Chapter 229: Voting

The twelfth floor of the Lancaster Building was quiet except for one boardroom. Inside the boardroom, the leather chairs creaked softly as people went in and sat.Seven board members arrived in the boardroom. Some looked older, while there were some younger. Still, they all wore the same expression on their faces. Formality and curiosity.

They weren’t used to this. They were just used for getting reports from the store. Sometimes they sign quarterly reports, review statements, or occasionally give opinions on minor proposals.

However, now they were suddenly in a meeting called by Gray himself.

That was something else entirely.

It was the reason why whispers drifted across the table.

"Do you know what this is about?" an older man with gray hair asked, tugging on his cufflinks. His tone was cautious, but his eyes were sharp.

The woman beside him leaned in slightly. She looked younger than the rest, maybe just on mid-thirties. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"I heard from my assistant that it’s about expansion," she said in a low voice. "And not just small plans. Conrad Everett’s name came up."

That name alone was enough to stir tension all around. A couple of heads turned to the woman’s direction, their eyebrows raised.

"Conrad Everett?" another man spoke, frowning as if he wasn’t sure he’d heard right. "The Conrad Everett? He doesn’t waste time on businesses like ours. Not unless..."

"They say Gray met him personally and that he’s close with the whole family," the younger woman added. Her voice carried a note of excitement. "If that’s true, then we’re in the middle of something big."

The room fell into a thoughtful silence. Some leaned back in their chairs. Others glanced at one another, silently weighing the possibilities of it.

However, in the middle of their thoughts, the door suddenly opened.

The whispers stopped instantly.

Gray stepped in with Mara behind him. His steps were slow and unhurried. He looked around the room, and for a moment, he simply looked at the faces of the people who gathered before him.

Several of them stood briefly, offering polite greetings to him.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Gray."

"Good afternoon. It’s nice to see you all again." Gray nodded at them and showed a smile.

He set his folder down on the head of the table and remained standing for a while. His eyes scanned the group, taking in the familiar faces.

He has seen almost all of them already. He remembered meeting them from the very beginning. It was back when he first took over the store and was introduced to everyone.

He was grateful back then because they trusted them.

"I called this meeting because we’re at a turning point," Gray respectfully muttered, his voice even but carrying through the room. He knew that he arranged this meeting in a haste. Everyone must have been confused because of it.

"Earlier yesterday, I met with Conrad Everett. He’s offered funding for a second branch of our store."

The words landed heavy on everyone’s ears.

Some shifted in their seats. Others exchanged quick looks.

"This is not a small matter," Gray continued, lowering his hands on the back of a chair. "It’s a step that could change everything for us. And before I move forward, I want all of you to hear it directly from me, and to give me your thoughts."

He paused there, letting them take it in. The board wasn’t large, but each member had been around long enough to matter. They might not have controlled much these past few months, but they were still part of the store.

He knew that he could hear valuable insights from them.

"Mr. Gray... may I ask, what exactly was offered?" One of the older men finally cleared his throat

Gray’s gaze lowered briefly to the folder in front of him. Then he looked back up, calm but firm.

"We got offered four million dollars," he said. "In exchange for twenty percent of the company, with quarterly dividends included in the deal."

The room stirred again, this time louder. Some eyebrows shot up. A low whistle escaped from the younger man at the far end. They knew that neither number was small

For a moment, Gray stayed quiet, watching their reactions. He wanted them to feel the weight of it and help him decide.

The members looked at each other. Different thoughts circled their heads for a moment, causing everyone to fall into silence. However, the silence didn’t last long.

"That’s a generous offer," said one of the older men who spoke first. His tone was slow and careful. "Four million dollars... that kind of capital could give us more than just a second branch. It could put us on the map."

Another voice cut in quickly, disagreeing with the old man.

"But twenty percent? And quarterly dividends? That’s not small either. We’d be giving away more than we should. Everett is a big name. If we’re not careful, we’ll be tied down to his terms forever."

Murmurs rippled across the table. Some nodded in agreement, while others frowned, clearly disagreeing with it.

A younger man, maybe in his late twenties, leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. His eyes carried a spark of excitement.

"I say we take it. This is Everett we’re talking about. His name alone will double our reputation. And if he’s willing to make an investment, that means he believes in us. We can’t waste that chance."

"That’s a child’s way of thinking," the gray-haired man snapped back. His voice was low, but it carried authority. "Everett doesn’t give money because he believes. He gives money because he wants to control. Twenty percent now, and who knows what later? Are you ready to give him a permanent seat at this table?"

The younger man sat back but didn’t hide his scowl.

"It’s better to grow with him than stay small forever."

The woman from earlier spoke next. Her tone was calm, almost measured, but there was firmness underneath it.

"I agree the offer is tempting. But we need to look at sustainability. Quarterly dividends mean constant pressure on performance. What if sales don’t reach the target? We’ll be paying him while bleeding ourselves dry."

"Unless," another younger member countered, "the new branch takes off. If foot traffic grows like the projections say, those dividends won’t hurt us. They’ll just be part of our operating cost. And we’ll still have Everett’s backing."

The room grew tense again. Voices overlapped.

"It’s risky..."

"It’s opportunity that we must take."

"We’re not ready."

"This could make us one of the best grocery stores out there."

The mixture of excitement and caution clashed like waves against each other. Some leaned forward, arguing with passion. Others leaned back with their arms crossed as they listened.

Gray remained quiet through it all. His hands were folded neatly on the table, his eyes moving from face to face as the voices rose. He wanted to hear their opinions.

"I don’t trust it," another older woman spoke up.

"Everett is powerful, yes, but men like him don’t offer without taking more in return. Today it’s twenty percent. Tomorrow it might be thirty."

The young man beside her shook his head.

"Or we could look at it the other way. With his influence, the second branch could be only the beginning. If we expand faster, if we attract bigger partners, our goals could be achieve in half the time. Sometimes, to grow, you need to let the giants walk with you."

That only caused more murmurs.

The woman sighed and tapped her pen against the table before speaking.

"What I worry about is identity. Right now, this store is ours. If Everett steps in, will people still see it as ours? Or will it become just another one of his investments?"

The man in his late twenties leaned forward again, frustrated.

"That’s just bullshit. He’d be an investor just like us."

The voices clashed again. Excitement and caution fought across the table in equal measure.

Gray listened quietly. The words rolled into one another until the board’s divisions were clear. Some were thrilled by the chance to grow with Everett’s backing while others were afraid of how big he was.

And just like Gray himself, they were hesitant too.

Gray lowered his eyes for a brief moment before he straightened up. He cleared his throat to catch their attention.

"Enough."

The voices stopped at once, and all eyes went to him.

Gray placed both his hands flatly on the table.

"You’ve all said what’s in your hearts. I hear it. Some of you are ready to grab the chance, some of you fear what it might cost us. Both are right. And I’ll admit, I feel the same."

He paused for a while to show the honesty in his words.

"So here’s what we’ll do," Gray continued. "We decide together. Let’s do it by vote. What wins will be our path forward. And whatever it is, we’ll stand by it together."

The room fell into silence again, but this time, it was different.

Members glanced at one another. Some exchanged small nods. A few leaned back with long exhales. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was one they could live with.

"I guess we can do that."

"Voting then."

"I agree."

"Voting is better."

Gray looked around the table once more and nodded.

"Then let’s open the floor for the vote."