Jenny adjusted the cara on her laptop, making sure her face was centered before clicking the ’Join’ button on the video call.
Alia Ward’s face appeared on the screen almost instantly, her neutral expression morphing into a smile.
"Jenny." She greeted her. "I heard the news. How are you holding up?"
"Better than I expected." Jenny replied with a smile of her own. "I didn’t beco interim chairman but I expected it."
"Besides, considering the uphill battle we’re fighting, every step forward feels like a small victory, so that’s one advantage of it."
Alia nodded in agreent. "And you’re making those steps count. The division’s progress has been impressive, Jenny. It’s not just who thinks so. Everyone is starting to take serious notice."
"That’s good to hear." Jenny said before moving to the purpose of the call. "So, what’s next on our plate?"
Alia leaned forward slightly, pulling up a docunt on her end. "I’ve been analyzing potential opportunities for our next investnt."
"While social impact remains important, we need to start leaning more heavily toward profit. Apex at its core isn’t about doing good. It’s about staying competitive in the industry. So, we need this to appeal to those who are after profit."
Jenny nodded thoughtfully. "Do you have a specific target in mind?"
Alia smiled. "I do. There’s a logistics tech company called FleetForward Logistics. They’ve been revolutionizing supply chain managent with their tech solutions.
"Their technology reduces inefficiencies, cuts costs and significantly lowers carbon emissions for their clients. It’s exactly what Apex needs right now. Sothing that they can drive for profit and profit only even if there’s a social impact side to it."
"Sounds promising." Jenny studied the docunt on the screen as Alia shared her screen. "What’s their current valuation?"
"They’re hovering at around $400 million." Alia said, her tone serious. "They’ve been looking for a significant capital injection to scale their operations globally. If we move quickly, we could secure a stake that gives us a strong foothold in the logistics tech space. And I’m sure you know what having a global company like this under your umbrella can do for your profit margins."
Jenny frowned slightly, already calculating the numbers in her head. "How much are we looking to invest?"
"$200 million for a 25% stake." Alia replied. "It’s a significant amount but the returns could be substantial. Their projections show a potential fivefold growth over the next five years."
"Why not just buyout the company? We have the funds for it."
"The owners won’t sell." Alia answered. "They know exactly what their company could be worth in the future and won’t sell. At least not now. And by investing now, we could be the ones to sweep it all later in the future."
"I see." Jenny nodded. "Alright. Send the docunts and if I like what I see, we’ll move forward with it."
"Good." Alia said with a smile. "I’ll send over the full report and connect you with their leadership team."
"Thank you, Alia." Jenny said. She knew she’d been relying on both Alia and Nico a lot. The both of them did have their motives for helping, Alia for profit and Nico to not hand power to Jasmine but she did appreciate their help.
But one day, she’ll have to stand on her own. And that day was much closer than either of them thought.
"You’re welco, Jenny." Alia said and after a few polite exchanges of words, they ended the call.
In the next few days, Jenny went through the docunts, not just to decide if FleetForward was a good fit for Apex but to also understand what made it a good investnt.
Since she’d been welcod back to Apex by her mother, she’d been learning as hard as she could and she was proud to say that she’d learned just as much from Nico and Alia.
Jasmine had a headstart over her when it ca to this but she won’t be left behind. Not again.
Her studies and deliberation ended with her sitting at the head of a conference table, surrounded by her team.
"We’ve identified our next investnt target." She said without preamble as the FleetForward reports were being distributed among the people in attendance. "FleetForward logistics."
She quickly outlined the opportunity, highlighting the company’s technology and its potential for exponential growth. The team listened intently, occasionally jotting down notes.
"I’ve already reviewed the numbers and we’re looking at an investnt of $200 million for a 25% stake. We already have the funds from our partners. Any questions?"
One of the analysts raised a hand. "Ms. Voss, if I may ask, why are we investing in this company? It seems a bit more… profit-focused than what we’ve been previously pursuing. Isn’t it a deviation from the division’s goals?"
"You do have a point." Jenny nodded. "But at its core, Apex is a company that pursues profits. To keep this division alive, our investnts must always keep a balance between social impact and profitability."
"With this investnt, we’ll give the investors what they want, profit, and at the sa ti, maintain this division’s goals through FleetForward’s carbon reduction technology. It’s a win-win."
The team nodded in agreent and Jenny glanced around the room.
"If there are no further questions, let’s get to work. I want a formal proposal drafted by the end of the day and soone needs to start liaising with FleetForward’s leadership."
She stood. "Let’s get to work."
[][][][][]
While the division’s teams were working like worker bees downstairs, Jasmine was seated in the chairman’s office, enjoying the view.
Her mother had left the office to her and now worked exclusively from her ho office, just as it should be. She already had the power of the throne in her hand, all that was needed was to solidify her position and that ans Jenny had to be defeated.
Her victory had to be absolute.
She’d been sitting on approving Jenny’s ESG fund but from the ssage she’d received from her mother through Martin, she had no choice but to approve it.
She sat as she thought about her next move. Jenny had montum and it had to be stopped. That was when her secretary entered.
"Ms. Voss." The secretary presented her with a tablet. "There’s a new developnt you might want to look at."
"What is it?" Jasmine asked as she collected the report.
Her eyes moved around the screen, reading the report on Jenny’s upcoming investnt in FleetForward Logistics.
"$200 million?" She muttered under her breath as she saw the details. "That’s bold, even for her."
Then a thought occurred to her and a grin appeared on her face. "Jenny thinks she’s clever, doesn’t she?"
She’d have to show her just who was the chairman of this company.
She turned to her secretary. "Get everything you can on FleetForward’s leadership and operations. I want to know their weaknesses, their vulnerabilities, and any skeletons in their closets."
"There is a bug that must be crushed"
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