It was indeed a hectic day for Bert—at least mentally. Outwardly, he remained composed and calm. Together with the few assistants he had brought in, he forcefully suppressed the protests of several shareholders at the board meeting, and then dove straight into the regular work routine.
Dave had given prior instructions to the staff under him to cooperate with Bert's efforts.
Bert's first task was to meet with each department manager one by one, listening to their reports on performance and ongoing projects. With so many departments and such a wide range of operations under Washington Co., by the end of the day, Bert felt utterly drained.
Even though he kept insisting to Dave and Daniel that he didn't care about how well the company was run—that all he wanted was to gain control of Washington Co.—his pride and self-respect would not allow him to fail.
He longed for success. He wanted to turn Washington Co. into a thriving business. He wanted Daniel's approval.
