Chapter: 403

In the meeting room, Jonathan listened to the project manager's progress report. Occasionally, he frowned slightly. Noticing this, his assistant promptly took notes.

This indicated that Jonathan was a bit dissatisfied, or that something was amiss.

He sat in the CEO's chair, dressed in a custom black suit, his Lips pressed together as he listened intently without saying a word.

This made everyone reporting feel nervous, afraid that something might displease them.

A sudden knock on the door broke the silence in the meeting room.

“Come in," Jonathan uttered.

The door opened, and it was Brody.

He walked straight to Jonathan's side, bent down, and whispered, "Sir, your father has appointed Maddie Hinchcliffe as the chief lawyer of Bates Group. The HR department just received notice that she will be here in half an hour."

Jonathan's expression darkened. He knew his parents would do something.

“Tell HR to ignore it. Everything goes on as usual."

“And Maddie's office..."

The chief lawyer had their own office. Since Maddie resigned, the legal affairs were handed over to someone else, and the office was reassigned.

With Maddie returning as the chief lawyer, the current director of the legal department would be in an awkward position.

“Without HR's signature, one is not considered an employee of Bates Group," Jonathan said without hesitation, purely businesslike.

Brody nodded affirmatively and said, “Got it.”

Once he departed, the meeting proceeded.

It wasn't until the report's conclusion that Jonathan said icily, "Is this all the due diligence your team has managed? Providing a revenue range instead of precise figures reflects poorly on your department. Should I personally oversee your project's due diligence?"

"Mr. Bates, please allow us some time. We're committed to..."

"This project is hereby suspended indefinitely." Ignoring further explanations, Jonathan rose abruptly. "Meeting adjourned."

The project manager, responsible for the initiative, hesitated momentarily, then persisted in following him.

"Mr. Bates, please hear me out! The meeting caught us off guard. We've initiated due diligence procedures, and we'll soon have the precise data. It will be accurate."

Normally, Jonathan would have brushed him off.

But this time, he halted and scrutinized the project manager intently.

In a solemn tone, he remarked, “Every day, numerous projects vie for Bates Group's investment. I cannot afford to reconsider this one."