stjorthotic Chapter 66 The Show Begins
Chapter 66 The Show Begins
Inside the office.
Tom, his face grim, asked his female assistant, "What did you say?"
"A lot of news about our company illegally disposing of hazardous waste has appeared on Yahoo News, Google News, and Gigg, with a lot of photos of our factory workers being exposed."
"Fuck!" Tom couldn't help but curse.
Then, he said into the phone, "Clarissa, your association is responsible for this! Did you hear me... Shit, when did you hang up?!"
I don't have time to worry about that.
Given GM's current situation, it really can't withstand any major negative public opinion impact.
He hurriedly went behind his desk, turned on his computer, and started searching for relevant public opinion.
But on the Yahoo News homepage, the headline was right there:
[Shocking! Workers at a General Motors plant handled highly toxic and hazardous waste with their bare hands; even the most basic protective gear was forcibly removed.]
Tom quickly clicked to read the content, then his face darkened as he checked related news on other platforms.
On Google: [Shocking chaos! In an effort to cut costs, GM forced workers to handle toxic waste naked; many workers contracted strange illnesses]
Gigg: [Detroit Nightmare Factory Exposed, GM's Move is Tantamount to Murder]
"Fuck!"
"Fuck!!"
"What about Ford?"
Why is there no news about Ford?!
"Why are all the attacks aimed at our General?" Tom slammed the mouse in his hand down.
He now strongly suspects that Ford is behind this. But whether he suspects it or not is no longer important; the urgent task is to figure out how to deal with these matters.
At that moment, the public relations department called.
As soon as Tom answered the call, he heard the PR manager roar, "I don't care what method you use, get to that damn association sorted out right now!"
"Make the person in charge of that association come forward and issue a statement, saying that they did this entirely behind our backs!"
Meanwhile, people in Ford's relevant departments are also paying attention to this matter.
"There has been no mention of Ford in the news so far."
"So, it's highly likely that someone is targeting GM and trying to hasten its bankruptcy?"
"It's not impossible. The federal government will definitely bail out GM. Bankruptcy reorganization is the best opportunity to buy up GM's high-quality assets at a low price."
"Keep an eye on it. I have a feeling things aren't that simple."
"Oh, and while you're at it, go to that association and void the donation agreement. Also, have them draft a statement saying that Ford was not involved in this matter."
"OK."
"Wait, let's go later. The people from GM might already be there. Don't run into them."
………………
In just 15 minutes, Tom had already hurriedly driven to the entrance of the association.
At this moment.
Looking at the red brick office building in front of him, he wished he could blow it up with a single shot!
Such a tiny organization, yet it's so infighting!
Damn!
Damn it!
As he was cursing in his heart, he looked up and saw someone who made him furious—it was Yuen, who had just gotten out of the car and was about to enter the association.
"Damn it!" Tom stormed toward Eunice.
As he got closer, he grabbed Eunice by the collar and said through gritted teeth, "Do you know what you've done? Why did you report Howard, and why did you post those photos online?"
"I didn't expose it!" Eunice broke free from Tom's grasp.
He's really in a difficult position right now. He just took the documents to the FBI to report Howard; he never intended to expose him.
He knew very well that the exposure would inevitably implicate GM and Ford, and he couldn't afford to offend them.
However, it was precisely because the matter was exposed that his naive nature once again took over his rationality.
He actually thought he could take this opportunity to return to the association and seize control of it.
After all, the association needs a leader right now.
With this in mind, he reassured the enraged Tom, "Trust me, as soon as I regain control of the association, I will immediately issue a statement indicating that this matter has nothing to do with General Motors."
"You'd better keep your word." Tom suppressed his temper slightly; his purpose in coming to the association was for this statement.
"Of course I can do it."
Seeing that Tom seemed to be willing to support him, Eunice felt inexplicably more confident.
The two of them, along with Tom's female assistant, quickly entered the association and headed straight for the fourth floor.
Before coming, Yuen had inquired and learned that a new round of board meetings was being held on the fourth floor.
Speaking of this, it's worth mentioning that in the United States, environmental NGOs have two operating models.
The first type is a membership system, where part of the funding comes from membership fees. Therefore, members have voting rights.
However, most NGOs operate on a board-based decision-making system, where ordinary employees do not have voting rights; the Great Lakes Environmental Justice Association is an example of this.
Meanwhile, according to relevant regulations, the association's board of directors must have three or more directors, including the positions of "chairman", "secretary-general" and "financial officer".
The association currently has only three remaining former directors: the chairman, the secretary-general, and the treasurer.
According to convention, the chairman of the board is usually not a full-time employee, but a figurehead responsible for supervision.
The chief financial officer is not responsible for specific financial work; he only plays a role in supervising funds.
The secretary-general's main job is to record and file meeting minutes to ensure the legality of each board resolution.
Eunice strode upstairs.
With his confidence growing stronger, he disregarded the situation inside and abruptly pushed open the conference room door.
There were five people sitting in the conference room at that moment—three senior directors, Clarissa, and Meng Ran.
With a quick glance around, Eunice straightened his clothes and first extended his hand to invite Tom in.
Then, adopting the posture of a victor returning home, he addressed the crowd, saying, "Everyone, I'm back."
As he spoke, he pulled up a chair and sat down, leaning back slightly. "The association seems to be facing some trouble right now. But don't worry, I can handle it."
Then, he looked at the priest from the Rosary Church and said, "Engels, you may not know this, but there's a lot of negative publicity about General Motors right now."
"So?" Engel frowned.
"Tom has come all this way. He made a donation to the association out of kindness, but the association has severely damaged his and GM's reputation. If the association doesn't resolve this issue, I don't think GM will let us off the hook."
As he spoke, Eunice glanced at Tom.
Tom cooperated, tapping the table and saying, "Gentlemen, you must resolve this matter."
With his cooperation secured, Eunice became fully energized and said, "The good news is that I can indeed resolve this matter now."
"How do you plan to resolve this?" the secretary-general asked curiously.
"It's very simple. You bring me back to the board and make me an executive director again. At that time, I will issue a statement on behalf of the association and myself, proving that GM knew nothing about this."
Even if everyone wasn't quite sure, Yuens emphasized, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am the whistleblower in this incident. Therefore, my statement has a very high degree of credibility."
In other words, none of your statements will be as effective as mine.
"What do you think, Tom?" Eunice said, then looked at Tom.
Tom frowned and thought for a moment, then realized that Eunice's words made some sense. Just as he was about to nod in support, he heard a sneer from the other side.
"What are you laughing at!" Eunice glared angrily.
"I'm laughing at you for being so adorably naive at your age," Meng Ran said with a smile.
Honestly, before Eunice said such a stupid thing, Meng Ran thought he really had some good ideas.
After mocking Eunice, Meng Ran turned to Tom and said, "You're not so naive as to think that just because you issue a statement, everyone will actually believe GE, are you?"
Sorry, but the public forum isn't a courtroom, and the stock market isn't a place for evidence. Even if you have Eunice issue a hundred statements, it won't change anything.
"What do you mean?" Tom's face darkened.
"I have a better way to distract you," Meng Ran said, tapping his laptop.