Chapter 193: Personnel Change

Chapter 193: Chapter 193: Personnel Change

Walking out of the airport, Shelly was already waiting outside.

"Irene, the donation you requested has been finalized. The Red Cross provided a receipt, and I’ve emailed you the details."

He handed her a cup of warm water. "Also, news came from Britney. Her demo has been submitted to the company, and the executives are very satisfied, especially with ’Roar.’ They said they want to release it as the lead single to resonate with the current atmosphere."

Irene nodded, feeling slightly more at ease.

She looked at the passing Los Angeles streetscape outside the car window. American flags hung on the buildings along the road, and many shops had signs posted saying "Unite" and "Support Anti-Terrorism." The air was filled with a heavy yet resolute atmosphere.

As the car drove toward Malibu, Irene received a text message from Britney: "The company decided to release the ’Roar’ single next week. If it succeeds, Irene, you are absolutely the biggest contributor!"

Irene looked at the message, a faint smile appearing at the corners of her mouth.

This anticipated disaster had disrupted everyone’s plans, but it also allowed Irene to help Britney find a good opportunity for a transformation. If Britney could seize this chance, her future would completely change.

The car stopped at the entrance. Francis and Eleanor got out first, with Nicolas carrying the luggage behind them. Just as Irene was about to enter the house, Shelly gently tugged her arm, signaling for her to stay behind.

After everyone else went into the house, Shelly lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of gravity. "Irene, there’s something I need to tell you. The CEO of Fox has been replaced."

"Replaced?" Irene was stunned for a moment. "Why was it so quick? Who did they replace him with? How long has it been since you told me Beard was in a tough spot? I thought we’d at least have to wait for this year’s annual report."

Although Beard had made several wrong decisions in the past two years, causing 20th Century Fox to lose a lot of money—such as blindly following trends to film a few big productions that had dismal box office results—he was, after all, a veteran of the company with deep roots. How could he suddenly step down?

"He was replaced by your old acquaintance, Adelaide Griffin." Shelly sighed. "Come to think of it, it was expected. Adelaide’s performance has been consistently good over the past few years, and Mr. Murdoch has always valued her. But no one expected the replacement to happen so quickly, especially at this critical juncture."

Irene frowned. "The US has just experienced such a major event, and the whole country is focused on anti-terrorism and unity. Why would Fox change its CEO at a time like this? Even if Beard made mistakes in his decisions before, there was no need to rush to remove him right now, right?"

"This matter is related to an accident on the day of 9/11," Shelly said, lowering his voice further. "Beard’s wife—you’ve met her, that very strong-willed lady who never knows how to mince her words—was running errands in an office building near the Twin Towers on 9/11."

Irene’s heart sank, and she had a vague sense of foreboding. "Is she okay?"

"She’s fine, of course. But after the attack, the area near the Twin Towers was in chaos, with people screaming and running everywhere."

Shelly said slowly,

"At that time, a Black police officer saw her trembling in fear and standing still, so he voluntarily stepped forward to escort her to a safe area. And guess what? Not only did she not appreciate it, but she also started yelling at him, saying, ’Don’t touch me, you rude guy.’ Then, in the chaos, I don’t know what happened, but she lost control of her emotions and actually shouted, ’Black bastard.’ Many people nearby who were taking shelter heard it."

"What?" Irene gasped, unable to believe her ears.

"The news spread that very day, and later it was even reported in the media," Shelly continued.

"You know that at this critical moment, the government needs to unite all racial groups to fight against terrorism and emphasize solidarity. Yet, Beard’s wife chose this exact moment to say such racist things. It was like walking right into the line of fire."

"The Black community is already sensitive to issues of racial discrimination, and now that this has happened, public opinion has exploded," Shelly said, his tone full of helplessness.

"Many civil rights organizations are protesting, calling for a boycott of all Fox productions. Some people are even linking this to Beard, saying he usually condones his family’s racist remarks. Mr. Rupert Murdoch heard the rumors and immediately called an emergency meeting to handle PR, but the incident blew up too much to be suppressed."

Irene was silent.

She had indeed met Beard’s wife a few times. Every time, she carried a condescending, scrutinizing attitude and never gave the staff around her a pleasant look. Her lack of confidence in Loren was largely due to his mother, but she hadn’t expected the woman to say something so outrageous at such a critical moment.

"Mr. Murdoch was worried that this would seriously damage the company’s reputation. After all, public opinion has zero tolerance for racial issues right now. If they lost the Black market because of this, or even got summoned by the government, the losses would be too great," Shelly said.

"He gave Beard an ultimatum to find a way to eliminate the impact immediately. Beard had no choice but to voluntarily offer his resignation, hoping to quell public opinion by stepping down himself. After all, compared to the company collapsing, his personal resignation was the best option."

"I see." Irene suddenly understood, but her heart felt complicated.

Although Beard wasn’t a top-tier CEO, he was a veteran in the film and television industry. She hadn’t expected him to end his career in such a way.

Come to think of it, Adelaide Griffin’s promotion should be more favorable for her and Pirates of the Caribbean.

After dinner, the family went to rest. Irene returned to her room, took out her phone, and flipped to Adelaide’s number.

Her finger paused over the dial button. She smiled and pressed it. After all, they were friends, and now that the other party had been promoted, it was only right and proper to congratulate her immediately.

The phone was answered after two rings. Adelaide’s signature hearty voice came through the receiver. "Irene? Calling me at this hour? Just got back from Port Royal Bay?"

"Just settled down," Irene responded with a smile. "Congratulations, Adelaide. Since you’re newly appointed, you have to treat me to a meal."

"You’re well-informed," Adelaide chuckled, a hint of imperceptible fatigue in her voice.

"I just finished a pile of handover work and haven’t had time to tell you about it yet. Dinner is no problem. I shouldn’t be as busy next week. You can pick the restaurant. Come to think of it, I have to thank you for being willing to cooperate with me back then. During Legally Blonde, I knew you would make a name for yourself sooner or later."

"It was your good judgment and willingness to give me a chance," Irene said sincerely.