Chapter 213
Sparkle Rocks' crisis was resolved, and Thea gifted the raw stones to the director. During filming, the director used Sparkle Rocks' official social media account to express his gratitude, urging the two leads to repost. Their large fan bases significantly increased public curiosity about Sparkle Rocks.
Seizing this opportunity, Thea decided to create a social media account for Sparkle Rocks and devised a plan. She collaborated with several popular internet celebrities to launch a live stream selling raw stones. Initially, viewership was high due to the novelty, but it soon dwindled as interest waned. She lowered prices to boost popularity and generate traffic.
During the morning meeting, Henrietta unexpectedly became confrontational, abandoning her usual respectful demeanor and resorting to sarcasm. She declared, "Young people today are naive; they try everything! I said we shouldn't do social media. Mrs. Hendrix, you lack experience; stop meddling! We'll lose money again this quarter, and the company will close!"
Thea responded coldly, "It's a loss, but less than half of last quarter's. That's improvement. And more people know Sparkle Rocks now."
Henrietta, speechless, slammed the table. "You blamed me before; I gave suggestions, and you won't listen? Fire me then!" Thea considered it.
Seeing Henrietta's defiance, Thea smiled. "Don't worry. Friction's normal with a new CEO. You're probably stressed. Rest for a few days; you'll still be paid. Return when you've calmed down."
The others were surprised by Thea's calm approach. They wondered, When did Thea become so easygoing?
Henrietta, feeling aggrieved, had intended to cause trouble but was met with unexpected calm. However, she planned to wait and see how long Thea could maintain this composure. She dramatically threw her computer on the table and stormed out of the meeting room.
The others exchanged glances. One spoke up for Henrietta, saying, "Mrs. Hendrix, Ms. Wade isn't usually like this. She's just worried." Another added, "You shouldn't have said that. Last quarter was a loss, but under Ms. Wade, we've always been profitable." A third suggested, "Apologize to Ms. Wade. You're inexperienced; learn from her."
Thea realized these requests were becoming unreasonable; asking a CEO to apologize to a subordinate was ridiculous. She finally understood Henrietta's boldness: she'd bribed several employees to support her.
Ursa remained silent. Thea, with a faint smile, addressed the group after they quieted down: "Ms. Wade is capable; I'll keep her. But youdo you think you're as capable?"
The employees fell silent, panic evident. They realized Thea tolerated Henrietta due to her competence, not softness.
Thea continued, "Henrietta's a special case; you are not. If you have time to defend others, think about yourselves." Her words held a subtle threat, though she wasn't sure how many understood. She didn't want them used as pawns.
Thea left. Ursa quickly followed, "Mrs. Hendrix, wait." Her expression remained cold. "I have suggestions for the live stream."
Thea frowned. "Why didn't you speak in the meeting?"
Ursa retorted, "You argued with Henrietta, then praised her. How could I speak?"
Thea gestured for Ursa to continue. Expecting criticism and a call to end the live stream, she was surprised by Ursa's insightful suggestions.
Ursa explained, "Few wealthy people watch live streams. Target students and office workers. Use smaller, less valuable scraps of raw stone. Advertise that good finds are possible but not guaranteed. The low price is the selling point." The transparency would remain.
Thea was impressed. "Impressive! You considered feasibility; much better than those who just talk."