[All characters, places, organizations, and events appearing in this work are purely fictional, bearing no relation to reality.]
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[Family Office: The Shield and Sword of the House]
"First, the organizational plan for the DeVenger Family Office, the executive body responsible for the family assets and the Boss's personal security."
Gilberto presented neatly organized documents and continued his explanation.
"First, the Shield Team. I will serve as team leader, but to inject vitality into the organization, I plan to recruit an ace investigator from the IRS. The final bastion protecting the family's coffers. Of course, we will train existing personnel to bolster our defensive capabilities, and if necessary, we will simultaneously carry out operations to legally poach core talent from rival families or competing companies."
‘The IRS? Those guys who are scarier than God in America? Well, in this crazy inflationary era of ’79, a single tax audit could uproot the family tree in an instant. Their defensive capability is certainly solid.’
"Second, the Legal Team. We will recruit one former chief prosecutor from the SDNY and one senior partner from a major law firm. One will wield the blade of the law to cut down enemies, and the other will forge an impenetrable shield of the law. As mentioned, their price tags will easily exceed the President's salary of $200,000."
‘The President makes $200,000, but lawyers cost more than that? It’s a crazy price for 1979 prices, but that’s the law—one shrewd lawyer can save a family. In web novels, don't you get frustrated to death if you don't have connections in the legal world? This is a must-spend.’
"Third, the Concierge Team. Security and intelligence overlap with what Joshua is currently doing, and since I judge that he is doing it sufficiently well, I will pass over that. Image management or stylists don't cost much, so I didn't list them separately. You also said they were low priority."
“Hmm. Joshua is certainly trustworthy. Security and intelligence can remain under Joshua's charge, as it is now.”
"Fourth, one veteran Operator (Executioner) to serve as the hands and feet of the investment team. The person who comes to mind now is 'Charles K. Hinton,' who led Solomon Brothers through its heyday and is a master at pushing massive capital that shakes the market's landscape without leaving a trace. A man who has staked his entire career on overwhelming execution power from the dark back office, rather than being a glamorous analyst on Wall Street. He demands a fixed salary at the industry's highest level commensurate with his expertise, rather than a profit-sharing arrangement."
Henry didn't know who that person was, but he nodded in agreement. If Gilberto spoke of him like that, he must surely be capable. Gilberto caught his breath and continued.
[Think Tank: The Brain and Strategy of the House]
Gilberto's finger moved to the bottom of the page, to the think tank section that would design the family's strategy.
"Fifth, the Future Team. Since the Boss will personally serve as administrator, I composed it focusing on field personnel. First, to carry out the 'console business' in the documents the Boss prepared, we will recruit on-site experts covering everything from design to joysticks to hardware.
Sixth, the two axes of the Agenda Team. We will seat one former chief of staff from the Washington political sphere and one media industry titan each. A policy architect who can turn relationships into tangible bills and permits, and agitators who hold nationwide press connections and can move public opinion. They will carry out operations to translate the Boss's will into White House policy or public consensus.
Seventh, one former CIA field analyst to serve as the eyes of the Intelligence Team. Not at the level of stealing a competitor's ledger, but an expert who finds fatal weaknesses in their business structure and turns them into prey.
Eighth, the administrator of the Advisor Team. We must recruit a former cabinet-level figure with wide connections in the education sector and political sphere. We will bind prominent Ivy League professors as advisory committee members, and in exchange for lending the name of expertise to the family's steps, a compensation comparable to serving as an outside director at a major corporation will be paid.
Ninth, the head of the Human Resources Team, which is the most urgent. Honestly, there is currently no one within the family capable of handling personnel affairs at this scale."
Gilberto scratched his head sheepishly and continued.
"I myself have only been seated in this position for a short time, so I am inexperienced in personnel matters. We will recruit a former HR director from a major corporation or a personnel broker from the political sphere to establish discipline within the organization. I will bring in someone renowned as a ghost of scouting, who will stop at nothing to poach even a rival company's core personnel if they are talent our family needs. And I think it would also be good to recruit managers or employees from headhunting firms that will be displaced and obtain their talent lists."
"Lastly is the Patent Team. As you mentioned, we currently have no patents to apply for or manage. However, we will establish it by scouting a few employees and administrators from among our personnel who volunteer and from existing patent registration firms. After that, I think it would be good to proceed with external patent registration business to build field experience."
After that, Gilberto tapped the number written as the approximate total amount—15 million dollars—with the end of his pen.
"But Boss, this figure is only for this year. In the first year, we have to shoulder the signing bonuses to bring in the big shots and the compensation for the jobs they must give up. In particular, the initial rights fees to buy out an entire list from a headhunting firm or absorb patent personnel will devour 30% of the total budget."
Gilberto swallowed dryly and added.
"From next year, once organizational setup is complete, the initial construction cost of $3.5 million drops out. Counting only salaries, prestige maintenance costs, and operational expenses, it will stabilize within the range of $11 to $12 million annually."
“Hmm, $15 million just for the first year…”
Henry chewed on the number, chin in hand.
‘At 1979 prices, $15 million… Even calculating roughly at current exchange rates, it’s an eye-popping amount. Numbers I never even saw in my previous life are floating around, so it feels completely unreal. Still, I think this is the right thing to do…’
"This is also a rough draft I pulled from my head. In reality, it could break even more. Moreover, the quarterly execution budget alone is $2.25 million right now, and if we recruit the personnel immediately, this year's results will likely turn into losses. Wouldn't it be better to recruit only the HR team first and bring in the rest slowly to save costs?"
At Gilberto's impassioned persuasion, Henry pretended to contemplate while gauging the reactions around him. The family's chief of staff shook his head vigorously upon hearing the amount, and Joshua remained so expressionless that it was impossible to tell whether he was interested or not.
Then, Butler Bart quietly gesturing to an old man who had not spoken a word until now caught Henry's eye. The one who let out a deep sigh and rose from his seat was Noah Miller, the finance director from two generations prior. Though he had retired three years ago, his eyes blazed with a brilliance that belied his advanced age of seventy-four.
"Gilberto is still inexperienced, so the amount is somewhat exaggerated. And it is obvious that these aces won't budge easily even at the money Gilberto has set without truly exorbitant compensation being poured out."
With Noah's appearance, the atmosphere in the room calmed.
"I will use the connections I have built over fifty years of service to the family to assist Gilberto. Henry, I will personally seek out and attempt to recruit the talent you desire. The lineup won't be ready until early next year, but if so, this year's operating costs can be kept to $7 million, and next year's to under $10 million. Of course, the quality won't drop just because the money has been cut, so don't worry."
Henry inwardly cheered.
‘Wow, the vibe that comes from fifty years of experience…’
Henry replied with a simple laugh, unable to hide his delight.
"Phew, thank you. This is money we absolutely must spend anyway. Even if it costs a bit, it's the cost of upgrading our family's brain and limbs. Please procure the urgent ones first. I agree! What about you, Gilberto?"
Gilberto also bowed his head with an excited expression.
"I agree as well! If Mr. Noah helps us, we will be able to finish the subsequent recruitment and organization much faster by setting up the HR team first."
Gilberto's eyes sparkled as he looked at Noah Miller, then he nodded vigorously in agreement.
Of course, not everyone welcomed it. Several members cautiously voiced opposition as if in rebellion, but they were blocked by Henry's logical rebuttal and had to shut their mouths quickly. In the subsequent vote, they couldn't even get the letter N in NO out, expressing reluctant agreement. They had finally crossed a major mountain called massive organizational setup.
"Phew, then let's move to the next chapter. This time, it's about the names of our subsidiaries and the investment system."
As Henry turned the page, Gilberto gulped.
"First, the name [Resources] currently under reorganization is too ambiguous. So I would like to rename it [DeVenger Shield]. Does anyone object? Hmm, no one. Then the security and escort company is now [DeVenger Shield]. Understood, Joshua?"
“Yes, Boss!”
Joshua's short, firm answer echoed through the room.
‘Yes, you need a cool name from the start to feel like working. What was Resources, some kind of recycling company? Now it finally feels like the family's shield.’
Henry turned to the next page and began explaining the systems he hadn't been able to write down in the documents due to the tight schedule. His finger traced the massive pyramid structure drawn on the paper.
"As I mentioned earlier, our organization will take a pyramid form. From the Trust at the top to Holdings, and from Holdings to the Family Office and Think Tank. And below that, I have placed [DeVenger House] to maintain the current industries under our umbrella and the family's traditions. Let me explain [DeVenger House] first."
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DeVenger House (The House of DeVenger) : Management of Family Status and Identity
This is not a place to make money, but a place to protect the family's 'name value' and 'history.' It mainly handles social events.
Personnel: Butler (Bart), family elder lawyer, Episcopal Church/museum liaison, social consultant.
Role: Management of the 6,000-acre main estate, maintenance of various social club positions, family public relations and charity activities.
-As a House subsidiary, we had planned to include DeVenger Winery and Brandy Distillery, but after recent discussions, they will operate independently.
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"As written in the documents, the purpose and reason for this organization's existence are very clear. Unlike the Agenda Team of the Think Tank, it focuses solely on managing our family's personal connections. As written, charity events and social activities will be the main duties. As you know, I have absolutely no talent for this sort of thing."
Henry scratched the back of his head and added.
"I plan to attend all social events this year somehow and put in an appearance, but after that… well, unless something catastrophic enough to destroy the country happens, I don't want to go. So I need a proxy who will steadily attend these events and uphold the family's dignity in my place. Bart, how would you feel about taking overall charge of this [DeVenger House]? Bart, would that be alright?"