There was of course also the sort of ceo's that had everyone else handle the paperwork while they ruled like kings or queens. Jack as far as I knew was sorta in this category. He still had paperwork as far as I knew but he didn't rule the company through merit but fear. It was quite different than me or even the old man who controlled our companies with proper procedure. The Jakobs were only slightly nepotistic in that the ceo position was hereditary but had contingencies in place to keep their power over the company from allowing it to tank if a bad one took over.-
That is to say they knew very well how bad it could be if their hereditary position had unlimited power over the company like most ceo's. At first glance it still looked like the Jakobs had all the power like other ceo's but in truth there was a board of directors they had to clear most of their decisions with before they could do anything. My company was fully under my control however as I was the one who had to approve what was and was not done on a quarterly basis.-
I also had it set up in the companies legal paperwork in a manner untouchable even to the next ceo that if I ever came back and didn't like how the company was being run I could remove that ceo from their position and take over again. It should be obvious but at some point I'd be leaving the company behind for universal exploration. I'd naturally find someone who felt like a good fit and groom them into ceo material before handing off the position but that was about it. -
That was at the VERY least a decade off though.
"Anything interesting since I've been gone?" I asked Atlas who brought me a steaming cup of apple cider(alcoholic of course).
"Historical traces of the final piece of Promethea's vault key have been discovered while sifting through the echo log series left behind by Typhon Deleon. He seems to have given it to the old siren queen of Athenas." he said calmly.
"Dido had it? I suppose it must be in the siren vault then. I'll see if Maya wants to keep it. Much as I'd like to open that vault under Apollyon I'm not stealing from my girlfriend to do it." I said before taking a sip of my cider.
"Besides that the Katagawa family head sent a proposal for an arranged marriage between yourself and her daughter Naoko." he said and I sighed.
"That's the fifth time she's sent a marriage proposal so far. A different daughter each time to boot! Am I not being obvious enough about not being interested? Is that it?" I asked helplessly.
"I believe in this case the fault is madam Katagawa's. She appears to be under the belief that she can wear down your rejection until she gets what she wants." Atlas said honestly.
"I get that. Shit, I might even be impressed if it weren't so fucking annoying. No means no, not try again!" I said exasperated.
"It's better than them being hostile right?" he asked and I chuckled.
"After the last time? They wouldn't dare bare their teeth at me. Make no mistake they aren't my fans at all, they just know how to hide it well. Take these marriage proposals for instance. At first glance they may seem like an attempt to draw us together. But in reality it's basically trying to put a spy at the top of my company by going straight for it's head." I said disdainfully.
"Not a bad tactic, highly effective if anything should they succeed." he said sounding almost impressed.
I nodded "It IS a good tactic. What's the phrase? "You can guard against a thief for a thousand nights but not forever" I believe it was. So long as they can set someone right next to me no matter how hard I guard against them eventually they'd be able to steal my stuff when I slack off on that guard." I said with a shrug.
"Why not wipe them out then?" he asked curiously.
"I thought I taught you better than that? It creates a VERY annoying precedent if done like that. It opens the door to the idea that it's totally acceptable to slaughter ones annoyances. That's bandit behavior and definitely not suitable for corporations to adopt. Even sending assassins after each others key individuals is already pushing the limit of what is acceptable." I explained seriously.
"I fail to see the difference between hiring an assassin for one person and not killing everyone instead beyond the numbers." he said bluntly.
"The difference is that killing one person is business, killing everyone ruins it. Take what Hyperion is currently doing as an example. They are suppressing the people on Pandora and even within their own company with fear and violence. It looks like it's stable and even making the company stronger but the moment that tight grip slips the company will tank, HARD. I'm immortal so I might in theory be able to pull it off long enough for it to be declared the new normal. But Hyperion isn't headed by me and will have to pay for the sins it commits now when Jack inevitably dies, most likely killed if I had to say." I explained seriously.
"I see." he said nodding in understanding.
"Now then, lets get this paperwork done with shall we?" I said setting my cup to the side to pull up the first document needing my attention.
It was a request from the exploratory division I created to chart the various planets and other things in the universe. What? Did you think I was just going to be winging it when I went off looking for traits? Anyways the request was for an additional dozen explorative drones since the ones they currently had were barely covering their needs and not letting them work at their best.-
I signed off on the request and forwarded it to the requisitions department to get the deliver sorted out. The next thing was from Tannis once again asking me to give her coworkers intelligence boosting traits since they were "insufferably dull" according to her. This I denied just like the one hundred seventy eight previous such requests.
https://www.pa treon.com/user?u=81578854#:~:text=pa treon.com/pa treon_loskro
_______________________________________________
Alexander Drake
Lifeforce: 2,300,721
Integrated Traits: [Clever mind-Rare grade],[Enhanced senses-Epic grade]X2, [Energy projection-Legendary grade], [Supreme vitality-Legendary grade],[Lesser dragon breath-Epic grade],[Regeneration-Epic grade]X2, [Disease resistance-Epic grade],[Amphibious lungs-Uncommon grade]X2, [Thermal sensing-Uncommon grade], [Water resistance-Rare grade],[Active camouflage-Legendary grade], [Eridian engineering expertise-Mythical grade], [Efficient lungs-Rare grade]x2, [Biometallic bones-Legendary grade], [Quick thinking-Rare grade], [Minor spatial awareness-Epic grade], [Adrenal rush-Rare grade], [Mechanical engineering expertise-Rare grade]X3, [Gunsmithing expertise(degrading)-Common grade]X3, [Mechanical Savant-Epic grade], [Embodiment of destruction(partial)-Mythical grade], [Demi-god body-Mythical grade], [Martial savant-Legendary grade], [Tinkering instinct-Rare grade], [Phase-god(Incomplete)-Mythical grade], [Impenetrable hide-Legendary grade]
Stored traits: [Agelessness-Legendary grade], [Elemental lifeform-Epic grade], [Elemental embodiment(Fire)-Legendary grade], [Elemental embodiment(Cryo)-Legendary grade]