Chapter 433: Forced Departure

Chapter 433: Chapter 433: Forced Departure

The evidence was irrefutable, and public anger could not be appeased.

The moment all shareholders unanimously voted to pass the resolution for his removal, Isaac Perlmutter, who was slumped in the main seat, panicked completely.

The arrogance, self-restraint, and composure of a superior that had previously been plastered on his face completely collapsed, replaced by extreme panic and resentment.

Having helmed Marvel for many years, he had long been accustomed to his high and mighty position, where his word was law; he had never imagined that he would fall from the pinnacle of power in such a dishevelled, humiliating, and near-expulsion manner.

Before the security personnel could step forward, Isaac pushed himself up from the table, his face deathly pale and his breathing rapid. Completely disregarding his former dignified demeanour, he eagerly began to plead with the shareholders present, his tone filled with panicked compromise and earnest apologies.

"Fellow shareholders, I admit my mistake! It was my own selfishness and greed that clouded my judgment; I have failed everyone’s trust!"

Isaac’s voice was hoarse, and he spoke at a rapid pace, desperately trying to salvage the situation,

"Mortgaging the copyrights and taking out loans to speculate in the stock market were entirely my personal decisions; they have nothing to do with the company, nor with the rest of the Perlmutter Family! I will bear all losses and risks myself. I can sell my personal assets to fill the interest gap and do my utmost to minimise the company’s losses. I will absolutely not let your interests be damaged!"

He stared fixedly at everyone present, his eyes filled with wishful thinking and begging, attempting to trade compromise and accountability for a chance to start over: "I have worked hard for Marvel for many years, I know every vein of the company, and I understand all copyright layouts and cooperation resources.

The company is currently in a difficult and precarious situation; changing leadership abruptly carries huge risks! Please give me another chance to make amends and lead Marvel to stabilise the situation. I swear that from now on, I will strictly separate public and private affairs, work diligently, and never again engage in any non-compliant operations!"

At this moment, Isaac had set aside all his status and arrogance, pleading humbly and repenting desperately, trying to move everyone with his years of seniority and familiarity with the company to win a shred of leniency.

However, having experienced the exposure of this shocking inside story, all the shareholders were already thoroughly disillusioned, their trust completely shattered, and no one was willing to believe any of his promises or guarantees anymore.

Everyone watched coldly, their expressions frigid, none of them moved, and their eyes held only disgust and vigilance.

Years of indulgence and patience had not brought about self-reflection and improvement from the management, but rather unscrupulous hollowing out and gambling with lives.

Isaac had privately mortgaged the company’s core IP, betting Marvel’s entire future on his personal stock market speculation. Once the debt exploded and the copyrights were repossessed, the investments of all the shareholders present and Marvel’s decades of foundation would all go down the drain.

Such a fatal mistake could no longer be erased by a mere apology or a statement of responsibility.

"Enough." The major shareholder who had spoken first looked cold and stern, his tone devoid of any ripples, completely cutting off all his fantasies, "Your promises have long since lost all value; Marvel cannot and must not be handed over to you again. You have personally overdrawn everyone’s trust. Today’s ending is of your own making."

As he finished speaking, he gave Isaac no further opportunity to argue or plead, directly raising his hand to signal the security personnel waiting outside to enter.

Two tall, well-dressed security personnel walked quickly into the conference room, walking to Isaac’s sides, one on the left and one on the right.

Before he could struggle or explain again, they firmly gripped his arms and forcibly removed him from this top-floor conference room, which symbolised Marvel’s highest power.

The entire process echoed with Isaac’s unwilling roars and panicked defences, but ultimately, there was no turning back.

As the conference room doors closed heavily, the commotion faded away completely, and the venue returned to solemn silence.

The first shareholder to speak rose, facing the remaining shareholders, and solemnly announced the subsequent temporary management appointment and removal resolution to stabilise the current turbulent situation:

"Effective immediately, Isaac Perlmutter is officially removed from the position of Marvel CEO, and all management and decision-making authority is revoked immediately.

To ensure a smooth transition of the company and avoid internal chaos caused by management turmoil, after collective deliberation by core shareholders, effective immediately, former Chief Assistant to the CEO, Peter Cooper, will serve as interim CEO of Marvel, taking full charge of all the company’s daily operations, departmental management, and project coordination.

This will last for three months. After three months, a general meeting of all shareholders will be held to publicly elect a new official CEO and re-finalise the long-term management team."

This resolution was implemented smoothly and was comprehensive and sound; it did not trigger any objections from shareholders, which was entirely within Irene Coppola’s expectations.

For Marvel, which was currently in a precarious and unstable state, rashly and drastically changing the core management was a huge risk.

Marvel could no longer withstand any tossing and turning; with years of low revenue, a lack of projects, weak cash flow, and a fragile internal system, any radical personnel change could trigger departmental paralysis, project stagnation, and loss of cooperation, bringing a fatal blow to the company that was already at a low point.

And Peter Cooper was exactly the safest and lowest-risk optimal solution at this stage.

Most people outside only saw him as Isaac’s personal assistant and habitually classified him as a direct confidant of the Perlmutter faction. However, Irene, who had done her homework in advance and figured out the background of all the personnel, knew clearly that Peter had not reached his current position by relying on attachment or clinging to the powerful.

He was a core veteran who had worked his way up from the grassroots level of Marvel step by step. Through serendipity, he had worked in various core departments such as the company’s Copyright Department, Operations Department, Marketing Department, and Production Coordination Department.

Having been deeply involved in Marvel for many years, he was familiar with every business line, every set of operational rules, and every internal vein of the company. He had an extremely clear and thorough understanding of Marvel’s copyright reserves, cooperation shortcomings, and future paths.

More importantly, although he had been by Isaac’s side for many years handling core affairs, he was not a blindly loyal direct subordinate. His personal stance was neutral, his actions were fair, and his loyalty was more to the company and his position than to the Perlmutter Family.

After years of workplace accumulation, he was low-key and steady, and he worked in a down-to-earth and meticulous manner. He did not participate in internal factional struggles, and he had an excellent reputation and upright standing within the company. From old shareholders to grassroots employees, everyone had a good impression of him, and no one was resistant to him.

Having him take over the CEO position on an interim basis could ensure the seamless connection of the company’s daily operations and avoid internal turmoil, while also soothing employee emotions and stabilising shareholder sentiment. It was the only choice at the moment that could steadily support the remnants of Marvel.

But being safe did not mean being secure.

Peter’s temporary appointment was, after all, only a transitional plan. The shareholders’ meeting a month later would be the battlefield for a new round of power games. Whether he could sit firmly in the high position and successfully transition to a permanent role remained an unknown, and the road ahead was full of variables.

After all, the Perlmutter Family was still the largest shareholder at this time, but as the party at fault, they no longer had the power to make decisions. While the shareholding ratios of the other shareholders were not very high, combined they were enough to contend with the Perlmutter Family, and the biggest variable was Irene Coppola.

As the individual shareholder with the most shares and the fresh blood newly entering the board of directors, this current situation was exactly the best scenario for Irene.

She held enough chips and connections; as long as she was willing, she could step in at any time to support Peter, help him sit firmly in the CEO position, and build his own team.

But before that, she had to thoroughly understand Peter’s true intentions, confirm his stance, judge whether his philosophy and goals were consistent with her own, whether he was worth her full support, and whether he could become a core piece in the future Marvel chessboard that would completely obey her commands and adapt to her layout.

This spectacular farce of a shareholders’ meeting came to a complete end.