In the office of Darnell’s Elite Force, Darnell leisurely sipped his tea after finishing his meal. His bank account had just grown by 30 million, and with Houston, the ticking time bomb, now gone, Darnell felt a significant weight lifted off his shoulders. Garrett and the others were also ecstatic, their excitement palpable.
With this 30 million, the company could now afford to support 300 employees. The fear of the company going under and losing their jobs was no longer a concern. If it weren’t for the sensitive nature of the money, the seven of them might have cheered so loudly that the entire Woodsea would have heard.
Darnell glanced at the numbers on the screen and then at the excited faces of Garrett and the others. With a smile, he said, “You’ve all worked hard these past few days. Each of you seven will receive $10, 000 as a bonus for your efforts.”
He specifically looked at Garrett and added, “Don’t try to refuse. You’ve been training new recruits, pulling all-nighters, and risking your lives. $10, 000 bonus is well-deserved.”
“Besides, it’s just a small fraction of the 30 million. It’s nothing.”
Originally, Darnell had considered giving each of them $100, 000, but he knew that if he offered too much, Garrett and the others would refuse.
Hearing Darnell’s words, Arthur, Vance, and the others immediately expressed their gratitude. “Thank you, boss! Thank you!”
Garrett looked at Darnell with deep appreciation. “Thank you, boss.”
His sister’s tuition and living expenses were now secured! Reflecting on their past struggles and comparing them to their current situation, Garrett silently vowed to follow Darnell for life.
“By the way, we have the manpower now, but we’re still lacking equipment,” Darnell said, glancing at the time and the balance in the account. “Gather ten brothers who can drive. We’ll use some of this money to buy vehicles.”
Garrett was momentarily stunned, then looked out the window. “Boss, we just bought fifty electric scooters. They should suffice for now.”
Arthur nodded in agreement. “Yeah, they’re brand new. They won’t give us any problems for at least two years. We don’t need to buy more vehicles.”
Vance chimed in, “Boss, do you think the electric scooters lack power? If that’s the case, I can go buy a few motorcycles.”
Darnell sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Who said anything about electric scooters? I’m talking about cars.”
“With 300 men, we’re overstaffed for Woodsea’s security needs. And opportunities like Houston’s don’t come around often.”
“We need to expand our business. To do that, we need proper equipment. Dozens of electric scooters and wooden sticks won’t cut it.”
“I plan to buy ten high-end business vehicles and, through some connections, acquire bulletproof vests and batons. We need to fully equip our team.”
Darnell laid out his plan clearly. “Only by turning you into an elite force will clients come to us.”
In this day and age, image and packaging mattered in any business.
Garrett and the others nodded in agreement. “Boss, you make a good point.”
But then Garrett hesitated. “Boss, we can drive, but we don’t know much about buying cars. And we’re clueless about bulletproof vests and such.”
Darnell’s enthusiasm instantly cooled. He slumped onto the table, realizing he’d forgotten how inexperienced they were.
Knock knock knock!
Just then, there was a knock at the door. A figure stood at the entrance and asked calmly, “Are you still hiring security guards?”
Vance instinctively replied, “No, we’re fully staffed.”
Garrett nodded. “Yeah, we’ve hired enough people.” Then he suddenly froze and blurted out, “A woman?”
It was only then that everyone noticed the person at the door was a young woman, strikingly beautiful, dressed in black, and exuding an air of coldness.
Garrett and the others were visibly surprised.
Out of the 300 security guards they’d hired, all had been men. The appearance of a woman was unexpected.
Arthur snorted, “We only hire elites here. Even if we were still hiring, we wouldn’t take on cheerleaders.”
Whoosh!
Before Arthur could finish his sentence, the young woman vanished from his sight. Garrett’s expression changed. “Watch out!”
Arthur felt a gust of wind from his side and caught a glimpse of a leg sweeping toward him. He instinctively roared and kicked back.
He had initially planned to hold back, not wanting to be accused of bullying a woman, but sensing the pressure from her attack, he decided to go all out.
Arthur’s leg collided with the young woman’s in mid-air.
Thud!
A dull sound echoed as the force of the impact sent the young woman gracefully retreating, landing back at the sunlit doorway like a butterfly.
Arthur, on the other hand, was sent flying, crashing into a chair before gritting his teeth and standing back up. Vance and the others rushed to support him. “Arthur, are you okay?”
“I’m fine!” Arthur replied, though his pride was clearly wounded. He roared again, ready to charge at the young woman.
“Stop!” Darnell, who had sprung up from his seat, looked toward the doorway with a smile. “Tia?”
Standing in the sunlight was Tia, dressed in black, looking as heroic as ever.
Tia’s expression remained as calm and detached as always, but her eyes showed a flicker of emotion. “Consultant Halford, hello.”
Arthur and Vance, who had been about to attack, stopped in their tracks, looking embarrassed. It turned out Darnell knew her.
Darnell waved his hand, signaling them to back off. “She’s one of us.”
Garrett motioned for Arthur and the others to step back, then looked at Tia with interest, clearly impressed by her skills.
Arthur and Vance muttered apologies.
“Tia, what brings you here?” Darnell asked, pulling her into the office and seating her on the sofa like an honored guest. “It’s been a while.”
Tia replied coolly, “You’ve been busy. I didn’t want to disturb you.”
Darnell poured her a cup of tea. “Don’t tease me. So, what brings you here today?”
“I heard you’ve made it big, so I came to see for myself,” Tia said, pointing toward the door. “I’m here to apply for a security position.”
Darnell was taken aback, then laughed. “You’re joking, right? With your connections and skills, my company would be beneath you.”
Tia was straightforward. “6, 000 dollars a month, with room and board included, and I’ll take the job.”
Darnell blinked. “You’re serious about being a security guard?”
“Do I look like I’m joking?” Tia raised her chin. “Just give me a straight answer. Are you hiring me or not?”
Garrett interjected, “We don’t hire female security guards. It’s… inconvenient.”
“Not having female security guards is what’s inconvenient,” Tia shot back, clearly having thought this through. “If a female tenant faints in the shower, naked, would it be more convenient for you or me to handle it?”
“If a female villager suffers heatstroke and needs CPR, would you do it, or should I?”
Garrett and the others immediately fell silent.
“Your security company is strong, but you need to pay attention to details. Only by perfecting your services can you grow.”
Tia had a long-term perspective. “Besides, you’ve already hired 300 people. Adding eight to ten female security guards shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Having such a team will make the villagers feel safer and make your company appear more professional to outsiders.”
“More clients will come.”
Darnell rubbed his head, then slapped the table. “Alright, if you pass my assessment, I’ll hire you.”
“I’ll even let you recruit thirty female security guards.”
Tia narrowed her eyes slightly. “What’s the assessment?”
Darnell slapped a piece of paper in front of her. “I want to take him down!”
It was Roberto’s schedule.
Tia picked up the schedule, glanced at it, and nodded. “Alright, no problem.”
“Once this is done, we’ll talk about your employment.”
With that, she took the schedule and left the office.
From start to finish, she didn’t explain her real reason for joining the security team. Darnell didn’t ask why she had left David Kemp either.
As Garrett watched Tia’s retreating figure, his mouth hung open. After a long pause, he managed to say, “Boss, are you really going to hire her?”
Darnell smiled and nodded. “Men and women working together makes the job less tedious.”
“Besides, if she recruits a group of female security guards, won’t you single guys have a better chance at finding love? You’re all at the right age for marriage.”
Arthur and Vance, who had initially been against the idea, were now overjoyed. They grabbed Darnell’s arm excitedly. “Boss, you’re a genius! A genius!”
Garrett exclaimed in admiration, “Boss, you’re always thinking ahead.”