When it came to capability, there was nothing further to be said about Laurence. One only had to look to Longtail Group to know.
When it came to status, there was even less to be said. He was the only living offspring of the legitimate branch and according to generations of inheritance, the position of family head was his. Besides, Laurence had every single one of the head's heirlooms.
His taking over was pretty much set in stone.
Tony and Manny were not happy about it, and they understood why, but in the face of reality, there was nothing that could be done no matter how unhappy they were about it. They did not even dare to make a fuss about it.
Those who were at odds with the father and son duo internally snickered, 'Serves them right!'
Tony and Manny usually relied on what little power they had as acting heads to suppress those of the younger generation who were even a little bit more capable. Only those who sucked up to them and licked their boots would be given higher positions.
Though Longbottom Corporation in Havenmill was still considered a big company and carried with it a certain level of influence, that was not the result of Tony's and Manny's hard work. In fact, credit was due to the retired elites who always continued to perform their respective duties to the best of their ability, as they did not fear Tony and Manny.
Without them, Longbottom Corporation likely would have long since collapsed and become Tony's and Manny's private assets.
It was no wonder Longtail Group had caught up to Longbottom Corporation so easily. It was all due to the father and son's ineptitude.
Laurence said in his deep voice, "Since you've verified my identity, I won't stand on ceremony anymore. From today onward, I am the new head of the Longbottom family."
He looked at Tony and Manny, who stood opposite him, and said, "These past thirty years, Uncle Tony and Manny have helped me manage the family's various matters. Though it wasn't very well done, and a lot of people have very negative opinions about you, you still worked hard.
"At least, you didn't leave the family without a leader, so I want to thank Uncle Tony and Manny for that. Since I've just taken over, I still have a lot to learn. I'll need everyone's guidance as we move forward. Manny, from now on, will be the COO instead of the CEO and help me manage Longbottom Corporation.
"You're fine with that, right, Manny? As for family matters, I ask for everyone's guidance on things I don't understand. With everyone's cooperation, I believe we can help our family stand at the top in Havenmill again.”
Manny hurriedly replied respectfully, "It's my honor to still be able to help. It's just that I'm getting on in age and my stamina just isn't what it used to be. I can help you with the company, but I won't be able to help with the family matters."
Management of the company would not be hard, actually. Laurence was the CEO of a large company himself and was very familiar with all the procedures involved and the business of Longbottom Corporation. Even without Manny's help, Laurence would be able to manage perfectly well.
However, family matters would not be so easily taken care of. They all belonged to the same family, and if there was unfairness in any way, it would trigger mass resentment.
They might not dare to do much on the surface, but they would play some petty tricks and create some trouble behind the scenes to make someone labor for nothing.
Especially since Laurence did not grow up with them, he did not have much of a bond with the rest of the family members. He was only able to take the position of family head because he was the last head's only living son and had the heirlooms.
Everyone was forced to accept this due to the generations of custom, but it was hard to say what they truly thought.
Laurence did not have a bond with everyone, so he would seem particularly cold- blooded and heartless when handling things, and that would very easily worsen a bond.
Manny knew this very well, so he openly said he would not help Laurence when it came to family management.
He and his father had been the acting heads for thirty years and had won over quite
a few of the family members. If they all caused trouble for Laurence, he would definitely have a bad time of it.
Then, while Laurence would be busy handling the family matters, he would be unable to pay attention to the company, so it would still be Manny having his say in the company, and if Laurence did not have the time, he would not be able to manage Longtail Group either.
What Manny did not want to let go of was the management rights to the company.
That was where he could actually gain some benefits.