A Though

Just before entering his office at Wu Enterprises Daniel turned to his assistant Ralph Lieng and said "Bring me the folders on the proposed deal with Meng Corp and the files on both Young Miss Meng's."

Without waiting for a response, Daniel moved and sat at his desk, pulling up his final thesis for his Masters Degree, to have a final read of it before his defence interview at 1pm. While he wanted to fulfil his parent's dreams for his education, he had found his new passion, business. Wrestling control of the company from the circling vultures, including his uncles, cousins, and their in-laws. They all figured that a mere eighteen-year-old, grieving for his parents and caring for his younger brother would give up on his parent business and let them run it.

They were full of self-belief, but ignored the simple fact, that he had spent years in his Father's office and watched everything he had done to prevent them from using the family connection to commit financial fraud against the company, simply because they believed as members of the Wu family, they had the right. Even now it was a constant battle to stop them, but one he was slowly winning.

Re-reading his thesis defence notes, Daniel made a few changes, and just as he finished and sent the notes to his printer, a knock on the door, and in came Ralph, handing him three folders saying "Boss, just a heads up, your Second Uncle has been on the phone since I arrived demanding a meeting with you…"

At that moment, Daniel's office door smashed open, and a heavy-set man came running in, yelling "You ungrateful brat. Why are you disallowing my expenses claims. You have no vision, no thought…"

Daniel, calmly placed the folders Ralph had handed him on his desk, nodded to Ralph who quickly exited the office and closed the door behind him.

Once he was certain that the door was closed Daniel calmly said "Second Uncle, you use the right word. Thought. If you had even one, you would realise that there is no way that I would be authorising a claim to allow you to pay for your mistress with the company money."

"How dare you. This is the family company, and there is no way that you should be the CEO…"

"Well, I am the CEO and largest shareholder. If you want to dispute it, go ahead, but we both know what the outcome will be. It will be no different from when you tried after my parents died."

"So, what, Sebastian will listen to reason."

Daniel shook his head before responding "Him. He is too focused on himself presently, and he deserves that."

"Ha! He listens to his second uncle and will give me what I want."

"Second Uncle, he may listen to what you have to say, but remember that he is still under eighteen and I still control his inheritance until then."

"Not for long," came his second uncle, before pausing "Just you wait and see. Not brat authorise those expenses."

Daniel shook his head, saying "As I said Uncle, I am not paying for you entertaining your mistress. There is no connection to the business. Now get out and back to work if you want to keep your job."

Pressing the call button on his desk, Daniel calmly said "Ralph, please arrange for security to come and show my second uncle out of my office."

Angrily, his second uncle, spat out "Fine, I will go but do not think that this is the end of this you ungrateful brat." With that he stormed out.

As he left, Ralph came in before saying "My apologise boss. He had been abusing the finance staff for two days about those expenses not being approved, and without consultation I told the staff they should remind your second uncle about policy."

Daniel nodded, before adding "I want you to arrange with the finance and HR departments for a review of all staff and expense claims, and reports on my desk by the end of tomorrow."

Getting the unsaid message, Ralph said "I get it boss, but I will be honest they will not complete for every employee but have them focus on senior employees first." Seeing Daniel's nod Ralph turned and exited the office.

Daniel, picked up the folder on Abigail Meng, and as he was re-reading her information he was struck about how she not only coped with life in the rural village that she had been raised in, the bias of the family who had raised her, and her adaption to the new environment that Cole had dragged her into.

Thinking about Cole, a thought crossed his mind. As he looked at the clock, he realised that he needed to head to the university now, so he picked up his defence notes from his personal printer, placed them in a folder and dragged out his bound copy of his thesis from a locked draw putting both in his briefcase and quickly leaving the office.

Driving off, using hands free, Daniel dialled a number and as it answered, he said "Uncle Cole, what we have talked about, I agree to."