Friday, continued …As the door closed, all Hou Yi could say was "Thank G.o.d Anna, those three were the most boring of the meeting I have had to have in the last two days. They are so sanctimonious and make an issue of every little point. You charmed them in less than an hour. That was the best meeting on this development I have had with them. Let me tell you, you are going to help me deal with them in the future."
The problem was that the meeting was not solely about the Australian development. The worst part of the meeting was the final convincing them of need to be involved in the boycott of Lu Corporation. They were reluctant to be involved in the public press-conference about the boycott. It was only fifteen minutes before Anna arrived that they agreed but with the agreement that they would consider them for involvement in future projects."
"Fine Yi. But remember I am recovering, and I am pregnant, so …"
"Anna, blackmailer. You know I would not ask you to do anything that you are not comfortable with."
"Do you have any more meetings?"
"Actually no. I wanted to leave the balance of the afternoon before the board meeting to consider the summaries on what is to be voted on."
With that Hou YI and Anna sat reading various doc.u.ments about the matters to go before the board, until 2:50pm, when Hou YI helped Anna back into the wheelchair feeling that this was the safest way for her to enter the board room.
One everyone was seated, Anna saw that Uncle Feng was here, but the other 5 men she did not know. Right on 3pm, Amanda ran into the boardroom saying, "Apologise CEO Hou, Madam Hou, Vice-CEO Ji, gentleman for being late. I have given a copy and have the original of my proxy nomination today to attend on CEO Yao"s behalf as the independent board member."
"Miss Mei, you did not ask permission to leave the legal department. I do not care if you have a proxy vote, you need to get back there, as you do not have permission to leave the department." Spoke one gentleman.
Hou Yi leaned over and said "That is the head of the legal department, Su Yang"
Anna immediately spoke "Director Su, we have not had the pleasure to meet. Madam Yao told me she had her husband"s proxy vote earlier today as he had other commitments, and I advised my husband that she would be attending. Do you want to argue over who has the authority to excuse staff from their areas to attend a meeting such as this?"
"Madam Hou, there is a process, and Miss Mei, did not follow it."
"Director Su, I have already this week put up with three supervisors, who I believe were acting at your direction interrupting a conversation about matters I was having with Madam Yao and being quite rude about it. And do not say that I need to respect them, respect is earned not demanded to be given."
"You work in the department, and you are required to respect those senior to you in the organisation. I was told that you were abusive and aggressive to them."
Anna was prepared for this, Director Su, from what Amanda had told her, thought he controlled everything. "Director Su, I was not, but I am not going to argue over the situation, because you will only believe them, but I can produce footage if you need it of what happened."
"My supervisors tell the truth."
Anna noticed Hou Yi was getting highly angry beside her, so she decided that she was going to hit this on the head quickly. "Director Su, we will simply have to agree to disagree about what happened."
"But you owe them respect and an apology."
That was it for Anna "Director Su, I am a director of this company like you, so they owe me the same amount of respect as they owe you. But you forget, I am the wife of the CEO and a shareholder, now do you want to try and argue with me over who has the higher position in this company."
Hou Yi noticed how quickly Anna had shut Director Su down, he loved to argue, and unless he won the argument meetings would simply drag on and on. They way that the family, and Uncle Feng dealt with him generally at the meetings was to let him win the argument before the vote.