Seated in the immense, yet unsettlingly bare office, I adjusted my red-rimmed glasses, attempting to ease the apprehension. "Alright, Lizabeth," I whispered to myself. "You've dealt with these big-shot CEOs before. You can handle this."
The emptiness of the office disturbed me. No personal touches, no signs of life beyond the austere furniture. It didn't feel like the office of someone who ran a corporation as expansive as ASURA. A corporation I had dismissed as an unstable gamble when I had first heard of it.
"What a fool you are, Lizabeth!" I muttered under my breath, examining the room once more. "Who bets their career on a startup with an almost nonexistent track record?"
My former colleague had put it best, saying ASURA Corporation seemed like the haphazard dream of a lucky kid who'd won the lottery. But luck alone couldn't explain the exponential growth the company had seen in such a short span. It had to be more than that.
My self-directed tirade was interrupted as the office door swung open. A distinguished older man, dressed in a tailored suit, entered the room, followed by a younger man. I blinked in surprise. My mind initially made the reasonable leap that the older man must be the CEO. But, as I observed the dynamic between the two, it was evident I was wrong.
The younger man was striking. His brown skin and slightly pudgy appearance belied an aura that commanded attention. He radiated a level of authority I had never felt before. It sent a chill down my spine, unsettling yet fascinating. I felt my pulse quicken as he entered the room, a reaction that defied my logical reasoning.
Regaining my composure, I rose from the chair, nodding my head in respect. To my surprise, he returned the gesture.
"Take a seat," he said as he settled into the chair opposite me. I obliged, noticing his relaxed demeanor, his fingers forming a strange sign. He looked... comfortable, a stark contrast to the dread I felt.
"So, Ms. Tanaka, you decided to consider us then?" His voice was smooth, yet it filled the room, creating an echo that lingered in my ears.
I stuttered, momentarily lost for words before I gathered my thoughts. "I am here," I began, "because I am intrigued by your proposal to create a foundation for disabled individuals across Australia. However, let's be clear. I have conditions, stipulations I won't compromise on. This isn't a one-sided negotiation."
His expression didn't change, but I felt the room grow colder. He grinned, a grin that seemed somewhat eerie, and I felt an inexplicable chill. He began to lean forward, the comfortable demeanor fading away, replaced by something more intense.
"I did not want to see you because of the position in this corporation." He paused, letting his words hang in the air, his grin turning into a smirk. "What I am looking for," another pause, "is a general."
I felt a shiver run down my spine. He had changed the game. What on earth was he talking about? General? Was this some sort of test? Or was he genuinely serious? I could only stare at him, silent, waiting for him to clarify his strange proposition. This meeting was far from what I had expected, and something told me I was only scratching the surface.