Chapter 81
"Didn't you tell Mr. Jennings that Kai is an ex-convict?" Maria continued pursuing the matter.
"Of course, I did! I almost had a heart attack at the look in Mr. Jennings' eyes at that time. If I dared to dissuade him further, he might even demote me!"
In fact, Zayne was still fearful when he recalled Xavier's gaze earlier.
"Don't tell me he's really acquainted with Mr. Jennings?" Maria's brows creased.
"Let's just observe how things are first. If he's really acquainted with Mr. Jennings, we can't target him anymore in the future. Instead, you'll have to fawn over him," Zayne reminded.
"I know that!" Maria rolled her eyes before stalking out of the office.
By then, the dozen or so people in the sales department had already heard that the general manager himself gave the order to employ an ex-convict.
Such a matter spread very quickly in the company, especially a gossip like this.
"That man named Kai must be somehow associated with Mr. Jennings. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been hired!"
"I can't help feeling scared that an ex-convict is going to work alongside me."
"We've got to be careful when he arrives later. If he really knows Mr. Jennings, we'll be dead if we accidentally offend him!"
The staff in the sales department gathered and whispered among themselves.
"What are you all doing? Do you not have any work?" Maria reproached coldly upon seeing everyone gossiping together when she exited the office.
Although she was merely an ordinary sales representative in the sales department, she always threw her weight around. After all, no one dared to offend her when Zayne was the department manager.
Following her reprimand, everyone dispersed. Only a girl with short hair headed toward her.
That girl was known as Lydia Wilson, and she was very close to Maria.
"Maria, have you heard that the sales department has recruited an ex-convict? And it's rumored that Mr. Jennings himself made the hiring decision, so they're probably associated somehow," Lydia whispered to Maria.
"Nonsense! How could he possibly have any association with Mr. Jennings? It's just dumb luck!"
Maria didn't believe that Kai really had anything to do with the general manager.
At that, Lydia was taken back. "Are you acquainted with that man named Kai?"
Realizing her slip of the tongue, Maria hastily shook her head. "I'm not acquainted with any ex-convict! I just feel that he can't possibly have any association with Mr. Jennings when he had just gotten out of prison. Anyway, don't simply gossip about him! I'll ask Mr. Carlson to inquire about it from Mr. Jennings."
About an hour later, Kai finally completed the onboarding procedures. After getting an employee ID, he went to the sales department.
When he arrived, he noticed everyone staring at him wide-eyed. That had him rather discomfited.
"Congratulations on joining the sales department, Kai! Make sure that you cherish this opportunity," Zayne said to Kai in a calm voice.
He didn't dare target the man before he had ascertained whether he was associated with Xavier.
In response, Kai nodded.
"Come here for a moment, Troy!" Zayne called out to a bespectacled young-looking man.
The man promptly trotted over and murmured timidly, "You called for me, Mr. Carlson?"
"You'll be Kai's mentor henceforth. You both will be in a team, so remember to teach him the ropes," Zayne instructed him.
The man glanced at Kai with a conflicted expression.
"Why, do you have an objection to that?" Zayne threw him a glare.
The man quickly shook his head. "No, no..."
At his acquiescence, a smile bloomed on Zayne's face. He then turned to Kai. "Go with him. Your desk is adjacent to his."
Having said that, he pivoted and returned to his office.
The other colleagues in the sales department regarded Kai with a smirk. Maria also stifled a giggle as she went back to her seat.
Chapter 82
"S-Sir, my name is Troy Zimmer. Nice to meet you," Troy stammered while holding out his hand to Kai nervously after they had returned to their desks.
Kai could tell that the man was terrified of him, which came as a bit of a surprise.
"I'm Kai Chance. The pleasure is mine, and I hope to learn much from you!" he replied with a smile, shaking the man's hand.
"No, no... I only started working here a few days ago as well. Let's learn from each other," Troy hurriedly uttered.
Naturally, Kai could tell that Troy wasn't a veteran.
"You seem to fear me a lot?" Kai asked in puzzlement.
"N-Not at all!" Troy shook his head, but he didn't dare look the man in the eye.
"Do you know something?" Kai was sure that the man was only afraid of him because he knew something or other.
Troy hesitated for a while before he nodded and inquired, "W-Why did you go to prison? You don't seem to be some villain."
Kai burst into laughter when he heard that. Ah, it turns out that he knows about me having been to prison! That's why he seems fearful of me.
After learning the reason for the man's trepidation, he didn't hide anything but told him everything that had happened.
It didn't take long for them to get chummy, and Troy didn't fear Kai anymore.
"That was really a stroke of bad luck, Kai! But since you're free now, you should work hard. However... However..."
As Troy spoke, he started stammering.
"What is it?" Kai queried.
"However, we probably won't be here for long when you've been teamed up with me, Kai," Troy lamented on a sigh.
"Why would you say that?" Astonishment inundated Kai.
Troy clicked open a document in the computer and explained, "Kai, these are the debts we have to collect. The previous sales representative resigned, so we have to do it instead. We'll be dismissed if we can't manage to get everything settled this month."
Staring at the row upon row of figures, Kai frowned slightly. "I didn't know so many people owe my wife money!"
"What did you just say, Kai?"
Troy froze for a moment.
"Oh, I was just commenting on the number of people owing the company money," Kai replied, changing his tune in a flash.
"Indeed! Businesses aren't doing that great nowadays. I've already analyzed the list, and these clients are the difficult ones. We probably won't be able to collect the money from them." Troy heaved a sigh.
At that very moment, Kai finally understood why many were furtively snickering when he was ordered to team up with Troy.
"Don't worry. We'll be able to collect all the money, not a dime less," Kai assured, patting him on the shoulder.
This company belongs to Josephine, so being indebted to the company is equivalent to owing her money. And in turn, it means that they owe me money. I'll never allow anyone to do that!
"All right. We shall work hard together!"
At his encouragement, Troy nodded resolutely.
Kai then started familiarizing himself with all the company's arrears, determined to collect all money owed in its entirety.
In the blink of an eye, the day flew past. Stretching, Kai couldn't help grumbling, "There are too many arrears. What on earth is the general manager doing?"
"Shh! Don't say that, Kai! If someone overhears you and reports you, you'll be in deep trouble!" Troy hastily warned in fright when he heard the man griping about the general manager.
"That serious? He's just a general manager who's working for the company. Does he really think that this is his house, and he's the king here?"
Kai didn't expect the employees to fear Xavier that much.
After all, the man was just a professional manager the Sullivan family employed. Therefore, he hadn't the right to do as he pleased in the company.
However, Josephine rarely came to the office and never interfered in the company's affairs, so it made Xavier all the more powerful.
