For the next two days, the entirety of the Starry Sky Group operated at a high tempo, driven entirely by Liu Hui's will. On the morning of the third day, Manager Hou from the headhunting firm called to report that the five professional manager candidates were en route and scheduled to arrive for interviews with Liu Hui at nine o'clock that morning.

At nine sharp, Liu Lin arrived at the office to inform Liu Hui that the interviewees were waiting in the reception room. Liu Hui tidied his desk before instructing Liu Lin to have them ushered in one by one.

The first to enter was a middle-aged woman. Dressed in a sharp black suit, she offered no smile and fixed her gaze straight ahead, seating herself opposite Liu Hui.

“Jiang Lu. Former President of Sears Asia. You resigned due to friction with senior management. May I ask the reason for your departure?” Liu Hui inquired, picking up a file.

“Mr. Liu, I resigned because I saw no further opportunity for growth at that company. Their management structure was utterly rigid, their thinking unable to keep pace with the times. I presented several management reform proposals targeting these issues, but unfortunately, they did not agree with my vision. So, I chose to leave,” Jiang Lu replied succinctly.

“I’m curious what kind of management plan you proposed. Of course, you are free to decline answering.”

“I believe every single employee within a company is an indispensable element. A company is like a precision instrument, and the employees are the parts within it; removing any single part causes the entire instrument to malfunction. Therefore, I think we must change a common corporate mindset: that everyone, aside from a few essential key personnel, is replaceable. I believe a company must foster a sense of home among its staff, ensuring every contribution they make is recognized by the company, and that they have goals to strive for in any role, rather than solely focusing on climbing to executive positions,” Jiang Lu articulated.

“And how would you implement such a management plan?” Liu Hui sounded genuinely intrigued by her perspective.

“My method would be to institute an employee experience point system internally. An employee's benefits and compensation would be linked exclusively to their accumulated experience points and rank, irrespective of their executive status. Experience points would be earned through tasks completed for the company and innovation, though a higher position would provide a multiplier bonus to these points. This way, people wouldn't just be focused on climbing the corporate ladder; achieving results in their core responsibilities, accumulating sufficient experience points, would grant them equally excellent benefits. Furthermore, this system has an advantage: these employees would be extremely loyal to the company for the sake of earning their points, making them less likely to jump ship, and they would treat the company as their true home,” Jiang Lu explained in detail.

“Hmm, interesting. Do you have a detailed proposal?” Liu Hui was clearly warming to her concept.

“This is the proposal I prepared,” Jiang Lu stated, handing a document to Liu Hui.

Liu Hui took the file but did not open it immediately. He asked Jiang Lu, “May I ask which position you are applying for at Starry Sky Group today?”

“I intend to apply for the position of General Manager of Starry Sky Group,” Jiang Lu replied with poise.

“You plan to manage the entire company with this?” Liu Hui held up the document.

“Precisely. Although this document still has some areas requiring refinement, I would continuously work to improve it. If you give me this opportunity, I assure you, you will not be disappointed,” Jiang Lu met Liu Hui’s gaze steadily.

“How about this: why don't you rest in the adjoining room for a moment? I will give you my answer shortly,” Liu Hui mused, deciding he needed more time to review the material.

“Very well, I will await your decision.”

Liu Hui called in Liu Lin and asked her to escort Jiang Lu to the next room.

The second candidate then entered. This applicant was a middle-aged man, not tall, but possessing piercing eyes that exuded intensity. Even though he tried his best to temper it in Liu Hui’s presence, his powerful aura was inescapable.

Liu Hui picked up a file and began reading: “Yin Shunli, former CEO of Taiwan’s Evergreen Group. You demonstrated exceptional management prowess and made immense contributions to the company. Recently, the heir apparent took over, forcing your departure. Mr. Yin, may I ask how you felt when you left?”

“Frustrated, but I can understand the situation,” Yin Shunli stated calmly.

“The materials I have indicate you possess formidable management capabilities. So, what position are you applying for this time?” Liu Hui inquired.

“I am applying to be the General Manager of Starry Sky Logistics,” Yin Shunli replied.

“Evergreen Group is also in logistics; it aligns perfectly with your background. But can you tell me why you chose our company? Our current scale is hardly comparable to your previous organization,” Liu Hui asked.

“I didn't come to your company because of its size; I came because of you,” Yin Shunli smiled.

“Because of me? Am I that charismatic?” Liu Hui asked with curiosity.

“Indeed. I analyzed your rise to prominence. You started with a hospital. Yet, you had no prior connection to medicine, but you suddenly developed an AIDS treatment drug and managed the hospital with incredible success. Although you later transferred ownership of the hospital, you quickly rebuilt a new base in Hong Kong, and the scale of Starry Sky Group is even larger than that of Hantang Hospital. Therefore, I believe you are either exceptionally lucky, or perhaps, a mysterious force is propelling you forward. I am confident that following you offers a very secure future. Moreover, turning a small company into a major one—isn't that an achievement in itself? I also look forward to seeing the look on the faces of those who forced me out!” Yin Shunli elaborated.

“I see. Please wait in the adjacent room for now; I will reply shortly,” Liu Hui instructed.

Liu Lin entered, led Yin Shunli out, and then brought in the third candidate. This applicant was a young man, impeccably dressed in a suit, tie, and carrying a black briefcase.

“Liu Wenqi. PhD in Law from Princeton University in the US. You ran a law firm in Hong Kong. However, that firm was recently stripped of its license by the courts after your girlfriend absconded with all your assets, leaving you with massive debt, forcing you into bankruptcy,” Liu Hui stated, looking at the young man before him.

“The boss is truly the boss; you have mastered my background details completely,” Liu Wenqi chuckled.

“I believe in your professional expertise; you have indeed won many difficult cases that would normally be hard to win. So, here is the question: how do you view your girlfriend’s betrayal?” Liu Hui focused his gaze on him.

“Regret. I regret letting my girlfriend handle the finances. As the saying goes, wealth moves the heart, and modern society is full of temptations everywhere. She couldn't withstand the outside allure and took my money. I can understand; I don't hate her because my own negligence gave her the opportunity to commit the crime,” Liu Wenqi responded.

“What if she came back to you?” Liu Hui pressed.

“Though I don't hate her, I cannot forgive her actions. We are finished, irrevocably broken; reconciliation is impossible,” Liu Wenqi asserted.

“Which position are you applying for today?”

“I am applying for the Director of Starry Sky Legal Consulting Company.”

“Don't you think you are too young?” Liu Hui questioned.

“In the legal field, it is not age that dictates effectiveness. The law relies on profound knowledge and sharp rhetoric, both of which I possess. Choosing me will certainly not be a loss for you,” Liu Wenqi maintained.

“Please rest in the next room; I will get back to you shortly.”

Liu Lin escorted Liu Wenqi out and brought in the fourth candidate. This applicant was a beautiful young woman, appearing even younger than Liu Wenqi.

Liu Hui picked up the file on his desk and read: “Li Zhi, a graduate of Jinghua University. You served as Sales Director for a pharmaceutical plant in Shenyang. In the two years you held that position, you managed to sell a virtually worthless drug to the tune of one billion RMB nationwide, setting a legend in mainland marketing. You resigned suddenly for an unknown reason two years ago. Miss Li Zhi, forgive my bluntness, but you had just graduated two years ago and likely possessed no work experience. How did you become the Sales Director of that pharmaceutical plant?”

“Although I only graduated two years ago, I had repeatedly served as a sales representative for manufacturers while still in school, and my sales figures were excellent. By the time I graduated, my sales experience was already quite extensive. The reason I became the Sales Director was that the factory was on the brink of collapse, facing imminent shutdown. Choosing me was just a desperate Hail Mary pass. Moreover, at that time, I utilized my physical appearance to charm the factory head, which is how I secured the Sales Director position,” Li Zhi recounted without any hint of embarrassment.

“Oh, and why did you resign later?”

“Because even though I used my appearance to charm the factory head, I did not let him have his way. During the critical phase when sales were just starting to pick up, he feared losing my help and held back. Now that sales are established, he no longer has reservations, so he tried to force me. I kicked him a few times under his desk, and then I resigned,” Li Zhi stated plainly.

“Did you not feel any reluctance to leave?”

“I thrive on challenges; the more difficult the job, the more I enjoy it. That established pharmaceutical plant had eliminated the spark in my career, which is why I came here to apply,” Li Zhi smiled.

“And what position are you applying for?”

“General Manager of Starry Sky Sales Company.”

Liu Hui studied the young, beautiful girl carefully. She was indeed very young, yet such formidable achievements were sitting right there. He sighed and said, “Please go rest in the adjacent room for now. I will give you a reply very soon.”

Liu Lin escorted Li Zhi out and brought in the final candidate. This applicant was a middle-aged man, plainly dressed, with a face that looked etched by hardship.

“Sun Ning, former Deputy General Manager of China Railway No. 28 Bureau, responsible for engineering quality supervision. You were summarily dismissed after refusing to sign the certification for an engineering project that failed a quality spot check, which angered your superiors. Is the information in this file accurate?”

“Yes, everything listed is correct,” Sun Ning replied.

“Then why did you refuse to sign the engineering certification?”

“Because that project involved constructing a bridge over a middle school in a county town. The train would pass directly overhead. When I tested the quality, I found the bridge had extremely serious structural defects that constantly threatened the safety of the students below, so I refused to sign,” Sun Ning explained.

“So, were all of your unit's previous projects free of quality issues?”

“In that pervasive environment, our engineering quality had minor issues to varying degrees, but none were fatal, so I signed off on them with a blind eye. However, the quality problems this time were not just exaggerated; they were potentially fatal, which is why I refused to sign, hoping they would restart construction. Instead, they fired me,” Sun Ning said dejectedly.

“And what position are you applying for this time?”

“General Manager of Starry Sky Construction Company.”

“You used to manage quality control; are you familiar with the work of construction itself?” Liu Hui asked.

“Although I only oversaw construction quality before, I rose through the ranks from the grassroots level; I was once a frontline construction worker. I graduated from Huaxia University of Architecture and also hold a Ph.D. in Architecture, so I am intimately familiar with every aspect of construction,” Sun Ning quickly clarified.

“Understood. Please rest in the room next door for a moment; I will respond shortly.”

After Liu Lin led Sun Ning away, Liu Hui sat in his office and pondered for a while. He then called Manager Hou to reconfirm the background information on these individuals. Finally, he made his decision: until better talent surfaced, he would start by testing these five people.

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～ I just noticed Book Friend: Book Friend Discoverer has given me a renewal ticket, which makes me very happy. However, another friend: A Little Bad... gave me an update ticket requesting 12,000 words of content, which will be extremely difficult to fulfill. One night, Hidden Fish Went to Sea dreamed that everyone was giving him update tickets for 3,000 words, and he was ecstatic, until he was abruptly woken up by the need to urinate—what a buzzkill!