Chapter 13: Saga of a Corporate Kaiserin 2
Summary:
Managing to Climb the ladder, Tanya is reminded that there're other factors she has to reason in her Career plan.
Chapter
Last Day's meeting was hell, the Two biggest Investors of the company came, surprisingly about one specific topic, or rather, Person, Tanya Von Degurechaff.
"Hey! Something happened? You look like Shit."
Elya was, again as of late, in his office already, how she manages to remain impossible to fire for fair reasons remain a Mistery, but her competence must be a big factor. The fact she has proven to have ways to find Information about the many Companies they have to fight in the dozens of Fields they cover may be another.
"Zettour talked to me, your sponsored Hire has ignited a Feud between our biggest Investors."
"Oh? Really?"
"Yeah, Investor X was about to try forcing us to fire her, Investor M just shut that choice down, for now."
Even Lergen had to admit, despite the annoying PR shit they were having to deal with constantly, Business was going better, but even so, things need to be solved in full to avoid trouble, but that would mean finding a way to get the Antagonistic Investors out, Empire Industries isn't yet at a state they could ditch their money yet. Problems were endless currently, and sadly the futire didn't seem to be holding much good news.
"Ah, right. I reported to Zettour and Ruddensdorf already, but Project V601 is undergoing nicely as well, she really has a knack for finding and polishing talented employees."
"Right, that one..."
As great she was, Lergen knew it was only a matter of time before she made too many enemies to the Point their petty tantrums may get to the nerves of one of the more foolish Board members who would pull the idiotic move of trying to appease those jobless hacks. Despite the damn News of anytime such happening just making things worse. As they are now, Tanya was needed, if the cost is having to deal with pathetic Social Media Slanders (that their Legal branch would squash in no time) and Smear Camapigns based off complete lies as well as having to put heavy Pressure on the Board members who may do the stupid move of trying to appease the riff raff dozen using Megaphones to make it look like they're more, so be it. For now, the Improvements more than paid their cost of Antagonizing the Investor Xs and Govermnments being used as Clubs against them.
"Schugel's team also made a report, Brazil has accepted the Proposal."
"Right, i will see it later."
A few more minor Reports and she left. Now alone, Lergen could drop his head on the desk and let out a long exhausted sigh. A few minutes to mentally calm hinself and he got back to do his work, at very least of the good things he could praise Tanya for, was that for a month already he never had to stay a single Night here to manage extra work.
Elya left HR's Floor with a happy humming, things are going right after all. Just like he Planned and Promissed her, it's only a Matter of time before that damned pest be purged off her Holy Kaiserin's Favourite Economy system, purging it of all evils trying to destroy it to replace with the horrid tyrannical one that Historically never truly Succeeded and if it was up to her, never will.
"Soon... Soon... Until then, i better do my work."
Elya, or more accurately Elya 21, since that cursed period in that world, where Two Great wars happened and required Tanya's to involve herself, if just to survive at first, and then to protect the world the second time. Even afterwards, her life never got truly away from her work or tangentially connected to helping Germania or even the World. One bad time after another, all of those solved with absolute certainty by the Chancellor's machinations, and then that time Visha spoke to her about Degurechaff's one drunk honest talk a certain night, that revealed so much, and also ignited a fire on her Original self, a Crusade to help the Holy Kaiserin, get rid of her tormentor and maybe put her in her rightful place.
All that would take time, so a Heir to the Position as Head of the BND was created by her herself, a daughter, and to make sure the bastard was made deader than dead, a Deal, with him no less, and now, her 21st version had been tasked with the absolute Honour to stay close to her in this world, one like the one she was first Killed, and keep her alive and well, from the shadows of course. And if all went right, her Holyness would raise to her rightful position after he is fully dealt with. A buzz shakes her out of the inner thoughts, her Phone.
"Hello?"
"How's it going? Elya?"
"All according to schedule and planning, M."
"Alright, good. Just keep your... Less well intentioned acts in moderation, don't think i didn't notice you stalking her and your friend on their "date"."
"Hmph. Says the person who visits her apartment weekly."
"Don't forget i am her Benefactor, i have the right to know if she has been using my resources apropriately."
"Right, right, anything else?"
"For now, keep doing what you have been doing."
"Roger that."
Finishing her call, she gets back to walking in her ever happy tune.
"Why... Why..."
It was fine the first incident, being made an Improptu Project Leader, so long it just remained as some kind of Proactive effort to make the Company succeed, it was fine... But then, WHY? Not only that Crazy Schugel had my suggestions be the centermost reason Project Mondragon did achieve one of their Key Objectives, he put my argument to continue towards the other Main Objective AFTER finding alternatives to the Old and battered Nuclear Reactor they had been operating for years... Which came in the form of a sneaky investment in Brazil alongside a Shell company, that would be led by Schugel. So far so good, yet some higher ups thought putting me to lead a new Project should lead to similar successes or even better. And so here i am now habing to Run an Entire Team with about 60 people handpicked by me, Project V601, or Basically a team made to research, find and Prototype a Breakthrough in some Market. For that they spared nothing, all departments and Industries Empire Industries had business in had some elite staff relocated for this, so rather than 60 Coworkers i was in charge of, it was more like a little over 240 give or take, just that these 60 would be under me directly, the rest i would have to go through the chain.
"Here's your Coffee Tanya."
"Thanks."
As my trusted Aide, Viktorya Serebryakova, or Visha in short, colour me surprised, she began as a newbie with barely any skills past her Formal Education, yet to think that in such a short time she learnt enough for me to trust her as my most trusted coworker? Quite a feat indeed, my requirements for such would be high enough that only a Workaholic would even try to meet them.
"How's the teams doing?"
"Team 1 is still in debate if the plan fits the Legal frames, Teams 2,3 and 4 all are on Varying stages of verifying profitability of their ideas."
"As always, it's Weiss team that ends stuck in Legal discussion loops... Call them."
"Understood."
Five Minutes later and Team 1, led by Matheus Weiss, a rather honest and polite man who graduated with flying colours in a Legal related field, but being who he is, be as a Lawyer or Prosecutor, he wasn't fit for it, but he did make a someone fit to ask for Legal Input, odds are he was better than me even in Work and Labour related Lawyering and boy, my HR experience got me very good at knowing them. But his overly Honest personality makes him hard to take options that rely on abusing Loopholes or bypassing it altogether.
"Weiss, of all teams in this Cycle, yours is agains stuck in the Legal aspect... Weren't the orders clear? Or will i need to personaly guide you through Remedial training?"
At that he shivers, well... My course to get my team in tip top shape was... Overkill i admit, but the results say all. Little to no flaws! Pragmatic but still moraly right approach to Business! No getting stuck in overly Complicated Legalese BS!
"N-no Ma'am! It's just that... There's been new Legal Updates from Europe... And since that's the market our team is looking over..."
"... Most of those new updates did jackshit in regards to what your team proposed."
"Dacia Textiles is getting hammered by said nee laws though..."
That's new to me, i Look at Visha, who promptly shows me some News Articles, Independent Media... Ah... Now i see.
"I see... Understood... Then isn't the Risk too high?"
"Yes... So we have been looking for other markets... But many have been Following the European model as of late."
"Then look for poorly regulated ones or ones running a Naysayer rethoric to those laws."
I dismiss him, hmmm, so these Laws screwed some Companies... No wonder it never popped on the usual news outlets...
"Visha, try to Compile news that may relate to our projects, verify Independent medias as well, we may need to change approach methods."
"As you wish, Tanya."
She leaves my Office, compared to the Cubicle i had to work with until before this V601 project, it was a nice cozy room, still small, but i was fine with such, even my HR manager office of back then wasn't anything remarkable, a Cozier office wasn't what i truly wanted. I pick the other teams reports. Most were either trying to find new unnatended markets in existing Industries or trying to find ways to snatch some of the others Market shares. Of all, Koenig's was the more aggresive plan, not gonna work, so i just make a reply emphasizing AGAIN to make it less aggresive or search an unattended market to aggresively take control of. Neumann was a shy one, profitable, yes, but not to a level worth investing, i put my reply to find a more profitable option. Tenyanen was... Food related... Honestly... Our company was just half a step above Albion's Shipping attempt to branch into food industries and that's no praise. I remind him our Food branch is bottom priority and that he should refocus.
I finish reading my subordinates reports, proposals and Ideas, compile my own report to Send to those above me, suggest some improvements alongside my report and then send it through the PC, not before having Visha keep a Physical Copy to send if necessary. It was an Hour before Lunchtime, so i pick a Water Bottle in a small table on one Side of my Office and relax a bit. I grabbed a small book i carry, and with a Pencil lying in my desk, i began to doodle, honestly it was only a Hobby level thing, despite what many said about them, likely Polite praises, after all, the only time i sent one of my Drawings to a Competition was an Online one, sure, achieving 3rd Place was a feat, but i feel even 4th or 5th had just as much greatness if not more as mine did back then, maybe my pick of a Cute looking Girl for my main idea netted some weeb votes, the thirsty one i mean. I was doodling without much in mind, albeit i guess having a heavily German presence on my teams may have dragged my unconscious to do something relatable to that, a Caucasian Girl, Blonde hair, short height, wearing a heavily Stylized but still nondescript German Uniform, slightly short black skirts paired with Zettai Ryouki and some nice black heeled shoes, the heels were very small, just enough to make their presence known. A cute combo of happy eyes and a Smile, of course a canine Tooth on her mouth, my next doodle of this character was her in a Pose, tiltes head to one side, a wink paired with a smile where her tonge is present, the ever typical tee hee act, her hands had V signs at head height, close to eye height no less, the rest was the body posed with her Left leg supporting her as the right one was in a cutesy backwards position.
"That's cute..."
"!"
Oops, got too caught up, 20 minutes, yeah, while previously it never went past a mere Hobby at home or when i was stuck in Long boring meetings, the current me found more often than not filled with Times to make short breaks that ended in me doodling something. Recently my average for something so basic like what i did now was 8-9 minutes, no shading or even some clean lineart. Still, 20 minutes and damned be when she started looking at me doing this... I feel ashamed.
"Visha! I was just taking a break. This is... Nothing much, others could do better."
"Maybe... But she's... So cute! A bit more and it would be marketable!"
Well, that lit an Idea, Managers usually are merely Boring people those under them have to respect and report to at best, at Worst they micromanage or keep pushing ideas that only hurts productivity, i can gladly say i am the Former, so long the Job is done i don't care if a bit of a mess happened or whatever, but i also am proud to say i usually made thorough analysis of an Idea i came up with before even suggesting.
"Maybe... But our Company doesn't have any Dedicated Branch for this kind of stuff."
Empire Industries may have hands in many Pies, unfortunately, Printing and Entertainment are some we either have no hand on or so little invested it would be a risky Investment for an Idea. But maybe... We could do something by using a Company we have ni reason to be in a feud with. Akitsushima Press for example, they print an awful lot of stuff, but no Manga or similars. Maybe this can work...
"Visha, can you get a team to look at the Potential of a Partnership Business with Akitsushima Press? Maybe something can be worked regarding Drawings."
"Understood! The team needs someone from the Entertainment branch?"
"No, instead, see if someone on the PR and Marketting each can come along."
"Alright, uhhh, could i... Keep that?"
She looks at my Drawing, well... I would rather tske it home and hide it... But damn those Puppy eyes! Gah.
"Fine, just... Don't tell anyone else, i only do as a Hobby, i am not drawing for friends as well."
"Thanks! I won't tell a soul!"
She grabs it and carefully folds it before storingnit in her Purse, the way she did it with such care almost made me think she had other reasons to ask for it.
A week Later and her team came with a Proposed Project to create a new Web based series of 1-4 page Comics/Mangas that could be Made Social Media Friendly, using that to create a Mascot character and prop her up, the Mascot character idea, somehow, ended being a character i showed later, Germania-Chan, while not as Close to that Doodle, her hair was a bit longer, a Wolf tail and ears were added and the Uniform was readjusted to be almost a fusion between the Utilitarianism of the Doodle Uniform and a Mahou shoujo over the top frilly dresses, the Doodle style did prevail more at the end, albeit the Zettai Ryouki ended more pronouced, some thigh squish was added and the bust went from a barely there B to a solid C. After the mascot design was finalized, it was sent to the higher ups.
Zettour sat in his Large Office, also with him was his long time friend and coworker at the Company, Ruddesdorf.
"Won't you look at this, an interesting Proposal, isn't it?"
The papers he gave his friend came right from the place they both were most expecting something new to come, indeed, they weren't disappointed. The document had a Big Red V601 printed in the Center.
"It's clearly a good Idea. Partner with an Established name in an Industry we still have no solid infrastructure to use theirs, they earn their Pay for letting us use it, we earn it through the Sales of what we produced through them. Still, what makes you oh so interested? Nothing's new here."
"Have you seen the Proposed Piece?"
"Germania-Chan? I have to agree it's a Cute one and Easily can sell well, enough to offset any initial costs."
"Indeed, but you know who created it?"
"An Artist they Commisioned? Must have had to pay some extra to remove their Signature."
At this Zettour smirks.
"While the Author didn't put a Signature, Viktorya reports this design comes from someone in the team, but they don't do for Profit, at least, directly."
That enlightens Kurt, with an In house Artist, all they need to do is pay them a Paycheck plus some Royalties, no extremely variable fee that can get pricey if the project takes off.
"Still, that doesn't make it truly groundbreaking..."
"There's a small note, from what members of V601 say, all of those are Tanya's own."
He puts many small paper notes, ignored tidbits that didn't fit the project proposed, so they would be discarded, but Elya came to him, and showed them. Noting how they were all Tanya's own ideas.
"Streaming... Using Germania-chan as the Streamer model, product placement, promoting our products using her in Social Media... Partnering with Mobile Game developers..."
A gold Mine, if properly Applied, this one character can make quite the Profit. Indeed, profitable and viable to breakthrough many Industries or snatch some from preexisting ones.
"However... Maybe it's better the Rights to Germania-Chan remain on Degurechaff's hands."
"Hoh?"
"We can License it and pay her the fees, but a good mascot, character and histories involving it are best made when the one creating knows it best, from the Looks, this character has been under her wing for long enough, a few years honestly."
"I see, makes sense, no reason to rock the boat this soon, very well, who shall tell her the good news? While thebother deals with the bothersome paperwork?"
"You're the CEO, right? You go run the Business side, i will put Lergen or Elya to notify her, those teo after all, seem to be focused on her after all."
"Hah! Fine, then after, go ready the financial side to get it going!"