Chapter 717: A Month Chnage

Monday morning came with Dayo returning to his usual routine. He woke up early, got dressed for his morning jog and left the house while most of the neighbourhood was still quiet. The past week had given him enough time to rest, and he felt ready to return to work. His mind was no longer occupied with the album every waking hour, although he was looking forward to getting into the studio and hearing the songs come together.

After his jog, he returned home, freshened up and headed to the kitchen. Rather than leaving Luna to prepare everything herself, he put together a little breakfast for her and packed it neatly before getting ready to leave. He checked his phone for any messages from the office, picked up his belongings and made his way downstairs.

Luna was already up when he entered the sitting room. She looked towards him as he adjusted his shirt and checked that he had everything he needed.

"Baby, I’m leaving now. Take care of yourself, alright?"

She looked at the time before turning back to him. "You’re leaving already? It’s still early."

Dayo smiled as he walked over to her. "You know me. I’m an early bird. I don’t like getting to the office late."

"I know, but you could at least stay a little longer. You just came back from your break, and now you’re rushing out again."

"Well, I have work to do. Valerie already told me there’s an important meeting, and I don’t want to keep everyone waiting." He picked up the packed meal he had prepared and placed it where she could easily reach it. "Besides, I made something for you before leaving."

Luna looked at the package, then back at him. "You prepared this?"

"Of course. You should be lucky you have me."

She gave him a look. "God, please don’t always flatter yourself. You haven’t even left the house, and you’ve started."

"I’m only reminding you of what you have."

"Alright, Mr Four-Star Chef. Thank you for the food."

Dayo laughed and gave her a quick kiss. "You’re welcome. Make sure you eat it, and don’t leave it sitting there until afternoon."

"I’ll eat it. Now go before you start giving me instructions about everything else."

He collected his things and headed towards the door, still smiling at her response. Luna called after him to drive safely, and he turned briefly to assure her before stepping outside.

Max and Bella were already waiting near the entrance. Both of them greeted him as he approached, and Dayo acknowledged them before looking towards the vehicles.

"Max, you’re coming with me today. Bella, you stay here and keep an eye on things while we’re away."

"Alright, sir," Bella replied.

Max moved ahead and opened the car door for him. Dayo entered, settled into his seat and fastened his seat belt while Max returned to the driver’s side. Once everything was ready, the vehicle pulled away from the house, with Dayo taking out his phone to check a few messages along the way.

The journey to the office was relatively smooth. He spent most of it looking through the notifications that had accumulated during his break, although there wasn’t anything that required his immediate attention. Valerie had already informed him that the executives would be available for the meeting, so he expected to get a proper update once he arrived.

As the car approached the company premises, Dayo looked through the window and noticed the new sign on the building. The old MK Label branding was gone, replaced by the name JD Records. He had known the changes were being made, but this was his first time seeing the completed result in person.

For a moment, he simply looked at it as the car moved closer to the entrance. The building he remembered from the acquisition period now carried the identity of his own company. During the initial stages, there had been too many matters to attend to, and changing the branding had not been their immediate priority. Now, the work had been completed, and the difference was clear.

"Here we are, sir," Max said as he brought the car to a stop.

Dayo looked towards the building once more before opening the door. "Yes, this is it."

Max stepped out and came around to assist him. Dayo straightened his jacket and walked towards the entrance, greeting the security personnel before making his way inside.

The reception area was already busy with employees going about their morning duties. Some were speaking to one another, while others were carrying documents or heading towards their respective departments. The moment Dayo entered, a few people recognised him and began whispering among themselves.

"That’s him. That’s JD."

"Good morning, sir."

"Good morning."

The greetings quickly spread as more employees noticed his arrival. Some had heard stories about him from colleagues who had previously worked at JD Records, while others had only seen him in interviews, photographs and company announcements. Seeing him walk into the building was different from hearing about him.

Dayo responded warmly as he moved through the reception area. He greeted the employees who approached him and asked a few of them how they were settling into their roles. When he recognised someone, he called them by name and asked how things were going.

"Good morning, sir," one of the employees said as he passed.

"Good morning. How are you doing? How’s your department?"

"I’m fine, sir. Everything is going well."

"That’s good. Keep it up."

He continued towards the elevators, stopping briefly when another employee greeted him. The conversations were short, but Dayo made an effort to acknowledge the people around him rather than walking past everyone without a word.

For some of the former MK Label employees, the experience was unexpected. They had spent years working under Michael, whose approach to management had made many of them uncomfortable approaching him unless there was a formal reason. He maintained a distance between himself and the staff, and most employees understood that they were expected to keep their interactions strictly professional.

Dayo’s behaviour was different. He was their boss, but he didn’t make them feel as though they had to be afraid of speaking to him. Some of the employees who had previously worked at JD Records had already told their new colleagues about his personality, but seeing it for themselves made a greater impression.

A few exchanged quiet comments after he passed, expressing how relieved they were that the company had ended up under his management. They had been uncertain about what the acquisition would mean for them, especially with all the changes taking place, but his manner gave them some reassurance.

The restructuring had also changed the management structure in several departments. Some of the people who previously held senior positions under MK Label were no longer there, while others had been moved into different roles. The employees were still adjusting to the new arrangement, but the company was gradually finding its rhythm.

Dayo entered the elevator and pressed the button for his floor. When the doors opened, he stepped out and headed towards his office. Sharon was already at her desk, attending to a few documents. She looked up as soon as she noticed him approaching.

"Good morning, sir."

"Good morning, Sharon. How are you?"

"I’m fine, sir. Welcome back."

"Thank you. How has everything been?"

"Everything has been going well. We’ve been expecting you."

Dayo smiled as he walked into his office. "I hope you haven’t had too much trouble while I was away."

"Nothing we couldn’t handle, sir. Valerie and the departmental heads have been taking care of things."

"That’s good." He placed his belongings on the desk and turned towards her again. "How’s your daughter doing?"

Sharon smiled at the question. "She’s fine, sir. Actually, she has been asking about you."

"Really? What did she say?"

"She reminded me about the movie you promised to take her to watch. She said you also promised that she and I would go together, but you haven’t kept that promise yet."

Dayo laughed as he settled into his chair. "Ah, I remember that. I made that promise the last time we spoke about it, didn’t I?"

"Yes, sir. She hasn’t forgotten."

"Well, tell her not to worry. I’ll keep my promise. We can arrange something when I have a little time."

"Alright, sir. I’ll let her know."

He opened his laptop and placed a few documents on the desk, then looked towards Sharon. "Now, tell me. What have I missed? I know Valerie mentioned there were a few things we needed to discuss, but I’d like to hear what’s been happening since I left."

Sharon moved closer with the documents she had prepared. "There have been quite a number of changes, sir. The restructuring has taken up most of the team’s time, especially during the first part of the month."

"Alright. Start from the beginning. What happened with the audit?"

"The overall audit was completed as planned. However, a number of employees resigned before the process could be concluded. Once the announcement was made that the company would be undergoing a full audit, several people submitted their resignation letters almost immediately."

Dayo listened as he opened one of the folders she placed before him.

"They resigned before the audit was completed?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. Most of them did so within a short period after the announcement. From what we gathered, some were aware that their previous activities could become an issue once the records were reviewed. They probably felt it was better to leave before the investigation reached them."

Dayo looked through the first few pages of the document. "And what about those who stayed?"

"Some of them were investigated, and we found several irregularities. A number of employees were removed after the findings were reviewed. We also identified people who had been involved in questionable activities but were still holding important positions."

"Alright. What happened to the departments they were managing?"

"We made some changes to the structure. A number of the departmental heads from the original JD Records were transferred into the new division. We also brought in some of our experienced staff to help with the transition. As for the people who had already been working here, we didn’t remove everyone. There were employees who had been doing their jobs properly, and some of them were actually very competent."

"That’s good. I don’t want us removing people simply because they were part of the old management. If someone is good at their job and has been doing things properly, there’s no reason to push them out."

"That’s what we considered, sir. We reviewed their performance and qualifications before making the decisions. Some of the competent employees were promoted into more important positions, while others were retained in their previous roles."

Dayo nodded as he continued reading. He was pleased that the team had considered the existing workforce rather than treating everyone as part of the problem. An acquisition came with its own difficulties, and he knew that replacing every employee would create unnecessary complications.

"What about the people who resigned? Have all their positions been filled?"

"Most of them have. There are still a few adjustments being made in certain departments, but the main positions have been covered. The new management teams are also working together now, so things are becoming more organised."

"Good. I want to make sure the departments are functioning properly. We can’t allow the restructuring to affect the quality of work."

"I understand, sir."

Sharon moved to the next document and continued with the update. "There have also been several business approaches since the acquisition. A number of record labels have contacted us about possible partnerships and collaborations. Some are interested in bringing their artists into joint projects with our artists, while others have proposed broader arrangements between their companies and JD Records."

"Are these local labels or international ones?"

"Both, sir. We’ve received approaches from different parts of the industry. Some of the international labels have expressed interest in working with us, especially after the announcement of the acquisition and the success JD Records has had recently."

Dayo leaned back slightly. "Have we responded to any of them?"

"We acknowledged the proposals and informed them that we would review everything before making a decision. We haven’t committed to any major arrangement yet."

"Why?"

"Because we didn’t want to make decisions on your behalf while you were away. Valerie agreed that it would be better to hold the major proposals until you returned. We didn’t know which direction you would want the company to take, especially with the changes that were already happening internally."

Dayo considered that for a moment before looking back at the documents. "That’s fine. I would rather we take our time and examine everything properly. We need to know what we’re getting into before agreeing to anything."

"That’s what we’ve been doing, sir. The proposals have been organised, and the relevant departments have prepared their initial assessments. They’re ready for your review."

"Alright. We’ll go through them during the meeting."

Sharon turned to another section of her notes. "There have also been requests concerning new releases. Several artists and labels have approached us about distribution and collaboration opportunities. Some have submitted music for consideration, while others want to discuss signing or working with the company."

Dayo glanced at her. "And what did we do about those?"

"We paused the major decisions for now. Since the company was still undergoing restructuring, we didn’t want to start making release commitments or signing new arrangements without a clear direction from management. We also didn’t want to overload the departments while they were still settling into the new structure."

"That’s reasonable. We can review the submissions and decide which ones deserve attention. I don’t want us rushing into anything simply because people are approaching us."

"Yes, sir."

She then mentioned another proposal that had come through the company. A film production team was preparing a music-related movie and had approached JD Records about creating an original song for the project. They wanted to discuss the possibility of having the label produce the song and work with one of its artists.

Dayo appeared interested as she explained the request.

"Have they sent us any details about the movie?"

"Yes, sir. They sent an initial proposal with some information about the project and what they’re expecting from us. The full discussion hasn’t taken place yet because they wanted to meet with the management team."

"Alright. That’s something we can look into. Depending on the project and what they’re asking for, it could be a good opportunity for the company."

"I’ll make sure the proposal is included with the others."

Dayo picked up the remaining documents and looked through them. There was quite a lot to consider, and he could see why Valerie had described the meeting as important. The company had continued receiving proposals during his absence, but the management team had been careful not to make major commitments without him.

He placed the documents together and looked towards Sharon. "Is there anything else I should know before the meeting?"

"Those are the main updates, sir. There are a few smaller matters that the departmental heads will probably bring up themselves, but I’ve included everything that needs your attention in the files."

"Alright. Thank you. You’ve done a good job keeping things organised."

"Thank you, sir."

Dayo checked the time on his laptop before closing the folder. "Has Valerie arrived?"

"Not yet, sir. She sent a message earlier that she would be coming in shortly. I believe the others are also preparing for the meeting."

"Alright. Let me know when she’s here."

"Yes, sir."

Sharon returned to her desk, leaving Dayo to go through the documents again. He spent the next few minutes reading the summaries and checking the names of the companies that had submitted proposals. Some were familiar, while others were new to him. He made a few notes beside the ones he wanted to discuss in greater detail.

The company had clearly not been idle during his absence. Even with the restructuring and the internal changes, business had continued moving forward. The team had managed to keep things organised, and he was satisfied that they had resisted making decisions simply to appear busy.

A short while later, Sharon’s voice came through the office intercom.

"Sir, Valerie is here."

Dayo saved the document he was reviewing and looked towards the door. "Alright. You can let her in."

The door opened shortly afterwards, and Valerie stepped inside. She greeted him before taking a seat opposite his desk.

"Welcome back, Dayo. It’s good to finally have you here again."

"Thank you. It’s good to be back."

"I hope you enjoyed your break."

"I did. I really needed the time away."

Valerie smiled as she placed her folder on the desk. "I can imagine. Anyway, I trust Sharon has given you an update on what has been happening."

"She has. I went through most of the reports, and I have to say, there’s quite a lot to discuss."

"There is. We’ve received several proposals, and I think we should go through them carefully before deciding what to do next. The departmental heads have also prepared their reports."

"That’s fine. I want to hear from everyone. We can discuss the restructuring, the partnerships and the new projects before making any decisions."

Valerie opened her folder and brought out a few documents. "They’re already waiting for us. We can begin whenever you’re ready."

Dayo gathered the papers he wanted to take into the meeting and stood from his chair. After a month away from the office and a week spent entirely with his family, he was ready to return to the work that had been waiting for him.

"Alright, let’s go and see what everyone has for us."

Valerie stood, and the two of them left the office together. Sharon remained at her desk, preparing to handle any matters that might come up while they were in the meeting.

As Dayo walked towards the conference room, he greeted a few employees who were passing through the corridor. The company had changed considerably since the acquisition, and there were still decisions to be made, but he was ready to get involved again. The meeting would give him a clearer picture of where things stood and what needed his attention next.