"Xiaoqiu, come take a look at this. How did we usually handle this in the past?" Yu Xiang rubbed her temples and stepped aside, letting Qiuyun take her place at the computer.
"Just a moment—let me check the history records on our app."
Two minutes later, she answered, "This kind of expense is usually reported by Sun Assistant Manager to Butler Lin, and then it gets approved from the family office side."
Yu Xiang was speechless, her tone quite irritable: "Then why doesn't he just report it himself! Why come all the way to bother me with this!"
Ahem.
Indeed, tedious work turns people into beasts of burden—even a lady of leisure like Madam could not escape the corporate grind after being put through the wringer.
"A new broomsweeps clean. Sun Assistant Manager isn't sure of your temper yet—that's understandable," Qiuyun reasoned.
"Hmph. Is he unsure, or is he deliberately making things difficult?"
Yu Xiang wasn't some full-time housewife with nothing else to her name. She had qualifications and a career. Campus politics at the university might not be as cutthroat as the outside corporate world, but where there are people, there is scheming. If she couldn't sense the underhanded hostility from her subordinates, she might as well not have lived these forty-odd years!
"By giving that order, the master essentially stripped Sun Assistant Manager of his authority. He's bound to have resentment, but he can't take it out on you, the legitimate mistress. So his conduct tends to lean toward being uncooperative."
Qiuyun suggested, "How about I go have a talk with him?"
Yu Xiang thought for a moment, then nodded. "Hint at him tactfully. Tell him not to play any tricks. As long as conditions stay unchanged, just follow past procedures. He doesn't need to come asking for approval on every little thing."
"Understood, Madam."
The next morning.
Qiuyun got up early and went down to the basement level one, catching Sun Assistant Manager before he could have his breakfast.
"I hope I'm not delaying your breakfast, Sun Assistant Manager?" Qiuyun greeted with a smile. "Madam's instructions are urgent, and I was afraid I'd miss you if I came any later."
Sun Bo grumbled inwardly, "At this hour, you tell me whether it's delaying or not!"
"No, no—at my age, my appetite isn't that good in the morning anyway. So what's so urgent from Madam? Is it about approvals?"
"Not quite."
"Well, if it's about approvals—" He stopped mid-sentence, stunned. "What?"
The script wasn't following his expectations.
Qiuyun had come empty-handed today. She glanced up at the ceiling, avoiding the hidden surveillance cameras on the basement floor, then walked over to the wicker chair in the tea restaurant and sat down, still smiling. "It's something Madam wants you to handle."
Sun Bo frowned slightly and sat down across from her. "What does Madam want me to handle?"
A quick-witted staff member brought over tea. Qiuyun thanked them in a low voice, then looked at Sun Assistant Manager, raising an eyebrow meaningfully. "Madam has quite a lot to assign. Do you want to take out your phone and record this?"
Was this young girl looking down on him?
Sun Assistant Manager said with confidence, "Haha, no need. If a butler can't even remember the master's instructions, then I shouldn't be in this job at all, right, Assistant Qiu?"
"Fair enough."
With that, Qiuyun didn't mince words: "Madam has quite a few things to delegate, so Mr. Sun Assistant Manager, please listen carefully. The first item concerns the basic management of the basement floor, Mingsi Tower, Mingyuan Tower, and Mingyue Tower—including personnel, cleaning, and organization of belongings."
"For personnel: the information on our app hasn'tbeen updated in ages. You'll need to call each person within three days to register them one by one and update their internal profiles."
"For cleaning: since the main branch hasn't had a proper mistress to keep things in check, these people under you have gotten lazy and slacked off. A lot of the dirty, exhausting jobs have been dumped on the new hires. So Madam requires you to put together a detailed duty roster, assigning specific tasks to specific people, so responsibilities are clear and no one can pass the buck."
"As for large-scale cleaning, we outsource that to the estate's professional team—so you need to compile the cleaning records, damage reports, and maintenance logs from the past year, preferably in a clear, easy-to-read slide presentation."
"For organizing belongings: let's not dwell on the past. But from now on, anything worth over ten thousand yuan must be logged into this app."
Qiuyun showed Sun Assistant Manager the download page for the app. "From what I know, apart from our branch, the other three branches of the estate have already been using more advanced, more scientific methods of inventory management. Madam's intention is for us to move with the times—each item's origin, brand, and price should be marked clearly. This makes daily management easier and allows the masters to look things up at their convenience."
The relentless stream of words crashed over him. Sun Bo hadn't even had breakfast, and now his head was spinning with low blood sugar.
But Qiuyun wasn't done: "Second, for daily living arrangements—most of our food is provided by the head chef. The household only buys snacks, drinks, fruits, and the like, so the spending there isn't much, and we can keep that as is. The main costs are the seasonal wardrobe purchases for the master, madam, the young master, and the young lady. That's the biggest line item in our branch's living expenses. But honestly—"
She gave a knowing smile. "Honestly, a lot of it is unnecessary spending—take Eldest Young Master, for example."
At the mention of Eldest Young Master, Sun Bo's heart tightened, and he instinctively looked up.
Qiuyun said leisurely, "Eldest Young Master moved out of the estate this month, but our branch is still ordering clothes, shoes, watches, belts—everything going to Mingsi Tower. Who's going to wear those? As an assistant manager, you didn't even think of that. Madam is quite disappointed."
Sun Assistant Manager unconsciously wiped the sweat from his forehead, realizing Qiuyun wasn't planning to expose him outright. He said guiltily, "Yes, yes, you're right. It was a slip on my part—I didn't think it through."
A slap, then a sweet bun. Qiuyun soothed him warmly, "You're a busy man, Mr. Sun, and things slip by easily—that's understandable. I've already spoken to Madam on your behalf, and she's willing to be understanding."
"Then I'm truly grateful to Madam." Seeing that the smiling woman didn't pick up the thread, Sun Bo faltered. "Um, and thank you too, Assistant Qiu, for putting in a good word."
Only then did Qiuyun say gently, "It's all small things! We're both working under the same masters—we have to look out for each other."
"Indeed, indeed. Ha ha."
"So from now on, procurement can't be as easy as just reporting a lump sum like before. Whatever you buy, what brand, how much it cost—everything needs to be logged into this app. Oh, and one more thing: any items that haven't been worn in a long time, or clothes that the young master and young lady have outgrown, need to be sorted out in a timely manner. Whether they're donated, sold, or distributed among our own staff, every item has to have a clear ending."
With that, Qiuyun picked up the teacup and took a light sip. "As for the past—I've already persuaded Madam to let bygones be bygones."
The past...
Faced with Assistant Qiu's lofty attitude, all Sun Assistant Manager could do was give an ingratiating smile.
"For other things—the maintenance and inspection of vehicles, yachts, and helicopters, as well as the care and preservation of artworks, auction pieces, and antiques—I'm sure these are areas where you have plenty of experience. I won't go into detail. You certainly know your way around them."
Sun Assistant Manager's brain was still spinning. "Yes, yes, yes indeed."
So this little miss had also done her homework on what he used to handle!
"Third—" Qiuyun ignored his pale face and continued with a smile, "is event planning for external banquets and guest reception."
