It's 4pm, the closing time. Li concluded the entire meeting and sent the entire episode to Zhao. Zhao noticed the meeting went well. Although he didn't see a cost there. "Li? Ice tea date. Now." He said through the phone.
"Of course." Li drove off to the restaurant for the ice tea.
"Li, you are doing good. I like your completion. Although I don't see a costs here and there's multiple. Why?"
"I thought I could start up all of them at once."
"That's not how it works, what's your net worth currently? How can you start up all of them? I'm glad you've not delivered this to Jade. This would cause a riot."
"Really? I've got close to fifty million yuan. What's the cost of one?"
"Exactly. Have you paid your staff? What if an emergency starts? What if a person starts a chaos? Did you think of that?"
"Yes I did and that's why I brought this to you."
"Really? And it made sense to you? How about your staff payment? Did you consider that too? Capital and management? Increase in human labour and productivity, Revenue?"
"Okay maybe you know more about the business world more than I do but then, I could start two or three of them."
"No Li. Pick one. Which is it?"
"The Clothing company."
"No too slow at the start."
"The hair product company?"
"And you think everyone thinks of their hair?"
"The steel company? And coal?"
"I guess you know someone with the need for resources? Maybe ten of them?" Zhao asked in sarcasm.
"The Jewelry and Coffee?"
"The Coffee would be at a sixty percent. I need a hundred percent performance."
"The restaurant and the beauty brand?"
"Restaurant? A eighty percent, the beauty brand? A twenty percent."
"So what do we start with?"
"Start with what you feel is right."
Li stared at him confused. "What?"
Zhao replied, "You heard me."
Li exhaled. He tried to say something but all he could do was sip from his ice tea. Infact he drank the whole glass, Zhao drained him so much.
Zhao asked, "More ice tea? Maybe ten more?"
"I hate you so much Zhao."
"Oh I love you more." Zhao smiled at him.
He gave a signal to the waitress to bring in ten new cups of ice tea. The waitress obeyed. Li stared at him, he took his eyes to the cups and then back to Zhao. "And so who's going to finish all of these?"
"Maybe you."
"Damn it." Li hit the table. Zhao let out his laughter.
"Wow. What an angry bird. Be quick to finish those. I'll need us back at the office for the board meeting. Kisses."
"Be lost." Li said.
"Come one. Smile for me. Also I'll need the cost."
"Fine. I'll write you a cost."
"Why me? It's for you."
The irritation in Li increased. "What is wrong with you?"
"Nothing. It's your cost." Zhao laughed again.
Li knew he was trying to rage bait. He exhaled. He wrote down the cost and then he turned the paper to Zhao.
"This looks good but do you have three hundred million yuan? If not, why did you write it? You are supposed to start off small. Consider Revenue."
Zhao signed on the paper. He walked out and drove off.
Li wondered. What the heck is revenue?
Li kept all the papers in the document. He drove back to the office, "Where's Shen?"
"Here sir."
"Come with me." Shen followed.
"So I wanted us to discuss. Your ideas seem to be reasonable. I need you to find me five new employees, I want you to be a manager. So I'll need you to work here while they work at the site."
"That's fine sir. I will. Also thank you for yesterday."
"Of course. Get to work."
"Yes sir but the coffee business meant well create our own coffee and then sell it to the customers. Not just make coffee."
"That sounds even better."
"Thank you sir." Li checked the time. It was 3:45pm. He knew he needed to checkout but Su stopped him.
"Sir you've got an online meeting with the other executive assistants. Mr Zhao called for it." He knew Zhao wanted him pissed and emotionally exposed.
"Alright."
He sat by his desks. "Lin get new furniture for the others. You can't use my table anymore, also the rest of you. I'll need all the new personnels tomorrow."
"Okay sir."
Li logged into the computer, "Sir?
"Yes?" He turned to Jane.
"Thank you for the opportunity to work with you."
"You are welcome. Any increase today?"
"No. Not yet but a cost for all the companies well be starting."
He stared at her, he could tell she had a lot of potential. She wasn't ordinary but noble. If not by class then by character. "Good. Wait behind today."
"Okay sir."
Lin checked out early and left the office while he had his meeting past the office hours. Su left after her due to some other things to do. Shen left the office after he cleaned the whole place. He left leaving Jane still trying to write up a draft for Li. The meeting finally ended.
"Jane?"
"Sir?"
"Are you single?"
"Yes."
"Why? What happened?"
"Nothing I need to focus on myself."
"Really? So what other hobbies do you have besides being an accountant?"
She smiled a little, "This is not a hobby sir. It's work. I like to paint."
"Really and why didn't you put them as a company?"
"I didn't think of it."
"Oh, would you like to join me for dinner?"
"Sorry sir. I've got work to do at night."
"What's that?"
"I work as a bottle girl at night. Please keep it a secret."
"Really? That's fine by me."
"I could speak to your manager."
"Maybe next time sir."
"Really? Next time? And if there's none."
"Well, it's fine." She said.
"Would you like us to get some paint or maybe art then?"
"Of course. I'm available."
He smiled a little. "Maybe next time." He said.
Her smile faded a bit.