Chapter36 Establish A New Company
The meeting room fell silent.
Lisa froze for a few seconds, then suddenly stood up, her face etched with disbelief: "Chairman, you can’t do this. The 'Starlight Project' is something we all pulled countless all-nighters for. The project is already on track. How can you just scrap it?"
Dominic looked at her coldly: "This is my decision. You simply need to execute it."
"What about the people in the project department?" Lisa’s eyes were red with distress. "Everyone poured their hearts and souls into this project. You’re just going to dissolve the team?"
Dominic's face was devoid of warmth, and the words he spoke were brutally cruel.
"All employees in the Project Department are to be fired, with the appropriate compensation provided according to their contracts."
Lisa felt struck by lightning. The blood in her veins instantly ran cold.
After the meeting, she immediately called Miranda, her voice trembling.
"Miranda, this is bad. You need to get to the company right away."
On the other end of the line, Miranda had just finished comforting her mother. Her heart tightened when she answered the phone: "What’s wrong, Lisa? Take a deep breath."
"Dominic is crazy!" Lisa's voice was edged with fury. "He’s not only cutting the entire Project Department, he’s firing everyone in it, including you."
Miranda, on the phone, frowned tightly, her fingertips turning cold.
Arabella, seeing her daughter’s distressed expression, leaned in worriedly: "Miranda, what is it? What happened?"
Miranda raised a hand to pat her mother’s back reassuringly, then spoke into the phone in a steady voice: "Lisa, keep everyone calm for now. I’m heading to the company right away."
After hanging up, she turned to her mother. Her face was calm, but the coldness in her eyes was impossible to hide.
"Mom, it’s nothing. There’s a small issue with a company project. I’ll go back and sort it out."
Arabella knew her daughter was putting on a brave face. She squeezed Miranda’s hand with concern: "Is it your father…"
"Don't worry," Miranda interrupted her mother, forcing a comforting smile. "I can handle it."
But she knew better than anyone that this was no "small issue."
Her father was trying to completely kick her, and all her hard work, out of the Lancaster Group! All because she hadn't followed his wishes and hadn't groveled before him like some useless nobody.
After a few more words of comfort to her mother, Miranda drove to the company.
She drove into the company parking lot.
She took the elevator upstairs and saw that Dominic had already started the facilities team’s work.
The Project Department, once bright with light and covered with countless sticky notes and design drafts, was now a chaotic mess.
Facilities staff were emotionlessly moving out desks, tearing down partitions, and stuffing the documents that represented the team's countless nights of hard work into cardboard boxes like trash.
Miranda stood at the entrance, feeling like the blood in her body had frozen solid.
"Miranda!"
Christian hurried over from the end of the hallway, grabbed her, and pulled her into his office, closing the door behind them.
"Chris."
"I just heard about it after the meeting," Christian said, his face furious, keeping his voice low. "Dad’s truly lost it this time. Going after the whole Project Department!"
He looked at his sister's pale face, a flash of determination in his eyes: "Miranda, don’t worry. I'll transfer all the shares under my name to you right now. With what you already have, you’ll be the second-largest shareholder. We'll go to the board and fight Dad. We can save the Project Department!"
"No!" Miranda refused without a second thought.
She looked at her brother, her heart touched and aching: "Chris, Dad already has it out for you, constantly having people sabotage your work. Your shares are your foundation at Lancaster. If you lose them, those shrewd managers will only disrespect you more. I can’t let you ruin your career for me."
This was the alternative she had already thought through on the drive to the company.
Instead of fighting desperately to save a project team that could be suffocated again at any moment, and constantly being drained and targeted within the company, she might as well go it alone!
Miranda took a deep breath, her eyes intensely fixed on Christian, her voice firm: "Chris, since Dad fired everyone in the Project Department, that actually works out."
"I can register a new company and bring all these people under my command."
Christian was stunned. He looked at the serious determination in his sister’s eyes and was speechless for a moment.
After a long pause, he finally found his voice, his brow deeply furrowed: "Starting a company isn’t easy. With that many people in the project department, the monthly payroll is huge, not to mention the massive funds the 'Starlight Project' will need later. Where are you going to get the money?"
"Chris, don’t worry. I’ll figure out the money."
The hundred million dollar dowry Clifton gave her had been entirely invested in the initial development of the "Starlight Project." She really didn't have much liquid capital on hand right now.
However, the project was on track, and she had the core technology and the team.
She was confident she could restart the project in a new company with these employees and do it even better!
Seeing the fire in his sister’s eyes, Christian knew she wasn't just talking out of anger.
He was silent for a moment, then seemed to remember something and said in a low voice: "You asked me to look into Dad’s finances before, and I found a lead. I traced a few large sums of money he recently transferred through secret channels to an overseas account. But the regulation there is tight. The trail stopped there, and it will take time to dig deeper."
Miranda's eyes grew colder.
Her father really was moving assets.
She shook her head and told her brother: "Chris, no rush. The fact that you found something is good, but don't move too fast. If we spook Dad, he’ll just cover his tracks even better."
"I understand," Christian nodded, his eyes filled with both pride and concern for his sister.
His sister had truly grown up.
Emerging from Christian's office, Miranda walked straight up to Lisa, who was trying to calm the crowd.
The employees of the Project Department were all gathered there, their faces a mix of anger, resentment, and confusion.
"Lisa," Miranda called out.
All eyes immediately focused on her.
Miranda scanned the faces of the partners she had fought alongside. Seeing the spirit in their eyes, she cut straight to the chase and told them her plan.
"Dominic fired all of us."
"So, I’m setting up a new company to continue the 'Starlight Project.' Now, I just want to ask one thing: Who is willing to join me?"
The entire floor fell into a dead silence.
Everyone was stunned by Miranda’s declaration.
Lisa was the first to react. She looked into Miranda’s unwavering, determined eyes. The humiliation and resentment of being fired were instantly washed away by a surge of excitement.
She stepped forward and said firmly, "Miranda, I’m with you!"
She paused, her voice full of conviction: "Don't worry! I'll contact everyone and organize all those who want to join you!"
Miranda looked at the rekindled fire in Lisa’s eyes and nodded forcefully.
"Good! I'll take care of registering the company and finding office space. I trust you."
"I won't let you down!" Lisa replied emphatically.