SEVENTEEN

The boardroom was filled with government officials who were all seated at the conference table, with papers and laptops in front of them. The room was quiet, except for the sound of papers shuffling and laptops clicking. After a few minutes of silence, the Chairman of the board, Mr. Olumide, began the discussion.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. As you all know, we are here today to make a decision on which company to award the contract for producing costumes for the upcoming festival. We have narrowed down the two main candidates to Triony and DD Fashion. I want us to proceed with this matter in a manner that will be transparent and fair. Let us hear from each of you, your opinions on which of these two companies should be awarded the contract for the production of the festival costume."

He looked around the room, making eye contact with each official in turn.

"Now, I would like to open the floor for discussion. Who would like to start?"

It was a spacious and well-lit room located on the top floor of the government building. The walls were painted in a soft cream color, and there were several large windows that offered a panoramic view of the cityscape.

The room was furnished with a large conference table made of polished mahogany, surrounded by comfortable high-backed leather chairs. The table was adorned with a white tablecloth and a flower vase at the center. It had a professional and formal air about it, with its neutral tones and classic decor.

On the table were several documents related to the festival, including proposals from various companies, budgets, and other relevant papers. Each official had a copy of these documents in front of them, as well as a laptop or tablet for taking notes and accessing electronic versions of the documents. The laptops were neatly arranged on the table, with charging cables discreetly tucked away beneath.

In addition to the laptops, there were also pens, notepads, and highlighters provided for each official. The pens were black ink, and the notepads had the government's emblem embossed on the cover. There were also a few bottles of mineral water and glasses placed on a side table.

It was equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including a large screen that was mounted on the wall, and a sound system that allowed for clear communication during the meeting. The screen was connected to a computer that could display the documents, as well as presentations, charts, and graphs. The sound system ensured that every official's voice could be heard clearly, even from across the table.

The large screen mounted on the wall of the boardroom lit up as the projector was switched on. The screen displayed the government's emblem for a brief moment before transitioning to a blank white screen. The room was silent as the officials watched intently, waiting for the next image to appear.

Suddenly, the screen was split into two, with the logos of Triony and DD Fashion placed side by side. The Triony logo appeared on the left, featuring a wolf's head in the center, surrounded by the letters 'T-R-I-O-N-Y' in bold font. On the right was the DD Fashion logo, which consisted of a stylized letter 'D' followed by 'D-Fashion' in smaller font beneath it. The colors of the logos were vivid and eye-catching, with Triony's logo featuring blue and white tones, while DD Fashion's logo had red and black tones.

Mr. Smith, the Director of Procurement, was the first to speak. "Triony is a relatively new company, but their performance in the fashion industry has been outstanding. They are very cost-effective and have a reputation for delivering high-quality products. They also have experience in delivering similar projects."

Mr. Peters, the Director of Finance, quickly disagreed. "I don't think we should consider Triony for this contract. They are owned by foreigners who happen to be werewolves. We should support indigenous companies like DD Fashion."

Ms. Rose, the Director of Culture, added her voice. "DD Fashion is a good company, and their costumes are beautiful. They are also owned by indigenes, which makes them more appealing to the public. We should consider them for the contract."

Mr. Wilson, the chairman, interjected. "We need to focus on the quality of the costumes and the experience of the company in handling such projects. Werewolf or human ownership should not be a factor."

"I disagree. DD Fashion is a better option because they are owned by indigenes. Triony, on the other hand, is owned by foreigners who are also werewolves. This might not sit well with the public, and it could hurt the festival's attendance. We need to support our own people."

The Chairman nodded, taking note of Mr. Ibrahim's point.

"Thank you for your input, Mr. Ibrahim. Does anyone else have a different perspective?"

A young official, Ms. Bello, spoke up next.

"I think we should give Triony a chance, despite them being new to the industry. This could be an opportunity to work with a fresh perspective, and their lack of experience could actually work to our advantage."

There were murmurs of agreement around the room, and the Chairman nodded again.

"Thank you, Ms. Bello. Does anyone else have anything to add?"

A man in his thirties, Mr. Taiwo, spoke up next.

"I don't think it matters whether Triony's owners are werewolves or not. We should be focused on the quality of their work and their ability to deliver on time. I think we should go with Triony because they have proven themselves to be reliable."

There was a brief pause as everyone considered Mr. Taiwo's point. Then, another official, Mr. Adeleke, spoke up.

"I agree with Mr. Taiwo. We should be looking at the quality of the work and the ability to deliver on time. I think we should go with Triony because they have demonstrated their ability to deliver excellent results."

There were nods of agreement around the room, and the Chairman cleared his throat.

"Thank you all for your input. It seems that we are split between Triony and DD Fashion. Perhaps we should take a vote?"

Before anyone could respond, another official, Mr. Adeniyi, spoke up.

"Excuse me, Chairman. I think we should revisit the list and add Megamace to the selection. They had not made it to the final selection, but I believe they deserve another chance."

There were murmurs of agreement around the room, and the Chairman nodded.

"Thank you for your suggestion, Mr. Adeniyi. We will revisit the list and make a decision at our next meeting."