RNP Page 131
Page 131
A surge of elation welled up inside her, a feeling of urgency that seemed to be building up to her goals, but her professional instincts quickly suppressed it. Instead, she feigned anxiety and helplessness at the prospect of promotion. "President Stella? I... I'm still learning from you, and there's so much I don't understand. How can I possibly be qualified for such an important position as Mr. Ryan's assistant? I..."
She looked at Hawke pleadingly, as if seeking his denial.
Hawke took in Felicia's reaction.
The initial shock was genuine, but the subsequent panic and resistance seemed somewhat deliberate.
This perfectly describes the "mixed feelings of surprise and anxiety" that a junior assistant who has just had a secret relationship with the boss and has suddenly been promoted to work by the boss's side should have.
He sneered inwardly, but put on an expression that said, "I'm helpless too."
“Ahem,” Hawke cleared his throat, casually stroking his chin, and gave Stella a slightly reproachful look. “Senior, you were too hasty. Miss Felicia was doing just fine here with you, and suddenly being transferred to my side might not be easy for her. Besides,” he said with a hint of teasing, “being my assistant isn’t so easy.”
Stella rolled her eyes, ignoring the implication in Hawke's words, and spoke directly to Felicia with an undeniable decisiveness:
"If I say you can do it, you can. Working alongside Mr. Hawke, you'll learn so much more... about 'new fields'..."
She deliberately slowed down the use of the words "new field," and the curve of her lips carried a dangerous meaning that only Felicia could understand. "Do a good job, Felicia, don't embarrass me. Although Mr. Hawke... has a bad reputation, he is still very generous to his subordinates."
Her words sounded like encouragement to Felicia, but they were actually more like a warning to Hawke: I've put people in your way, so watch your step.
Seeing Stella's resolute attitude, Hawke shrugged, revealing a helpless expression that said, "Fine, I can't argue with you," and turned to look at Felicia:
“Since Stella thinks so highly of you, then… give it a try. Welcome to my team, Miss Felicia.”
He extended his hand, seemingly in a polite handshake, but his fingers intentionally or unintentionally brushed against her palm.
Felicia stiffened slightly, then immediately replaced by a deeper blush and gratitude. She gently grasped Hawke's hands and bowed her head slightly.
"Thank you for your trust, Mr. Ryan! I will definitely... study hard and adapt to my new position as soon as possible."
Her voice was soft, filled with anticipation and determination for the new "challenge," but beneath her lowered eyelashes gleamed the excited light of a prey finally stepping into the edge of a trap.
Stella glanced at the subtle, almost imperceptible atmosphere between the two and inwardly snorted.
She knew, of course, that Hawke was a womanizer with countless women around him.
The act of actively pushing Felicia, the assistant she had personally trained—smart, beautiful, and whose interests were temporarily tied to hers—to Hawke's side (4.8) was by no means a spur-of-the-moment decision.
She had a very shrewd plan:
Firstly, it's about going with the flow.
Felicia was clearly being courted by Hawke. Rather than letting Hawke pursue her privately, it would be better to take the initiative and make arrangements herself, which would also earn her favor and make her appear sensible and considerate of the bigger picture.
Secondly, it leaves oneself a way out.
The business world is like a battlefield, and Stella knows the ruthless nature of capitalists. Although Hawke doesn't show any signs of doing so yet, she still has to consider it.
He may value you today, but he might distance himself from or even abandon you tomorrow because of other women or interests.
If Felicia can gain a foothold by Hawke's side, or even win some favor, then even if she loses power in the future, she won't be completely relegated to the sidelines because of this "familiar relationship".
No matter how you look at it, this deal is a win-win for Stella.
239. We'll talk about it later! [Please subscribe and give flowers!]
“Alright,” Stella clapped her hands, breaking the silent tension between them, “I’ve given you the person, Hawk. Now, isn’t it time to keep your promise and treat your hero to a real feast?”
Hawke withdrew his hand from Felicia's, as if the previous ambiguity had never happened, and laughed heartily: "Of course! You choose the place, it's on me today. Felicia," he turned to his newly promoted assistant, his tone returning to that of a businesslike boss, "You should hand over your work to Stella first, and I'll let you know when to report for duty."
“Yes, Mr. Ryan.” Felicia replied respectfully, quickly suppressing all her emotions and reverting to her professional and capable assistant demeanor, though her eyes and brows seemed to possess an even more indescribable charm than before.
She bowed slightly, watching Hawke and Stella leave side by side.
As Felicia turned to walk towards her workstation, a cold and ambitious smile curled at the corner of her lips.
Beside Hawk Lane... this is a higher starting point than expected.
Once in the car, Stella chatted with Hawke about The New York Observer again:
"For our first business deal, I think The New York Observer can partner with Snap Inc. Because Snap Inc. is a relatively new company and needs influence, while The New York Observer can help make Snap Inc.'s name known among Manhattan's wealthy and elite. Of course, The New York Observer Inc. itself is suffering heavy losses and also needs advertising revenue, so the two can complement each other perfectly."
"We could also have The New York Observer partner with Twitter to launch an online section of The New York Observer, capturing the attention of young people..."
"Alright, alright," Hawke quickly stopped them, saying, "I have no objection to what you've said. Anyway, you're the boss of the entire Ryan Media now. Lan, Ivanka, and Kardashian all have to listen to you. You can make the arrangements."
"All right……"
Stella stopped talking, still wanting more.
As the framework of Ryan Media Group became more and more substantial, Stella's grand plans for her career were gradually becoming a reality, which inevitably made her somewhat excited.
The feeling of having power is 100 times better than sex, and you can't stop wanting it.
You can live without love, but you must have power.
Love is merely a seasoning on the road to power struggles; enjoy it when you have it, but compromise and concessions for love are impossible.
Hawke and Stella found a Japanese restaurant and ate Wagyu beef together.
It uses the highest quality A5 Miyazaki Wagyu beef, thickly sliced for a delightful experience, cooked to perfection, incredibly tender, and bursting with fat.
It's also covered with summer truffles, using black truffles from Australia. The slices are very thick, giving it a firm texture and an irresistible aroma!
The Wagyu beef was also sprinkled with truffle salt for seasoning.
The private room was very comfortable and spacious. The indoor plants were even real, which made it very refreshing and comfortable.
"By the way, how's the Hunger Games movie going?" Hawke asked.
“The project is progressing steadily,” Stella said. “Ivanka has come to see me several times to discuss this movie. The lead role has been decided, and the supporting actress is Christina Hendrix, whom you also chose.”
As she spoke, Stella gave Hawke a meaningful look, making him feel a little embarrassed.
Fortunately, Stella did not pursue them further, and continued:
"The preparation period for a Hollywood film is usually 3 to 4 times longer than the shooting period. 'Long preparation time and short shooting period' is the winning formula of shrewd Hollywood producers. The rigorous production plan is accurate to the day and to each scene."
"Only by developing a rigorous production plan can we ensure that the film is completed smoothly within budget and shooting schedule. Moreover, the longer the preparation time, the more thorough and comprehensive the preparation, the smoother the shooting will be, the more guaranteed the quality will be, and the shooting efficiency will be greatly improved..."
“Is that so?” Hawke frowned. “Let’s try to speed things up. If something can be solved with money, don’t waste time. The rapid formation of Ryan Media Group into an influential media company is very important to my strategic plan. So, don’t be stingy with money. Ryan Financial Group can always allocate enough funds to inject into Ryan Media Group.”
Stella: "Knowing you're big and strong, and that you're willing to pay, then of course I have no problem with that."
The two of them enjoyed the food while chatting about company issues.
“Alright, lunch’s finished. Take me straight to the New York Observer’s office in a bit.” Stella wiped her mouth with a tissue, stood up, and said, “While we were chatting, I also told my… um… new assistant to meet me there. We have a tough battle this afternoon!”
“No problem.” Hawke chuckled and nodded, but his hand pretended to accidentally touch his phone, which fell to the ground with a “thud.”
"Junior, you've always been so careless in your work."
Stella turned around helplessly, bent down, and picked up Hawke's phone.
Because she was facing sideways to Hawke, he could clearly see her long, voluptuous legs encased in black stockings, and the curves outlined by her tight-fitting pencil skirt...
Although Hawke was a typical capitalist, he felt he still had some conscience and wasn't entirely heartless. He also didn't want Stella to go to work right after dinner. As for the New York Observer...
Talk about it later!
……
About an hour and a half later, Hawke drove Stella to the entrance of The New York Observer's office.
"Alright, get down, we've arrived."
Hawke opened the car door for Stella.
"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" Stella got out of the car, still holding a bottle of mineral water and rinsing her mouth. She glared at Hawke fiercely. "You knew I had such an important matter to attend to this afternoon, yet you wasted so much of my time, and... don't tell me you did it by accident?"
Hawke said very confidently, "I did it on purpose, it was an accident!"
Stella: "..."
"I'm truly fed up with you!" Stella took another big gulp of mineral water, rinsed her mouth, then spat it out and breathed on Hawke: "Tell me, aren't you being a bit too much?"
Hawke immediately took two steps back and reached out to stop Stella from getting closer.
Upon seeing Stella's disdainful look, Hawke coughed:
"Hey, don't make ethical jokes."
"You were the one who joked with me first!" Stella really wanted to kick Hawke. "I'm going to give a speech at someone else's company later. If I open my mouth and my breath smells bad, what will people think of me? I'll lose all my dignity as a CEO."
“It’s not that serious!” Hawke said. “You’ve rinsed your mouth so many times on the way here, you’ll be fine. Don’t worry, you’re just pushing yourself.”
"Then why don't you dare kiss me anymore? You two-faced man!"
Stella gave Hawke a disdainful look, picked up her Prada bag, and headed towards the company building.
Hawke smiled, and after Stella reunited with her group, he drove away.
240 Breaking News! Dr. Stern has been kidnapped!
It was time for dinner, and he should go find Andy; the two had already arranged to have dinner together.
From the moment he came into this world, Andy was the woman who had been with him the longest, so naturally she was different from everyone else.
The two hadn't spent much time together in a long time, so they deliberately ended their work early.
night.
The two sat on the sofa. Hawke was scrolling through Twitter and ephemeral messages, checking which women had sent him pictures that day, while Andy leaned on Hawke's shoulder and watched TV.
She was watching a melodramatic romance drama where the man fell in love with another woman and cheated on her physically, while the woman cheated on him emotionally. The two were locked in a love-hate relationship, a complete mess. But she was watching it with great interest and asked Hawke with great enthusiasm, "Hawk, what do you think? Which is unforgivable, emotional infidelity or physical infidelity?"
"Heh." Hawke glanced at Andy, giving her a look that said, "You're really boring," and said, "Does being cuckolded come in different shades of green?"
"Uh-huh..."
Andy thought for a moment, then realized he had asked a really silly question, and laughed awkwardly:
"That seems to be true."
Well, watching too many melodramatic romance dramas does indeed affect one's IQ a bit.
Hawke and Andy were joking around when suddenly a phone call came in. Hawke picked up his phone, glanced at it, and saw it was from Africa.
Hawke frowned slightly; it was Barney calling.
Barney Ross, a formidable figure under the Lane Family Foundation, was personally recruited by Hawke in his early years.
This includes his entire suicide squad, including Trench, Yin Yang, Christmas, and others.