasks. But Mr. Lippert doesn't need their talent. The usual corporate infighting tactics don't apply to him; he's not interested!"

Ludwik's gaze softened, revealing a lazy smirk, his expression chilling. The strategic team chuckled. They had been with Mr. Lippert at Skyfaith for three years, versatile talents capable of fitting into any corporation and hitting the ground running!

When Jarvis and Riley's spies heard this, they rushed back to their offices in shock.

"What? He brought his own team to work without involving any of the Lippert Corporation's staff? Isn't this a clear message that his team could replace any position in the company, making me just for show?!"

Riley slammed his desk, his face contorted in frustration, suddenly feeling threatened by this newcomer. He had intended to use his corporate power to embarrass Ludwik. But Ludwik was unfazed by his tactics, having his own plans and bringing his leadership team directly into the fray!

In his office, Jarvis took a deep drag of his cigarette, his smile darkening, "So, Ludwik, using Riley to make an example out of me? Bypassing our managers and directly handling corporate business with his team, thinking he can leave us without a way to challenge him?"

Jarvis stood up, his laugh cold, "What files has he requested so far?"

"Sir, he's requested all the subsidiaries' data, detailed to the last. And about a dozen major projects, though the core real estate and finance are still in your and the old man's hands."

Jarvis exhaled smoke, "Lock all the major project files! When he asks, tell him the shareholders are withholding authority. Let's see how he survives this."

His subordinate nodded, a cold smile on their face.

---

In the CEO's office, Ludwik, as if expecting this, nodded coolly, "No rush."

"Let's see what Jarvis has up his sleeve."

Today was just his first day on the job, and firing a few old-timers was just causing ripples on the surface, a signal that he wasn't easily fooled. To truly control the Lippert Corporation, he had to dismantle their power, one by one.