Chapter 26

Meanwhile…

Ozawa was getting ready for another round at the office.

It was strange though as she found her work becoming a little easier with each passing day, yet at the same time her manager was getting a lot angrier around everyone! "What the hell is this?!" she shouted one day on the floor. In her hands was the latest merger the company had acquired, in fact it was Yuko's manager who set it all up and put the sale through. But now, the folder said 'liquidate'

She froze, realizing the higher ups were taking her advice.

"I just managed to secure this deal and now it's being sold off among other projects that I have done!?" she demanded.

No one knew how to approach, let alone answer her. Ozawa knew better and kept silent.

She just finished sorting another massive pile on her desk and was about to break for lunch. She went to the staff fridge where she caught the manager red handed this time taking her meal. "Excuse me…" Ozawa said rather sternly. "You're eating my lunch!"

Her manager turned back to her, taking the box out and continued to eat it in front of her. "So?" she demanded before dropping it to the floor and stepping all over it. "Your cooking skills need work, clean it up!" she ordered and stormed out.

She sighed aloud.

She did clean up the mess but needed something to eat. It was then Yuko decided to head upstairs.

She did so discreetly, well, as best as she could. She would take the elevator down three floors before stepping off and taking the one next to it to go farther up. When she reached upper management's floor, she wondered out but found their cafeteria rather easily.

Peering in, Yuko hesitated at first, until some of the board members saw her. "Miss Ozawa! Come on in!"

She smiled warmly and walked in. They gave her a plate and insisted she help herself.

The food was amazing as she was able to pick out various favorites of hers, she would wonder over to a table to eat alone, but found the board members quickly joining her. "Miss Ozawa, your idea was brilliant, we ran it by the CEO who full heartedly agreed with the notion! He thought it was amazing and asked who came up with it!"

"Oh, good to hear," she said meekly and ate in silence.

"We told him it was your idea!"

She froze.

"Wait… why?" she asked.

They were stunned to her question. "Well, you came up with it!" they said and snickered. "We were not going to take credit for another's idea. Besides, last time that happened, that guy got fired faster than you could say hotpot!" one of the ladies snickered.

"Oh…"

"He wants to meet with you, but he is hardly ever here, he's doing one of his tests I think…"

"Tests?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, the CEO here owns a lot of other companies and he tests them out in a sense, no one knows what they are or how he goes about doing it, but he does. Somehow it makes everything run a lot smoother than before!"

She merely nodded and continued on with her meal. When she finished though, she cleared her plate and excused herself to head back downstairs. When he turned though, Yuko nearly ran into her manager!

The two froze.

Her manager paused but then a devious grin came over her. "I was wondering where you went to eat…" she said offhandedly. Suddenly, she grabbed her arm with a vice like grip!

"Let me go! You're hurting me!"

"Hey! What are you doing?"

Her manager smiled. "Please forgive my subordinate for sneaking up here and eating your food. I will be sure she is strictly punished…"

"Let her go, she was invited up!"

Yuko saw the woman's face turn white. The man she had met in the elevator scared her stupid. "Don't make me repeat myself Kia!" he warned.

Suddenly, she was released.

Yuko stumbled back and was quick to leave before anything else happened. She sighed aloud to it all and went back to her desk.

#

It only got worst from there.

Rumors began to spread around the office about Yuko, that she was sleeping with upper management to get ahead. Her manager Kia has since come down on her harder than ever before. Today was no exception.

"You're working downstairs today!" she ordered.

"Downstairs?"

"In the lobby, I need your desk for very important paper work!" Kia said with a devious grin.

"But…"

"Get going, bring this cart down with you, organize all the papers and match them accordingly!"

She stared at the cart and found none of the papers were in proper folders, let alone stapled or even put together properly. Kia smirked as she appeared to have gotten the better of her. "Let's see you finish before five today with this" she whispered into her ear.

Yuko sighed. She took the cart to the elevator and did as she was told, after all, Kia liked to watch security footage.

She reached the lobby and found a very small table to work at, there was no choice but to get started.

#

"Don't put your coffee there please!"

"Sorry, I'll move those…"

"Wait, the door…"

Papers were all over the place, she couldn't keep anything straight as people came and went about. The subtlest of breezes knocked the piles out of order, everything refused to stay where they are suppose to. There wasn't even enough room to pile them properly.

She was at her wit's end on it all!

"Oh… young lady…"

She paused to the gentle voice. Peering up, it was the homeless man she had given lunches to! "Oh, hello" she said as cheerfully as she could, but it wasn't happening today. He paused and saw the papers all about and helped her pick them up. "Thank you," she whispered.

"These appear to be important, why are you sorting this down here rather than an office?"

She tried to smile through it, but her lip quivered. "I… I don't know what I am doing wrong. I'm just trying to stay afloat at the moment. I just paid off my rent in time and now…" she broke down as the tears flowed. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't complain…"

But he merely smiled to her.

"Things will get better," he vowed. "Just wait a little while longer."

She watched him stand up and head for the elevator! Yuko couldn't understand it all but she went back to work, just as Kia came storming down. "YOU JUST LET SOME BUM OFF THE STREETS INTO OUR OFFICE BUILDING?!" she roared aloud.

Yuko froze. "I didn't think he was going to go to the elevator…"

"It doesn't matter you little shit!"

Kia then slapped the papers out of her hands and brushed them off the table. Everyone stopped and stared as she did it, the grin on her face grew. "Clean… it… up" she ordered.

"Shouldn't you be doing that?"

"Sir, please don't make her…" Yuko began to say as she recognized the man's voice, but as she peered up, the homeless man was no longer dressed in worn out clothing. He appeared in a suit of all things with the board members behind him! Kia froze and bowed before him.

"I am sorry for the disruption, this will be clean up as soon as possible!" Kia vowed as her glare came to Yuko.

The man smiled. "Glad to hear you are taking responsibility for your actions. Miss Ozawa, please come with me."

Kia's face went white as Yuko went into the elevator with this odd man. He was smiling strangely though, as if he were a proud father! They went beyond the middle management floors, all the way to the top of the office building.

The whole top floor was an office!

"Please, come this way,"

Yuko slowly made her way out of the elevator, she followed the man who brought her to a boardroom and sat her down. "Miss Ozawa, do you know who I am?" he asked.

Her head shook no.

He smiled warmly to her. "I am the CEO of this company and many others. I have been looking for some time for someone to take over for me. You see, I never had a family, I have no outside relations. So I decided to do the only thing I thought would work. I like to do tests you see, no doubt you saw me outside and gave me a meal every chance you could…"

She froze. "You were testing people?"

His smile grew as he nodded. "Yes, I was. I believe a company is only as good as the person who runs it, if they have a kind heart, then their employees will be kind as well. If they are treated well, they will look after the company. But it is clear that this one has a lot of issue to work out. Many have been brought to my attention after you have pointed them out."

"Oh… I didn't mean…"

"These had to be addressed," he said sternly. "The businesses we were buying up were not benefiting those who work for me, they were benefiting those who had something to gain for themselves! I WON'T stand for that!" he protested. "I have also noticed that many of our harder working employees were not being paid properly, managements clocks in those 'saved hours' and cash them out for themselves as bonuses. That stops immediately"

"Sir…"

"Now, with that in mind, Miss Ozawa. I have a question to ask of you… Would you take over this company when I retire?"

She felt her heart freeze in her chest. "Me?"

"You, you are young, but insightful. I will ensure you have a proper education on this business and introduce you to the others who are now in the same position as you are in, you are going to become my heir. As such, I would like to move you to a new apartment. Bring everyone that is living if you now if you have family, I will full furnish it to ensure your comfort!"

She couldn't believe her ears. "This is all so much and so sudden, what makes you think I would be worthy…"

"Your kindness alone speaks volumes, as well, my board members have been observing you too. My second in command speaks of you so much, and would be honored to serve under you. For there are things that escaped his eye, and you brought to his attention."

"I still don't think…"

"Please," he asked gently. "I am a man who knows his time is nearly up. I want my people and those who took care of me be looked after in my absence, if not, the company will fall and those who are employed here… I don't wish to see lose their jobs."

She thought it over, perhaps this was part of the blessing that Kitsune woman spoke of? Not to mention, she did wish for change, this was it, wasn't it? Yuko then smiled and nodded. "Okay," she said meekly. Her head lowered. "I will be in your care,"

"Please, from now on, I wish for you to address me as Papa!" he insisted.

She giggled, but saw he was serious!

Yuko smiled. "Okay… Papa," she said gently.

He smiled warmly back at her. "Very good then, now, I want you to go home, start packing, take some time off and call this number when you are ready to move" he said and gave her a business card. "Oh, leave this Kia woman to me," he insisted.

Once more she nodded and thanked him for his time and opportunity.

She made her way back to the elevator, all the while wondering if this was all real. "Are my wishes being granted?" she thought aloud.

By the time she reached the lobby, Kia was still cleaning the papers up. Her eyes glared up at her as she sneered to her task. Yuko only smiled back as she walked out of the office building. Perhaps things were looking up for her after all!