Originally translated from the Thai language.
The boardroom turned glacial. Even the air conditioning seemed powerless against the frigid tension radiating from the old CFO as he challenged the foreign executive's competence.
"Mr. Gawin, CEO of Wonder Package..." Lu Rong looked up, his voice laced with a patronizing edge. "I cannot help but wonder if your credibility is truly sufficient for a global project of this magnitude."
His words were meticulously crafted to erode his opponent's dignity, leaving the directors shivering not from the cold, but from the fear that Gawin might buckle under the seasoned CFO's pressure.
"I have records indicating you have less than five years of executive experience in a mid-sized Thai firm one that appears to have never touched a global mega-project," Lu Rong continued, deliberately belittling the scale of Gawin's background to expose his perceived weakness before the assembly.
"The hydrogen initiative is valued in the tens of billions; it is the beacon of hope for the world. For a novice CEO to commit such an investment... I trust you aren't harboring ambitions to take the helm? Placing our future in the hands of a greenhorn still stumbling through international politics would be a catastrophic risk to national security and to the CK Group itself."
Lu Rong stared deep into Gawin's eyes. "You understand that, don't you, Mr. CEO?" A predatory smile etched across the elder man's face.
Gawin narrowed his eyes, absorbing the blatant mockery. From the edge of the stage, Tum could see a dark aura swirling around Lu Rong like volcanic ash, ready to incinerate everything in its path. This man was pure malice.
Gawin locked eyes with Tum, catching the silent warning, before turning back to Lu Rong.
"Thank you for the counsel," Gawin replied, his voice dropping an octave, challenging the elder man with a steady stare. "It is best we reach a clear understanding before I commit such massive capital as a lead investor."
He emphasized his status the man holding the lifeline for a project currently drowning in financial crisis.
"I admit, without shame, that my tenure may not rival the years spent by the board members in this room," Gawin paused, his eyes pinning Lu Rong. "But I am certain I possess something far more vital than time... I have the network, the reach, and the leverage of a nation that holds neutral ground in Asia and the world."
A faint smirk played on his lips as the room fell into a deafening silence.
"In a world fractured by extreme polarization, a hydrogen project fueled solely by Chinese capital becomes an easy target for global trade wars. But with Thailand a neutral friend to all powers as a majority shareholder and Strategic Partner, this project is repositioned as a regional hope that every Asian nation will defend."
Li Ming smiled, savoring Gawin's brilliant counter-maneuver, while Lu Rong's face twitched with a simmering rage.
"So, that means you do intend to take a management role," Lu Rong pressed.
"Absolutely," Gawin replied firmly. "I intend to be part of the management for the hydrogen project."
As the directors exchanged uneasy glances, Lu Rong sneered. "But your management experience remains questionable. I find it... inappropriate."
Gawin met his gaze with a serene, knowing smile.
"I understand your concern," Gawin said softly. "But perhaps you should be more concerned with how your 'vast experience' allowed CK Group's financial figures to spiral into this current crisis."
At that moment, the project's financial statements bleeding with massive deficits in glaring red flashed onto the projector screen. Lu Rong stared at the screen in total shock, before his eyes whipped back to the Thai businessman who had just delivered a devastating, tooth-for-a-tooth blow.