Born Into Villain's Family: I Have a 200\% Rebate System-Chapter 139: Heir

Adam Price’s eyes darted around the room, searching for someone—anyone—to defend him. But everyone was glaring at him now.

Charles’s cold gaze never left Adam Price.

"You see, Adam Price? Lies always catch up to you. You tried to tear Adam Waters down for your own selfish reasons. And now everyone can see your true colors."

Adam Price’s shoulders sagged. He looked broken, his eyes shiny with tears he was too proud to let fall.

"I-I’m sorry..." he whispered, but no one cared to listen.

Charles turned to the crowd.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you. Loyalty, hard work, and honesty matter more than cheap tricks and backstabbing. Adam Waters made a mistake, but he owned up to it. That’s real integrity."

The workers shuffled their feet, some looking ashamed for how quickly they had turned on Adam.

"Adam Waters will continue working here," Charles continued, his voice firm.

"And anyone who has a problem with that can leave right now."

Nobody moved. Nobody dared to speak.

"Also, I appoint Adam Waters as my legal heir, and he will inherit the company from me tomorrow." Charles Hughes continued.

The room went dead silent. It was like everyone just forgot how to breathe.

Adam Waters’s eyes went wide. "W-What? Sir, did you just say...?"

Charles nodded, his expression calm and serious.

"You heard me, Adam. You’ve proven yourself to be hardworking, honest, and loyal. Qualities that are far more valuable than anything else."

The workers all started whispering at once, their faces full of shock and confusion.

"But... but why him?" someone finally blurted out. "He’s just a regular employee!"

"Yeah! He’s not even a manager!" another voice added.

Charles raised his hand, and everyone went quiet again.

"Titles don’t matter. Character does. And Adam Waters has shown that he has what it takes to lead this company.

He admitted his mistake, worked hard to fix it, and never tried to bring others down to lift himself up."

Adam Waters looked like he was about to pass out. "Sir, I-I don’t know what to say... I never expected..."

"Just say you’ll do your best," Charles said with a small smile. "That’s all I ask."

"I will," Adam choked out, his voice trembling. "I promise I will."

The workers stared at Adam, their expressions a mix of shock, guilt, and—some of them—admiration.

A few even nodded like they understood why Charles made his decision.

Adam Price, though, looked like he’d just been slapped in the face.

His jaw hung open, and his eyes were full of rage and disbelief.

"That’s not fair!" Adam Price shouted. "He doesn’t deserve it! I’ve worked harder than him!"

Charles looked at Adam Price, his eyes sharp and calculating. "You’ve worked harder, you say? Fine. Let’s test that, shall we?"

Adam Price’s face went pale. "Uh... sure. Go ahead."

Charles folded his arms.

"Alright. Let’s start with something simple. In the manufacturing department, if one of the main machines breaks down, what’s the first step to ensure production continues smoothly?"

Adam Price blinked, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"Uh... I-I guess you call the repair team?"

Charles raised an eyebrow.

"And? While waiting for repairs, how do you keep production running?"

Adam Price stammered, his eyes darting around like he was looking for the answer on the walls.

"Um... I-I guess you... you just... wait?"

A few workers snickered, and Adam Price’s cheeks turned red.

Charles shook his head. "Wrong. Adam Waters, do you know the answer?"

Adam Waters straightened up, his nerves melting away as he spoke.

"Yes, sir. While the repair team is being called, you can switch the work to backup machines or use alternative production methods.

If the machine is critical, you can rearrange the schedule to prioritize tasks that don’t need that particular machine until it’s fixed."

Charles nodded, a small smile playing at his lips.

"Correct. Now, another question. Let’s say we have a sudden surge in demand for a product, but we don’t have enough stock. How do you handle that?"

Adam Price looked even more nervous. "Uh... well, I guess you just... work faster?"

"Be specific," Charles said, his voice cold. "How do you organize the team? How do you balance quality with speed?"

"I-I... um..." Adam Price stuttered. "I don’t know."

Charles sighed and turned to Adam Waters. "Your thoughts, Adam?"

Adam Waters answered quickly, his voice steady.

"First, I’d analyze which parts of the process can be sped up without sacrificing quality. Then, I’d arrange overtime shifts if necessary and communicate clearly with the team so everyone knows the priority.

And if we still can’t meet the demand, I’d inform clients early and provide realistic timelines to manage their expectations."

"Excellent," Charles said.

The workers were all staring at Adam Waters now, some nodding in agreement, others just plain shocked.

Adam Price looked like he wanted to disappear.

His fists clenched at his sides, his face turning a nasty shade of red.

Charles glanced at him with disappointment.

"You claim to work harder than Adam Waters, but you lack the skills and knowledge necessary to lead. Hard work means nothing without understanding, planning, and real dedication."

Adam Price looked down at his feet, his shoulders slumped.

Charles turned to Adam Waters, his eyes serious.

"You’ve answered all of my questions correctly. And not just correctly—you answered with insight, care, and real understanding of how this company operates."

Adam Waters’s face lit up with surprise and gratitude.

"Thank you, sir. I... I’ve always tried my best to learn everything I can."

Charles nodded before leaving.

Once he left, all the workers rushed to Adam’s side and started to praise him for his dedication and work ethic.

Adam calmly nodded.

If he hadn’t seen the real faces of everyone present there, he would still be treating them as his brothers, but now?

He understood that, other than Mike, no one truly cared for him.

Adam Price on the other hand, stared at Adam Waters with a venomous gaze and muttered,

"No...he can’t inherit the company! And I will make sure of that."