Chapter Fifty-Eight: Beauty is a Must

What did that mean? Why couldn’t she have an assistant? Ruan Mianmian could hear the implication in Zhou Miao’s words. Even though she didn’t have much to do, she still needed a competent assistant by her side. It wasn’t just for show.

Perhaps Zhou Miao realized her words hadn’t sounded quite right. Before Ruan Mianmian could say anything, she hurriedly changed her tune, “Alright, alright, I’ll organize the resumes right away and personally deliver them to you in a bit.”

At least she knew when to back down. Ruan Mianmian decided not to make a fuss. “Alright, I’ll wait for you,” she replied, and hung up.

Just then, Ah Kuan came over, asking the same question Zhou Miao had. “Ruan, what do you need an assistant for? You don’t even have a proper job to do all day.”

“I’ll hit you, you believe me?” Ruan Mianmian raised her hand threateningly, then added, “I didn’t become a director for nothing. If something comes up, I need someone capable to handle it for me!”

Ah Kuan grinned sheepishly, pleading, “Ruan, you’re so wise! So wise!”

“Stop buttering me up!” Ruan Mianmian glared at him. “Instead of wasting time, go find out if Jiang Ce has come back yet. I really don’t know what you’re good for!”

“Heh heh!” Ah Kuan chuckled, “Don’t worry, Ruan. There are plenty of guys at home, I’ve told them all—if there’s any news, they’ll let me know at once.”

“That’s more like it.” Ruan Mianmian got up and poured two glasses of plain water, setting one in front of Ah Kuan.

Overwhelmed by the favor, Ah Kuan exclaimed, “Thank you, Ruan!”

No sooner had he spoken than there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” Ruan Mianmian called.

Zhou Miao entered, clutching a stack of resumes, her face wearing a respectful smile as she stepped lightly into the office. “Director, here are the resumes you requested.”

“Just put them on the desk,” Ruan Mianmian said with a casual gesture.

Zhou Miao set the resumes down, then looked at Ruan Mianmian with a smile. “If there’s nothing else, Director, I’ll excuse myself.”

Ruan Mianmian nodded, focusing her attention on the pile of resumes before her. Ah Kuan leaned in, asking, “Ruan, what kind of assistant do you want? I’ll help you look.”

“Someone good-looking,” Ruan Mianmian replied succinctly, picking up a few pages to flip through.

All the candidates were impressive, a testament to Hanhai’s reputation in the industry. Even as a branch company, it was a place people clamored to get into. Most of the graduates were from top universities and clearly capable, so Ruan wasn’t worried about finding someone suitable. She just needed to pick one she found pleasing, which would take a little time.

“Ruan! This one’s good-looking! The classic femme fatale type!” Ah Kuan called out excitedly. Ruan glanced over and took the resume from his hand.

The young woman in the photo was indeed striking. Her eyes had a slight upward tilt, giving her features a hint of allure—a woman who exuded mature charm at first glance. Yet she was only twenty-three, likely just graduated from university.

Ruan’s eyes moved to the name: Wu Ketian? Why did that sound familiar?

She scrutinized the resume more closely. Ah Kuan noticed her hesitation and asked, “Ruan, do you know her?”

Ruan looked up, a crafty gleam in her eye. “Maybe I do!” she said with a grin.

Whatever had crossed her mind, it left her beaming. “She’s the one! Notify her for an interview immediately!”

Suddenly in high spirits, Ruan Mianmian decided on Wu Ketian without hesitation.

Zhou Miao was efficient as ever—by that afternoon, she’d arranged for Wu Ketian to come to the company. Since Ruan was conducting the interview herself, Zhou Miao didn’t delay; as soon as Wu arrived, she brought her straight to Ruan’s office.

“Director, this is Wu Ketian. I’ll leave you to talk,” Zhou Miao announced, then left as quickly as she’d come.

Ruan turned back to study Wu Ketian. Though her attire was simple, her bearing was composed and elegant, her every movement marked with the grace of a young lady from a wealthy family.

Ruan mused inwardly—this must be the third female lead from the novel. Like Ruan herself, a side character, meant to add obstacles between the main couple.

“Hello, Miss Wu,” Ruan greeted her with a smile, inviting her to sit on the sofa.

Wu Ketian returned the polite smile, nodding, “Thank you, Director Ruan.”

Ruan took the opportunity to observe her more closely. In the book, Wu Ketian was described as a sultry, fiery-lipped femme fatale—not only beautiful, but with a knockout figure, always mingling with the sons of the rich and powerful, confidante to many. Yet here she was, a fresh-faced graduate, her beauty and figure undeniable, but the aura of a student still clung to her.

But Ruan didn’t care about any of that. What interested her was the string of melodramatic incidents that would unfold between Wu Ketian and Jian Yanzhi in the future. Having been stuck in the middle for so long, for the first time Ruan found herself eager to watch the drama play out.

With that in mind, Ruan became even more enthusiastic. “Miss Wu, I see you graduated from Imperial Institute of Technology. There are quite a few alumni here at our company. If you join us, I’m sure you’ll love it.”

Wu Ketian smiled, “Hanhai Group is a leader in the industry. I’ve always hoped to join a large company like yours, though I know my own experience is still limited. If your company gives me a chance, I’ll work very hard!”

“Of course you’ll get the chance—absolutely,” Ruan replied with delight. “I trust my instincts, and you give me a very good feeling, Miss Wu. Why don’t you tell me when you can start? I’ll have HR arrange everything in advance.”

Wu Ketian was stunned. “Director Ruan, are you hiring me on the spot?”

There hadn’t even been a formal interview yet...

Ruan nodded with certainty. “Yes, you’re hired!”

“When can I start?” Wu Ketian asked eagerly.

“If it’s convenient for you, you can begin as early as tomorrow,” Ruan replied.

“Really? Thank you so much!” Wu Ketian sprang from the sofa in excitement. She desperately needed this job. Not only was Hanhai’s work environment excellent, but the salary was among the highest in the field. With her brother’s illness worsening, she couldn’t afford to wait any longer—she needed this income.

Ruan picked up the phone and dialed Zhou Miao. “Manager Zhou, Wu Ketian has passed the interview. Please arrange for her to start tomorrow.”

With that, Wu Ketian’s position as assistant was set. Zhou Miao, having already seen her resume, immediately agreed. “Yes, Director. I’ll take care of it tomorrow.”