Chapter 35: Four More Subordinates

That evening at home, Lin Haoran received a call from Su Zhixue. Su had invited four of his peers to consider the new job offer, which came with compensation packages far superior to their current positions. Hearing the news, all four readily agreed to an interview. After all, people toil in the workplace for a salary; why remain stagnant when a better opportunity arises?

The next morning, Lin arrived at the office half an hour earlier than usual. Upon his arrival, he found Su Zhixue already there, accompanied by a man of similar age. This was evidently the unemployed colleague Su had mentioned.

"Mr. Lin, please allow me to introduce my friend, Dai Shi," Su said enthusiastically as Lin stepped into the office.

"Mr. Lin, hello! I am Dai Shi. It is a great honor to have the opportunity to meet you," Dai Shi said, extending his hand with a polite smile.

Lin nodded and replied, "Mr. Dai, hello. I have already learned a bit about your situation from Su. Since you are here, let us get straight to the point and begin the interview."

Lin, a business school graduate who had spent recent days assisting Su with market operations, possessed a solid grasp of stock trading. Consequently, his interview questions were primarily technical. As for evaluating character, Lin believed that required long-term observation in work and life rather than simple Q&A. Moreover, once Dai became his employee, he would be able to gauge his loyalty; if it proved too low, he simply would not employ him. Thus, he did not waste much time on that aspect.

After the interview, Lin gave Dai a high evaluation. Like Su, Dai had five years of practical trading experience, which was undoubtedly significant. In present-day Hong Kong, with the rapid development of the financial sector, there was certainly no shortage of talent.

"Mr. Dai, I am satisfied with your background. Su has likely told you about the compensation I am offering. If you are ready, let us sign the contract and you can start today," Lin said decisively.

"Certainly, Mr. Lin. I look forward to this new job!" Dai smiled.

Lin then produced the pre-prepared contract and a non-disclosure agreement. After reviewing them, Dai found no issues and signed both documents. At that moment, Lin saw Dai’s loyalty rating.

Dai Shi: [Loyalty: 71/100]

Seeing this, Lin felt relieved. He had no desire to let someone go immediately after signing them, and now he felt at ease. For a new hire, a loyalty rating above 70 exceeded his expectations. Based on his recent research, he understood that 50 was the baseline for adequacy, and anything above 60 was rare. Dai’s performance had surpassed that standard. Lin believed that as time passed, Dai’s loyalty would only grow, making him safe to entrust with greater responsibilities.

"Congratulations on officially joining our family, Dai. Su will walk you through the operational details. We have about ten minutes before the market opens, so feel free to get an initial look at our core business," Lin said, shaking Dai’s hand with a smile.

"Mr. Lin, you are too kind. Please, just call me Dai Shi or Ah Shi. I am very honored to have your appreciation and to be hired. I will give my all and will not let you down; I will contribute everything I have to the company!" Dai responded solemnly.

Over the next ten minutes, guided by Su’s detailed explanation, Dai gained a clear understanding of his new position. He was astonished to realize that he had joined an extraordinary team backed by a formidable boss. He was particularly struck by the fact that the company could mobilize tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars in trading capital within a single month—a scale of funding that only major corporations or conglomerates could typically command.

He realized that he had not only secured a valuable job but had also stepped onto a platform where he could truly excel. Dai silently congratulated himself on his luck. Knowing that such an opportunity was hard to come by, he resolved to cherish it and dedicate himself fully to the work to live up to the trust placed in him. As this thought crossed his mind, Lin was surprised to see Dai’s loyalty rating shift.

Dai Shi: [Loyalty: 75/100]

As the bell rang in the adjacent stock exchange hall, the day’s trading officially began. An extra telephone had been added to the office. As expected, the addition of a professional trader made the speed of stock acquisition much faster than the previous day. While Lin had helped out before, he was no amateur. Dai’s arrival injected a professional and efficient force into the team.

His expertise was on par with Su’s, and their collaboration made the entire acquisition process exceptionally smooth and efficient. During the lunch break, the other three colleagues arrived for their interviews. The process was much like Dai’s. Being of similar age and experience, they were all satisfactory. Once they signed their contracts, Lin checked their loyalty:

Han Zixing: [Loyalty: 62/100]
Shi Zhensheng: [Loyalty: 61/100]
Qi Fen: [Loyalty: 62/100]

Their loyalty scores were a dozen points lower than Dai’s, likely because Dai had been unemployed and was more desperate for the opportunity. The other three were currently employed, and their sense of urgency was understandably lower. Overall, Lin was satisfied.

"Gentlemen, I look forward to you settling your resignations and joining our family as soon as possible," Lin said, shaking their hands. According to them, they would finalize their departures within the week and begin work the following week.

With all six of them in the office, Lin noticed a significant problem: the space was far too small. It had been spacious enough for just him and Su, but with four more people, it was cramped.

"It seems we need to move," Lin remarked. He decided that once the market closed in the afternoon, he would go find a new office.