CHAPTER 185: CHAPTER 185: STEPPING INTO THE BUSINESS WORLD (5)_1

Back in the car, she couldn’t help but cast an admiring glance at the man beside her.

Even though she had always known Glades Horne was a formidable figure in the business world, she had never experienced it firsthand. The fact that he managed even a subsidiary company so tightly indicated just how strong a grip he wielded as the CEO of Valence Group.

When Glades Horne received the adoring look from his wife, the corners of his mouth curved slightly, with a hint of a smile hanging at the edges. He didn’t speak, simply drove the car into the company lot and headed for the parking area.

In the parking lot, there were several cars, each valued between one hundred thousand to two hundred thousand. Julia Bluen’s pure black Mercedes stood out like a crane amongst chickens as soon as it parked.

The security guard on duty picked up the intercom as soon as Glades drove in, promptly notifying the Administrative Department, and the manager of the department quickly reported up the chain.

When the couple got out of the car and walked into the Office Building, all the senior management rushed to the first floor as fast as they could, ready to welcome their new boss.

"Good afternoon, General Manager Bluen."

Nearly a hundred senior managers had gathered, politely addressing Julia Bluen.

Julia paused, her eyes flickering. She thought these people were quick in their actions. She looked over all the senior managers, then turned her head to glance at Glades Horne standing at her side like a bodyguard. His lips were pursed, hands lazily stuffed into his pockets, tilting his head to look elsewhere, clearly not wishing to disclose his identity to everyone. He was leaving Julia Bluen to take the lead.

"Hello, everyone." Julia raised a confident and amiable smile, greeted everyone, then looked towards the woman at the front and took a couple of steps forward to ask, "Excuse me, are you the Vice President?" She knew that all subsidiaries of the Valence Group have a General Manager and a Vice President if they are of a certain size. The General Manager is appointed by the headquarters, while the Vice President and lower management are either recruited from outside or selected from within the company and are not directly managed by the headquarters. Hence, when the General Manager of Huayi was recalled to Valence Group, the Vice President remained here.

Julia had not expected that the Vice President here would also be a woman.

The woman appeared to be around thirty-five or thirty-six, dressed in a relaxed yet tasteful manner, sporting a pair of black-framed glasses that conferred an air of erudition. Under those glasses, her eyes were deep and calm, her every wink and blink exuding her competence; she was clearly a veteran who had been through countless battles.

The middle-aged woman smiled and nodded her head, then stretched out her right hand towards Julia Bluen, introducing herself, "Elizabeth Cooper."

"Vice President Cooper." Julia shook hands with Vice President Cooper courteously and then followed her inside. Everyone made way, although many were drawn to Glades Horne’s extraordinary aura and mesmerized by his handsome looks. Yet, they didn’t stare at him too much, not guessing that the man looking like a Flower Protector next to Julia Bluen was actually the top decision-maker of Valence Group.

"Vice President Cooper, have everyone go to the Conference Room for a meeting," Julia instructed gently. Her voice was not loud, yet carried an undeniable command.

She needed to get to know these managers one by one, to understand each person’s position and abilities. A meeting would serve as a good way for them to get to know each other, she supposed.

"Sure," replied Vice President Cooper cheerfully. She stopped walking, turned her head, and said to everyone, "Let’s have a meeting in the Conference Room on the third floor."

And so, everyone headed up to the third floor.

The General Manager’s Office was also on the third floor, right beside the Conference Room. As the position of Secretary had not yet been filled, there was no secretary’s desk. In addition to the General Manager’s Office, the third floor also housed the offices of several other senior managers.

A moment later, the Conference Room was filled with people.

Vice President Cooper sat in the first seat below the head of the table.

Julia Bluen took the head of the table, while Glades Horne casually sat across from Vice President Cooper, which made everyone inevitably speculate about his real identity. If he was a bodyguard, he would be standing behind Julia Bluen, not sitting down, nor would he be on an equal level with the company’s Vice President.

Before Glades Horne and Julia Bluen’s wedding, everyone had assumed Glades was marrying Ruby Bluen. It wasn’t until after the wedding, when Glades took Julia abroad for their honeymoon, that Hansen Ruiz issued an important announcement. He informed all managers of the subsidiaries and Chain Stores assigned to Julia that she was their new boss, and that Julia Bluen was the one who had married into the Horne Family.

It was undoubtedly explosive news, yet no one knew the real story.

In the crucial announcement, Hansen Ruiz emphasized that no one was allowed to discuss Julia Bluen and Glades Horne in private. If Julia happened to overhear, it would make her uncomfortable, and Glades Horne would get furious if she was distressed. Of course, these additions were Ruiz’s own, as Julia herself had no intention of hiding in a shell for the rest of her life.

She was married now, and the honeymoon was over. She was ready to face all the criticism and storms that lay ahead.

At this moment, everyone knew that Julia Bluen was the new lady of the Horne Family. They looked at her with the utmost respect, daring not to show the slightest skepticism.

Julia introduced herself to everyone.

After her introduction, Vice President Cooper explained to her the names and positions of those present.

Once acquainted with everyone, Julia verbally inquired about the current operational status of the company, then requested that the heads of each department compile a report on the current production conditions of their departments for her after the meeting.

The meeting lasted only half an hour before it concluded.

Though it was just half an hour, it marked the beginning of Julia Bluen’s venture into the business world. Ahead lay many difficulties and challenges that she couldn’t predict, waiting for her to confront.

After the meeting ended, Vice President Cooper led Julia Bluen back to the General Manager’s Office.

It was a sixty-square-meter office, starkly different from Glades Horne’s CEO’s Office, but just as spotlessly clean. The previous General Manager must have been a very serious person. The arrangement and furnishings were meticulous, even the curtains were dark, lending a somber air to the room. Entering the office, one couldn’t help but feel on edge, as if a single mistake or misstep would be catastrophic.

A semi-circular mahogany desk stood in the center, with various documents on it, mostly contracts with clients and some internal company documents, along with a number of books related to toys. Behind the desk was a bookshelf, neatly filled with various books on toys and management.