Chapter 14 - Richard Returns
Richard returned after six-week leave.
No executive-floor office.
He requested move to process-improvement team.
Marcus asked why.
“I spent years being person who could get things done.”
“That’s useful.”
“It also taught me rules were obstacles.”
Marcus nodded.
Familiar.
Richard helped map exceptions across company.
He found 314 standing overrides.
Some harmless.
Some dangerous.
One allowed senior sales executives to bypass contract review below $250,000.
Another let facilities approve emergency vendors indefinitely.
Northbridge exploited that.
Richard proposed automatic expiration on every exception.
Elena approved.
Marcus watched him work.
“Do you still want promotion?”
Richard smiled bitterly.
“Yes.”
Good.
Not fake humility.
“When?”
“Not now.”
“Good.”
Richard laughed.
“You enjoy saying that.”
“Yes.”
Months later he apologized to Diane? She had resigned. Maybe not.
He apologized to reception team for telling them to keep exceptions unwritten.
Vanessa heard.
She said:
“You made us carry risk.”
“Yes.”
“And then you looked shocked when Marcus was stopped.”
Richard nodded.
“Yes.”
That was powerful.
Recognition had protected him from seeing system.
Vanessa asked:
“Did you think I was racist?”
Richard considered.
“I thought you were status-conscious.”
“That’s nicer word.”
“Not necessarily.”
She nodded.
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Both changed.
No neat friendship.
