Reputation
The yak snacked on figs at his desk chair. Po crossed his arms with a fixed scowl. The window behind the yak had a perfect villain-type view of the city's busiest street, elevating his apparent ego. It didn't help that the store involved in this current situation was on the busiest corner of that city block, right outside the window.
Po and Shen glared at him. Kai's room was much larger than either of theirs combined with several plaques and maps of Zainan's influence in the city.
Or their control as Po put it.
The panda took a deep sigh, stilling the rage boiling in his gut. "Is there a reason why you've called for this meeting, Mr. Ping?" the yak 'innocently' asked.
"Is there a reason why you initiated a hostile takeover of Mr. Ping's culinary school?" Po grunted.
"It's simply an expansion of our operations, nothing more," Kai smirked. The panda's glare hardened. A hostile takeover, generally speaking, is when a company takes control of a target company without its board of directors' approval or consent. In other words, the target company has no choice in the matter, hence the 'hostile' term. And looking at the financial records, Kai just used Zainan Inc.'s resources to take over Mr. Ping's culinary school without Zainan's board of directors OR the chairman knowing.
But Mr. Ping's culinary school didn't know that when they signed off on the takeover.
"So you have more territory for the empire you're building," Po grumbled under his breath.
"Our company, Mr. Ping," Kai replied firmly. "And I don't appreciate my actions being questioned by someone I helped hire."
"Something that you blame Oogway for, am I correct?" Po grunted.
Kai bolted up from his chair and growled, but the peacock stepped in between the glaring yak and bear. "Gentlemen, please. Let's target the real issue at hand. The board isn't going to like this Kai," Shen argued.
"Oh like your stunt with the money is any better?" Kai grumbled. Shen's long neck started to close up.
Po gently nudged the bird's shoulder. The peacock took a reassuring breath. "That doesn't excuse what you did. And if word gets out-"
"Please," Kai scoffed. "I'm sure our astounded CEO will be too busy with the upcoming lawsuits for you two to worry about PR. And our shareholders will be able to see our company's growth once we fully utilize that area."
"Which would boost your shares in the company." Po narrowed his eyes.
"You seem to know me very well, Po Ping," Kai grinned. "Besides, with the school under our belt, we have more resources."
"For what purpose?" Shen asked.
"Bah! You don't get it, do you?" Kai stood up from his seat. "People take because there isn't enough to go around. A company has to survive and conquer for survival. Expansion is the only way for a company to avoid failure." He pointed to the panda and bird, "You two are so worried about replaceable employees that you ignore what's good for the company. You're idiots! No one can be happy all the time and have enough to go around. I'm doing this for the company's sake."
Sitting back down, the yak smirked, "Of course, if our dear CEO has any problems with that, he can simply leave and we'll acquire a more... cooperative person."
The panda gnashed his teeth and planted his hands on the yak's desk. "You won't get away with this," He said slowly.
"Even if you stop me, you would be endangering multiple jobs, both for Mr. Ping's school AND Zainan. Or lose your own job." Shen rested a hand on the panda's shoulder. Begrudgingly, Po backed away from the yak, simmering underneath his scowl. "Now if you'll excuse me, unlike the two of you, I have to work to ensure the company's success."
Po and Shen left the yak's office and walked down the hall. The panda's eyes stared into the approaching elevator like a madman, clenching his fists hard enough to make his knuckles pop. "You know what? Let him do it," Po grunted out as they entered the elevator.
"Po, calm down."
"No! I'm done! I hate this job! I hate this company! And I hate dealing with gloaty-showboaty grown-ups that act like schoolyard bullies! Oogway should be dealing with this! Not me!" Po crossed his arms with a great huff. Shen sighed and hung his face. The panda was right. The yak's greedy pursuits would doom the company. Yet, if Po left, it would also spell doom. Jobs lost, people leaving. As much as Kai thought he was saving the company, his unchecked ambition would run it into the ground. And people didn't trust big companies, anyway. Shen shook his head, exhaling an exhausted sigh. Why was doing the right thing so difficult? "Wait... maybe he can deal with this."
The peacock's head rose and stared at the panda's blank yet thoughtful face. "What?"
"I have an idea," Po said.
Shen listened to the panda's plan as they reached his floor. The bird grimaced a bit. "I don't think that's... wise."
"It's the only way to stop this ridiculous craziness once and for all before we all get arrested."
"And Mr. Ping's school?"
"I think I can figure out something and pay Kai back for this. Besides, I'm the one who has to talk with the lawyers. Monkey and I will work with them to make sure the PR isn't too bad," Po grinned mischievously.
Shen sighed, "Be careful, Po. He still has major sway on the board of directors. I can't fully protect you."
"I know. Soon, you won't have to," Po said in a raspy voice. "Just remember, tell no one about this plan. Not even her, okay?" Shen nodded. The closing elevator doors finished their conversation. Po walked back to his office, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He pensively stared at the ground when he finally came to his office door. His head snapped up to Tigress, eagerly yet wordlessly asking what was wrong.
The panda motioned his head towards his office. The two talked the situation over, though Po didn't tell her much of his plan. The big bear gave a long sigh, "I honestly don't understand how Oogway was like him. He must have changed a lot."
"Hm." Po held his right fist over his mouth and then glanced at the tiger's face. She stood next to him with her jaw clenched and her arms crossed.
"Are you okay?"
"What makes you think I'm not?" She asked.
"You're either angry, frustrated, sad, happy, mischievous, or antsy. Right now, you're antsy."
Tigress raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you were... watching me so closely."
"I... uh... I just noticed some... things. Heh Heh. Anyway, what's wrong?"
Tigress sighed, "Po, what do you plan to do? If this backfires, I... I don't know what I'll do."
"You'll be okay," Po smiled briefly, "And I'm sure everyone will be fine. I'm just focused on doing damage control."
The panda's huff made Tigress clench her jaw harder. "You're very... apathetic to potentially losing your job and losing everyone else. Maybe this job is affecting you?"
"You work to live, not live to work. If people make their jobs their idols then they'll die for them. People get attached to the wrong things too easily, and they don't realize how capable they are."
"Are you saying that from having this job?" Tigress asked.
Po nodded. After a great sigh, the panda shifted around in his seat and cracked the stiffness in his neck. "I will say, the stress management did its thing. I feel less...edgy. And I actually did something with my anger than just complain about it."
"And yet that was a rage I don't think anyone thought you were capable of. Least of all Du Ai."
"Ah, yes thanks for reminding me. What was Du Ai asking about?" The tiger crossed her arms and grumbled. "That bad?"
"She was... apologizing for her actions."
"That's big of her."
"You mean phony."
"Nah, old Du Ai wouldn't have dreamed of doing that."
"Whatever the case, I really wish there was a way to put her back in her place," Tigress grunted. "Regardless of the trust issues she has."
The panda's eyes sharpened. "Trust issues?"
"It sounds like... she assumes that people are going to treat her badly so she beats them to the punch. It's a horrible excuse if you ask me... but one that I've done before."
"Huh. That makes a little sense. It explains our time dating each other. But the only way to get rid of the issues is to get rid of the excuse. No matter the pain," Po muttered to himself.
The silence struck Tigress as odd. Po thoughtfully rubbed his chin as he finally sighed, "Perhaps I should go on a date with her."
"WHAT?!" Tigress screamed. "W-Why?"
"Closure. It would just be one date. Just to... finally end that chapter of my life. It's just an idea. I wasn't seriously thinking about it."
Tigress blinked several times before saying, "That's a very very bad idea."
"Why?"
"It would look...really really bad for your image and the company's reputation."
Po practically growled at the word 'reputation.' He got back to work as he muttered, "With the way Oogway, Shen, and Kai work, this company's reputation is already in the gutter."
Continued...