Brian Carter had heard Mrs. Chu mention once that the Xiang family had always been in the trading business. With the rise of the internet, Samuel Bennett founded Xiangyue Communications himself.

Assistant Green arranged for Brian Carter to wait in a reception room, set down an iced latte, and gracefully left.

Since he was already here, Brian Carter took out his study materials: the first round was for learning, the second for reinforcement, and the third for leisure. He preferred hot coffee and hadn’t touched the iced latte, gradually feeling a bit parched.

Eventually, he grew bored and picked up a promotional magazine from the table. It introduced the company, stating that it was founded by Samuel Bennett in his sophomore year of college, when he was nineteen. That was fourteen years ago.

After reading the magazine cover to cover, Brian Carter waited a full five hours before Assistant Green reappeared to inform him that Samuel Bennett had returned.

Brian Carter was led into the office building, took the elevator to the ninth-floor sales department, where Samuel Bennett’s office was also located.

The entire office area was very spacious, with a minimalist modern design. For convenience, a spiral staircase had been built to connect to the eighth-floor pre-sales consulting department—two business units that were closely intertwined.

Brian Carter’s looks made him stand out in a crowd. Walking beside Assistant Green, he attracted quite a few glances as they passed.

Upon entering the president’s office, Assistant Green stepped back and closed the door.

Samuel Bennett was looking at his computer screen. Only when Brian Carter approached did he look up and say, “Sorry to keep you waiting. Have a seat.”

Brian Carter sat down, meeting his gaze calmly. “If this is a test of my patience, I can wait another five hours. But it’d be better if I could have a glass of water.”

There was a temperature-controlled wine cabinet against the shaded wall. Samuel Bennett went to fetch a bottle of purified water for Brian Carter. He had done it on purpose, wanting to see how determined this young master of the Chu family really was.

Brian Carter took a sip, then pulled out a resume—filled out by Alice Carter, who had mocked him the whole time but still helped. The content was dismal, but he brought it along as required.

Samuel Bennett took it, glanced at it, and set it aside. He knew Brian Carter had poor grades, got into an obscure foreign university thanks to the Chu family’s donation of a library, supposedly studied European art history—expensive and useless.

Samuel Bennett said, “Take it slow. Get used to the sales department first.”

Brian Carter asked, “I’m not going to Yisi?”

Samuel Bennett folded his arms. “Yisi is busy with business handovers. For convenience, they might move into the campus later. For now, stay at Xiangyue and get familiar with things. What’s wrong, don’t like it here?”

His tone was caring but his posture was forceful. Brian Carter replied, “No, I’ll follow your arrangements, Mr. Xiang.”

Samuel Bennett told Assistant Green to help Brian Carter get settled. After they left, he looked at the bottle of purified water left on the desk, its amber glass reminding him of the champagne he’d had at the Chu house that day.

Samuel Bennett seemed lost in thought.

Not long after, Eleanor Parker knocked and entered. He had been recuperating in the hospital for over half a month, hadn’t gone on vacation, and had already returned to work last week. When he saw Brian Carter in the office earlier, he thought he was seeing things.

After closing the door, Eleanor Parker asked directly, “Mr. Xiang, you invited Brian Carter to the company?”

Samuel Bennett had expected this reaction and replied with a faint “Mm.”

“But what can he do?” Eleanor Parker had interacted with Brian Carter up close before and remembered it well. “He’s on this floor, so he’s in the sales department? What position should I give him? If he messes around, am I supposed to manage him?”

“He doesn’t need to do anything, and you don’t need to manage him. If no one pays attention to him, who’s he going to show off for?” Samuel Bennett thought of that face. “Just let him be a pretty face. He’s good-looking, after all.”

The company had strict hiring policies, and Eleanor Parker was dissatisfied. “But… we’re just supporting him for nothing?”

Samuel Bennett glanced at his computer, which displayed Yisi’s annual reports.

On the business side, many clients had been lost, but the original database still held significant value. Both companies used self-developed systems, making integration and interconnection difficult, so a dedicated team had been set up to handle it.

In terms of personnel, after Eric Carter’s death, there had been a reshuffle, with many core staff leaving. Some people had been promoted and demoted so many times it could make a drama.

For now, some time was needed. Samuel Bennett tossed the half-empty bottle of water and the resume into the junk bin, saying, “Whether we’re supporting him for nothing or not, that remains to be seen.”

Eleanor Parker heard a “thud” at the bottom of the bin, like a gavel striking, and understood that Samuel Bennett had other considerations. He ran a hand through his hair, knowing what to do next.

News of Brian Carter joining the company spread quickly, at least across the two adjacent floors.

The awkward part was, no one knew his exact position. HR hadn’t issued an announcement, the system had no record, and from the sales director down to the team leaders, no one was assigned to welcome or mentor him.

Near the end of the workday, Eleanor Parker came by to say hello, straightforwardly: “Long time no see. Remember me? Eleanor Parker.”

Brian Carter stood up, noticing the other had just come out of the “Director’s Office,” and said, “Director Parker, nice to meet you.”

Eleanor Parker took a breath. Was it the outfit or the hairstyle? Brian Carter seemed different from before—his aura had changed a lot. He smiled, “Just call me Eleanor. These days, directors are as common as poodles in a neighborhood—nothing special.”