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Cycle 4 : Entrepreneur
🕑 Added 2024-11-10 09:20:05 +0000 UTC"Hey, Lilika. Can you help me with this for a moment?" my friend Shella asked for assistance.
"Sure, hold on. It's like this," I explained, solving the problem even before Shella asked. "For the next question, this is the way. You need to find the height here using this formula."
"Wow, you're amazing. I haven't even asked, and you have already told me the answer and the method. How did you know which question I was going to ask? Can you read minds?" Shella exclaimed, surprised to see me taking her textbook and teaching her. I already knew what Shella would ask from our previous life.
"Okay. Is it done? I have to go now," I said.
"Hey, where are you going?"
"The bell is about to ring. I need to go to class," I replied, glancing at Elin, who had just arrived with a cynical smile. Stay calm, Lilika; this is the past. She didn't do anything wrong now. Even if you switched places with her back then, facing the choice of sacrificing yourself or your friend, you might have done the same. You would choose your friend over yourself.
I entered the classroom and pondered at my desk. The bell rang a few moments later. Usually, teachers start entering the class about 10 to 15 minutes after the bell rings, so I still had some time to avoid Elin. My heart was heavy, remembering the time when I became a malpractice suspect.
I glanced at the pocket watch given by Rara. The watch showed April 27, 2005. Now what? What should I do in my life? I no longer have dreams. What kind of job should I have in the future?
"There are still many choices."
"Oh, Rara," I murmured, looking at her with boredom.
"Hello," she greeted with her usual excitement, making it seem so nice to be a kid like her. No need to worry about work.
"Hello."
"Why, Lily? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"No reason. I was just thinking, if I were a kid like you, maybe I wouldn't have to worry about future work."
"Impossible. I've weathered the years. Have you ever wondered how old a rock is? Initially unchanging, they, too, undergo transformation, weathered by time. Yet, you will never see them change in a brief flash of your years—perhaps unknown to you, but I know, thanks to a tapestry of memories woven into the fabric of my existence. Plus, I have a job. Don't misunderstand, assuming all kids are unemployed or something."
"Job? Aren't you just watching my activities every day?"
"You're so annoying. I have a job too, you know."
"What is it?"
"In hell, I'm an administrator. I manage the schedules of prisoners and decide on their punishments or tortures."
Instantly, I shivered a bit, hearing that Rara's task involved torturing people. Well, she is a devil; that's probably the kind of work she does in hell. But hearing it directly was a bit different from hearing it in a place of worship.
"Okay. I had a bit of time, so I stopped by. So, how are you?" she asked.
I realized that her question wasn't about my current condition, but she wanted to know how I felt about repeating time. Why does she disturb me like this?
"Why are you asking that?"
"No reason. I just want to know your plans for the future. Since you're repeating again, can I, as a curious being, know your plans for the future?"
"Why do you ask? Couldn't I use this watch as I please?" I asked warily.
"Hah. I was hoping you'd have a little more gratitude because I gave you this power for free. Without that watch, you could have become an ugly artist, a malpractice-prone doctor that rots in jail, or a forgotten musician."
"So, you begrudged it? Is that it? do you regret giving me the watch?" I said cynically. Now, her demon face was evident. Surely, she would ask for something in return if I wanted to use her power to rewind time this time. So, it was all a ruse. She simply let me taste her power before asking for something in return the next time I used it.
"No. Taking back something that was given is not good manners. So, you can continue using that watch," she replied.
"For free?"
"For free. According to the agreement I gave you."
"Oh, I see. In that case, can you change it? I just want to turn back time a little, like a week before or an hour before. It would be a shame if I had to go back all the way here."
"In that case, it's not free anymore," Rara smirked.
"Why is that?"
"Let me remind you of our agreement. My agreement with you allows Maria Lilika Dewi to return to April 27, 2005, as she pleases. Nothing more than that. I clearly informed you of this agreement from the beginning. If you want additional benefits, you must sacrifice something," she said firmly. "And well, I am not that interested in your soul. So I will not accept such an agreement then."
"Okay. Thanks, then."
"Well then, I'm going back to hell. Good luck in this life," she said. "Oh, right. Almost forgot the watch." Rara tossed the pocket watch.
Why would a demon wish me success? Isn't it supposed to be the opposite? Demons are supposed to make people suffer. Why is she wishing me success? Rara's peculiar behavior sometimes confuses me. Is she good or evil? Her attitude is so unpredictable. But so far, what she says is consistent, so she has yet to lie. But her attitude earlier was quite harsh. If she wanted to support me to succeed, why not give me additional power to rewind time as I please? Granted, the agreement says I can only go back to April 27, 2005, so technically, she's not wrong. Her powers may be limited, and she can only provide so much.
"Good morning, everyone!" Mrs. Elizabeth's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Oh, right. Rara mentioned before that she could stop time when needed. I was so engrossed in our conversation that I forgot that the counseling class with Mrs. Elizabeth was starting in five minutes.
"Good afternoon, teacher!" We greeted her, harmonizing our voices like a well-rehearsed choir, each note synchronized perfectly. It felt nostalgic as I repeated the familiar greeting I had stopped using since I was in 8th grade. But now, the sound of it seemed tedious. I was tired.
"Okay, today we're going to talk about dreams. What do you all want to be when you grow up? Pilots? Singers? Actors? Contractors?" Mrs. Elizabeth asked.
"What's a contractor, Bu?" Henry, a rural-urban migration kid, inquired.
Hearing my friends' mistakes no longer made me laugh or smile. This event had become stale. I had repeated it three times already. I waited for Mrs. Elizabeth to assign the same task as in my previous lives.
I stared at the paper given by Mrs. Elizabeth, contemplating my current dreams. What career path could lead me to success? I had tried being a doctor, an artist, and a singer, but those occupations seemed risky. Hmm, a businesswoman?
I continued to ponder, looking at the blank sheet asking for my dreams.
"Lilika, what's your dream?" Mrs. Elizabeth approached my desk, noticing that I was still contemplating the empty worksheet.
"Hmm, I don't know," I honestly replied. "I don't know what my dream is, teacher."
"Okay, let's discuss it. Since you enjoy singing, how about becoming a singer?" Mrs. Elizabeth suggested with a smile.
"Hmm. I don't want to be an artist or a singer."
"In that case, what do you want to be?"
"I don't really know. But I'm sure I don't want to be a musician or a singer. I don't want to be a doctor either. They all seemed tiresome."
"Hmm. Okay. Since you're good at math, maybe you could become an accountant."
"Oh. Can I be successful as an accountant?" I asked Mrs. Elizabeth. The idea of becoming an accountant had never crossed my mind. In my eyes, Shella aspired to be an accountant because she wanted a peaceful life and a stable income. I wanted success in my life. Could I achieve that by becoming an accountant?
"Yes, you can. If you study accounting, there are two options. Accounting and Finance. Both can lead to success. In accounting, the job is simpler, but you have to be honest in recording. In finance, you plan the company's budget. You will be entrusted by the company to plan its finances. Usually, the salary is high because the responsibility is significant."
"Oh. How about being an accountant? Can I succeed easily without much work?"
"If you're honest, the salary will eventually become substantial."
So, now, should I become an accountant or go into finance? Finance seems to involve more significant risks, but I should take it if I want to be a businesswoman. How long does it take for an accountant's salary to become substantial anyway? What are the risks of finance and opening a business? I should have asked Shella when she became an accountant if she was successful or not during my previous lives. However, I was too preoccupied with my own problems. Finance is more or less like being an entrepreneur, but it's planning for others. Maybe finance is better? I could take on my father's job if I couldn't find any job outside. I could expand the family business using my knowledge of financing.
"Oh."
"Now, take your time to think about it. Don't forget to submit your assignments. The time is almost up," Mrs. Elizabeth said, slightly raising her voice, emphasizing that the counseling session was coming to an end.
I thought about it, but I don't want to work as an accountant. It would be better to continue the family business; it was easier and more stable than having to find jobs. I dreaded the days when I had to do interviews when I was an idol. I had to apply for every audition and question myself about whether the producers needed me or not at the beginning of my career as an actress. The worst thing about it was that you would never know whether you had been rejected.
I want to be an entrepreneur
I want to be successful. I will build a large company. I will make my company successful and liked by many people. A company that serves customers to the best of its ability. A company that helps people. A company that can make me and my parents proud. A company admired by many.
First, I will study to become a businesswoman by studying financial management, then I will apply to my father's company to become an accountant or finance manager and eventually continue to become a director, more or less like my father. I want to continue his clothing business.
I will be more successful than my father. I will continue my father's business and expand his clothing company. Currently, my father is the boss of a screen-printing clothing company, and the products are sometimes exported. But I am sure I can be more successful than my father.
That's my plan for now. I don't want to dream too far ahead. I'm uncertain about when I should get married. It would be nice to have two kids and a loving husband. That is my current dream, and I hope to achieve it one day.
The bell rang, and I ran to Mrs. Elizabeth's desk to submit the "WHAT IS YOUR DREAM" form. I saw that almost everyone had already submitted their forms. Many wrote doctors, pilots, and singers. Some also wrote contractors, architects, and others. I wonder if they can succeed. I feel like sharing my magical wristwatch with them in case they fail to achieve their dreams.
"What did you write, Lily?" Elin asked me. It seems she didn't consider my attitude during lunch break as something important. It appears that she saw my behavior as just being in a hurry to catch the class schedule. I was lucky she didn't take it to heart. She hadn't done anything wrong to me now. Even though she betrayed me in the previous life, She was innocent now. I just need to keep my distance and be on guard in the future. No need to hold a grudge for something she hadn't done. What she did also makes sense. She was trying to defend her hospital.
"Hey." Elin raised her voice. "Why are you daydreaming when asked?"
"Sorry. I wrote that I want to be an entrepreneur," I replied.
"Why an entrepreneur? You don't even like social studies. Do you want to open up a new business?" Shella chimed into our conversation.
"Following my dad."
"Oh, I see. Same here. I'm also following my parents."
"Too bad, Lily. Later, what will you do with your math and science grades? It's a waste if you have good grades that you don't use." Shella responded bluntly.
"Well, business also needs math and science sometimes. Not as advanced as doctors or engineering, but we are still in sixth grade anyway." Elin agreed with Shella's opinion.
"It's okay. Grades are just grades. We won't even know if we will use it in the future." I shrugged my shoulder.
"Yeah, it's okay. After all, our parents are our role models."
"I'll become an accountant. If you succeed, I'll work in your office, okay?" Shella joked with a smile.
"Yeah, sure. If I succeed, you can work at my place. But don't be lazy, okay?"
"Okay," Shella replied happily. We went home carrying our respective dreams.
----------------15 years later------------------
"All right, brothers and sisters, welcome back to our program, LIFE ON what?" The presenter's voice resonated with enthusiasm while simultaneously providing a clue to the audience in the studio.
"LIFE ON CHATTERBOX!" The audience's voice on stage, which, of course, had been directed to say this from week to week. I even remembered the exact same wording was used in my previous life when I was a celebrity; the face of the audience coordinator and the given cues were a bit different though.
"All right, dear audience. Today, we have a guest star that some people may already know. She is a young entrepreneur whose name has become famous lately. Let's welcome Maria Lilika."
Upon hearing my name being called, I stepped forward onto the stage where the presenter was waiting. Seeing this, I was reminded of my first experiences when I was a celebrity. Now, I have achieved success again, not as an artist, but as a businesswoman.
"Good afternoon, Miss Lily."
"Good afternoon."
"Wow, Miss Lily looks very young. If I may ask, how old are you?"
"Um, 27 years old."
"Wow, twenty-seven years old, and your company already has over 10 branches in Indonesia. Besides, it is worth noting that Miss Lily is also one of the batik exporters in Indonesia. If I may know, what is the secret?"
"Um, yes, being a businesswoman is not easy. We must have strong principles and also be persistent in our work. By working persistently, the quality of the products we produce will improve, and consumers will come to us naturally." I uttered words commonly spoken by other entrepreneurs.
"Wow, that's amazing, Miss Lily. It turns out you are also one of the hardworking individuals. For the viewers at home, if you want to succeed, you can take an example from Miss Lily. We must be diligent and dedicated when running our businesses."
"Yes. In essence, no matter what happens, don't give up, and we will surely succeed."
"Okay. Thank you to Miss Lily for taking the time to chat with all of us. Hopefully, Miss Lily's company will continue to thrive, and Indonesia will be increasingly respected in the eyes of the world." The presenter said, signaling for me to step down from the stage and for the next guest to take the stage.
"Good afternoon, ma'am. After this, there is a meeting with the shareholders. There are only 20 minutes left."
"Yes, I understand. Let's go right away."
Exactly 19 minutes later, with a bit of running, I finally arrived at the entrance of the meeting room. Today, there was a meeting with the shareholders of my father's batik enterprise. It seemed that my secretary and I were the last to enter the room. I glanced at the watch on my wrist and the wall clock in the office. Good, I was on time. Some shareholders in my new batik enterprise that I managed from my father were quite arrogant, so even a tiny delay would likely lead to their criticisms and complaints. Entering this room felt like entering a battlefield filled with the whizzing bullets of words.
"All right, it seems everyone is present. Ms. Lily, as the director and one of the shareholders, please lead our meeting this month," said one meticulous but friendly shareholder, Mr. Wilson. "How is our company's report this month?"
"I can't complain since Ms. Lily is not late, but I think it's a norm that we should come 5 minutes before the meeting starts," remarked Ferdy, one of the most arrogant yet the largest shareholders. His money has brought us this far, but his arrogance was getting on everyone's nerves.
"I apologize if my behavior is not pleasing to you, gentlemen and ladies shareholders here. I have other matters to attend to and had to come hastily to this meeting," I responded. There was no point in indulging Ferdy's remarks. There was no need to respond to their criticisms; I just needed to walk to the front of the projector, then apologize formally, and all the problems would be resolved. No need to instigate trouble; we all need each other here. Let me flatter them a bit to satisfy them. After all, I was also slightly at fault.
"All right, if there are no other complaints, let's start the monthly meeting of the batik enterprise. First of all, here are the statistics for our batik sales last month. As you can see, there is a slight decrease this month, but still within reasonable limits. As for profit, we haven't reached the target yet, but we are above the break-even point."
"Not yet? Why?" Mr. Wilson asked.
"Well, our target for this month is less realistic because we are entering February. There are no significant events where consumers want to buy new clothes. We tried to penetrate Valentine's Day, but it didn't work out. Setting sales targets similar to January, which benefited from the New Year and school holidays encouraging consumers to purchase our clothes, appears less realistic."
"Okay. As long as the profit is above the break-even point, I have no problem with it," said Darwin, one of the carefree investors. He was also one of the shareholders who complained the least. However, he was like a ticking time bomb. If there was any discrepancy between what I said and the information he got from outside, he wouldn't hesitate to ask in any way, sometimes even barging into my office and asking directly.
"But if we look at the statistics, the sales seem uneven. Our sales outside Jakarta were holding us down," remarked Ferdy. I was aware that our products weren't reaching the larger audience.
"We do have a problem with sales outside Jakarta, especially exports. So, the main reason we didn't reach the sales target is because of this."
"And what is the problem?" Linuardi spoke, the last shareholder in the room beside my father, who hadn't spoken. He was quiet, but his tongue was somewhat sharp. His words sometimes helped me in meetings to press other shareholders, but sometimes, they could also corner me.
"Export taxes and transportation costs have increased, along with the rise in fuel prices. We haven't adjusted to the current prices."
"I don't understand what Ms. Lily means by adjusting. Just add the price of our batik, problem solved. It's just simple math," Ferdy said. I balked at his thoughtlessness.
"Erm...." I lost my words. There were several difficult choices here. The marketing department even provided different opinions, but they weren't sure of their own decision. If we raise the price, the consumer might go away. But if we don't, then the quality of our product will be impacted.
"I disagree, Mr. Ferdy. If we arbitrarily raise prices, consumers may get angry. In my opinion, our profit margin can be reduced. It's okay if we lose a little profit, as long as the customers are satisfied," Darwin said. Well, in just a few seconds, there was already a difference of opinion. Those in the marketing department were the same.
"Erm, the increase in fuel prices happened a month ago. We could blame the fuel price for increasing our prices, right Ms. Lily?" Wilson said. "What are our options from the marketing department, Ms Lily?"
"Erm, first, as Mr. Ferdy and Mr. Wilson mentioned, we could raise prices and blame the fuel price hike on consumers, but we're afraid that if our competitors don't raise prices, our market will decline. The second option, as Mr. Darwin said, is that we can choose not to raise prices, but our profit will be very little. And if there are unforeseen costs or unsold items, we could incur losses."
"Okay. Are there any other options?" Linuardi asked.
"So far, we are still assessing how much we can raise prices. So, we are somewhat withdrawing from the international market and switching to Java island where transportation is easier and cheaper."
"Our investment in the ASEAN market would be in vain then. Ms. Lily, have you considered online shopping?" Wilson said.
"Meaning?"
"We sell at unchanged prices, but we force consumers to pay for their own transportation costs. By registering online, they purchase items with their credit cards, and after we receive the payment, we only need to send them via the post office," Wilson explained.
"Erm... but... It was a good idea. But wouldn't the final price end up being very high?" I stammered.
"Nah, good, that's it. This way, we'll be able to set prices much lower than all our competitors," Ferdy enthusiastically interjected. This chubby guy just loves to sound off. He agrees without thinking. If only he weren't wealthy and holding more than 30% of the shares, I would kick him out of here.
"But if that's the case, consumers will end up paying higher costs," Linuardi finally spoke up. I sighed in relief as someone with common sense supported me.
"Well, it's going to be fine; we can blame it on transportation costs or delivery fees." Ferdy nonchalantly spoke.
"Okay. It seems we're stuck on the decision here. So, how about we start voting on the company's decision?" Wilson seemed resigned to the never-ending debate.
"Before that, gentlemen, let's review the available options again," my father finally spoke up. "The first is to raise prices, the second is not to raise prices, and the third is to pass on the shipping costs to consumers by going online shopping."
"Actually, not raising prices isn't a viable option. We have to raise prices; the question is how much. So, it's better to disregard the first option, Mr. Kuncoro," Mr. Darwin objected to my father. I also agree with his statement. Not raising prices was not viable. Our profit was too little for that.
"All right, for those who choose the second option, please raise your hand."
Mr. Linuardi and Mr. Wilson raised their hands. My father and I also raised our hands. So, there were 4 people in favor.
"I think we shouldn't take risks with a market we don't know. I'd rather play it safe, so we better stick to the same market and play with rational pricing," Mr. Liniardi said, representing the other shareholders that supported the second option.
"So, Mr. Ferdy and Mr. Darwin opted for internet shopping?" I knew Ferdy would choose that option; he was impulsive, but I was somewhat shocked to see Mr. Darwin leaning towards online shopping. Where was his statement earlier defending consumers?
"Um, I actually don't like the higher final price with online stores. But I think we should try to reach a wider market with online shopping. So far, our market has only been other ASEAN countries; if they want to buy, they have to go through a retailer. The price would be jacked up significantly there too. If we go online, we can reach the entire world, which would be cheaper than non-affiliated retail stores. Going through a retailer tends to be more expensive than online. So I decided to support online stores," Darwin said.
"Because Mr. Darwin and Mr. Ferdy's combined shares amount to 51 percent, the decision is that our company will try to sell through online stores. Do Mr. Ferdy and Mr. Darwin want to change the decision? If not, then the process and procedures for going for online stores will be processed and planned in the next meeting," my father finally concluded the meeting.
Ferdy holds 37 percent of the shares, and Darwin has 14 percent, so their decision cannot be challenged. If only I hadn't been tempted by Ferdy's offer to buy my and my father's shares at 30 percent above the stock market price. But that's in the past. The money was beneficial for the progress of the company. There's nothing to regret. According to the management economics I studied, the decision made is not wrong.
Without wasting any more time, all the shareholders quickly left the meeting room after the other reports had been heard.
-----------------3 years later-----------------------------
"Why is it like this?" Ferdy led the other shareholders, "Our stocks are declining. They almost freefall! All consumers are questioning the quality of our products. Why did we advertise in a place where there are usually many scammers or low-quality products? Because of this, international consumers who used to like our products are reluctant to buy. Not only that, most of the products we send to them are damaged in transit! Some are late, dirty, sent to the wrong address, and some don't even arrive at all. This is because the postal service we use is not reliable."
"Um, we're not too familiar with online media yet. So, mistakes still happen in the shipping process. And for postal services, we opted for a cheap one according to the policy set by the shareholders at the meeting two years ago."
"Sure, it's cheap. But if the quality is like this, we'd better not suggest using such postal services at all!"
"I did suggest using online media, but not like this, Ms. Lily. Why use unrecognized media? We can learn from other products that use online media. Honestly, I'm somewhat disappointed with the decline that's happening," Wilson said.
If you disagree, why get angry with me? It's been more than 2 years! Besides, all the ideas we suggested were reported to all of you at every meeting. You even agreed to all of it. If you want to get angry, do it during the discussion. Just say it if you're going to find a scapegoat. I thought to myself. Stay calm, Lilika; I must not be provoked emotionally.
"Ehm... this was not planned by me alone. The sales marketing team was also involved," I said, trying to provide a reason to calm them down.
"But you are the CEO! If this happens, who will take responsibility?" Ferdy exploded with anger. "I hold the largest shares here. If the company loses, I lose the most."
BANG!
"Mr. Ferdy! All you can do is point fingers at people. If we're here to point fingers, wasn't it Mr. Ferdy who was most in favor of going for online stores? During the proposal about our method of sales, advertisement, and courier, all of you agreed. Now everything is a mess, and you blame me?" I shouted, slamming the table. My anger could no longer be contained. Does he think I'm his puppet? And talking about the largest shares, my father and I built this company. Does he think he owned the company?
"You incompetent brat! I demand a change of director. An incompetent director like you shouldn't have been in office from the beginning!"
"Oh? And who will replace me? You? Isn't it that you're only good at being angry? Let me see if you can lead the company."
"You! Jerk!" Ferdy raised his hand. It seemed he wanted to get physical. Is that how he acts as a conglomerate? I wonder how someone like him can succeed.
"Mr. Ferdy, that's enough. If we want to replace Ms. Lily, there is a procedure to follow. First, let's start with a vote. We are not uneducated barbarians on the streets. Have a seat, Mr. Ferdy," Mr. Linuardi commented. Good comment! If only the chubby one had a quarter of your brain, none of this would have happened.
"Okay, let's get started then. I propose to remove Ms. Lily from her position as director." Mr. Ferdy spoke with a very harsh tone. However, to my surprise, not a single person raised their hand in favor of Mr. Ferdy. Unsurprisingly, this guy has no followers.
"In that case, do other shareholders reject or choose to abstain?"
"Um, after seeing clearly what happened, I think part of the responsibility is ours, and it's not entirely Ms. Lily's fault. So I choose to support Ms. Lily as the director," Wilson said.
"I also agree with Mr. Wilson," Darwin supported me.
"Ms. Lily's performance has been somewhat disappointing lately, but I haven't found a better director. So I am still siding with Ms. Lily," Mr. Linuardi replied. An ambiguous answer, but it seems he is still on my side.
"Okay then. I will withdraw from this company. This company would have gone bankrupt if not for my investment. And now, this is the thanks I get? It's up to you all then!" Mr. Ferdy seemed unable to contain his anger, slamming the clear holder containing the reports I handed over earlier and storming out of the meeting room.
"Well, if Mr. Ferdy is out, I think I have to withdraw my shares too," Mr. Linuardi said, rubbing his chin in thought. "This company would go bankrupt if he liquidated his shares."
"To be honest, I also apologize for any policies I may have made that may have harmed the company. But I must also exit as a shareholder if this is the situation. Mr. Ferdy holds 37% of the shares. Honestly, I'm not sure if our company can survive losing such a significant percentage of our assets. So, I sincerely apologize, Ms. Lily. Please understand," Mr. Wilson left and was followed by Mr. Linuardi.
I could only bow my head at this turn of events. With this, the company loses more than 50% of its shares. Losing more than half of our assets means the company will collapse. Only Darwin has yet to give his decision; will he leave the company, too? If Darwin goes, our shares in the international market will disappear entirely. We might even lose more than half of our market share in Indonesia. No, forget the market; we would have trouble paying this year's salary.
"Mr. Darwin, will you also leave like the other shareholders?" My father asked Mr. Darwin, his face pale. I could only remain silent, bowing my head in my chair. Tears had filled my eyes. All of this was in vain. If my dream of becoming a successful entrepreneur fails, what do I have left? Why is everything falling apart? What should I do? Did Rara betray me? Could that clock be a curse, after all? Everything I did always ended in failure.
"No. I will stay in this company until it either goes bankrupt or becomes successful again," Mr. Darwin declared loudly. "I dislike traitors. Honestly, I've never liked Ferdy's behavior from the beginning. But because he's the major shareholder, I had to keep quiet. But what he's doing now is outrageous. Trying to find a scapegoat for his own mistakes. I don't like it. Even if my stock value becomes zero, I will still stay in this company."
"Mr. Darwin, I don't know what to say." My father looked at Darwin with a grateful expression. "Thank you, sir. I am sincerely grateful."
I looked at Darwin with teary eyes. "Thank you, sir."
"No need to thank me. This is business. If you profit, I profit. If you lose, we both lose together; that's how I roll," Darwin said casually. "Now that they're all gone, do you have a plan, Ms. Lily?"
"Of course. I have some plans, sir," I said while choking back tears. Suppose Mr. Darwin stays in the company, combined with all my assets, loans from the bank, and perhaps further investment from Mr. Darwin himself. In that case, there's a possibility that the company can recover. It may not be as big as before, but we can avoid bankruptcy.
---------------10 months later---------------------
My company lost more than 50% of its shares. As a result, many company assets had to be sold. The office had to move to a smaller and rented space. Not only that, but my personal savings and my father's also had to be sacrificed to cover the company's deficit. Moreover, thousands of employees had to be laid off. The factory also had to relocate to a smaller place. However, we survived. Despite losing most of its assets, the company stayed afloat. I am grateful for all of it. Life has its ups and downs.
"Hah." I looked at the wristwatch Rara gave me. I wish I could go back to my elementary school days. But I am not discouraged. With perseverance, I can revive the company. Although it is much smaller now compared to before, sales are starting to stabilize, and the sales figures are gradually increasing.
"Whose wristwatch is that? Grandma's? Or grandpa's?" Darwin said while driving. He was the reason I can still be grateful now. Darwin has never withdrawn his shares from my company. In fact, he injected his personal savings into the company. Therefore, my company could avoid bankruptcy.
"This watch was a gift. Looks good, right? Maybe she bought it from some antique store somewhere." I replied with a smile. "I wonder if anything is missing. Preparation for the presentation. The budget is ready, the equipment is ready, the production schedule is ready. What do you think the clients will ask?"
"Don't worry. Our presentation to the next company is straightforward. Compared to what you used to do, it's nothing at all."
"That's not it, dear. I'm just thinking. Maybe I was too ambitious back then, huh? What if I wasn't too eager to sell shares to expand the company? But maybe that thought itself is wrong. I should be like this, continuing my father's small business from scratch without help from others. Luckily, there's you. Thank you."
"Well, from my perspective, you were ambitious. But, in my opinion, it's not a problem. You were ambitious but not obsessed, and you can still run the company logically and rationally even when you have setbacks like this. If you ask me, you just had bad luck. You got a shareholder like Ferdy."
Darwin never blamed me. Looking at the percentage of shares, Darwin holds almost 50%. But considering the amount of money, Darwin has lost a lot. It can be counted up to billions. Thinking about it, I feel like crying over my failure.
RING!!
Darwin's phone rang. Darwin glanced at his phone briefly, then swerved his car trying to pull over and answered the call without looking at the rearview mirror. He should pulled over first before looking at his phone. I was going to reprimand him for this careless act. What if there's an accident later?
A large container truck, speeding at high velocity, honked its horn and collided with our car. Without a chance to evade or even react, our vehicle was struck by the truck. As our car flew in the air, the top of our vehicle crashed into the pavement. I felt the urge to curse the truck driver for being so careless in driving.
"Uhh," I groaned in pain.
"Hey, Lily." A voice called out, waking me up.
I saw a girl whom I had known for more than 40 years. However, seeing her face along with her unique black dress, I immediately realized it was Rara. The girl was crouched in front of my overturned car, showing no sign of fear or worry.
"Rara..." I whispered. In contrast to her youthful appearance, Rara showed no emotions of fear or concern about my condition. She just smiled and greeted me as usual.
"The watch is broken due to the accident. So, I came here to give you a replacement. You should be grateful. I'm actually busy in hell, but I took the time to visit you as soon as I found out my watch was broken. Imagine if I came a little late, maybe your life wouldn't be saved, right?"
Upon hearing her statement about my broken watch, I immediately checked my pocket and found that, indeed, the watch was smashed and smeared with my blood. A sense of horror enveloped me as blood kept pouring out from my wound. If left unattended, I would die. Blood began to soak my clothes. My legs went numb, and my body started to feel cold. When I looked beside me, I saw a mangled corpse that was beyond recognition. This corpse, just moments ago, was my lover Darwin. Blood was everywhere, and I saw His eye stare at nowhere, lifeless. Seeing his body, sorrow, and horror engulfed my entire being.
"Rara... please... help," I pleaded with a hoarse voice. However, despite the gruesome scene, Rara just looked at me in silence. Witnessing this only intensified my fear. Would she betray me now? Was she waiting for this moment to cross me?
"Sorry, Lily. Our contract forbids me to help you directly. It only allowed me to let you rewind time as many times as you like. Whenever and wherever. If you want something else, it's not free. If you want to survive, please take this watch and turn back time to 18 years ago." Rara handed her watch to me. Hearing her voice, I felt relieved. However, a little doubt arose in my heart when I looked at the watch.
"Why? If you don't use your own hands or your own will, I can't help you because, according to the contract, this power is exclusive to you."
With hesitation, I pressed the button on the watch. I would die for sure if I did nothing. As I pressed the button, I was thrown back into the world of clocks, returning to 18 years ago. In that same place.
