Seeing the three people surrounding her, Xia Qingtian felt a warmth rise within her. She repeatedly assured them she was fine, downed two bowls of restorative soup in one go, and then leaned on her father's shoulder to ask, "Dad, how did you know I was injured?"
"Mr. Gu called ahead to let us know, and he said he'd send gifts to check on you next time," Father Xia poked Xia Qingtian's head with his index finger. "You, oh you, always so clumsy since you were little, when will you ever grow up?"
Xia Qingtian stuck out her tongue, but in her mind, she was wildly praising Mobius.
What is reliability? This is reliability!
When she has the ability and starts her own company, she must poach Mobius from Mr. Gu.
Having such a capable, good-looking, and skilled assistant would make her wake up smiling in her dreams.
Come to think of it, Mr. Gu's current capabilities and achievements must be due to having capable people like Mobius assisting him.
If Xia Qingtian wants to forge her own path, she naturally needs trustworthy and reliable people by her side.
Currently, she only has Li Mengxiao, her little assistant. Although she seems a bit carefree and prone to nagging, she is meticulous, dedicated, and doesn't slack off when it comes to taking care of her.
She is trustworthy.
Besides Li Mengxiao, she should recruit more of her own talent.
"The guest room on the west side of the second floor has been prepared," Aunt Liu chimed in at this moment.
"The guest room on the west side of the second floor?" Xia Qingtian looked at Aunt Liu, then back at Father Xia. "Are we having guests?"
That guest room had been vacant for a long time.
"It's your maternal grandfather's cousin's son's paternal cousin's adopted son," Father Xia replied. "A distant relative. His family ran into some trouble, so he's coming to Z City to stay for a while and look for work."
"That's too distant," Xia Qingtian frowned, wanting to refuse.
The kidnapping incident hadn't been completely resolved, there was still a scoundrel like Song Junhan around, not to mention the insider within the Xia Corporation that hadn't been uncovered behind Song Junhan.
At this time, bringing such an "outsider" into the house, Xia Qingtian felt it was very unreliable.
Thinking of this, a "beep" sounded in Xia Qingtian's mind.
[The Chosen One System has been activated.
Option A: Agree with Father Xia and take in the distant relative. Reward: A talented subordinate.
Option B: Be cautious during special times. Refuse to take in the distant relative. Reward: An adrenaline shot.]
"If Qingtian doesn't want him to stay, that's fine too. There's an empty spare room in the city center where he can stay," Father Xia said, considering Xia Qingtian's slightly overbearing and spoiled temper. "We can have someone clean it up first thing tomorrow morning, and he can move in."
"After all, he's a relative. Everyone has their difficult times," Xia Qingtian immediately agreed.
Although an adrenaline shot would be useful, she needed her own people more right now.
And knowing the system's usual behavior, this distant relative was likely the talented subordinate she needed.
Therefore, she chose A.
She just didn't know what kind of person this talented subordinate would be. By seniority, this person was in the same generation as Father Xia, and Xia Qingtian would have to call him uncle.
He was probably a mature man who was steady, diligent, and experienced.
Xia Qingtian's requirements weren't high; he just needed to be half as excellent as Mobius.
Hearing Xia Qingtian agree, Father Xia visibly relaxed, and his gaze towards Xia Qingtian became even softer and more loving.
Who said his daughter was overbearing and spoiled?
His daughter was clearly a kind, gentle, and helpful little sweetheart!
The next evening, when this distant relative arrived at the Xia residence, he only brought a military-green suitcase. He was slender, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt on his upper body, dark jeans on his lower half, and a pair of somewhat worn sneakers.
The cuffs of his pants were rolled up from being worn for too long, and the edges of his sneakers, though clean, were oxidized and yellowed from too many washes.
He appeared to be in his early twenties. Due to a cold, he seemed listless.
"Xia Shang, your mother called just now asking if you'd arrived," Father Xia greeted Xia Shang with a hearty laugh. "Z City is colder than where you're from. Was your journey smooth?"
"It was fine," Xia Shang nodded, his voice quiet and somewhat nasally.
"Got a cold?" Father Xia said. "Eat some medicine after dinner, and you'll be better after a good sleep."
Xia Shang didn't reply, only curling the corner of his lips into a shy and distant smile.
After dinner, Xia Shang went back to his room to rest. Considering his long journey and cold, no one disturbed him. Fortunately, Xia Shang had good health, and his cold was gone by the next day.
It wasn't until Xia Shang's cold had genuinely cleared up that Xia Qingtian realized his previous lethargic appearance wasn't due to the cold, but because he was inherently quiet and seemed exceptionally downcast.
He was exceptionally silent in the Xia household, only appearing at mealtimes. Xia Qingtian hadn't thought about chatting with him, but seeing his "do not approach" aura, Xia Qingtian really didn't know how to communicate with him.
[System, are you cheating again? Are you sure he's a talented subordinate?] Xia Qingtian's mouth twitched, and she couldn't help but ask mentally.
[Host, please rest assured, the system and the host coexist and will absolutely not deceive the host.] The system's electronic voice echoed in Xia Qingtian's mind. [Xia Shang possesses great talent.]
Hearing the system's words, Xia Qingtian silently glanced at Xia Shang, who was at the dining table, feeling a little suspicious but saying nothing more.
Father Xia, however, chatted with Xia Shang for a bit. "You're here in Z City to look for a job, right? Have you sent out your resume?"
"I have," Xia Shang's voice was still muffled. "Gu's Entertainment asked me to go for an interview tomorrow."
Hearing this answer, everyone was somewhat surprised. They knew too well what Gu's Entertainment represented.
"Then, then I'll have someone make something delicious tomorrow to celebrate your return," Aunt Liu suggested. "Wishing you all the best in advance."
"Thank you, but... I don't know if I can do it..." Xia Shang lowered his head, his voice growing softer, and he looked even more dejected.
"It's okay, just have a bit more confidence," Father Xia chuckled. "It's already great that you can get an interview with Gu's Entertainment. If it doesn't work out, you can try other jobs. There are plenty of job opportunities here."
"Yes, if all else fails, you can come to Xia Corporation," Xia Qingtian looked at Xia Shang. Since the system had guaranteed his talent, and with the mindset of keeping resources within the family, Xia Qingtian still hoped to keep Xia Shang.
"Yes," Father Xia nodded.
"Do you have clothes for your interview at Gu's tomorrow?" Xia Qingtian suddenly asked. Seeing Xia Shang look at her with confusion, Xia Qingtian slapped her forehead and asked, "You're not planning to wear... this, are you?"
"Is that not okay?" Xia Shang asked, puzzled.
"..." The Xia family.