Chapter 257: A New Recruitment Challenge

The bus drove for about 28 minutes before steadily stopping at the entrance of Lang Ai Hotel. It was the peak tourist season in Nanjiang City, and there were many tourists. As soon as the bus stopped, the driver opened the luggage compartment and, along with the bellboys Xiao Gaoge and Xiao Pangge, helped the guests with their luggage.

Chen Jianhai didn't hurry. He remained seated at the back, waiting for everyone else to get off before he slowly stood up and got off the bus. He noticed the bus driver and the two bellboys were focused on the luggage compartment, seemingly discussing something, with no one paying attention to him.

Perfect!

Satisfied, Chen Jianhai adjusted his hat lower. Just as he was about to sneak into the hotel to surprise his employees, he heard the bus driver's voice behind him.

"I told you there was one piece of luggage left, and you two didn't believe me!"

"See, I was right!"

Xiao Gaoge, the bellboy, said, "You really have sharp eyes. If you hadn't mentioned it, we would have missed this tightly wrapped luggage in the rush."

Xiao Pangge, the other bellboy, said, "Shall we carry it into the hotel?"

Xiao Gaoge replied, "Carrying it might be tough for one person, and it wouldn't look good if other guests saw us struggling."

The bus driver suggested, "Let's lift it together at the entrance. Each of us can grab a side of the wheels. We should be able to move it."

"Alright."

Listening to their whispers, Chen Jianhai became curious. What kind of luggage was so heavy that it needed three people to carry it? If it was that heavy, he might as well lend a hand.

Just as he was hesitating whether to turn back and see what kind of heavy luggage it was, he heard several footsteps rapidly approaching from behind. Instinctively, he turned to look and, in the next moment, felt someone wrap their arms around his waist from behind, lifting him off the ground. He felt weightless as he was hoisted into the air, his hands and feet grabbed, and he was spun around with his back on the ground, facing the sky.

If he weren't so heavy, he might have thought he was going to be tossed into the air. Everything happened so fast that by the time Chen Jianhai realized what was happening, he was already back on the ground, his heart pounding, and his mind blank.

He felt like a helpless jellyfish being twirled around by a stick. Dizzy and bewildered, he heard the bus driver and the bellboys talking:

"Dang, boss, you're heavy! My arms are cramping."

"No kidding! I was afraid I'd drop you if I held on any longer."

"You rascal!"

"You jerk!"

"You damn rascal!"

This is mutiny!

Furious, Chen Jianhai pulled off his mask and gave each of the three a hard kick. The trio, wincing in pain, smiled sheepishly and admitted their mistake.

"Boss, we haven't seen you in so long. We were so happy we wanted to give you a surprise."

"Surprise my foot!"

Chen Jianhai glared at them. He had planned to surprise his employees but ended up being the one ambushed. Seeing the bellboys smiling at him, he almost kicked them again but, noticing their genuine joy, he couldn't stay angry.

"What are you standing around for? Get back to work!"

Chen Jianhai walked into the hotel, still annoyed but slightly amused.

...

After the shocking experience of being ambushed by his employees, Chen Jianhai lost his enthusiasm for surprising them. Unfortunately, Wen Zifan was at the association submitting materials and wasn't at the hotel, so his imagined scene of receiving admiration from a "straight girl" wasn't going to happen. Nonetheless, he was delighted with the employees' performance. Even though he hadn't been at Lang Ai for a while, the hotel was running smoothly. Each employee was working diligently, and the hotel atmosphere was warm and orderly. When they saw him, their eyes filled with surprise and joy. If it weren't for the hotel's rule of maintaining quietness during working hours to create a pleasant environment for guests, they would have crowded around him, chatting and laughing.

...

Although the hotel operations were running smoothly, some subtle changes were happening. Since "Xiao Ma," the Star Candy Frost Cookies had become a top must-try dessert on Huanhai Road, attracting many visitors. To meet customer demand, Wen Zifan had set up a small dessert window on the side of Lang Ai Hotel, exclusively selling the hotel's desserts. They had even framed the city's "Nanjiang City Marathon Event Specialty Dessert" plaque outside, and business was booming. Every day, many tourists and delivery drivers queued up to buy.

In the pastry room, the bakers were busy making daily desserts and developing new ones. They were so engrossed in their work that they didn't notice Chen Jianhai walking by with a satisfied smile.

...

After touring the hotel from top to bottom, Chen Jianhai arrived at the HR department. Minister Xie and his team were sitting in the office with worried expressions, discussing something.

"A seaplane pilot..."

"Pilots in this country are already few, let alone seaplane pilots."

"No serious pilot would be willing to work at a hotel!"

"One is already difficult; the boss wants two..."

"Where can we find them?"

One problem after another was raised, weighing heavily on the HR team. Although they had faced challenges in recruiting and screening employees before, they could always find ways to connect with and understand relevant talents in the hotel industry. But now, the boss's request for a "seaplane pilot" was giving them a real headache.

"Minister, should we apply to the boss to recruit from aviation schools?"

An employee suggested.

"I've thought of that, but the travel expenses, coordination with the schools, and recruitment advertising are all problematic," Minister Xie sighed.

Typically, students trained at aviation schools join major airlines or pursue further studies abroad. But imagine a hotel showing up at an aviation recruitment event? Besides the mismatched vibe, he doubted they'd even get a chance to speak before being thrown out.

The room fell silent again as everyone sighed deeply. Just as the mood was at its lowest, a voice came from the door:

"Don't worry about travel expenses. As long as you identify the right schools, I will fully support you."

Minister Xie looked up sharply to see Chen Jianhai standing at the door, smiling at them.