"But don't worry. Now that I'm here, as long as you're not completely useless, this company will be Fortune 500 in no time!"
Dead silence. Henry's expression turned awkward.
The boss started clapping. "Let's welcome our brilliant returnee!"
"From now on, he's your new Tech Director. Claude, you're demoted to Technical Lead with a pay cut to match. Everyone else—fifty percent salary reduction across the board!"
Caspar slammed his palm on the desk. "On what grounds?! This guy's a third-rate overseas graduate who couldn't even land an internship through normal channels. How does he waltz in and become Technical Director?"
The rest of the team looked equally outraged.
Henry's face darkened, but the boss remained perfectly calm.
"On what grounds? You all tried to jump ship to a competitor, violating your non-compete agreements. I could've had you thrown in jail, but I showed mercy. And you're standing here asking me 'on what grounds'?"
He produced his evidence—chat logs showing the competitor offering us five times our salary to defect, plus photos of us meeting with their CEO.
"So here are your options: accept a fifty percent pay cut, or get ready to cough up damages. Or enjoy prison food."