Chapter 77: A New Secretary

“Brother-in-law, why do your clothes smell so much like sweat? Isn’t the weather pretty cool today?” Back in the office, Huang He went straight to the bathroom for a shower while Leng Zhiruo began tidying up the clothes he’d changed out of. To her surprise, all of his undergarments were drenched, exuding a strong odor of sweat that made her pinch her nose involuntarily.

“Of course. You have no idea how dangerous today was!” Huang He’s voice echoed from the bathroom.

“Dangerous? Wasn’t everything smooth sailing today? What danger could there have been?” Leng Zhiruo was even more puzzled.

“Yes, everything did go incredibly smoothly today, but what if things hadn’t gone well?” Huang He sighed. “Today, I staked our entire blind box sales network in one gamble. If any of those people had rebelled or refused my changes, or if someone had stirred up trouble, we would have been in real trouble. Our whole blind box sales network might have collapsed entirely, since we rely on them for all our sales right now!”

“You knew there was such a risk and still went ahead?” she asked.

“Of course. Even if there was a total collapse, it would only last a few months at most. But if we let them grow unchecked, replacing them in the future would be a problem that couldn’t be solved in just a few months.”

“But fortunately, the problem’s been solved for now. The whole blind box sales network has stabilized. As long as we establish the regional branches, everything will be fine!” Huang He said with a smile.

“But this is a huge undertaking. There are over three hundred provinces, cities, autonomous regions, and municipalities across the country, not to mention the prefecture-level cities. Each one needs a branch office. That’s an enormous workload. Just recruiting would require thousands of people, and paying each of them an average salary of 1,200 yuan would cost millions a month. The administrative work would be endless, and you’d have to handle it all yourself. It’s too much!” Leng Zhiruo said, a trace of worry in her voice.

“Me? Oh, Zhiruo, you’re overthinking this. I’m not going to handle all of it myself. My main focus now has to be the fight against Tengda. As for the blind box business and these new branches, I’ll provide guidance only at the strategic level. The actual work will be delegated entirely to others!” Huang He laughed.

“To others? Who could take on such responsibility? All our talented people are out in the field. The ones at headquarters are mostly skilled in production—they wouldn’t be able to handle this!” Leng Zhiruo now pondered seriously who Huang He might have in mind.

“That’s not hard to solve. The right person is closer than you think,” Huang He replied with a chuckle.

“Closer than I think? Brother-in-law, do you mean you want me to take over?” Leng Zhiruo asked, her mouth agape.

“Exactly. Who else but you, Zhiruo?” Huang He laughed heartily.

“I can’t. I’m just a secretary. I can’t do all that!” Leng Zhiruo instinctively refused.

“Don’t underestimate yourself. You may be my secretary, but you’ve never made a single mistake in your time with me. You’ve handled everything thoroughly and flawlessly. That alone puts you above a great many others.

“Besides, these branch companies will have very simple responsibilities: executing company strategy, routine supervision, relaying information, and carrying out tasks. They don’t need much independent decision-making, just careful, responsible execution. That’s perfect for someone as meticulous as you!

“You’ve also been by my side all along—you probably know more about the company than I do. With you handling things, everything can run perfectly. This is a crucial task for the future of Jiangnan Group, and only you can do it!” Huang He said earnestly.

“Really?” Leng Zhiruo felt a surge of pride. If her brother-in-law valued her so much, she would give her all—mind, body, and soul—until her last breath.

“And this time we’ll establish an independent Jiangnan Sales Corporation to command all the regional sales branches. You’ll be the CEO of that company,” he added.

“I’ll be a CEO too!” Leng Zhiruo was thrilled. That meant she’d be on par with Zhimeng, who was already CEO of another branch. Did this mean, in her brother-in-law’s eyes, she was equal to Zhimeng?

As her thoughts spun, she heard Huang He continue, “The only drawback is that for the next few months you won’t be by my side. You’ll be flying all over the country and won’t be able to serve as my secretary. As for all the daily affairs you manage for me, I have no idea who I can trust with them.”

“What? Brother-in-law, you’re not keeping me as your secretary?” Leng Zhiruo was shocked, turning pale as she looked at Huang He in dismay.

“What’s this? Have you become addicted to being a secretary?” Huang He grinned. “A secretary’s position was never meant to be permanent—it’s just a stepping stone. Now it’s time for you to soar and realize your own potential. Why cling to secretarial work? Do you really enjoy washing my clothes and making my bed every day?”

“But if I’m not your secretary, then someone else will be washing your clothes and making your bed. That’s unacceptable!” Leng Zhiruo blurted out, eyes glistening.

“Zhiruo…” Huang He fell silent for a moment, then patted her head and rapped her lightly on the forehead. “No use refusing. This task is too important, and only you can accomplish it. You have no right to say no.”

“Oh…” Leng Zhiruo replied quietly.

“But,” Huang He continued, “I’m still not comfortable entrusting the secretary’s work to just anyone. So here’s another task for you: before you hand over your duties—in the next five days—find a qualified new secretary for me. You’ll also be responsible for training her to ensure she does the job well.

“By the way, there’ll be a secretarial office set up by my side. You’ll remain as the director, so all the secretaries will report to you. Satisfied?”

“Mm.” Leng Zhiruo finally relaxed a little, giving a soft hum and pouting. “It’s not that I’m attached to being a secretary; I just don’t trust others to do the job. They’re not as meticulous as I am, and if they don’t do it well, you’ll be uncomfortable, and that would be a disaster!”

“All right, all right! You pick the new secretary, you train her, you assess her—everything is under your control!” Huang He coaxed her.

“Can I choose a man as secretary?” Leng Zhiruo looked up, testing him.

“No way!” Huang He’s hair practically stood on end. “You want a man washing my clothes, making my bed, and taking care of my daily life? Please, do you want your brother-in-law to die of disgust?”

“Then how about someone over forty—a middle-aged woman? They’re very attentive caretakers!” Leng Zhiruo joked.

“They might be good caretakers, but could they handle your actual work? The ones capable of your responsibilities are either in government offices or large enterprises, and with families to care for, there’s no way they’d come be someone else’s secretary!” Huang He shook his head.

“So in the end, you just want a young and pretty woman as your secretary, right?” Leng Zhiruo pouted, her lips jutting out.

“You’re worrying about nothing. How many women in the world are prettier than you? And after all this time, has your brother-in-law ever made a move on you?” Huang He tapped her forehead. “You know you can trust my self-control. In all this time, there’s only been one slip, and that was after drinking…”

“What slip?” Leng Zhiruo asked curiously.

“Oh, nothing, nothing,” Huang He dodged with a laugh. “Anyway, it’s up to you—so long as the secretary is a woman and can handle your work, I have no objections.”

“All right!” Leng Zhiruo nodded, her mind already racing through possible candidates.

“Who should I pick?” She rubbed her temples, and then her eyes lit up. “Maybe I should bring Zhiwen over!”