That afternoon, in the luxurious conference room of the Laguna Group, the tension was palpable.
Kevin Santosa, sitting confidently among the other executives, still couldn't accept Vania's presence, his cousin, let alone seeing her seated in the front row—a spot presumably reserved for VIPs or representatives of bona fide companies. Doubt and jealousy gnawed at him. With a quick movement, he took out his phone and slipped out briefly to call his grandmother, Heidi Santosa, the leader of Sentosa Group.
"Grandma, it's Kevin," he whispered, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. "I'm at the Laguna Group bidding event. But, strangely, Vania is here too. Even sitting in the front. Did you send her?"
On the other end of the line, Grandma Heidi was silent for a moment before answering in a cold, authoritative voice, "No, Kevin. I never sent Vania there. She must have come on her own initiative. But don't worry, she won't amount to anything. I've already called a staff member at Laguna Group and confirmed that you are the only official representative of Sentosa Group they acknowledge. Vania's proposal, if she even brought one, will never be seen."
Hearing this affirmation, Kevin's confidence soared. He re-entered the room with a more assured stride, throwing a condescending look towards Vania, who still appeared nervous and alone.
He also glanced at Dennis,his other cousin, sitting further away. Dennis clearly did not have their grandmother's blessing to represent the company, and that made Kevin feel superior.
---
The event began. Joni Lunggana, with his undeniable authority, stood at the podium. His voice was loud and clear, echoing throughout the room.
"Good afternoon, esteemed delegates. Thank you all for your presence. Before we begin, allow me to state that our selection process is very strict and objective. All proposals you submitted at the door earlier have been reviewed anonymously by our expert team. We are not selecting based on big names or your company's past achievements, but solely on the quality of the proposal, implementation readiness, and most importantly—alignment with Laguna Group's vision and mission to create a project that is not only grand but also sustainable and beneficial for the community."
This announcement was met with nods and confident smiles from almost all participants. Everyone was sure their proposal was the best. The competitive atmosphere grew increasingly heated.
A staff member then stepped forward with a tablet in hand. In a clear voice, he began announcing the top 5 best proposals, starting from fifth place.
"One by one, company names were announced. Bona fide companies, well-known in the city of Maduna, began being named, occupying 5th, 4th, 3rd, and 2nd place.
Yet, the name Sentosa Group had not been called.
Vania's heart beat wildly. Her hands were sweaty. She looked at Kevin, who also looked tense, but still radiated the confidence that he would be the one to bring Sentosa Group to the top.
Dennis,across the room, also looked hopeful, though his chances were slim.
Then, the awaited moment arrived. Joni Lunggana himself stepped forward to announce the grand winner.
"And for the best proposal, with the highest score in all assessment aspects, who will become our partner in the 'Maduna Heights' project is..." Joni deliberately created a dramatic pause, his eyes sweeping the room. "...Sentosa Group!"
Instantly, a tumultuous wave of applause filled the room.
Vania almost jumped for joy, her face shining with emotion and disbelief. The proposal she made, with valuable input from Davin, had actually won over Laguna Group!
However, her joy was immediately extinguished. Negative thoughts assaulted her. "Of course, they mean Kevin's or Dennis's proposal. Not mine. I'm just a lowly staff member. Grandma must have sent them with a far superior proposal."
On the other hand, Kevin, who had hired a renowned consultant and spent a lot of money on his proposal, was immediately certain the victory was his.
He quickly called his grandmother again, boasting that he was the hero of Sentosa Group. "Grandma, we won! I knew my proposal was the best!"
Dennis, though disappointed, also assumed that Kevin's proposal was most likely the winner. He could only suppress his envy and hope to get a part in the project later.
With a broad laugh and a victorious demeanor, Joni Lunggana then said, "Now, I would like to call the representative from Sentosa Group responsible for this winning proposal to come forward. We will proceed to sign the Letter of Intent."
Without hesitation, Kevin strode arrogantly towards the podium.
Dennis, not wanting to be left out and still harboring a sliver of hope, also stepped forward, trying to maintain a confident appearance.
Joni Lunggana only smiled faintly as the two approached. However, instead of welcoming them, he spoke to the audience. "I ask for Vania Santosa to please come forward."
The words were like a thunderclap on a clear day.
Kevin and Dennis froze in their tracks, their faces filled with confusion and disbelief. Vania? Why was her name called?
Meanwhile, Vania, who had already resigned herself, was startled. Her heart pounded, a mix of hope and fear. Slowly, she stood up, still hesitant.
Kevin, quickly trying to save face, forced a fake smile and said to Joni, "Oh, Vania? She's my staff, Sir. She was the one who typed the proposal. But all the ideas, concepts, and strategies came from me. I am the favorite grandson of the owner of Sentosa Group and the officially appointed envoy." He said with immense confidence, trying to take credit.
Joni didn't get angry immediately. He just raised an eyebrow, his smile widening, but now seeming cynical. "Is that so? But in our system, Vania Santosa is registered as the individual submitter of the proposal, separate from any submission using the Sentosa Group name institutionally. And we only recognize one winning proposal."
Hearing Joni's firm explanation, Kevin began to panic. He was afraid his arrogance would offend someone as important as Joni Lunggana.
He quickly approached Vania, who was still standing frozen, and in a low, threatening voice, he whispered to her, "Vania, listen carefully. Tell him that I am your boss. The proposal was my idea, and you were just the staff who typed it. Remember, your position in the family depends on this. Don't even think about defying me."
Vania felt trapped. On one hand, this was her moment of victory, the result of her hard work and her ideas (with Davin's help).
On the other hand,Kevin's power within the Santosa family was immense. He was Grandma Heidi's favorite grandson, groomed to be the successor. Opposing Kevin meant opposing the entire family and could likely get her ostracized.
With a heavy heart and a feeling of coercion,Vania finally gave a weak nod.
She walked to the front, standing next to a smugly smiling Kevin.
In front of Joni Lunggana, Kevin emphasized once more, "As I said, Sir. Vania is merely my staff. I am the brains behind all this."
Joni Lunggana now seemed to lose his patience. His smile vanished, replaced by a stern, authoritative expression. He didn't look at Kevin, but stared directly at Vania.
"Alright," he said, his voice challenging Kevin. "If she was just 'typing', as you claim, and you are the brains, then you surely don't know the details of this proposal's contents, do you? Please explain to me, what are the key sustainability points in your design? How did you integrate the community center with the circular economy concept? And what is the projected ROI in the first 5 years according to your calculations?"
The questions were fired rapidly and sharply at Kevin.