The call came on a Monday morning, six months after the boardroom meeting. I was in my office, reviewing a proposal for a new client, when my phone buzzed with a number I didn't recognize. I almost let it go to voicemail. Then I answered.
"Linnea Marsh?"
"Yes."
"This is Elizabeth Cho. I'm the board chair at Tianqiong Data."
"I remember."
"I'm calling because I need your help with something. Not as a consultant. As an advisor."
I leaned back in my chair. "What kind of advisor?"
The pause on the line was long enough that I thought the call had dropped.
"We're facing a different problem now. Not operational. Structural. The board is considering a merger with another data company. A larger one. And I need someone who understands our infrastructure from the inside to tell me whether we'
