“What are you so happy about! I was crying in bed at night back then.” Liu Jizi’s tone changed immediately, and one could imagine her expression falling on the other end of the phone.
“There’s such a thing?” Jiang Ye asked, surprised.
“Really.” Liu Jizi swore.
“You need to think carefully. So much time has passed, and my secretarial work has undergone earth-shattering changes. You might not want to come back,” Jiang Ye said.
“I want to! I want to go back to being the Commander’s secretary!” Liu Jizi said immediately, her tone rather anxious.
“I have more planets now. Being my secretary is ten times, even dozens of times busier than before. I might even get you to spit blood from overwork,” Jiang Ye said. “You can go shopping and have tea with Isabel on Biron Planet now. If you really come back, you won’t have much personal time.”
“I’m willing even if I don’t have personal time. I just want to go back to work!” Liu Jizi replied instantly.
“My temper has also gotten worse over the years. I have less patience than before and have become an annoying bad leader, often scolding my subordinates severely.” Jiang Ye said.
“Just scold me as much as you want. I have a big heart!” Liu Jizi said without hesitation.
“You’re getting a super high salary now. If you come back to me, your salary will drop drastically,” Jiang Ye said. “You’ll be poor all of a sudden.”
“Commander, what are you saying? Am I going to starve to death?” Liu Jizi chuckled. “As long as I can go back, I don’t even need a salary. I have shares in some companies, and the dividends are not much but enough to get by. Don’t you want a free employee?”
“Heh, I really can’t understand you. With so many bad things, why do you still want to come back?” Jiang Ye asked.
“I just want to. Don’t worry about it. I just want to go back and be your secretary!” Liu Jizi said. “I’ve had enough of my current position. Please issue an order to transfer me back as soon as possible! I feel very comfortable working with you. You are a good leader.”
“I’ll think about it again.” Jiang Ye hung up the phone.
He felt very surprised.
I’m a good leader?
Is being a good leader that attractive to employees?
Willing to come back despite a pay cut, increased workload, and being scolded?
Jiang Ye couldn’t quite understand it. After all, he hadn’t been an employee much and couldn’t understand the feelings of the two secretaries. His only superior was Li Nannan, and she wasn’t a superior in the strict sense, and they only contacted each other once in a while.
The first round of voting for the summit had arrived.
Jiang Ye did not attend in person. He deliberately distanced himself from Shiying Star, hoping no one would provoke him.
Of course, Jiang Ye couldn’t help but pay attention. He sat in his office and watched the voting process via holographic projection.
After days of struggle, more than a dozen parties had withdrawn from the summit. The originally well-sized venue suddenly seemed a bit empty.
The voting was open and recorded. The camera would capture the result on the ballot each time a representative went up to vote.
Each ballot also had the signature of the voting party. After the counting, these ballots would be sealed in glass cabinets at the summit venue for a few days, allowing everyone to view them and verify the authenticity of the votes.
Jiang Ye arranged it this way to distance himself from the matter.
He wanted everyone to see clearly that Jiang Ye was not manipulating the votes, but that the competing parties were attacking each other.
Soon, the first round of voting concluded.
The fourth item passed with an overwhelming 88% of the votes!
Jiang Ye breathed a sigh of relief. Everything was proceeding according to plan.
Immediately after, the conference entered the second round.
The auction for the one hundred plots of land on Shiying Star began.
Each plot was 5.6 million square kilometers, a considerable area.
The land auctioned on the first day was all in the peripheral areas, and most of it was ocean. Most representatives were not very enthusiastic and made symbolic bids. In the end, ten plots were sold, belonging to four interstellar corporations, fetching four trillion.
Jiang Ye was surprised by this result. Selling only one-tenth of the worst land for four trillion meant that the price could far exceed the sixty trillion offered to Bai Xiaobai once the entire planet was auctioned. It was indeed correct not to sell it to Bai Xiaobai rashly.
The auction continued until eight o’clock in the evening.
Jiang Ye sat in his office eating dinner, teriyaki chicken rice.
Halfway through his meal, the phone rang.
It was Li Nannan.
“Hello, Commander.” Jiang Ye answered, putting it on speakerphone.
“Were the lands sold today the worst ones?” Li Nannan asked, her tone filled with confusion.
“To give all parties some time to react,” Jiang Ye said. “The good land is saved for last.”
“The military wants a few plots of land,” Li Nannan said. “I hope you can make arrangements.”
“This… I’m very willing to arrange for the military. I’m a loyal dog of the military, after all.” Jiang Ye frowned. “But as you can see, the current situation is an open auction, and everyone is competing. The hundred plots of land are clearly demarcated. If I make private deals…”
“As long as the mindset doesn’t slip, there are always more solutions than difficulties,” Li Nannan said. “Tomorrow, ten more mediocre plots will be auctioned, right?”
“That’s right,” Jiang Ye nodded.
“Swap one good plot for a mediocre one and put it later,” Li Nannan said. “When the representatives are less vigilant, suddenly bring it out, and our military will snatch it. Tell the auctioneer to be quick and don’t give other representatives time to react. One, two, three times, snap, it’s sold. Conduct a lightning raid.”
“I just need to do this?” Jiang Ye asked, surprised.
“That’s right. The military understands the current situation. Doing this will be very satisfactory to our superiors,” Li Nannan said.
“That’s easy. I’ll arrange it,” Jiang Ye said. “Which good plot do you want?”
“Plot number 63, perhaps. Among the good plots, this one is mid-tier, so it won’t cause extreme reactions from other representatives. Even if we don’t get it, the loss won’t be significant,” Li Nannan said.
“Okay, I’ll arrange it,” Jiang Ye said. “What about after that?”
“We’ll talk about it later. I’ll call you at this time every day,” Li Nannan said.
The call ended.
Jiang Ye sighed.
The military had finally exerted pressure.
Fortunately, the military’s request today was easy and not excessive. However, as the competition intensified in the future, it was hard to say what demands the military would make. At that time, it would likely be very difficult.
While chewing chicken, he quickly clicked on the screen, arranging the auction for tomorrow.
As soon as he finished the deployment, another call came in.
It was from an interstellar corporation that had called several times before.
Jiang Ye answered, listened to a few words from the other side, and immediately changed his demeanor:
“It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but this auction is completely open and transparent. So many representatives are watching, it’s really not good to reserve anything for you! It’s not about money. I appreciate your kindness, but this really can’t be done…”
As soon as he finished dealing with that call, another new call came in, a seamless transition.
Jiang Ye frowned and continued to answer the phone.
From dinner time until one o’clock in the morning, Jiang Ye’s phone didn’t stop ringing. Almost all the representatives called, wanting to reserve land, or seeking information and private discounts, or offering other cooperation as a condition. Jiang Ye’s lips were almost worn raw, and his phone was getting hotter and hotter.
The last call was actually from the governor of Leng An Planet.
Jiang Ye answered, and it turned out to be related to Jiang Senlin.
He had been lying lazily on the sofa, but he suddenly sat up straight.