[Chapter 989: June Schedule]
Last week, when Eric received the internal email informing him that his second assistant, Melanie Gleason, would be leaving to become the Vice President of Overseas Market Operations at Firefly Electronics, most people in Eric's assistant office found themselves in a state of confusion and excitement.
People were puzzled because Melanie was leaving, yet the first assistant, Caroline Wilson, was not departing at the same time, which took many by surprise.
The excitement stemmed from the fact that even though Caroline wasn't leaving, there was still a strong possibility that Eric would select a new personal assistant. Just looking at Melanie's new position indicated that even a second assistant role alongside Eric could lead to an incredible future.
Kelly Haynes, the head of the assistant office, soon announced the new candidate for Eric's second assistant position. The outcome was even more unexpected; this coveted role went to Marissa Mayer, who had only been with the office for a year.
Counting the recently departed Melanie, there were a total of sixteen employees in Eric's assistant office. However, among this group, Marissa was the only one without a master's degree. The others were either Ivy League graduates or had MBA degrees from well-known business schools, many of whom had extensive work experience prior to joining.
The elites who had the qualifications to secure offers from any renowned company wanted to work as Eric's office assistant primarily because of the vast career advancement opportunities the position offered.
So, when everyone learned of this surprising personnel change, their reactions ranged from shock to dissatisfaction. If the boss was no longer selecting personal assistants based on competence but rather on looks or other superficial factors, then was there any need for them to continue their current jobs?
However, the following personnel announcements quickly dispelled everyone's concerns.
After Melanie's departure, Kelly selected the three best-performing assistant candidates to present to Eric. Although these three did not receive the personal assistant position, they were assigned to managerial roles at Firefly Group, Nokia, and Yahoo, respectively. While these positions were a notch lower than Melanie's level of Vice President in a major department, the starting point was still something many professionals enviably coveted.
In fact, the core of this personnel adjustment within Eric's assistant office revolved around the appointments of those three assistants. With the ever-expanding Firefly system, Eric accelerated the speed of placing loyal candidates in various companies across his empire.
Alongside this announcement, the office also began recruiting new office assistants. The hiring standards were raised, and even executive search firms were involved. This was because, in the future, Eric intended to hold similar personnel adjustments annually, increasing the number of transfers accordingly, slowly creating a network of 'agent Smith' from Eric's assistant office that would permeate the entire Firefly system's 'matrix'.
...
After a few years of experience, Caroline was more than capable of handling all the responsibilities expected of Eric's personal assistant. Strictly speaking, Eric didn't actually need a second assistant, so Marissa Mayer's appointment was truly born out of Eric's personal preference.
Since the announcement, Marissa had felt a bit dazed. Although she was a confident person, she never imagined that she could reach the position of Eric Williams' personal assistant in just a year; anyone else in the office was far more qualified than she was.
Considering her boss's flirtatious reputation, Marissa's first thought was that Eric might have other intentions regarding her.
However, despite her musings, she never showed any inclination to refuse the position. 'Come on, only a fool would turn that down.'
After receiving confirmation from her direct supervisor, Kelly Haynes, Marissa promptly accepted the position.
The tedious onboarding process started on Tuesday and lasted a full three days. Just reading through six thick confidentiality documents consumed most of her time.
"Finally, here are the keys to two apartments; one is in Beverly Hills, and the other is in Malibu. The documents include information about these two apartments. You need to choose to live in the one that is closest to Eric. You can opt not to live in either, but you absolutely cannot rent them out to others," said Kelly as she handed Marissa various items at the Burbank Firefly headquarters. "You also get a car; here are the keys and two mobile phones. Remember to keep them on twenty-four-seven. All expenses for the apartments, car, and phones will be fully reimbursed by the company. You don't need to worry about that -- just focus on doing your job."
Marissa listened intently, carefully stowing away everything Kelly handed her. Finally, she hesitated and asked, "Kelly, does that mean I can't have anyone else over at the apartments?"
"Of course not. Privately, you can host parties or entertain friends, and that's no problem. You just can't rent the house out or let others live there long-term," Kelly replied, shaking her head. "Carly should be here by now; let's go. I'll treat you both to dinner so we can get to know each other better. Today marks the wrap of Iron Man, and you'll soon be traveling everywhere with Eric, so you need to get into work mode quickly."
Marissa followed Kelly outside and asked, "Kelly, is Mr. Williams going on a business trip soon?"
"Not exactly a business trip, but it is work-related," Kelly explained as they walked. "In the upcoming June, Eric is likely first heading to New York, where he will stay for about two weeks, then fly to Europe for a week. Nokia's CEO, Jorma Ollila, needs to address some management changes following a contract expiration, and there's also the recent acquisition of Virgin Records in London. His last stop will be Australia, as you know, the Lord of the Rings trilogy has been in production for six months, and he needs to see it for himself. The detailed schedule still needs your and Carly's help to arrange."
Marissa laughed and said, "I didn't think I'd be traveling the world so soon."
"Yeah, honestly, it's pretty easy following him. He's a great boss -- not strict, not demanding, and certainly doesn't work you to the bone like some do."
Marissa discreetly observed Kelly's slightly nostalgic expression and paused before asking cautiously, "Kelly, may I ask why it's me?"
Kelly chuckled at Marissa's careworn demeanor and said, "What I'm about to say falls under confidentiality, but do you know about Carly and Eric's relationship?"
Marissa looked somewhat taken aback, her face reddening as she nodded.
Kelly shook her head, unable to stifle her amusement, "No, you misunderstood. Actually, Carly is Eric's cousin."
Marissa looked up in surprise, "Huh?"
Marissa had always heard that aside from his father who passed away years ago, Eric had no other relatives. Plus, the rumor was that Caroline Wilson was quite fond of the boss -- if they shared that kind of relationship, could feelings develop between them?
Noticing the confusion in Marissa's eyes, Kelly clarified, "Carly's father and Eric's mother are siblings. And yes, Carly genuinely likes Eric; it's true, and this kind of relationship isn't considered taboo in the UK. Since you'll be working closely with Eric, you need to understand this, but remember to focus only on your job; don't concern yourself with anything else."
Marissa processed the information she had just heard and nodded. Then she asked, "But what does that have to do with my hiring?"
Kelly explained, "You've met Carly; she's an exceptionally talented girl who can certainly handle this job on her own. So, the title of 'second assistant' ended up falling to you. As for Eric, I can't say for sure if he has any other intentions."
Suddenly realizing that she might just be a 'nice-to-have' who could merely serve as a pretty trophy for Eric to enjoy at whim, Marissa felt a twinge of discomfort. Her gaze flickered, and for a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Watching Marissa's fluctuating expression, Kelly hesitated before quietly advising, "I just mentioned that Eric is quite a thoughtful man. So if you're not comfortable with something, just be clear in refusing, and he won't push. Besides, things may not be as you imagined."
Marissa nodded but couldn't help worrying if her refusal would jeopardize her job.
...
While the idea of liking her cousin felt a bit strange, Carly's genuine nature quickly made Marissa feel a sense of kinship towards the petite girl.
The three of them had a great time chatting during dinner. The next morning, Caroline personally drove to Burbank to pick up Marissa and take her to the Firefly studio. Today marked Marissa's first day at work, and due to job demands, her rented apartment in Burbank couldn't be moved until the weekend.
After a brief interaction, Marissa started pondering the idea of cohabitating with Caroline, much like Melanie had before. However, since the company had already provided her with two apartments, she hesitated to bring it up.
On their way to the Firefly studio, Caroline handed Marissa a folder and said, while steering the car, "This morning, we'll get to see the display effects of the first RealD system with Eric. I heard it's amazing, and here's the information; you can read through it. In the afternoon, we have to help Eric prepare his schedule, coordinating flight routes, layover airports, meeting appointments, lodging arrangements, and much more. We'll have the weekend off, and I'll help you move. Next Monday, we'll be flying to New York with Eric; it's likely we won't return for a while, so make sure you have everything ready."
Marissa nodded, flipping open the folder Caroline had handed her. It contained basic information about the RealD dual 3D film projection system, developed by Digital Domain. After reading for a while, she asked, "The RealD system -- is that the '4200' project?"
In her year of employment, Marissa had primarily handled work related to several tech companies and wasn't too familiar with Firefly Group, but she knew about the '4200' project.
Caroline nodded, "Yes, when we get to the office, you can find detailed information on our dedicated server."
...
The two women arrived at Firefly studio at 8:45 AM. Upon parking, they spotted Eric exiting from another black luxury car in the lot, accompanied by a tall blonde woman. Marissa recognized the woman as Natasha Henstridge, the Victoria's Secret model who had recently appeared in Iron Man.
Watching the playful interaction between the two from a distance and considering the implications of Eric's choice to bring her on board, Marissa felt a hint of jealousy when Eric playfully patted the model's backside. She quickly glanced at Caroline, concerned about her reaction.
Caroline stood nearby holding a folder, her thin lips pursed slightly, her gaze toward the pair tinged with a hint of longing, as if she was debating whether to approach them.
Eric soon noticed them and walked over with Natasha. "Good morning, Carly, and Mary. This is Natasha; you both should know her."
After a brief introduction, Natasha politely excused herself, saying, "Eric, I'll take my leave now; you've got work to do."
Natasha was there to formalize contract discussions for Underworld, which didn't require Eric to be present.
"Alright, see you later; I'll call you," Eric said, giving the model a hug before watching her join her waiting manager outside the parking lot, then turned back to the two women with a grin, "Let's go; Stan should have everything ready by now."
As Eric spoke, he observed Caroline still slightly pursing her lips, chuckled, and lifted her chin, leaning down to peck her cheek, adorably coloring her pale complexion a rosy red. "Okay, I won't allow you to pretend to be sulky to skip work."
Caroline blinked several times, quickly following Eric toward the digital development office, expressing her discontent, "I'm not sulking! Eric, you owe me an apology; that was so inappropriate of you!"
Eric replied earnestly, "Alright, I apologize."
Caroline immediately forgave Eric for what seemed like the nth time.
Marissa silently trailed behind them, suddenly realizing the meaning behind Kelly's earlier advice and instinctively pretended she was invisible.
*****
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