8 Victoria's Capabilities

August 14th, the following day, 9 AM. Beaumont Pharmaceutical's Eldoria branch office in the heart of Eldoria's "Iron District."

Lucas sits in his office, dressed very smartly – suited up, hair is styled, and a refined air unlike many men of his age. In an effort to look more serious, he squints his eyes as he read the letter that his secretary gave to him this morning.

It was about the meeting discussing the details of the purchase of another building somewhere in Clockwork Heights, a deal that he had missed yesterday due to him injuring his foot.

The letter's contents basically say that someone else had swooped in and bought the property ahead of him yesterday. A deal that the original Montague worked on for several weeks, gone in a flash, due to Lucas's carelessness.

Seeing Lucas frown in worry while biting his lips, Victoria, who Lucas decided to bring with him to work, asked from the side. "What does it say father?"

"A future contract has just gone up in smoke" Lucas said perfunctorily.

He wouldn't dare say that he missed the meeting because he stepped on glass shards that he knocked over himself. Instead, Lucas just told her, "There's no need for you to know" before putting away the letter.

Bringing Victoria to his workplace was a last minute decision that he came up with late last evening. Outwardly, the reason is so that Victoria can go get some "experience" and offer her opinions. When in reality, Lucas just plans on making her do the work, since she seems much more suited for this kind of things than the current him.

"It's my first time seeing you work, father." Victoria said from the side as she watched me 'read' through the documents given to my by my secretary. There was a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes as she witnessed firsthand the responsibilities of a CEO.

"It's high time you learned what it truly means to be a CEO if you have intentions of taking the reins of my company," Lucas replied before gesturing for Victoria to come closer "Come here for a sec, dear."

At the sound of her father's call, Victoria momentarily froze, a fleeting expression of shock passing across her face. The combination of her father's casual mention of her taking over his company and the endearing term he used to address her left her momentarily taken aback. However, she swiftly regained her composure and moved to join him at his side.

"You do know that we're looking to expand our business and clinics here in Eldoria. Initially, I was planning to set up our manufacturing facility in Clockwork Heights, where it's safer, to kickstart our operations. But as you saw from that letter earlier, that opportunity is gone now.

So I have to set-up our facility in the 'riskier' areas of Eldoria. And unlike in Arkhantia, we can't reply on the government to protect our business since well, there's no working government in Eldoria. Furthermore, in the event of security breaches, unauthorized dissemination of our valuable information, or even counterfeiting and selling our drugs under a different name, we won't have the option of pursuing legal actions."

Lucas laid out his worries to Victoria but said it in a tone in which he sounds like he's testing his daughter. On the other hand. Victoria wondered why her father was telling her this before realizing that he's asking for her opinion.

He said it himself. He didn't bring her here to sight see, she was here to gain experience.

'If I think about my words carefully, I can maybe step up and become a key part of the decision-making process. Then, I'd finally have some real impact on the family business!' Victoria thought in her mind

Based on her father's words, she guessed that he was asking her where would the ideal location be to set up the manufacturing facility. In essence, he was testing her deductive abilities and foresight, evaluating her potential as the future head of Beaumont Pharmaceuticals.

"Dad—uh, I mean, Father, may I read some additional information about the different districts of the city before making a choice." Victoria asked, almost slipping on her words, as she felt that she's lacking crucial information before making a sound judgment.

If she hadn't been enlightened about the intricate political landscape of Eldoria, she would've only considered the basic factors like, accessibility, competition, security, and etc. But here, she also has to consider which faction is ruling over that certain district, can they be reasoned with, and etc.

In this complex environment, assessing the political dynamics and the potential for collaboration with the ruling factions became crucial, perhaps even more important than the other factors she had previously listed.

"No problem, take your time. An informed choice is always better than a rushed one" replied Lucas.

'Take all the time you need because if you're wrong, then I'm wrong as well' Lucas jest inwardly in his mind. He felt like a cheating student who's waiting for his smart friend to come up with his own answer so that he can leech off of him.

The office soon became quiet as Victoria immersed herself in reading. At some point, Lucas's secretary came inside and saw his boss lost in his thoughts while his daughter was jotting down important information and weighing each option as she slowly forms her own decision.

"Father, have you already picked a location?" Victoria suddenly asked.

Lucas was silent for a few seconds, stumped by the sudden question. "Uh, yes." he replied, relieved that Victoria didn't press for further details, sparing him from having to come up with a plausible explanation.

'I'll admit, I might have overestimated the difficulty of being a CEO' Lucas mused in his own thoughts.

Becoming a successful CEO is hard, no doubt about that. And becoming the CEO of an established company is even harder. You have to select skilled subordinates, create a good work culture in the company, and establish an efficient system to ensure smooth operations.

However, once you're past those stages, you can basically delegate all your duties to your subordinates and enjoy as the money rolls in.

Lucas only really has to make the big decisions that come up every once in a while. Unfortunately for him though, he's in the process of setting up the only branch company outside of his main city. So those decisions happen a lot.

After a few more seconds, Victoria returns to Lucas's side and gives him her answer. "After giving it some thought, I think it's best that we set up our facility here." she said pointing to a certain location near the iron district.

Lucas leaned in, his gaze focused as he examined the spot Victoria had indicated on the map. It fell within an area controlled by La Familia, a faction known to respect businesses that paid their protection fees. It seemed like a relatively secure option.

"And that's where our first warehouse would be," Victoria added, providing further context.

Victoria then elaborated on her idea, considering the safety concerns in Eldoria compared to Arkhantia. Instead of having a single, centralized facility, she proposed a distributed approach with multiple facilities responsible for different stages of the drug manufacturing process.

The facility in the iron district would serve as the main front, publicly and legally listed under Beaumont Pharmaceuticals. Here, the drugs would be fully assembled. However, the critical ingredients and crucial stages of the manufacturing process would be carried out in hidden facilities. Only the incomplete parts would be transported to the main facility for final assembly.

Victoria explained that this approach would mitigate the risk of a security breach. Even if unauthorized individuals gained access, they would be unable to steal the entire manufacturing process or important chemical formulas, as the most vital components would be kept separate.

It also allows them to buy time. In the case that a security breach actually happened, they can then preemptively suspend operations on all other hidden facilities and thus, keeping everything safe.

"…"

Lucas was amazed by his daughter's strategic thinking. He had never considered splitting the manufacturing process between multiple locations, instead focusing on finding a single 'perfect' plant location.

'Damn, I don't think I'm cut out for this job,' Lucas thought to himself.

He spoke carefully, hiding his awe. "When I asked my subordinates that question, they all became too focused on finding the 'perfect' location. They thought like it was a test with only one right answer, hastily explaining why their choice was best."

Lucas continued. "I'm glad you avoided such narrow thinking. Well done."

Of course, he had never actually asked any of his subordinates. This was all a made-up story to butter up Victoria and make her believe he had just been testing her all along.

"This was a rather basic thought exercise, Father. Real life isn't a test where there's always a correct answer to everything. Often, you are faced with various imperfect options, and you must find your own solution. I'm surprised your subordinates did not consider similar options." Victoria answered.

Although Victoria's words were meant for Lucas's subordinates, it is Lucas himself who got hit the most by her remarks.

"Rather than such matters, uhm, there's something I'd like to ask about…" In an uncharacteristic manner, Victoria started fidgeting in her place, like a child asking her parent for a favor.

Lucas nodded, urging her to continue with her words.

"Earlier you said something about, uhm, me and uh—taking over the company. So I was wondering if you–" each word is spoken with a deliberate pose, as if she's not sure if she's in the position to be saying what she's saying.

Lucas leaned back in his chair, studying Victoria's expression. He sensed her hesitation and the underlying nervousness in her voice. He wondered if he had said something wrong earlier. Since she is the eldest child, he automatically assumed she would be the heir to everything Montague owned.

'Did I misread the situation? Well, I guess she did say that she had plans in wanting to run a company of her own.' he thought.

"–I was wondering if you have any plans or expectations for me in terms of... uh, taking on a larger role in the company," Victoria finally managed to express her thoughts, albeit with a hint of uncertainty.

Lucas deliberated over it for a few seconds.

Indeed, the original Montague had been cold and practically neglected his daughters while they were growing up. Suddenly entrusting a huge responsibility to her, as if he had been preparing her for it all along, when the two of them barely communicated would be strange.

'Acting like a loving father all of a sudden won't work. Not because I might accidentally reveal that I'm a transmigrator, but because it would make me look shameless! After years of neglecting them, they're forced to grow up on their own and once I realized that they might have talent, I switch up my attitude and suddenly want to reconnect with them?'

He thought that such an approach would more likely push her away rather than reconnect the two of them.

"Oh? Forgive me, I suppose I didn't ask for your opinion regarding this matter." Lucas said, pausing for a few seconds as he watched the changes in Victoria's face. "But yes, I see the potential in you, and am open to exploring the idea—No, I want you taking on a larger role in the company, and possibly even inherit it fully."

"But if you've already have thought out a different future for yourself, then I won't force you into a role you don't want. I suppose that's the only thing I can do for you after all these years." His voice trailed off, revealing a touch of regret.

Lucas unconsciously broke character as his hand scratched the back of his head and he flashed an awkward smile. He didn't want to appear as though he was playing the victim, aware that the distant relationship between them was a consequence of the actions of the original Montague.

However, it's that unexpected display of hesitation and self-awareness caught Victoria off guard. She had always seen her father as a cold, dismissive figure who never allowed his decisions to be challenged, especially within the household. Her and Charlotte's opinions were never taken into account, just like with the decision to leave behind their old lives in Arkhantia and movie into a completely new city without any warning.

But now, in this vulnerable moment, her father's hesitancy and subtle acknowledgment of his past actions struck her. It's a side of him Victoria had never seen before, and she couldn't help but draw a short breath before speaking.

"I… I thought you had no intention of making me inherit the company. I surely thought you planned on handing it over to one of your capable subordinates," she confessed, her voice tinged with surprise and a hint of disappointment. The unexpected display of vulnerability from her father compelled her to share the thoughts she had always kept to herself.

"Which is why I planned on establishing my own company, to show that I'm capable of running a successful business, in hopes that you'll consider me as your successor," she continued.