Shortly after Leo returned to the city, Sophia called him and asked him to come to the company to pick her up. They were going home together because they had guests coming over.
On their way back to the Henley family mansion, Sophia finally revealed to Leo who the guest was – her aunt, Aunt Sandy!
Sandy was Jessica’s sister, and today she was bringing her daughter along as a guest.
Aunt Sandy worked as a civil servant in the Housing Authority.
Sophia knew her aunt well – she only visited when she needed something, whether it was to borrow money or ask for help with something.
Back at home, Jessica instructed Leo to prepare dinner, and for the first time, she even had Martin help with chopping vegetables and assisting in the kitchen.
Jessica’s attitude towards Leo today was relatively pleasant, probably influenced by his employee badge from Wilde Jewelry Company.
Furthermore, Jessica couldn’t cook to save her life. If Leo wasn’t around, dinner either meant eating out or Martin taking care of it.
Jessica’s lack of culinary skills seemed to have been passed down to her two daughters, Sophia and Tina, who rarely set foot in the kitchen throughout the year.
In the Henley family’s view, Leo was a jack of all trades. With him around, there was no need to worry about household chores or meals.
Once dinner was on the table, Jessica invited her sister and niece to eat.
Halfway through the meal, Aunt Flo couldn’t hold back anymore and finally spoke up, “Sis, Lynn graduated from college this year, and I want to find her a decent job.”
“Didn’t Lynn consider working for a government agency like you?” Jessica countered.
“She studied finance, and there aren’t many opportunities in the civil service for that field. Plus, the competition is fierce. I don’t want her to get into pointless competitions,” Aunt Flo explained.
“Has Lynn applied to the major financial companies in Langstel?” Jessica inquired further.
“Of course, she has. But those companies underestimated her, offering such low salaries. Even though Lynn didn’t graduate from a top-tier university, she at least comes from a reputable institution. Giving her such meager pay makes it no different from working ordinary jobs. I told Lynn to reject those offers,” Aunt Sandy said with a hint of frustration.
Aunt Sandy’s daughter was sitting at the table, playing with her phone, seemingly uninterested in the conversation.
Jessica put down her chopsticks and tried to console her sister, “Sis, finding a job is hard these days, and finding well-paying ones is even harder. The news is full of stories about recent graduates struggling to find work.”
“I know that, which is why I’m here asking for your help. Although I work at the Housing Authority, getting someone into the my department requires passing tough exams. My connections won’t cut it,” Aunt Sandy sighed.
After quickly finishing his meal, Martin went back to tinkering with his antiques, while Leo and Sophia continued eating in silence.
As for Tina, she often stayed at school and didn’t come home at night.
“Maybe you could have Lynn work at Sophia’s company for now to gain some work experience,” Jessica suggested.
“Work experience?” Aunt Sandy chuckled dismissively. “Sis, Lynn is a college graduate. How could she stoop so low as to sell cosmetics like those who barely finished school!?”
“Sales? I’d rather die,” Lynn suddenly interjected.
“What if Sophia could offer her an accounting position?” Jessica suggested with a forced smile, hearing the unenthusiastic response from Aunt Sandy and her daughter.
“Forget it. Lynn studied finance, and that’s a prestigious field. Accounting is beneath her,” Aunt Sandy waved off the idea.
Jessica didn’t want to get involved in this thankless task, but since they were family, she felt obligated to help.
“Sis, just tell us which company you want Lynn to work at,” Jessica said straightforwardly.
“Fine, I’ll be direct. I hope Lynn can work at the Azure Financial under Azure Cloud Group,” Aunt Sandy voiced her desire. “I’ve done some research, and if Lynn can get into that company, she’ll earn at least a million annually.”
“I’ve heard of about Azure Financial, and they only recruit top talents in finance. I heard it’s even more competitive than getting into a government office,” Martin chimed in.
Martin’s point was that Lynn’s chances of entering based solely on her qualifications were slim.
“I know it’s difficult. If it were easy, I wouldn’t be here asking for your help. Sis, your family has Sophia, the CEO of a well-known cosmetics company, and Martin, even though he’s not actively involved into these family issues, is a shareholder in a publicly traded company. I assume you have some connections with the higher-ups at Azure Cloud Group. Could you put in a good word for us?” Aunt Sandy said, sensing the atmosphere.
Hearing this, both Jessica and Martin looked uneasy, while Sophia continued eating without reacting.
Aunt Sandy was adept at reading people’s expressions. She added, “And if money is an issue here, we can discuss it.”
“Sis, it’s not about money.” Jessica knew that neither Sophia nor her husband, let alone the entire Henley family, had any significant connections with the upper echelons of Azure Cloud Group.
The Henley family was at best a second-tier aristocratic family in Langstel. Compared to the colossal presence of Azure Cloud Group, they were insignificant.
The saying goes, “The smaller you are, the less weight your words carry.” Even if they somehow managed to reach Azure Cloud Group’s higher-ups, it likely wouldn’t matter. In reality, those influential people wouldn’t pay them any attention.
“It’s not about money, so what is it about?” Aunt Sandy was oblivious to the intricacies, growing frustrated as she saw Jessica’s hesitation.
“Sis, to be honest, we really don’t know anyone in the upper ranks of Azure Cloud Group,” Jessica had to tell the truth.
“Sis, if you don’t want to help, just say so. We’re family, no need to play games like this!” Aunt Sandy’s frustration was clear.
“Sis, please don’t be upset. We really…” Jessica began.
“Mom, I know someone at Azure Cloud Group,” Leo suddenly blurted out, sensing the tension.
Aunt Sandy was taken aback at first, then realized Leo had spoken, “Leo, eat your food! What are you blabbering about? Wait, hold on, aren’t you mute!?”
Jessica was growing impatient too, “Leo, finish your meal, and if you’re done, clean up the kitchen. Don’t butt into our conversation!”
Well, OK. Leo dug into his food for a few bites, then went to the living room to sit on the couch and watch TV.
“Sis, Brother-in-law, if you don’t help with Lynn’s situation, I don’t know what else to do. We’re family, can you really stand by and watch Lynn waste her life at home?” Aunt Sandy’s eyes welled up with tears and her voice quivered.