Becomes

Chapter 0136

Bill’s POV

+15 BONUS

My fingers tap a steady rhythm on the polished surface of the conference table. The shareholders‘ meeting is just days away, and with one of my key investors considering selling his shares, my position as the CEO of RGE is at risk. This presentation has to be flawless.

My mind feels clouded. I know what needs to be said, but the words aren’t coming together. I stare at the blank screen. Fuck, I can’t have a mental block right now. Time’s ticking.

Sarah walks into the room, her brow furrowed and lips pressed into a thin line as she watches me shake my head. Behind her is Kevin, her new protégé. He’s clutching a USB drive in one hand, trying to hide his trembling fingers.

“Bill, you need a break,” Sarah says. “You’ve been staring at that screen for too long.”

I sigh. “I know, Sarah, but I can’t afford a break right now. Everything has to be perfect.”

“Let’s go over the key points again,” she suggests. “Sometimes talking it out helps.”

I nod. “Alright. We start with the company’s recent achievements, then move to future growth plans.”

Sarah sits down beside me, taking out her notes. “Exactly. And don’t forget to highlight our recent partnerships. Those companies are huge and respected, which really helps our image.”

“Right. We’ve made some great partnerships this quarter. That’s important,” I say.

Kevin steps forward, holding out the USB drive. “Here’s the latest version of the presentation, Mr. Richardson. I made some tweaks to the design to make it more engaging.”

“Thanks, Kevin,” I say, taking the drive. “Let’s see how it looks.”

I plug in the USB and open the file. The presentation slides pop up on the screen. The design is sleek, and the data is clear and compelling.

“This looks great, Kevin,” I say, feeling a spark of excitement. “I like the new design. It really highlights our achievements.”

Kevin smiles, looking relieved. “I’m glad you like it, sir.”

As we go through the presentation, I start to feel more confident. We tweak the key points, making sure each slide clearly shows our success and future vision.

“Let’s add a slide on our new markets and products,” I suggest. “We need to show the board we’re not just coasting.”

“Absolutely,” Sarah says, already typing. “I’ll get that done now.”

With Sarah and Kevin’s help, the presentation slowly takes shape. It’s starting to look more and more impressive. I’m now more confident we can pull this off.

“Wow, this is the best presentation we’ve ever made,” say, leaning back in my chair. “Great work, everyone.”

“We couldn’t have done it without your direction, Bill,” Sarah says, smiling.

“I’m just glad I could help,” Kevin says.

We finally wrap up the presentation, and I lean back in my chair. Damn, this really came together. There’s only one thing left, and it’s all up to me to deliver the best pitch of my life.

+15 BONUS

The morning of the shareholders‘ meeting, I’m in my office, sipping on my third cup of coffee. Nerves are starting to creep in, but I push them aside.

Sarah walks in with a folder. “Bill, I’ve got the final printouts here. Just in case.”

“Thanks, Sarah,” I say, taking the folder from her. “Better safe than sorry.”

Kevin follows her in, carrying his laptop. He looks a bit anxious, but that’s normal for a day like this.” Morning, Mr. Richardson. I brought my laptop in case we need to make any last–minute changes.”

“Good thinking, Kevin,” I reply. “Let’s do one final run–through.”

I plug in the USB drive, but instead of the presentation loading, the screen flickers and displays an error message: “File corrupted. Unable to open.”

Panic flares up inside me. “What the hell?”

Kevin steps forward, eyes wide. “That’s strange. It was working perfectly last night.”

Sarah frowns, immediately going into problem–solving mode. “Do we have another copy?”

He plugs in his laptop and opens the file, but the same error message appears. “File corrupted. Unable to–open.” Kevin’s hands tremble more noticeably now.

Why does this have to happen now? It feels like the universe is conspiring against me, trying to prevent me from keeping my position. But I refuse to go down without a fight.

I look at Sarah and Kevin. “Alright, we’re not done yet. We’re going to rebuild this presentation from scratch, and it’s going to be even better than before.”

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