Chapter 887 – Dictatorship (Part 1)

In the past, every major decision made by the old chairman went through rigorous evaluation by the think tank. Only after careful analysis and risk assessment would the plan be approved for execution.

Take Laila's previous reality show proposals for NBC, for example. Even those had to be reviewed and greenlit by them before being handed over for production.

But ever since Laila took over, their role had been drastically diminished.

Or rather, completely useless.

Because no matter what project she proposed—whether they agreed or not—it would be executed without question. She never even bothered to listen to their objections.

Naturally, the think tank members felt utterly wronged. It wasn't like they were trying to be difficult, but some of her decisions simply did not make sense.

For example, the absurdly high signing fees she offered for certain book manuscripts.

If it were just a matter of spending a little extra money, they could turn a blind eye. After all, Laila was filthy rich. Maybe, in her eyes, those fees were nothing.

But it wasn't just the upfront payment—she also secured the rights for film adaptations, international translation, and foreign distribution.

That was where things became incomprehensible.

Word had already spread that she had barely skimmed through the manuscripts before making her selections. She hadn't even read them properly!

Judging a book's potential just by looking at its title? That was laughable!

Even the most seasoned professionals couldn't determine a book's marketability at a glance.

And yet, Laila had casually pointed at a few titles on a list, flipped through a couple of pages, and then immediately demanded they be signed.

The source of this information? High-ranking executives at the publishing house. It was confirmed beyond doubt.

That was why the think tank fiercely opposed her approach.

Their profession was built on data-driven decisions.

Promoting a book as a "potential bestseller" was entirely different from regular publishing. The former required heavy investment—advertising, promotional campaigns, book signings, author tours, and so on.

For ordinary books, none of that was necessary. They would simply be printed and placed on shelves, relying on natural sales.

Of course, publishers had taken risks before, but only with well-established authors or books with a proven reputation.

No one—absolutely no one—would throw huge amounts of money at a few randomly chosen, unknown authors.

Maybe this new boss thought she could just spend her way to a bestseller?

Sure, aggressive marketing might temporarily boost sales. But readers weren't stupid.

A bad book was a bad book.

A single person might get tricked into buying it, but they would immediately warn their friends and family not to fall for the same scam. Just as good books were recommended through word-of-mouth, bad books were also blacklisted.

No matter how much money was thrown into promotion, the impact would only last so long. Trying to force a bestseller with sheer financial investment was a near-impossible gamble—no smart publisher would ever do it.

Had they not investigated and confirmed that the selected authors were complete nobodies, the think tank might have suspected that Laila had personal connections with them.

If she didn't even know these writers, then why was she treating them like literary legends?

The think tank members were paid handsomely to safeguard the company's financial health. Naturally, they couldn't stand by and watch Oswald's fortune be squandered by his granddaughter.

So, the moment they learned about her reckless actions, they immediately confronted Laila, demanding that she stop her "nonsense."

But Laila had future knowledge.

She knew which books had untapped potential.

Hell, even if the authors hadn't submitted their manuscripts, she would have hunted them down and begged them to publish.

Turning away a guaranteed fortune? What kind of idiot would do that?

Of course, she had no way of explaining why she was so certain. So instead, she stood firm in her decision.

And the only way to shut them up?

Let time prove her right.

For the first time, Laila ruled with an iron fist—completely disregarding their input and forcing them to comply.

The think tank members were furious.

They had always been respected by Oswald, never having to endure such humiliation.

Now, they stormed straight to the old man, hoping he would rein her in.

They wanted him to teach her a lesson—to make her understand that business didn't work like this.

No one could just decide something would be successful. If that were possible, wouldn't one person end up hoarding all the world's wealth?

But Oswald's response was deeply disappointing.

"Laila is the acting president now. That means she has full authority. If she succeeds, the credit is hers. If she fails, the consequences are hers to bear. I understand that none of you want to be blamed, and I won't hold you responsible."

Oswald saw through them immediately.

He knew they had come running to him for two reasons:

Their egos had been bruised by Laila's dismissal of their advice.They feared the backlash if her decision led to losses.

In the corporate world, no one can guarantee perpetual success.

Even the most accomplished businesspeople make mistakes.

The difference between winners and losers was in how they handled failure.

Successful entrepreneurs learn from their mistakes. They took them as lessons, avoided repeating them, and adapted.

Failures, on the other hand, became paralyzed by fear.

One misstep and they would hesitate forever—never taking risks again.

There was a saying: "The bold get rich, the timid starve." Without the courage to move forward, how could they ever hope to achieve greatness?

Oswald's think tank had grown arrogant over the years.

Each member had an impressive academic backgrounds and vast experience.

More importantly, their recommendations often shaped the decisions of billion-dollar corporations.

Naturally, this inflated their self-worth. They believed they were infallible. And that was why they could not tolerate the idea of failure.

But in the end—Laila didn't care. She had already decided. And soon, time would prove her right.