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Review responses:
ladyluck1668 - You can expect a lot of sassy Chris and plenty of tea/shade in this whole story! Being humble, frugal, & otherwise financially literate is the best way to go. Otherwise, Alice wouldn't have anything in her possesion. The other reason for conveniently "lending" the house to Shun is because she hasn't found a new renter yet. ^-^"
cherry-tree-of-life - Even though Mira appears and makes her final decision all in this chapter, you'll still see the reasoning behind her judgment. Unfortunately, Zenoheld will be interfering in more ways than one, so everyone will have to deal with it until the end of the story.
CookieDecor22 - Speaking of loyalty, there will be a subtle but failed attempt of someone trying to flirt with Shun, with Alice coming to the rescue! Hydron may be an idiot in everyone's eyes, but still give him a chance to prove himself, whether for better or for worse!
MagicxMusicxMelody - Common sense says that ignoring people who depserately seek other's attention is the best way to stop the problem (Hydron and Zenoheld might as well be one person). Karma might not come back for Hydron until the end of the story, but good things will happen to good people.
-x-
Me: Did you know that August 9th is National Book Lovers Day! I hope that includes fanfics!
Runo: Isn't what what NaNoWriMo is for?
Dan: Do manga and light novels count?
Me: I literally just learned about this unofficial holiday on the news today! I'm not very knowledgeable or active in everything else! Given how life is getting back on track after the COVID-19 emergency is "over", maybe there will be more time for leisurely reading or other recreational activities. As usual, I don't know anything that I was inspired by!
Chapter 4: Opportunies for Organic Growth
-x-
After parking his car in the parking garage, Zenoheld told Hydron, "You need to work harder if you want to achieve a higher position in Testarossa Electronics."
"I know that, but what can I do as an intern on probation?"
"I heard Alice found a new collaborator for a new project she's working on. I managed to put your name out there so that the collaborator will consider both her and your proposals, so start working. That will at least delay Alice's progress so that you can display your skills."
"I'll try. She told me some details and then gave me an empty office space to use. Is there anything else I should know before I go to work?"
"Nothing right now."
Hydron exited the car and walked to his temporary office inside the company building. Before he could even turn his laptop on, someone knocked on his door. "Nice to see that you finally get your own office space, Hydron."
"Katie? I haven't seen you since my undergraduate. Which department do you work in?"
"Public relations! Anyway, I have a visitor who wants to talk to you. This is Mira Fermin from Spectrum Solar, a renowned solar power company. She wanted to meet everyone first before the meeting in the grand conference room later."
The blond intern stood up and shook hands with his visitor. "Miss Fermin, nice to meet you. I'm Hydron Gehabich. Thank you for your interest in seeing my upcoming design proposal."
"Nice to meet you too. Your father spoke greatly of you in front of my company's shareholders, so I had to come see for myself, especially since you're new. I'm here all day actually, so you still have a lot of time to prepare what you need before the meeting later."
After Hydron and Mira finished talking, Katie led the visitor upstairs to the interim CEO's meeting room. "Morning, Alice. Mira Fermin is here."
Everyone else gasped while Alice tilted her in confusion. "You're so early! Our meeting doesn't take place until after lunch."
"Are you afraid that I'll see you behind on your work? I always have high hopes for your work. So far, you've never let me down. I'll be all over the building until the meeting starts later. See you all around."
Before Mira could go to her next stop, Katie received a phone call. "I'm so sorry. This is an urgent phone call from the PR department. I might need to go back to the office."
"No problem. I'll be at the front desk until you're ready." With that said, the sapphire-eyed visitor took the elevator to the lobby and walked up to Shun. "I see that Alice has a new receptionist. I couldn't introduce myself earlier since Katie dragged me away immediately. I'm Mira Fermin from—"
"—Spectrum Solar. I overhead Katie mentioning your name. I'm Shun." The pair shook hands afterwards. "What are you doing here? Where did Katie go?"
"There seems to be an emergency with public relations, so I'm on my own for now. How long have you been here?"
"Since last week."
"Oh, so you're brand new too. I heard that Alice has a new intern onboard, which turned out to be Hydron. I'm glad she found a new receptionist. Soon was very efficient at managing both front desk and HR, but she was also burnt out."
"How do you know so much?"
"Word spreads fast. I also know that Katie used to work at the front desk full time before she rose to PR. Everyone was surprised to see her jump departments like that, but Alice told me that Katie's cleverness would be more useful somewhere else other than here."
"You seem to know a lot about Alice's employees... And why are you telling all this sensitive information to a new receptionist like me? I don't know anything about office politics here, and I don't want to know either."
"Here's my advice. No matter what or where you work, office politics are unavoidable. You can stay out of it, but even the most perfect companies will be divided on the inside. Be careful who you talk to, because you'll never know when someone is trying to drag you to their side or set you up."
"Since Alice gave me this receptionist position and made all the arrangements with me, would you say that I've already sided with her? Working downstairs keeps me separated from what everyone else is working on upstairs."
"I think Alice made the right decision to have you at the front desk instead of anything higher. I have the same issue as well when it comes to hiring new talent. Everyone needs strong referrals to get anywhere far. Networking is important, but you shouldn't need to force yourself to gain other people's trust and respect. At Spectrum Solar, my father and brother work concurrently in the labs while I do fieldwork, which is why I can freely spend my entire day here."
"That's still better than Alice having to supervise Hydron's every move. Your family trusts you. As for Hydron...not so much."
"He needs more organic growth, which is partly why I want to see what he has to offer." Mira leaned over slightly and saw Katie dashing over. "My tour guide is back. I hope you found our conversation useful."
"That was extremely helpful, Mira. I'll keep all that in mind."
Just before the Spectrum Solar visitor walked off with Katie, Alice exited the elevator and saw the movement at the front desk. "Shun, how did Mira end up on the first floor? I thought Katie took her upstairs."
"Just a slight change in plans. Katie had an emergency with PR, so Mira and I talked unbothered for a few minutes. She mainly asked me if I'm used to working here yet, before explaining a bit about her company."
"Sounds about right. Mira, her brother Keith, and her father Clay each excel in different fields, which all come together perfectly to keep company operations running."
"Unlike someone you know?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"You already told me everything about Hydron. Don't let your grandfather down, but don't let that sentiment cloud your judgment either."
Alice's smile immediately flattened. "I know what you mean. Anyway, I need to prepare for my presentation."
"Good luck."
Hours later, all meeting attendees gathered in the grand conference room for Alice and Hydron's presentations. Mira left the premises earlier for lunch and later returned with two other people from her company. "Before we start—is there a smaller room in which my team and I can discuss results privately after the presentations?"
"You can use the adjacent supplies room," Alice replied. "It's very spacious and has a table with chairs."
"Perfect. Hydron, can I have you present first?"
The blond intern approached the podium and plugged a flash drive into the shared computer. "My proposal is to add one or more tiny solar panels into future phones to extend their time of use. Solar panels are used to power many things, such as buildings, vehicles, and smaller electronics. Many of you may have seen solar-powered power banks that can from both outlet cables and their small solar panel in emergencies. Imagine if we had solar panels directly attached to our phone and other electronics. We could directly charge our devices in the sunlight without needing an outlet. This can save you a lot of electricity and tangles cables in the future..."
Once Hydron was finished, Alice took the stand and plugged the display cables directly into her work laptop. "My proposal is to create a solar-powered wireless charger—with a battery inside the unit—that can also charge and be charged with a wired connection if needed. Think of your typical wireless charger. It's a charging pad that's connected to a wall outlet with some type of USB cable. One side of the pad is magnetic, which allows for wireless charging. The other side usually has nothing, but that's where I plan to install the solar panels. If you're not using the charging pad, then simply flip it over so that the charging pad charges itself. There will be indicator lights displaying how full the battery is and also USB ports to plug devices into for wired charging..."
Once Alice was finished, Mira and her team initiated a Q&A session before retreating to the supplies room to discuss. The redhead returned to her team and took a deep breath. "What do you all think?"
Baron's jaw dropped during the whole presentation, but he got himself together afterwards. "I had no idea you had this project hidden for so long! When were you ever going to tell us?"
"I remember you mentioned solar-powered chargers for portable devices a long time ago," Runo recalled. "This might be the answer to sustainability that we're looking for. Can we adapt this to charge larger electronics that absolutely require AC output?"
Dan argued, "Isn't that what solar panels on building rooftops are for?"
"Some items like laptops and rechargeable batteries still need to be plugged into the wall to charge. Overall, I think Alice's idea is more practical. As much as I would love a self-charging phone, it might overheat and burn yourself."
The sapphire-eyed visitor exited the storage room and spoke into the podium microphone. "After much discussion with my team, I've decided to proceed with Alice's proposal."
Hydron's jaw dropped in disbelief. Next to him was Zenoheld, who shook his head in disappointment. "Look at what you've done."
"I wouldn't need to be here if you didn't tell the other company so many 'good things' about me. For some reason, I already knew I was going to lose."
"Better work harder next time."
Suddenly, Shun knocked on the door several times before speaking. "Sorry for interrupting, but the next reservation group will be here in ten minutes." He waited outside and watched everyone else leave.
Hydron suddenly walked up and asked, "What were you and Mira Fermin talking about?"
"Excuse me?"
"She was at the front desk for a long time earlier. What could she possibly talk about with a receptionist, let alone one that Alice hired?"
"Unlike some people, she was checking in to see if I'm used to my new work environment. I thanked her for her time and advice."
"Is that all? I didn't think a receptionist would need any special advice." With that said, Hydron and Zenoheld left the conference room.
Arriving next was Katie. "Did the meeting end yet?"
"It's over. I'm waiting for this group to leave before the next group moves in."
"I see... Oh hey, you're the new receptionist. I'm Katie from PR."
"Hi."
"Where did you work previously?" However, Shun purposely ignored that question. "You don't talk much, huh? You know, I used to work at—"
"The front desk? I heard. Then Soon covered that job until I came."
The creamy blonde was about to speak when Alice walked over. "We cleared the room already. You can bring in the next group, Shun."
"I'll call them right now."
With the raven-haired receptionist away, the redhead then faced the PR representative. "You're not here to see Mira, are you? She's going home after this."
"I want to be a polite host and send her off personally."
"That's my job. I let you take her around the building because I had to prepare for my presentation."
"Don't you find it stressful managing the entire company's operations? I can help, you know."
"I know exactly who you want to help, and I have nothing against that as long as everything is legal... but I can't speak for how Uncle Zenoheld thinks about you. Just go back to work."
After the workday ended, Alice invited Chris over for dinner. The amethyst-eyed blonde was listened to her cousin explain everything that happened earlier today. "Are you serious?! Hydron must've been so embarrassed afterwards! If only I was there to see for myself instead of attending a boring training session..."
"Today was the first time I saw him present his own work. If you could quiet down, that would be nice."
"Alice, you live on a street corner and only have one house next door that you haven't rented out—" Suddenly, Chris rushed to the window and saw the next door's lights on. Shun appeared to be vacuuming the floor. After seeing the blonde girl staring at him, he closed the window curtains. "Isn't that your new receptionist?! You rented the house to him?!"
"That's why I told you to quiet down. Now have a seat."
Chris continued discussing office politics while eating. "How long are you still interim CEO for? Is your speaking power going to expire soon? Doesn't it feel weird that some people don't take you seriously while others expect you to do everything that a real CEO must do?"
"Everything's going smoothly so far, but I still don't trust Hydron on his own yet."
"And Zenoheld thinks that he's a legit employee when he's only a shareholder. He's really crossing the line."
"I know. Nobody wants to see him either, but as long as Hydron is on his six-month probation, then Uncle Zenoheld will say that he's checking on Hydron as his excuse to roam freely in the building." From her laptop bag, she grabbed a stapled packet and handed it to Chris. "This is Hydron's proposal."
The blonde cousin flipped through a few pages before pushing the papers away. " Two words—burn hazard."
"That's what I thought too. During Q&A, Mira asked a lot of deep questions, and she provided much constructive criticism after announcing her decision too. I couldn't tell from his expression how he felt, but I hope Hydron sincerely accepted the feedback. He can't rely on his father forever."
"Let's not talk about that idiot anymore. Is Shun used to working here yet? Being a receptionist isn't as simple as it looks. Soon always complained to me that people who call the front desk are meaner than people who call HR. Also, how much are you charging him for rent?"
"He's doing fine. I told him to keep an eye on Hydron because Hydron's been wandering around the building lately instead of doing actual work. Our team has projects to work on and can't always keep an eye on him, either."
"So Shun's on our side, then?"
"Isn't it too early to bring the new hire into office politics? I just want him to live and work in peace. I'm not charging him much for rent because a receptionist's hourly wage isn't that much to begin with. The house itself is very ecofriendly and sustainable like the company building, so I'm not worried about utility costs."
"Okay fine...but is he getting along with everyone else besides Hydron?"
"Seems like it. He hasn't made any complaints. Runo and Dan are very friendly toward him. Everyone else just moves on to work. No conflicts so—"
"What about Katie?" Chris's next question suddenly made Alice freeze. "She's been super involved with all the other departments lately."
"Maybe because Hydron is pitching his name to the other departments too. I haven't properly talked to Katie ever since she transferred to public relations, but I think it's best to stay away from her."
"You got it."
Chris returned home after dinner, and Alice called the landline of the house next door. "Are you free to talk?"
"Give me a moment." Shun turned off the vacuum cleaner and asked, "What do you need?"
"I just wanted to know how your day went and whether any of our internal employees or outside visitors gave you any trouble."
"Oh... Thanks to Katie's emergency meeting with PR, I had time to talk to Mira at the front desk. She told me a bit about her company, gave me some advice, and said something about Hydron needing 'organic growth'."
"I doubt Hydron can improve organically with Uncle Zenoheld behind his back. Mira and I were surprised to hear him throw Hydron's name out there like that. He had the opportunity to present himself at today's meeting, but he could use another chance...to say the least."
"He was being rude to me again, but I didn't say anything because I want to cause more trouble."
"I can't do much about his behavior. My only advice is to ignore him."
"There's also something unnerving about Katie too."
"About her... I know exactly what she wants, but I still can't believe she went from receptionist to public relations like that. Hidden talents can be quite scary..."
"I don't think they disrespect me because I'm new. They do that because you hired me."
"Unfortunately, I'm the only person who can approve any new hires, so they'll have to deal with it. I also doubt Uncle Zenoheld will use the same effort he put into Hydron with someone else."
"So...it doesn't make a difference then. But you really need to manage your staff better."
"I can't babysit Hydron during his entire six-month probation, especially since I'm signing a contract with Mira soon."
"How long does that take?"
"Our legal teams will meet several times until they reach a final draft. I might be asked to review the drafts as well, but I've signed contracts before and know what to expect."
"Let me know how I can help. So far, the front desk hasn't been too busy."
"Considering the circumstances of when we first met, I'm surprised that you're offering to help outside of your assigned duties... without asking for something in return.
"I'll do anything to ban Hydron from approaching me again."
"Don't be so pessimistic. Just do your best at the front desk and leave everything else to me. I might not need you to get your hands involved, but if you have free time to attend an upcoming tech expo next month on a Saturday, then that would be great. You'll be paid by the house, of course. Public relations will send an announcement soon. Good night!"
After Alice hung up, Shun opened the curtains and saw that all the lights in the redhead's house were off. Alice is right. Why did I even offer to help with a contract negotiation when I don't even know what I can do? She also has the flexibility to do whatever she thinks is best, except when it comes to Hydron. They're not even that closely related, so why make things so complicated?
-x-x-x-x-x-
A few days later, Alice filtered through several emails before making an announcement to her team. "Tomorrow is the tech expo, and then our new product officially goes on market in one week. We're only launching a new charger, so it's completely fine if these sales are lower than smartphone sales."
"If overtime is approved, then I'll stay as long as you need me!" Dan offered.
"OT is approved, but let's not stay too late because we still have two weeks. I need to finish early so that we can use the remaining time to catch and fix any problems before the official launch date."
Everyone later cleaned up to leave after another hour of work. The redhead was the last to leave since she had to lock up. In the lobby, she saw Shun cleaning his desk. "What are you still doing here? Everyone went home already. Even I stayed an hour late."
"I asked Soon to cover for me for an hour this morning because I had to deal with personal matters before coming here. I'm not going overtime because I clocked in late."
"In that case, can you OT today? I only need thirty minutes of your time."
"Sure? What am I doing?"
"I need someone who has no idea about my new product to be my practice audience."
"Sounds easy enough."
"Perfect! Lock the front doors, then come to the grand conference room." After completing his tasks, Shun took a seat at one of the conference table chairs while Alice connected her laptop to the podium cables again. She repeated the same presentation to her receptionist as she did with Mira. "What questions do you have for me?"
"Are you targeting people who own wireless-charging phones or those who don't own such a phone? My phone doesn't charge wirelessly, so how will you convince me to buy this?"
"As mentioned, this charging pad has a battery in it, so it doubles as a power bank too. You can plug your regular cables to charge your phone."
"You also mentioned that the solar panels and charging magnets are on opposite sides. What if people forget to flip the charging pad over when not in use? That would be a waste of the solar panel."
"You can also always stand the charging pad perpendicular to a flat surface. Your phone is still attached to the charging pad while the solar panels face the windows."
"What if it overheats?"
"That's why the solar panel will be traditionally black while the rest of the unit is white or another pastel color to reflect heat and sunlight. I know it sounds inconvenient now, but if this product becomes successful, then I will consider a future design with solar panels and charging magnets on the same surface if resources allow."
Shun eventually ran out of questions. "Since your product can double as a solar-charging power bank, then I'm in."
"Funny how you and Mira both asked me similar questions."
"No wonder you sound so prepared. Does that mean she and I think the same way?"
"She asked from a safety perspective while you asked from a practicality perspective. Either way, I need to know my product well so I can answer any type of question. You're still coming to the expo tomorrow, right?"
"I am. That hasn't changed." While the redhead was packing her supplies, Shun suddenly asked, "When was the last time that you launched any new product?"
"It's been a while..."
"Before or after your grandfather retired?"
"Definitely before. There was a period of time in between in which we fell behind."
"How does that even happen?"
"Testarossa Electronics may be smaller than other name brands, but we're not completely unknown out there. We encountered a huge problem in the past that slowed our growth, but we've recovered since."
"How bad was it?"
"Why don't you go home and look it up?"
"It's just you and me in this closed conference room. What aren't you comfortable talking about?"
"The huge problem consisted of a long chain of several mistakes and misunderstandings. Ever since that happened, I made a promise to become a better leader who will serve the entire company instead of only my direct subordinates."
"Was it your fault?"
"Not at all, but I had to give a public statement to reassure and calm everyone down. By the way, the police told me that the fake security guards from the banquet admitted to the thefts that we framed them for but didn't say anything else. I guess we'll never know who hired them."
"You already know the answer to that."
"But there's nothing I can do about it. Anyway, I'm done for the day. Let's go home!"
Alice left the conference room first, followed by Shun but from far behind. Alice knows exactly who wanted to hurt her, but she can't even confront the instigators about it because there's already so much tension between them.
Me: I've always been a fan of solar power and even wrote a speech promoting it for a public speaking class!
Dan: In the meantime, you'll keep charging all your mobile electronics at work.
Me: I'm not the only one! More than half of my coworkers use iPhones (while I use Android), so there's literally a lightning cable at every single station. Recently, I discovered high capacity power banks online (anywhere 37500 mAh or higher) than can charge some USB-C laptops, although not as fast as the original charger.
Runo: More reason to charge electronics at work!
Me: We have some solar panels at work, so at least a good portion of electricity comes from renewable energy. Next chapter will feature the tech expo that Alice mentioned, another failed socializing attempt on Katie's end, and a brand new character that will surprise most of you!
Alice: Leave a review on the way out!
𝄞 ITZY - 'Kill Shot' 𝄞