It was Ryan Phillips, my senior at university. Coincidentally, we grew up in the same town. I heard he had ventured abroad. Besides that, I hadn’t received any news from him for many years.

I instructed Carol Adams, my assistant, to call him for an interview. Carol was a veteran employee at Tanum Corporation. Although she didn’t have a higher education, she possessed impressive business skills and memory.

She chose to stay with the company because of a conflict with Melanie. Hence, I promoted Carol to be my assistant.

When I met Ryan, I could tell he knew I owned Tanum Corporation. While delighted by the reunion, I didn’t beat around the bush, “You know it’s me, right?”

He responded with a faint smile, saying, "I do."

“My company is modest in scale and might not align with your qualifications and experience,” I stated, “I must also clarify our salary may not meet the standards you’ve grown accustomed to in larger corporations.”

He replied straightforwardly, “Let’s make a deal. Yo