Barely Used New Job

Sister Li came with her team to pick up the goods, and Jin Yulian and I stayed by her side, chatting as she worked.

Sister Li told me, “Afeng, I’ve resigned from my position as assistant to the chairman. Now, General Manager Du has asked me to establish a branch company here in Mingzhou. These goods will be managed and marketed by the branch under my supervision.”

The assistant to the chairman was essentially a secretary. I smiled and said, “Congratulations, Sister. Now you’re like a local lord in your own right.”

She laughed, “What local lord? Don’t tease me. My branch just started, with fewer than ten people. By the way, little brother, how about working at my company?”

I chuckled, “Sister, yours is a foreign trade company. Your employees must be university graduates, fluent in foreign languages. Can someone like me who never finished high school fit in?”

She smiled warmly, “No problem. You can learn on the job. Many middle school graduates have gone abroad and created new opportunities. I believe you’re capable.”

Her words stirred something in me. I thought of Fu Xiaomei and Fang Jie, whom I knew from before—they also worked in foreign trade sales. I wondered how they were doing now. If they were willing, I could invite them to join Sister Li’s company.

I asked, “Sister, do you still need people at your company?”

She sighed, “Of course. Experienced salespeople would be best. Right now, I only have eight people—mostly fresh university graduates and interns. I’ve managed to bring in only two experienced foreign trade agents. There’s no choice—people who do well in Hudou don’t want to work in Mingzhou.”

I nodded in agreement. “Mingzhou is nice, but compared to the international metropolis Hudou, it’s no match. Highly educated and capable people prefer to stay in Hudou, where salaries are higher and there are many large corporations and multinational companies. It’s easier to find good jobs there.”

Sister Li said, “Those two experienced agents came mainly because of me. They’re loyal to me.”

I replied, “I know two friends who also work in foreign trade sales. If there’s a chance, I’ll bring them over so you can meet. Maybe they’ll be interested in joining your company.”

“That would be great if they do. And what about you?” she asked.

“If you don’t mind the trouble, I’d like to give it a try,” I said.

Sister Li laughed, “I’m the one inviting you, how could I ever mind? But be careful—my company has some fresh female university graduates. Jade Lotus might get jealous.”

Jin Yulian cut in, “I don’t care about him! If someone takes him away, I’ll be glad. Then I can rest easy.”

Because the debt crisis was about to be resolved, Jin Yulian felt much more at ease. Although she said she didn’t care if the company went bankrupt, she was actually quite concerned.

Within the circles of Qingxi Enterprises, Jin Yulian was somewhat of a social elite. If the company went under, she’d lose face among acquaintances. People care about their image; no one wants others to see them fail.

Jin Yulian looked relaxed, not like someone facing bankruptcy. The secretary, Xiao He, was curious but didn’t dare ask. She knew Jin Yulian had agreed to marry the wealthy second-generation heir, Qian Duobao, whose family had strong financial backing. The loans came from the Qian family, so once Jin Yulian married in, the company’s debts would be easily settled. If the emperor is not anxious, why should the eunuch worry? As a salaried secretary, she naturally wouldn’t pry into the boss’s affairs.

After loading the goods onto the truck, Sister Li prepared to leave. I rode with her to the newly established branch office.

Jin Yulian said goodbye to Sister Li. About an hour later, the goods arrived at a bonded warehouse near the port.

Sister Li had rented this warehouse to store the goods temporarily. The Hudou headquarters had originally ordered eight million US dollars’ worth of goods, but shipments would now be dispatched directly from Mingzhou’s port. Nearly two-thirds of the goods were already pre-sold, which explained why Ayun was willing to purchase them for ten million US dollars.

Sister Li’s main team consisted of a man and a woman. The man, surnamed Lu, was about thirty and rather handsome. Sister Li called him Xiao Lu. Being from Mingzhou, he was willing to work here and served as manager of the first group.

The woman was around twenty-eight or twenty-nine, of average appearance, wearing glasses. Sister Li introduced her as having excellent foreign language skills. She called her Xiao Lu, and she was in charge of the second group.

Currently, Xiao Lu managed a team of one man and two women university students; Xiao Lu’s team had two female university students. Everything was just starting up.

Sister Li asked Xiao Lu to settle the goods in the warehouse while she took me to the newly rented office building.

The branch was located on the twelfth floor of the Global Tower in Mingzhou’s business district. The building had thirty-six floors, housing many companies. Sister Li’s firm was quite modest in comparison.

The few hundred square meters of office space were divided into several sections. The outer areas were offices for the first and second groups, each employee with a desk, chair, and filing cabinet.

Sister Li had a private office inside. It was small, with a boss’s desk, a row of filing cabinets, and several sofas.

The office furnishings were old, likely hastily rented after the previous tenants moved out.

Sister Li pointed to the sofa and said, “Have a seat. Would you like something to drink?”

“Anything is fine,” I replied.

She brewed some green tea and placed it on the coffee table before me. Noticing me surveying the surroundings, she smiled brightly and said, “So, what do you think of the company?”

I laughed, “Sister, if I come to work here, where would my desk be?”

She chuckled, “This is all the space the branch has right now. Do you like that spot?”

I had thought about asking for a desk inside Sister Li’s office but hesitated, fearing gossip.

I said instead, “I think the second group’s office is emptier. I’ll work there.”

She teased, “You just want to be around all the girls, don’t you?”

I grinned, “You know me too well. Why say it out loud?”

Sister Li waved to Xiao Lu, “Your group is all girls. Sometimes it might be inconvenient. Now you have a handsome guy to help. If you can’t carry something, just ask him.”

Xiao Lu smiled, “Great! A good balance of men and women makes the work easier.”

Times had changed; the girls were no longer shy. Everyone laughed and joked freely. Foreign trade sales generally involved securing orders abroad and sourcing suitable goods domestically. Most of the time, employees spent their hours online, searching for useful information.

When Xiao Lu submitted my name to the headquarters’ human resources department, she asked, “Shuifeng, what’s your educational background?”

Before I could answer, Sister Li said, “We registered him as having a college diploma.”

Xiao Lu looked puzzled, “Is it okay to report that without a diploma?”

Sister Li reassured her, “No problem. I’ve already spoken to HR.”

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