Chapter 17: The Interview (Extra Chapter for "Super Mosquito Coil Is the Best")

"Our company is small—just recently established—so why are you interested in joining us?"

The three of them exchanged glances. Liu Shichang grinned and replied, "To be honest, President Lu, I didn’t just apply to your company. There are a few others too, but you were the first to contact me."

"I'm from Shu Province, my hometown is not far from Shudu. My previous jobs were all in Yangcheng, which wasn’t very convenient, especially as my parents are getting older. I wanted to move back to be closer to them."

"I applied to your company because the salary and benefits are attractive, which fits my expectations. I know my own abilities—they’re not particularly outstanding. My only real advantage is that I’m steady and dependable. I don’t make trouble or act rashly, and I don’t add unnecessary complications."

Lu Yu nodded and turned to Deng Qiang, who replied, "Besides the salary, I prefer a small company because there’s less internal politics. My previous employer was a large, family-run company, and the relationships there were too complicated."

"So this time, after I left, I wanted to find a small company. Even though the scale is smaller, I can really put my skills to use. Of course, I hope to grow with the company and help make it bigger and stronger."

Zhou Jing spoke last: "I used to work at a small investment bank, but the pressure was too much. So I came back to Shudu, looking for a job with less stress. I applied to a lot of companies, but you contacted me first."

Lu Yu nodded. "You have experience in investment and mergers?"

Zhou Jing replied, "I haven’t led a team independently, but I’ve been involved in four merger teams."

Lu Yu drummed his fingers thoughtfully on the table. "If I assign you a merger project right now, do you have the confidence to lead a team and complete it?"

He looked at Zhou Jing seriously after asking.

Zhou Jing lowered her eyes, frowned, and thought for a moment. "If it’s a small deal, I’m confident. If it’s a big one, I’m not so sure."

...

Lu Yu stroked his chin and considered his options. He wanted to acquire a small cosmetics company.

But he hadn’t yet contacted any consulting firms, so the price was still uncertain, and he didn’t know whether Zhou Jing would consider it a large project or a small one.

Still, Lu Yu wasn’t worried. What did he need? An experienced executor!

He nodded. "Alright, I understand. The position I can offer you is head of the investment department. Do you have any salary requirements?"

Zhou Jing said, "I’d like at least half a million annually."

Lu Yu replied, "That’s fine. Annual salary of five hundred thousand, with bonuses on top. You’ll be notified in the next few days to start work. Your first task will be to acquire a company. You’ll be very busy, so keep your phone on at all times."

Zhou Jing hadn’t expected things to be so straightforward. "Alright, President Lu."

Lu Yu then turned to Deng Qiang. Truth be told, the man was capable, but a bit too sharp-edged—Lu Yu was genuinely worried he might act recklessly.

But that thought passed quickly. In Lu Yu’s view, Deng was, at most, a competent executor. As long as he followed instructions, nothing major would go wrong:

"Your previous company was in the daily chemicals sector. Do you know much about the cosmetics industry?"

Deng Qiang replied, "A little, but not much."

Lu Yu said, "You heard just now—Zhou Jing’s first task is to acquire a cosmetics company."

"If all goes as planned, you’ll be the person in charge of that cosmetics company. The only uncertainty is the location—you may need to travel frequently for extended periods. Is that acceptable to you?"

Deng Qiang considered it. "That’s not a problem."

Lu Yu continued, "I can’t give you a definite annual salary until we know the size of the company."

"Once the size is determined, your salary will be twenty percent higher than the industry standard for companies of the same scale. How does that sound?"

Deng Qiang hesitated. "Will there be any stock options?"

Lu Yu mulled it over. That cosmetics company was going to be his personal cash cow in the future—no way would he ever give away equity. Not in this lifetime!

Why walk when you could ride a bike?

"Equity is out of the question, but performance-based bonuses are possible."

---

"Will you be acquiring other companies as well?" Deng Qiang asked.

Lu Yu replied, "Yes. Otherwise, I wouldn’t need an investment manager."

"When can I start?" Deng Qiang continued.

"You can wait until Zhou Jing has completed the acquisition, or you can start right away and work alongside her to get familiar with the company," Lu Yu replied.

"I’ll join Manager Zhou and participate in the acquisition," Deng Qiang agreed.

...

Finally, Lu Yu turned to Liu Shichang. This man was exactly what Lu Yu wanted: steady, quiet, never overstepping—a perfect fit for a company like Extragalactic Nebula.

Lu Yu’s vision for Extragalactic Nebula was that the company itself would rarely get involved in specific business operations. In the future, it would wholly own several subsidiaries, as well as a number of laboratories and research institutes. The key was to wholly own multiple labs and research facilities, monetizing the patents generated there by licensing them out.

So, Liu Shichang’s ability to fully execute the boss’s directives was what satisfied Lu Yu most:

"Old Liu, to be honest, you’re especially suited to the role of general manager for my company. There’s only one thing left—do you have any requests?"

Liu Shichang paused. "What about the salary and benefits?"

Lu Yu considered it. There would definitely be a lot to handle at Extragalactic Nebula, and much of it would fall to Liu Shichang.

"Alright, one million annual salary, with bonuses on top. How does that sound?"

Liu Shichang hesitated. "Why do I feel so uneasy? President Lu, you’re not setting me up, are you?"

Lu Yu put on a serious face. "Of course not! Extragalactic Nebula may be small, but we’re a bona fide, legitimate company! I even paid dividend taxes when I withdrew money from the company account!"

Liu Shichang’s mouth twitched. Well, you’re supposed to pay those taxes. Or did you think about evading them?

Many sole proprietorships had the owner dipping into funds without paying the 20% dividend tax.

"In that case, I have no further questions, President Lu. From now on, you’re my boss."

Seeing that everything was settled, Lu Yu said to Deng Qiang and Zhou Jing, "Alright, that’s it. You both need to start within a week. I’d rather not go through another round of hiring—interviewing is exhausting."

"You can go for now; I have some things to discuss with your superior, General Manager Liu."

Deng Qiang and Zhou Jing nodded in agreement and left.

Lu Yu looked at Liu Shichang, his tone solemn. "Old Liu, there’s a very serious matter I need to tell you."

Liu Shichang felt a bit uneasy. "Please go ahead, President Lu."

Lu Yu looked up at the ceiling. "We don’t even have an office yet. You have a lot on your plate!"

Liu Shichang was dumbfounded. "President Lu, are you serious?"

Lu Yu nodded. "Completely serious! I never even looked for one. Now it’s time for you to make your contribution to the company."

"President Lu, may I ask how many people the company has right now?" asked Liu Shichang.

Lu Yu looked as if the answer was obvious. "Just the four of us."

"President Lu, is it too late for me to resign?"

"Old Liu, we may not have signed a contract yet, but as people, we must act with integrity."

"Alright, you’re allowed to hire an assistant. As for the rest, you can decide—hire as needed. Get an office rented quickly; Deng Qiang and Zhou Jing are waiting for you to notify them to start work. If you need any money, let me know and I’ll transfer it from the company account. Is that a problem?"

Liu Shichang replied, "Should I be worried, or not?"

---

"Definitely not!" Lu Yu said.

"Alright, then I’ll start looking for an office now," Liu Shichang replied.

"Good, make it a bit bigger. We may be a small company, but we shouldn’t be stingy. Go ahead, and if anything comes up, call me."

Liu Shichang was speechless. "Alright, President Lu, I’ll be off then."

Lu Yu nodded, walked him to the door, and only then returned to pack up his computer, taking the hand of the elegant young lady beside him as they headed out.

...

The elegant young lady laughed, "Your hiring process is a bit too casual, isn’t it?"

Lu Yu was unfazed, lying with a straight face. "It’s fine; they’re all carefully selected."

Just as they were about to take the elevator back to their room, he received a floor plan from the interior design company.

Lu Yu zoomed in and looked it over. It wasn’t far off from what he’d envisioned; just a few tweaks and it would be perfect. He messaged them back, saying he’d come by the company soon to review the renovation plan, and if all was in order, they could sign the contract.

They replied immediately with the address. It wasn’t far, so instead of taking the hotel car, Lu Yu took the subway with the elegant young lady.

All along the way, the young lady garnered plenty of admiring glances. She looked stunning today, her smile charming and her eyes sparkling.

Lu Yu drew plenty of envy—no doubt many people were cursing him under their breath, wondering how such a gem could end up with him.

Completely oblivious to his role as the "pig" in the saying, Lu Yu only pulled her closer, earning a roll of her eyes.

...

Before long, they arrived at the renovation company. In the reception room, the department manager and designer soon joined them.

Lu Yu pointed out a few discrepancies between the floor plan and his vision, asking them to make some adjustments.

He then reviewed their renovation plan. Generally, it looked fine. "Will the glass meet my requirements? There are ripples when you step on it."

The department manager replied, "We’ve checked everything, there’s no problem."

"And the lighting beneath the floor—is there any issue with the underwater installation?"

"Rest assured, it’s physically isolated from the water and easy to replace if needed."

Lu Yu nodded. "Alright, let’s proceed, but make sure to use eco-friendly materials. If the inspection doesn’t pass..."

"That won’t be an issue, it’s all in the contract," the manager assured him.

Lu Yu looked over the contract and found nothing amiss. Because he demanded high quality and speed, the price was higher, but he signed quickly, paid the deposit, and handed over the keys, reminding them, "I want this done fast."

"Don’t worry," said the manager, "we’ll deliver quality and speed. We want this to be a showcase for our company."

By the time Lu Yu and the young lady returned to the hotel, it was already past five.

...