Chapter 4. Now, my plan can really work

"Miss Wright, what is the reason you prefer to expand our company to California instead of Nebraska? In fact, Nebraska has a famous club, The Veren Club," asked Mr. Moya, the chairman of the board. His face was stoic, lacking any discernible emotions. Mr. Moya looks like his office tastes: old and antique. He spoke softly, his voice deep and full of command.

Clarice smiled at the old man. She was dressed in a tight black business suit. Her hair was pulled back, but a few strands of hair was on her cheeks. "We would love to start a branch company in Nebraska, but as you all know, The Veren Club is a bit more difficult to be successful." She paused and continued, "But in California, we can make it very easy for young people who want to play golf."

Clarice gave the board an image of young people who could play golf in California, a major demographic group who are not really interested in golf. She continued, "Let's imagine a scene where we have a major high-end golf shop. We can attract more customers if we have many golf courses around the shops. That will give our golf shops an advantage over other stores. The golf industry in California has an advantage in this regard."

The old lady looked at Mr. Gonzalez, then at Mr. Vincente, and finally at Mrs. Esteban. They seemed to be intrigued. Mr. Gonzalez was the first to speak. "Okay, that makes sense." His voice has a deep timbre, like a tumbling mountain stream. He looked at the other board members and added, "But let me ask again, why not Nebraska?"

Mr. Gonzalez was the one who gave the suggestion to move the company from Spain to Nebraska. He was still intrigued as to why Clarice wanted to go to California instead.

Clarice tried to explain. "Nebraska has great golf club, but only the members of The Veren Club have access. I believe that young people will come to California to play golf because of its climate. As I mentioned before, The Veren Club is a prestigious club and so many young people are not allowed to join. Therefore, California has an advantage in the golf industry." Clarice continued to explain to them that she could go to California and she could take their company with her. She thought to herself, If I can bring this to California, it will be a huge benefit for the company. I can show it to them at the next board meeting.

Mr. Gonzalez seemed to like this answer. He was satisfied and said, "Okay, that sounds great." He looked at Mr. Vincente. "How about you?"

Mr. Vincente was looking at Clarice with suspicion. He seemed to be confused about something. He finally said, "If I can ask, what is your personal reason for going to California?" Mr. Vincente is a younger man, about 40. He is tall and has an athletic build. He has medium brown hair and in his brown eyes, shining with a spark of mischief. He was looking at her like he knew she had another agenda.

Clarice became nervous. She felt sweat forming on her forehead. She must convince him that this is a good plan and there is no reason for him to doubt her. She took a deep breath, "I don't have any hidden agenda, I'm just thinking about the future of the company. If we can expand our business to California, it will make it easier for us to expand into the U.S. market."

Mr. Vincente stared at her for a long time. "Okay, if there is no hidden agenda, I think California is the best place to go. As we all know, there is a lot of golf courses in California, so we should go there."

"How about you, Mrs. Esteban?" Mr. Gonzalez asked.

Mrs. Esteban, who wore a bright red lipstick on her plump lips, had been quiet the whole time. She had a skeptical look in her eyes and had been observing Clarice. Finally, she asked, "What about the cost? I believe California is a very expensive place. LA's property taxes are also quite high," she said.

"As for the cost, my proposal is to start a new branch company," Clarice said.

"What?" the old lady said. "That would take too long. And, I think it would be too expensive."

Clarice had anticipated this. She already knew that this old lady, Mrs. Moya, was very cautious. "I have a different proposal. I can open an office in California and take it from there. I have already found the perfect spot to start the branch. I believe we can build a very nice office building there. This way we can manage the whole project without having to open a new company. I will also go to California, so I can take care of the whole project personally," Clarice said. She was confident and confident that she can get the approval.

"I see," Mrs. Moya said. She looked at the other board members. "That's not a bad idea." She looked back at Clarice, "Okay, we approve your decision, but you will need to report every month on the progress of your project and every two months on your expenses."

"Of course, Mrs. Moya."

The board of directors approved Clarice's decision. She was very happy and her plan was a success. As soon as she finished her meeting, she immediately went to her room. The office room was very bright. The walls were painted in a beige color with light wood panel and expensive paintings. On the left wall there was a big glass window with a view to the whole city. On the opposite side, there was a big mahogany desk that looked very expensive and well taken care of. The floor had a thick carpet that looked very clean. There was a little table next to the door that had some small stuff on it, such as a stapler, a pen, and some papers. When she closed the door, the room became very quiet. She could believe what she did. She was happy that her idea was approved and things were moving forward.

She made a call to Hunter Ruiz and told him that he could tell the team to start their work in California. She also told him to keep a low profile for the next few weeks because she is still working on the deal. He told her that he will take care of everything and not to worry about anything. She thanked him and hung up the phone.

She was very happy that her plan was a success. Her plan was to use this meeting as a stepping stone to get her team to California.

Clarice was in a great mood. She thought to herself, "Now, my plan can really work."

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040324, Anne Joyce