Chapter 64.1

Chapter 64.1

Recently, the atmosphere in the company has changed dramatically.

Last week, the company announced a plan to shore up its cash reserves by shedding unprofitable hotels and department store locations, and it fired executives who had been collecting paychecks without delivering results. It also offered generous promotions to talented middle-management employees who worked under those executives.

A new division was created to develop and implement systems using the Internet, and a new division was soon to be created to handle expansion in Asia.

The recently promoted young executives quickly realized that their success depended on the young vice chairman. Ryan Buchanan, who was promoted to Marketing Director last month, was one of them.

For an ambitious salaryman, the Lafayette-Lowell Group, where dynamic changes were happening almost daily, was a thrilling stage. Therefore, he decided to do his best to assist the vice chairman for his own success.

Ryan knocked and entered the Vice Chairman’s secretariat at the end of the hallway. After informing André of his arrival, a brief response came from the speakerphone.

— In three minutes.

Ryan nodded to the secretary as if to acknowledge.

Over the next week, a press release about the vice chairman would be sent to various media outlets, as if to declare war on Gordon Lowell. The article, which would summarize his actions since his appointment, quell any negative publicity, and announce the new initiatives and 21st-century vision of the Lafayette-Lowell Group, would include a mugshot of Andre. It was Ryan’s idea.

His private life was shrouded in secrecy. That was because, immediately after graduating from military academy, he was commissioned, completed his military service, and returned to New York, whereupon he devoted himself solely to company matters, leaving him no time for a private life.

Unlike his father, who enjoyed the media’s attention by causing major and minor scandals in social circles, the son was the type of person who disliked revealing himself. So, even while making the suggestion, he didn’t expect much, but unexpectedly, he received immediate permission.

[You have five minutes, come up to the office in two hours with the photographer].

Ryan hurriedly called the photographer from the marketing team and went up to the Vice Chairman’s office on time. André, who had just returned from an off-site meeting, was walking into the office in his coat.

He glanced back and gestured for them to come in, then hung his coat on the hanger. He took off his gloves, unbuttoned his jacket, sat in the club chair, and nodded to the photographer.

[Begin.]

The photographer, startled by the low and deep voice, put his eye to the camera viewfinder on the tripod and began taking pictures. The sound of the aperture opening and the shutter snapping was loud.

On the classic hunter green wall hung an oil painting depicting nobles and servants  on horseback riding. It seemed to be a painting of an ancestor of the Lafayette family, who was likely a military officer.

He was impeccably dressed in a navy suit, shirt with French cuffs, classic Windsor knot tie, and vest.

It would have been better if there had been time to set up proper lighting, but fortunately, it was a high-rise corner office, so there was enough natural light.

[That’s all.]

The Vice Chairman glanced at his watch, then got up from his chair and walked to his desk. Exactly five minutes. The photoshoot was over.

When Ryan received the developed photos from the photographer, he once again realized that if the subject is good, any photo becomes a masterpiece. He smiled as he looked at the photos in the file.

‘Humans are visual creatures.’

André de Lafayette had fortunately inherited not only Grace Lowell’s intelligence and cool judgment but also Charles de Lafayette’s charming appearance. Although he sometimes felt like an android because he lacked expression, his appearance was, in any case, a very effective means of promotion.

If he had smiled moderately, it would have been more aesthetically pleasing, but the result was more dramatic precisely because he didn’t smile. The contrast between light and shadow created by the natural light dramatically highlighted his unique, overwhelming presence.

In the photo, André appeared to be a reliable next-generation leader worthy of representing the Lafayette-Lowell Group, despite his young age. It was clear that readers of the article would feel the same way.

Exactly three minutes later, André’s voice echoed again on the speakerphone.

— Send him in.

Ryan approached the desk and immediately got to the point, as he already knew that André considered small talk a waste of time.

[The photos to be attached to the press release are ready. You can choose one of them. The selected media list is organized here.]