08/ Restructure - Rufus

"So how did you do it, father?" Rufus asked the old man in a chipper tone that was filled with unusual pleasantries for the father-son dynamic during their morning breakfast meeting.

Truthfully, Rufus could care less about how his father violated Shinra's business ethics code, but he needed to marshal his resources and fast. Tseng and the Turks were uncovering more information linking him as the AVALANCHE rat. With his new position of power Rufus needed to quickly persuade his father into letting the Turks report under him instead of Heidegger that way he could filter everything to his father. If Heidegger obtained any information from Tseng that even suggested that Rufus was the rat, the cackling hog would stop at nothing to hand that goldmine over to the old man.

"I know you are a fan of side deals," Rufus continued with eagerness keeping the old man engaged. "So, who did you strike a deal with to override Lazard?"

"Maybe if you took this seriously I wouldn't of had to," President Shinra said as he looked at his son with gross annoyance. He took an inhale of his cigar, which Rufus found utterly disgusting at eight in the morning. "I asked Reeve to drop out by promoting him to Director of Urban development, giving him full authority of city planning. I promoted Scarlet to Director of Weapons as well. It was the only way either of them would change their votes."

Of course he did, but there was a problem with that; what about Lazard?

"Oh, come now father," Rufus declared as he stirred cream in his coffee. "Reeve just dropping out and then having a promotion looks suspicious. Director Deusericus will surely know. We need to make sure this appears like it was planned properly."

The old man's eyes narrowed at his son's observation, Rufus had caught a significant loophole that would have burned them. Lazard Deusericus wasn't stupid like the rest of his father's staff who would brown nose or weasel their way for the attention of the old man, he would catch on right away that something unethical happened. His overwhelming popularity within the organization and notorious reputation for being stringently by the book would certainly expose his fathers actions and Rufus would be guilty by association. SOLDIER was already too powerful within the company, Rufus couldn't be perceived as an enemy or weak by that branch of Shinra. They had to fix this quickly and in a strategic manner that would benefit him.

"Here's an idea," Rufus began taking a sip out of the opulent china mug while his father put a nauseating amount of syrup on his waffles. "Give Lazard everything he has been asking for incessantly at executive meetings; the promotion to Senior Director with full control over SOLDIER without restrictions. Give him the seven-hundred million gil budget for increased funding in SOLDIER and split the Science Department so that Professor Hollander is exclusively working for him and dedicated to SOLDIER."

Rufus sat back in his chair confidently with a smirk. "If you give Lazard everything on his wish list he won't care about the elections. Promoting him to Senior Director would make him the third highest in rank just under me, I highly doubt he would be unsatisfied with this promotion. In fact, we should delay the VP announcement a few days, that way we can announce all of the promotions as a reorganization, it would look more cohesive that way."

The old man nodded at his son as he sat back lighting another cigar. He was silent, which meant he was listening to Rufus otherwise he would have already dismissed the idea and berate Rufus with how senseless he was being. Now was his chance to strike and put the Turks in his command.

"One last thing, father," Rufus said after he finished chewing on a piece of toast. "Tseng and the Turks should be restructured under me. Heidegger isn't getting anywhere with the AVALANCHE rat and I think the added pressure of reporting into me would help speed up this investigation."

"Then what do you suppose that overpaid chuckling horse will do?" challenged President Shinra in a barbed tone.

"Obviously still assist with the departments, but he should focus on more internal matters. He failed miserably in Junon a few months prior or have you forgotten?" Rufus took the white napkin off his lap and placed it on the china dish. "Father, Heidegger has all the proof right in front of him that Verdot is the rat. He's not doing anything to have him captured. Plus the failure in Junon proves he is weak under pressure. He can't be in a position to lead our assassins if he doesn't deliver. We cannot afford to have him fail another mission especially when we are so close to the end of war in Wutai."

His case was made, the plan was set all his father had to do was agree. The old man had limited choices, unless he could pull out a wild card. Rufus maintained his poker face and just waited for his father's next move.

"Alright, I'll have my secretary draft everything before the announcement in three days. Well done, son."

Well done, indeed. Rufus smirked, it was too easy to manipulate the big buffoon.

-xx-

A/N: Strayed away from actual story here with the "Senior Director" promo for Lazard, but that makes it more fun. XD