Qiao Toubao Company

After taking half a year off, Cheng Yuan began to worry as he watched his savings dwindle. Driving was the only skill he had, and with his age, finding a job was very difficult.

A few months earlier, with his son's help, he had been sending out résumés and applying for jobs nonstop. His son had helped him apply online for quite a few, but he hadn't heard back from any of them. Then, a week ago, he received a notice inviting him to apply for a position online.

With his son's help, Cheng Yuan went through the online interview process and was thrilled to discover that a windfall had really fallen from the sky: an exceptionally well-paid job had landed in his lap.

First, he was to pick up a new car from a dealership and get it registered. Then, a week later, he was to go to Yuan Mountain Villa and meet the boss who had hired him.

Mifeng had kept all of this secret, so Zhang Hao had no idea. It wasn't until the car arrived at the villa that he learned not only did he have a car, he also had a personal driver. The perks really took him by surprise.

"Hello, you must be Master Cheng. I'll be counting on you from now on."

Zhang Hao was very polite. He hadn't yet gotten used to being a boss.

Cheng Yuan said nervously, "It's no trouble, hehe. No trouble at all."

Zhang Hao said, "Let's go to Jinfeng Building first."

Cheng Yuan hurriedly opened the rear car door. "Please get in, General Manager Zhang."

Zhang Hao got in, wondering to himself, So this is what it's like to be rich? Not bad. At least I won't have to take taxis or the subway.

Once inside, Zhang Hao realized the car had a luxurious interior and must have cost a pretty penny. But he didn't ask how much it had cost. He was worth well over a billion now, so no matter how expensive the car was, he felt he could afford it.

Cheng Yuan wasn't much of a talker. Since Zhang Hao didn't speak, neither did he; he simply focused on driving. Before long, the two of them arrived at Jinfeng Building.

As soon as they got out, someone came over to greet them. It was the property manager of Jinfeng Building.

"Are you General Manager Zhang?"

Zhang Hao nodded. "And you are?"

The man smiled. "I'm the property manager of Jinfeng Building. My name is Guan Zhimou. Hehe, I came especially to welcome you, General Manager Zhang. I'd also like to ask you to sign the lease..."

This was a major client. The economy had been poor lately, and quite a few companies had gone under. There weren't many companies that could rent space in Jinfeng Building for two years, so he couldn't afford to neglect this one.

Mifeng had already paid a million yuan in advance, which was why the property manager was so enthusiastic. That kind of commitment made it clear the other party would go ahead with the lease, so Guan Zhimou was especially respectful and courteous.

The trick was that Mifeng had offered to rent the place at an inflated price. The rent could have been negotiated down to eight million, or even seven million, but he hadn't bothered haggling. He had simply offered ten million for a two-year lease. That kind of lavish spending had made everyone at Jinfeng Building take notice.

After signing the contract, Zhang Hao followed Guan Zhimou to the seventeenth floor. The entire floor was nearly eight hundred square meters. Zhang Hao was pleased with it; there was no need to renovate, since everything was already in place. They only needed to add some computers and other essential equipment before opening for business.

At half past ten in the morning, the job applicants began arriving one after another.

They had all been recruited by Mifeng. Zhang Hao's task was simply to approve the selections; Mifeng had decided everything else. In truth, Zhang Hao didn't care. He had no intention of getting involved. As the manager, he was just a puppet. The worst part was that he didn't even want to fight for control. If Mifeng hadn't pushed him, he wouldn't have come at all.

Zhang Hao sat in the ready-made reception room while Cheng Yuan waited outside. Whenever someone arrived, he ushered them in.

Zhang Hao glanced at his phone. The company's name was Qiao Toubao Company, which left him completely baffled. Qiao Toubao? What is that supposed to mean?

Bridgehead! It means bridgehead!

Zhang Hao stared at the words floating across his phone screen, puzzled. What bridgehead? Why name the company after a homophone of that word?

Then another line of text appeared on the screen.

Wu Renbao!

Age: forty-one. PhD from MIT... professional manager. Position: General Manager of Qiao Toubao.

Zhang Hao stared, his scalp prickling, as he read the long list of credentials. Looking at this man's résumé made him feel like a complete nobody. It was so impressive it nearly blinded him. Damn, it was terrifying.

Mifeng had made Zhang Hao chairman by default, so all the people they were hiring were below the general manager.

Just as he finished reading, Cheng Yuan knocked and came in. "General Manager Zhang..." He turned and said, "Please come in. General Manager Zhang is right here."

Zhang Hao stayed seated as he watched a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses walk in. His hair was neatly combed, though the top of his head was a little bald. His eyes weren't large, but they were bright. He had the air of an elite professional, and his neatly pressed suit gave him a very pleasant impression.

"Please, have a seat!"

Zhang Hao stood, shook his hand, and invited him to sit down.

"I'm sorry the place is a little bare."

Cheng Yuan took a bottle of mineral water from the side and set it beside Wu Renbao. Then he opened the door and went back outside.

As they shook hands, Wu Renbao said, "General Manager Zhang, I'm Wu Renbao." Then he sat down.

Mifeng had already had extensive discussions with him online in Zhang Hao's name, so he hadn't come to apply for the job. He had come to start work.

Zhang Hao glanced at his phone. "Manager Wu, you'll be the general manager of Qiao Toubao Company from now on. You can oversee the hiring today."

Wu Renbao nodded. "No problem, Chairman. I'll take care of it."

The applicants came in one after another. Wu Renbao already had a large collection of their application materials from Mifeng, who had sent them over several days ago. Even Zhang Hao hadn't seen them. Of course, Zhang Hao didn't care at all. He was following Mifeng's instructions to the letter and didn't want to make trouble.

To put it plainly, Mifeng was the one really in charge. Zhang Hao was the partner, Wu Renbao was the first-level agent, and the company directors would be second-level agents. Zhang Hao was actually quite happy with this arrangement. He didn't have the ability to run a company himself, so there was nothing wrong with being a puppet.

The recruitment session continued until five in the afternoon. They filled positions including finance director, HR director, and administrative staff, and interviewed more than twenty people in total.

Before wrapping up and heading home, Zhang Hao glanced at his phone and smiled. "Manager Wu, you'll be running the company from now on. We can communicate by phone if anything comes up. You'll be in charge of everything. Oh, the funds have already been deposited. You'll also need to apply for the company's business license. And one more thing—the company will provide four cars, one of which is for your exclusive use."

"Lastly, I'll be working from home. Don't come looking for me unless it's something important."

Mifeng had told Zhang Hao all of this on his phone, and he was simply repeating it word for word.

Wu Renbao felt very relieved. He could tell Zhang Hao didn't intend to interfere with day-to-day management, which took a lot of pressure off him. "All right, Chairman. I'll take care of it tomorrow."